ISTN’s optical material developments have centered around the company’s expertise in synthesizing nanoparticles with precisely controlled structural and electronic properties.  The company has collaborated with partners across several industries to develop materials for next generation optical products.

Today, many opto-electronic applications require materials with both organic and inorganic characteristics. The ability to compatibilize various particles to create a material with novel properties has allowed ISTN to develop several technologies that can benefit a number of applications.

ISTN’s technology development efforts in the opto-electronics area include the following initiatives:

Anti-Fog Coatings (AF) – ISTN’s AF coatings have surpassed current technologies in terms of both durability and endurance while maintaining their advanced AF properties.  The company’s AF technology can provide permanent AF properties to a number of optical substrates. These coatings are beneficial to a wide variety of application areas including sports goggles, safety glasses, and household/bathroom glass by eliminating the visibility problems associated with fogging.

Anti-Stain Coating (AS) – ISTN's Anti-Staining coatings, Anti-Graffiti coatings, or water repellent coatings, are designed to be coated on glass and plastic surfaces. These coatings create a hydrophobic layer that is resistant to wetting and the coated surfaces become easy-to-clean. Water droplets with contact angle greater than 100 degrees on coated surfaces bead up and easily slide off. The coatings are also designed to reduce the wettability against organic solvents. Applications such as exterior glass roof, advertisement signage or box, and showroom or storefront displays will greatly benefit from ISTN's Anti-Stain coatings.

Liquid Anti-Reflection Coatings (AR) – ISTN’s anti-reflection technology combines the high transmission properties of a vacuum coating with the ease of processing associated with liquid coatings (dip, spin, roll).  This allows ISTN’s liquid AR coating to be applied to many different substrates with various sizes and shapes.  Allowing new applications to benefit from the gains provided by high transmission optical materials.

Metal Nanocomposites – ISTN has developed materials that incorporate an organic-inorganic metallic structure to create novel properties and functions including wave-guides, next generation polarizers and color filters, LED/OLED enhancement coatings, and high refractive index materials.