Optical coatings are everywhere in modern electronics. From smartphones and displays to sensors, XR headsets, and OLED lighting, these thin material layers quietly control how light moves, bends, and exits a device. As performance demands continue to rise, traditional materials are reaching their limits. This is where nanocrystals are truly transforming what optical coatings are capable of doing.
Nanocrystals are inorganic particles, typically <40 nm for optical applications, that retain the crystal structure and intrinsic properties of their bulk counterparts while behaving very differently at the nanoscale. When engineered correctly, they unlock a rare combination of optical performance, processability, and durability that is difficult to achieve with conventional materials.
Why Size Matters More Than You Think
At the nanoscale, size is everything. Optical transparency depends on keeping particle dimensions far below the wavelength of visible light to avoid scattering. Uniformity in size and shape enables consistent dispersion, predictable optical behavior, and smooth, defect-free coatings.
Pixelligent’s award-winning development and manufacturing platform, The PixClearProcess®, is built around precise nanocrystal size control, with metal-oxide particles engineered for high optical clarity. This uniformity allows nanocrystals to be densely loaded into coatings while also increasing hardness and decreasing haze, for durable coatings in target applications, while raising the refractive index (RI) to match other components.
PixClear® products also deliver performance benefits to image sensor lenses, optical adhesives, fiber optics, transparent dielectrics, and other optical components.
Surface Chemistry Is the Difference Between Theory and Reality
Size alone is not enough. Surface chemistry determines whether nanocrystals disperse cleanly or clump, whether they integrate into polymers or destabilize them. Pixelligent’s PixClearProcess® combines precise size control (ranging from 3–20 nm) with engineered surface capping agents that tailor compatibility with different resins, including acrylics, epoxies, and siloxanes.
These surface modifications don’t just improve dispersion. They also enable functional cross-linking, mechanical reinforcement, and scalable manufacturing processes..
Transforming Optical Coating Performance
The real value of nanocrystal-enabled coatings shows up in the applications they make possible. By combining precise refractive index control with high transparency and excellent processability, Pixelligent’s materials give optical device manufacturers far more freedom to innovate.
In waveguides, diffractive optics, microlens arrays (MLA), and sensors, the control over refractive index allows light to be directed exactly where it’s needed, translating into better light capture, wider fields of view, and higher resolution. Whether used in imaging systems, environmental sensors, or AR and XR devices, nanocrystal-based coatings help ensure more light reaches the detector with less loss along the way, ultimately improving efficiency, accuracy, and overall device performance.
As next-gen electronics push toward higher resolution, greater efficiency, and more compact form factors, material innovation becomes a gating factor. Pixelligent is continually expanding its product portfolio to keep up with the market and ensure manufacturers have access to the technology they need to be leaders in consumer electronics.
To learn more about Pixelligent’s Designer Compounds®, contact our team today.