Fundamentals of antifogging strategies, coating techniques and properties of inorganic materials; a comprehensive review

Fogging of transparent surface is the condensation of water-vapor in the air into small discrete liquid drops on the surface, causing scatters of incident light and create a blurry vision. In recent technology development, coating using superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic materials characteristics have been an attractive strategy to induce antifogging property to minimize the light scattering. Inorganic materials such as TiO2, SiO2, and ZnO have been widely explored for this purpose. In this review, the fundamentals of antifogging strategies and materials choice are covered as well as the different techniques used to prepare inorganic antifogging coatings. Further, this review covers the various testing methods involved for evaluation of antifogging behavior and other related properties. Additionally, the review includes potential of applying different techniques for the purpose of industrial scale. Towards the end, the optimization and statistical analysis of antifogging coatings using computer-aided techniques are briefly described to highlight effort in this mode of study. Before ending with summary, examples of antifogging potential application are shared to appreciate its benefit.