Preparation and characterization of TiO2 hybrid sol for UV-curable high-refractive-index organic–inorganic hybrid thin films

In this study, UV-curable hybrid thin films were successfully prepared from TiO 2 and TiO 2 hybrid sols containing the acrylic monomer DPHA on PMMA substrates. The prepared TiO 2 and TiO 2 hybrid sols showed long-term storage stability and can provide operating control for the preparation of high-refractive-index hybrid thin films. The existence of interaction between the TiO 2 particle and the coupling agent was evidenced by FT-IR and UV–visible spectra. All hybrid thin films showed good adhesion to the PMMA substrate with refractive index falling over the range 1.64–1.77. These results suggested the potential application of present TiO 2 hybrid films in optical devices, such as anti-reflective coatings.