Atomic Force Microscopy Study of NaOH Corroded Al2O3-TiO2-SiO2 Coatings on Glass

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the performance of 80 nm thick Al2O3-TiO2-SiO2 sol-gel coatings on glass substrates following corrosion in 1 M NaOH solutions at 60°C. The as-prepared coatings were homogeneous on a nanoscale and displayed the glass pattern before corrosion. Layers with different compositions behaved differently during the corrosion process. Thus, TiO2 or TiO2-dominated layers had tetragonal-like crystals on their surfaces after corrosion, possibly of anatase composition. On the other hand, layers with a molar ratio Al2O3 : SiO2 near 1 : 2 displayed a pseudo-hexagonal morphology, possibly with a nepheline (Na2O · Al2O3 · 2SiO2) composition. Layers of 5Al2O3-40TiO2-55SiO 2 were corroded is a stepwise fashion and had no special surface morphology.