The invention relates to a method of making hybrid organic-inorganic core-shell nano-particles, comprising the steps of a) providing colloidal organic particles comprising a synthetic polyampholyte as a template; b) adding at least one inorganic oxide precursor; and c) forming a shell layer from the precursor on the template to result in core-shell nano-particles. With this method it is possible to make colloidal organic template particles having an average particle size in the range of 10 to 300 nm; which size can be controlled by the comonomer composition of the polyampholyte, and/or by selecting dispersion conditions.

The invention also relates to organic-inorganic or hollow-inorganic core-shell nano-particles obtained with this method, to compositions comprising such nano-particles, to different uses of said nano-particles and compositions, and to products comprising or made from said nano-particles and compositions, including anti-reflective coatings and composite materials.

Embodiments of methods for forming strengthened glass articles comprise providing an exchangeable glass substrate having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between about 60×10-7/° C. to about 110×10-7/° C., depositing at least one decorative porous inorganic layer onto at least a portion of the surface of the glass substrate, wherein the decorative porous inorganic layer comprises a glass transition temperature (Tg)≥450° C., a glass softening temperature (Ts)≤650° C., wherein the difference in CTE values between the glass substrate and the decorative porous inorganic layer is within 10×10-7/° C.; and curing the glass substrate and the deposited decorative porous inorganic layer at a temperature greater than the Ts of the decorative porous inorganic layer; and chemically strengthening the cured glass substrate and the decorative porous inorganic layer thereon via ion exchange at a temperature below the Tg of the decorative porous inorganic layer.

A coated glass or glass ceramic substrate includes a substrate with a surface area and a coating on that surface area. The coating includes a glass matrix and IR-reflecting pigments. The IR-reflecting pigments have a TSR value of at least 20%, as determined according to ASTM G 173. The coating, at a wavelength of 1500 nm, exhibits a remission of at least 35%, as measured according to ISO 13468.

Antireflective nanoparticle coatings and methods of forming the coatings on substrates are disclosed. One method for forming an antireflective coating includes depositing a nanoparticle coating layer on a substrate, wherein the nanoparticle coating layer includes a colloidal solution of nanoparticles and a solidifying material. The solidifying material includes a silica precursor. The method further includes curing the solidifying material to form silica inter-particle connections between adjacent nanoparticles and between at least some of the nanoparticles and the substrate to bind the nanoparticles to each other and to the substrate to form the antireflective coating.

An energy-saving glass includes a glass substrate, and a periodic metal layer deposited on the glass substrate and having a honeycomb array of round holes. A method of manufacturing the energy-saving glass includes: providing a template having multiple template spots arranged in a honeycomb array; forming on the template a transfer metal layer having multiple metal spots disposed respectively on the template spots; transferring the metal spots onto a photoresist layer on a glass substrate; etching the photoresist layer exposed from the metal spots to leave photoresist spots underlying the metal spots on the glass substrate; forming a periodic metal layer around the photoresist spots; and removing the photoresist spots.

Method of making an article are described comprising providing a substrate and forming a surface treated porous layer on a surface of the substrate. The porous layer comprises sintered inorganic oxide particles. A surface of the porous layer comprises a hydrophobic layer. The method further comprises impregnating a lubricant into pores of the surface treated porous layer. Also described are articles, comprising (a) a substrate; (b) a surface treated porous layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein the surface treated porous layer comprises a plurality of sintered inorganic oxide particles arranged to form a porous three-dimensional network, and a hydrophobic layer disposed on a surface of the porous three-dimensional network, and (c) a lubricant impregnated in pores of the surface treated porous layer.

A method for preparing an optically transparent, superomniphobic glass composition is described. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a glass composition, including heating a borosilicate glass comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide to form a phase-separated glass comprising an interpenetrating network of silicon oxide domains and boron oxide domains. The method includes removing at least a portion of the boron oxide domains from the phase-separated glass and depositing a hydrophobic silane to provide a porous glass having a hydrophobic silane layer disposed on a portion of the surface thereof, a total pore volume of 15-50 vol. %, and an average pore diameter of 20-300 nm. The method includes, within at least a portion of the volume of the porous glass, forming an aerogel precursor, and converting at least a portion of the aerogel precursor to an aerogel.

One or more aspects of the disclosure pertain to an article including a film disposed on a glass substrate, which may be strengthened, where the interface between the film and the glass substrate is modified, such that the article has an improved average flexural strength, and the film retains key functional properties for its application. Some key functional properties of the film include optical, electrical and/or mechanical properties. In one or more embodiments, the interface exhibits an effective adhesion energy of about less than about 4 J/m.sup.2. In some embodiments, the interface is modified by the inclusion of a crack mitigating layer containing an inorganic material between the glass substrate and the film.

A transparent glass or ceramic or glass-ceramic substrate, coated with a functional layer or with a stack of at least two functional layers, the functional layer or at least one of the functional layers of the stack being porous and made of an inorganic material M1, wherein the or at least one of the porous functional layer(s) of inorganic material M1 has, at the surface of at least one portion of the pores thereof, at least one inorganic material M2 different from M1.

An optical member including a porous glass layer on a base member is provided, wherein the reflectance is reduced and a ripple is suppressed. The optical member is provided with a base member and a glass layer holding a transparent material in the inside of a porous structure disposed on the base member, wherein in the thickness direction of the glass layer, the porosity in the base member side with respect to the center line of the glass layer in the thickness direction is smaller than the porosity in the side opposite to the base member with respect to the center line of the glass layer in the thickness direction.