Today the glass lenses and solar panels have a low durability and are easily stained with undesirable fingerprint, oil, dust and environmental pollutants decreasing the efficiency of their optical properties and generating and extra cost and time for their cleaning. In addition, the most current approaches for achieving an amphiphobic material (repels water and oil) rely on fluorinated compounds such as perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFAS)s, that may be carcinogenic for animal and humans at relatively high dose levels with strong evidence for connection between exposure to them and several forms of cancer.
The main objectives of the project include, in a first phase, disrupting the solar panel and optical lenses markets with a more durable, non-toxic (fluorine-free), more sustainable (solvent-free) and highly efficient omniphobic nanocoating that will increase the efficiency and reduce maintenance costs of aforementioned industries. In subsequent phases, other potential sectors are expected to be targeted.