In situ hydrothermal synthesis of polysiloxane@3D flower-like hollow Mg-Al LDH microspheres with superior light diffusing properties for optical diffusers

In this study, a highly efficient and simple in situ one-step hydrothermal process is demonstrated to synthesize the yolk-shell polysiloxane@3D flower-like hollow Mg-Al layered double hydroxides (LDH). The morphology analysis further confirmed its unique structure and the polysiloxane@3D flower-like hollow Mg-Al LDH was 2-3 mu m in diameter with 100 nm shell thickness. Moreover, solvent-free UV curing process was employed to prepare the optical diffusers based on the polysiloxane@3D flower-like hollow Mg-Al LDH and the optical properties of the diffusers were investigated in detail. Interestingly, suitable light transmittance, good diffusion capacity, and low incident angle dependence can be achieved by the as-prepared films. Especially, when the concentration of the fillers was up to 15 wt%, the optical diffusers possessed superior diffusing properties. Therefore, this study may help to open up a new door in developing light scattering materials for the high-performance optical diffusers.