Silver nanoparticles incorporated polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite film as hydrophobic infrared filters

Abstract

Infrared (IR) filters and screens find application in energy‐efficient buildings, windows, and solar panels. Such filters benefit solar cells by preventing efficiency losses caused by heating. Polymer‐nanocomposite films are good candidates for developing IR screens. Compared to prior research on IR filters, we show how the addition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can improve the material's IR reflective nature while retaining high transmittance in the visible region. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film with AgNPs (~100 μm thick) is made using the doctor blade technique. We observe no transparency loss over the 0.005–0.02 vol% loading of AgNPs in PDMS, indicating the promising application of this transparent film. Furthermore, the distribution of AgNPs is found to be uniform, ensuring consistency, and preventing agglomeration. A contact angle of ~1120 is observed for these films, which is comparable to pristine PDMS film. Using a UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer, greater than 7.66% weighted average reflectance is observed in the near‐infrared (NIR) region and above 91.5% transmittance in the visible region. The precise role and influence of the functional group's presence were revealed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The thermal analysis (TGA) of the films revealed thermal stability of up to 400°C, which is comparable to pristine PDMS. Overall, the synergistic combination of AgNPs and PDMS produces a hydrophobic IR filter with enhanced optical characteristics and thermal stability.