Issue 1, 2024

Bidirectional optical response hydrogel with adjustable human comfort temperature for smart windows

Abstract

Smart windows are effective in reducing the energy consumption of air conditioning and lighting systems, while contributing to maintaining the comfort zone of temperature in the indoor environment. Currently used smart windows mainly rely on traditional single-phase thermochromic material in which only one abrupt optical change occurs during temperature changes, and their inherent characteristics may not be suited for a practical balance of energy saving and privacy protection. Here, we developed a novel bidirectional optically responsive smart window (BSW) with unique bidirectional optical response features by introducing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/potassium tartrate (PTH) micelles into PNIPAM hydrogel to form a composite hydrogel, which was encapsulated in two glass panels. The upper critical solution temperature (UCST) and lowest critical solution temperature (LCST) of the material can be individually adjusted and are capable of matching the human comfort zone of temperature. In addition, the smart window exhibits remarkable transparency (92.5%), visible light transmission ratio (Tlum = 91.31%), and excellent solar modulation (ΔTsol,UCST = 76.34%, ΔTsol,LCST = 76.75%). Moreover, it possesses selectivity in transmitting light in the infrared band of solar radiation and can complete the “transparent-opaque” transition in a very narrow temperature range (<1 °C). When at comfortable temperatures, the highly transparent smart windows facilitate interior light and appreciation of the view. At low temperatures, SDS/PTH micelles aggregate to form large micelles, blocking the transmission of light and protecting customer privacy. At high temperatures, PNIPAM can undergo a “sol–gel” transition, thus blocking incident solar radiation. Taken together, these proposed materials with bidirectional optical response characteristics would be harnessed as a promising platform for building energy conservation, anti-counterfeiting, information encryption, and temperature monitoring.

Graphical abstract: Bidirectional optical response hydrogel with adjustable human comfort temperature for smart windows

  • This article is part of the themed collection: #MyFirstMH

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
30 Aug. 2023
Accepted
13 Okt. 2023
First published
27 Okt. 2023

Mater. Horiz., 2024,11, 207-216

Bidirectional optical response hydrogel with adjustable human comfort temperature for smart windows

Z. Yu, Y. Ma, L. Mao, Y. Lian, Y. Xiao, Z. Chen and Y. Zhang, Mater. Horiz., 2024, 11, 207 DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01376F

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