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Design of VO2-based photoactuators for smart windows

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Abstract

Smart windows can slow down the heating rate in buildings to a certain extent and realize energy savings and emission reduction. Various approaches have attempted to make windows ‘smart’ by tailoring their thermal insulation behavior in response to environmental changes. However, there is still room for further improvement in their efficiency and automation performance. Here, based on photothermal functional fillers and shape memory substrates, a new type of photoactuator for smart windows—passively controlled shuttering—was designed. The photoactuator was composed of VO2@SiO2 and methyl methacrylate butyl acrylate polymer (MBP). These two functional components had similar transition temperature (30 °C), and the photothermal conversion of VO2@SiO2 stimulated the shape memory behavior of the composite. It was demonstrated that the intelligent performance was closely related to the shape memory properties of MBP and the phase transition characteristics of VO2 NPs, which synergistically modified the solar regulation ability. The results suggest that this new type of optical driving window has potential applications in the field of wearable sensors, energy conservation and medical devices.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge financial support from China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M661768), Jiangsu Planned Projects for Postdoctoral Research Funds (2019K091), Scientific Research Start-up Funds of Nanjing Forestry University (163101127) and Opening Fund of Key Laboratory for Protected Agricultural Engineering in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agricultural Facilities and Equipment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory for Protected Agricultural Engineering in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing, 210014, People’s Republic of China

    Rong Zhang, Min Feng, Yujiao Xu, Lei Xu & Liru Xia

  2. College of Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, People’s Republic of China

    Bo Xiang

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  1. Rong Zhang
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  2. Bo Xiang
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  3. Min Feng
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Correspondence to Bo Xiang or Lei Xu.

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Zhang, R., Xiang, B., Feng, M. et al. Design of VO2-based photoactuators for smart windows. J Mater Sci 55, 10689–10698 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04811-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04811-3