Full Band Spectral Regulation Electrochromic Electrode for Multi-Mode Smart Window.

Qian, Yi-Jian; Zhao, Fu-Xing; Huang, Xue-Feng; Lu, Yi-Fei; Chen, Chen; Zhu, Meng-Han; Peng, Wei; Su, Ni-Na et al. · Nano Lett · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Electrochromic (EC) smart windows are promising for improving indoor lighting and thermal control in energy-efficient buildings. Despite their ability to regulate visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) solar radiation, conventional EC smart windows rarely modulate mid-infrared (MIR) radiation. Here, we report a multimode EC smart window (four modes, including warm, bright, cool, and dark) capable of synergistically modulating the VIS, NIR, and MIR spectra via voltage control, achieved through a layer-by-layer design of functional electrode materials of aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanocrystals (AZO NCs) and W18O49 nanowires. It exhibits a maximum modulation rate of 0.39 for emissivity at 10.0 μm in the MIR and 56.0% for transmittance at 708 nm in the solar spectrum, demonstrating significant energy savings across all designed operational modes for specific environmental scenarios. Energy-saving simulations reveal that the EC device exhibits a synergistic effect, surpassing the simple additive performance of solar transmittance-regulating and emissivity-modulating devices.