Advancing Energy Efficiency in Smart Windows via Dual‐Responsive Electro‐Thermochromism
8 affiliations
- 1School of Materials Science and Engineering Ocean University of China Qingdao China
- 2School of Materials Science and Engineering Nanyang Technological University Singapore Singapore
- 3School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Special Functional Aggregated Materials Shandong Key Laboratory of Advanced Organosilicon Materials and Technologies Shandong University Jinan China
- 4Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Science of Material Creation and Energy Conversion Science Center for Material Creation and Energy Conversion Shandong University Qingdao China
- 5Institute of Medical Chips Ruijin Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
- 6Ultrafast Optics and Nanophotonics Laboratory Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- 7State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites School of Materials Science and Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China
- 8Engineering Research Center of Marine Materials and Protection Technology Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Equipment Materials and Protection of Shandong Province Qingdao China
Abstract
Implementing dynamic smart windows is imperative toward the construction of net‐zero buildings. However, the prevailing ion (de‐)embedding‐based electrochromic (EC) or thermosensitive hydrogel‐based thermochromic (TC) windows fail to achieve large optical modulation across the solar spectrum owing to their optical absorption mechanisms. Herein, a dual‐responsive electro‐thermochromic smart window is designed and assembled by coupling an anodically coloring Prussian blue (PB) electrode with hydroxyl cellulose‐based hydrogel electrolyte (HPC). Through judicious formulation, the HPC hydrogel electrolyte affords large TC transmittance modulation (∆T ∼ 83% @633 nm), mechanical stability (strain = 514%), and a high ionic conductivity (σ = 62.58 mS/cm), enabling the PB electrode with a high coloration efficiency (CE = 108.21 cm2 C−1) and fast switching kinetics (tb = 5 s, tc = 6.8 s). As a result, the as‐assembled smart window features four distinct operating modes, exhibiting outstanding visible‐light T% modulation (ΔTlum = 87.3%) and superior solar modulation capability (ΔTsol = 50.5%), enabling a 35%–55% reduction in annual energy consumption in representative regions, and achieving annual energy savings up to 129 MJ m−2. This dual‐responsive smart window is an embodiment of coupled opto‐thermal regulation strategies toward building energy modulation, inspiring future efforts in energy‐efficient optoelectronics in the era of decarbonization.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026advancing,
title = {{Advancing Energy Efficiency in Smart Windows via Dual‐Responsive Electro‐Thermochromism}},
author = {Tongyu Chen and Bing Xu and Guolong Zhou and Wenting Wu and Bingkun Huang and Xiaohui Tang and William W. Yu and Pooi See Lee and Wu Zhang and Zhongyang Wang and Jingwei Chen},
journal = {Advanced Science},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1002/advs.77055},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77055},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Advancing Energy Efficiency in Smart Windows via Dual‐Responsive Electro‐Thermochromism
AU - Tongyu Chen
AU - Bing Xu
AU - Guolong Zhou
AU - Wenting Wu
AU - Bingkun Huang
AU - Xiaohui Tang
AU - William W. Yu
AU - Pooi See Lee
AU - Wu Zhang
AU - Zhongyang Wang
AU - Jingwei Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/07
JO - Advanced Science
DO - 10.1002/advs.77055
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77055
AB - Implementing dynamic smart windows is imperative toward the construction of net‐zero buildings. However, the prevailing ion (de‐)embedding‐based electrochromic (EC) or thermosensitive hydrogel‐based thermochromic (TC) windows fail to achieve large optical modulation across the solar spectrum owing to their optical absorption mechanisms. Herein, a dual‐responsive electro‐thermochromic smart window is designed and assembled by coupling an anodically coloring Prussian blue (PB) electrode with hydroxyl cellulose‐based hydrogel electrolyte (HPC). Through judicious formulation, the HPC hydrogel electrolyte affords large TC transmittance modulation (∆T ∼ 83% @633 nm), mechanical stability (strain = 514%), and a high ionic conductivity (σ = 62.58 mS/cm), enabling the PB electrode with a high coloration efficiency (CE = 108.21 cm2 C−1) and fast switching kinetics (tb = 5 s, tc = 6.8 s). As a result, the as‐assembled smart window features four distinct operating modes, exhibiting outstanding visible‐light T% modulation (ΔTlum = 87.3%) and superior solar modulation capability (ΔTsol = 50.5%), enabling a 35%–55% reduction in annual energy consumption in representative regions, and achieving annual energy savings up to 129 MJ m−2. This dual‐responsive smart window is an embodiment of coupled opto‐thermal regulation strategies toward building energy modulation, inspiring future efforts in energy‐efficient optoelectronics in the era of decarbonization.
SN - 2198-3844
ER -