Chemical stability of glass with an ultra-thin disordered carbon coating

Abstract Uniform nanoscale thin films of disordered carbon, derived from the pyrolysis of organic precursors, have been developed to modify the surface properties of glass. In this study, their chemical and electrochemical properties were examined in detail. The results reveal that the presence of a 3–6 nm thick carbon coating film decreases the surface energy of the glass and increases the water contact angle significantly. The optical transmittance and hydrophobicity do not change even after 10 days of accelerated weathering in a chamber at 85% RH and 85 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms further that the presence of the thin carbon coating has provided a barrier to alkali leaching. DC polarization tests showed that thin carbon films deposited on alkali-free glass and float glasses were highly stable even after repeated cycling in extremely corrosive conditions.