Isotope-driven hydrogel smart windows for self-adaptive thermoregulation
Abstract As a cutting-edge and environmentally friendly approach, thermochromic hydrogel smart windows show great potential in combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. However, the substantial absorption of near-infrared (NIR) energy by H2O poses an enormous challenge in enhancing t...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62432-3 |
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| Summary: | Abstract As a cutting-edge and environmentally friendly approach, thermochromic hydrogel smart windows show great potential in combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. However, the substantial absorption of near-infrared (NIR) energy by H2O poses an enormous challenge in enhancing the spectral responsiveness. Herein, we propose an ingenious concept of isotope-driven D2O-hydrogel smart windows, which can effectively resolve the inherent issue of NIR energy absorption associated with H2O, without compromising versatility. It facilitates near-optimal transmittance modulation across the entire solar spectrum (ΔΓ Sol = 91.97%), demonstrating a marked enhancement in NIR modulation of transmittance (ΔΓ NIR ) and reflectance (ΔR NIR ) by ~16% and ~31%, respectively, in comparison to conventional H2O-hydrogel. Moreover, the integration of Ag-nanowires into D2O-hydrogel further substantially augments the regulation of longwave infrared emissivity ( $$\Delta {\varepsilon }_{{LWIR}}$$ Δ ε L W I R = 31.89%) while preserving a comprehensive modulation ratio (ΔΓ Sol = 66.02%, ΔR Sol = 48.41%) that is not achieved by the existing thermochromic devices. This isotope-driven D2O-hydrogel smart window provides another design strategy for future energy-efficient windows. |
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| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |