Facile way of preparing PMMA@TiO2@SiO2 (P@T@S) composite microspheres with high haze and light transmittance for diffusion film

Abstract In recent years, optical diffusion film materials with high transmittance and high haze have been widely reported, while there is relatively rare research on their functionalization and practical application especially in real scenario. In this work, optical diffusion films using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)@TiO 2 @SiO 2 (P@T@S) composite microspheres were fabricated, which exhibited sufficiently high light transmittance and haze. The binding mode of PMMA microspheres and nanoparticles suggested that PMMA microspheres with a positive surface potential combined with nanoparticles with a negative surface potential through electrostatic attraction to achieve mutual binding. The prepared P@T@S composite microspheres showed better heat and swelling resistance than those of PMMA microspheres. The P@T@S diffusion film, whose excellent light diffusion effect was clearly demonstrated, exhibited the best optical performance among all optical diffusion films prepared. After passing through the P@T@S diffusion film, the laser light was not only uniform but also bright. The findings from this work can provide some insight into further research on optical diffusion films applied in optoelectronic device areas.