Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO@polysiloxane microspheres and their application in preparing optical diffusers

In this study, optical diffusers based on ZnO@polysiloxane microsphere fillers were successfully prepared by a solvent-free UV curing process. ZnO@polysiloxane microspheres were synthesized via a highly efficient and facile hydrothermal synthetic method. The microscope analysis revealed that the ZnO@polysiloxane microspheres were about 6-8 mu m in diameter. The optical properties of the diffusers were also measured for the first time. The results suggest that the novel diffuser based on ZnO@polysiloxane microsphere fillers possessed suitable light transmittance, good diffusion capacity, and low incident angle dependence. In addition, its tunable optical diffusing capacity relied on the amount of ZnO@polysiloxane microsphere fillers. When the concentration of the ZnO@polysiloxane microspheres was as high as 15 wt%, the diffusing properties of the novel diffusers reached the level of a commercially available diffuser. Therefore, the new fillers can be widely used for the preparation of multifunctional diffusion materials such as touch-panel functions, monitors, military projectors, and TVs.