Smart glass coatings for energy-efficient eco-homes

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a leading candidate material for the fabrication of thermochromic films and coatings that will find special applications in a new generation of 'smart' glass that can change infrared transmittance by responding to environmental temperature, while maintaining visible transparency. This kind of smart windows may be especially useful for locations with hot summers and/or cold winters. In addition to its temperature-responsive thermochromism these films also exhibit UV-shielding properties.
In a previous Nanowerk Spotlight we reported on a novel technique to fabricate large-area VO2 films suitable for mass production ("Porosity of nanocoating improves 'smart' window performance").

The same research team, led by Yanfeng Gao, a professor at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SICCAS), has now developed an alternative technique for the large-scale, mass production of thermochromatic VO2 films.

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