Layer-by-layer assembled multilayer lamination transfer films

1. A transfer film comprising:

a protolayer stack including a first protolayer and a second protolayer, the first and second protolayers each having a uniform thickness of less than 1 micrometer and comprising a plurality of sub-protolayer pairs, each sub-protolayer pair formed by layer-by-layer self-assembly and independently comprising a material with a first bonding group and a material with a complementary second bonding group;

at least one of the materials in the sub-protolayer pairs of the first protolayer is a first thermally stable material comprising a first inorganic nanomaterial;

at least one of the materials in the sub-protolayer pairs of the second protolayer is a second thermally stable material comprising a second inorganic nanomaterial, wherein the first inorganic nanomaterial and second inorganic nanomaterial have a refractive index difference of at least 0.2; and

at least one of the materials in the sub-protolayer pairs of the first protolayer and the second protolayer comprises a sacrificial material,

wherein the transfer film further comprises a polymeric support layer, the polymeric support layer including a sacrificial material which remains on the protolayer stack following release from the polymeric support layer during the transfer process.

2. The transfer film according to claim 1 , wherein the protolayer has a visible light transmittance of at least 5%.

3. The transfer film according to claim 1 , wherein at least selected sub-protolayer pairs comprise inorganic nanomaterial having an average size of less than 100 nm.

4. The transfer film according to claim 1 , wherein the material with a first bonding group is a polycationic material and the material with a complementary second bonding group is a polyanionic material.

5. The transfer film according to claim 1 , wherein the material with a first bonding group is a hydrogen bond donor and the material with a complementary second bonding group is a hydrogen bond acceptor.

6. The transfer film according to claim 1 , wherein the first thermally stable material is present in the first protolayer in an amount of at least 50 wt %.

7. A method, comprising:

laminating a transfer film according to claim 1 to a receptor substrate;

baking out the sacrificial material in the protolayer to form an optical stack having one or more layers.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the receptor substrate comprises glass, quartz or sapphire.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the each layer of the optical stack has a uniform thickness of less than 500 nanometers.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the optical stack has a visible light transmittance of at least 10%.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the optical stack comprises at least 4 layers.

12. The transfer film of claim 1 ,

wherein one of the materials in each sub-protolayer pair comprises a sacrificial material, and

wherein after removal of the sacrificial materials by bake-out the transfer film is suitable for use an antireflective film having a transmittance of at least 90%.

13. The transfer film of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial material is at least one of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(ethyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate).

14. The transfer film of claim 1 , wherein the transfer film further comprises an adhesive layer.