Reversible Metal Electrodeposition for Modulating Light

职务名称：该项目小组正在开发窗户，其着色可以通过在两个透明电极之间施加电压来调整，以覆盖金属或去除金属。这些窗户可以将建筑物的供暖、制冷和照明成本降低20%，即使窗户被部分着色以控制眩光，人们也可以通过窗户欣赏风景。 这项技术预计将使人们有更好的心情，并通过优化他们拥有的自然日光量来提高工作效率。该项目小组正在向高中教师分发工具包，帮助他们向学生展示如何制作窗户。通过这些动态窗口的构建，高中生正在学习电化学，光学和建筑工程中的宝贵概念，该项目易于可视化，目的明确。 采用基于可逆金属电沉积的高性能动态窗将提高建筑物的能源效率和舒适度。由于改善了照明和温度管理，建筑物中的动态窗户平均节省了20%的能源，工作场所的生产力提高了2%。金属的大消光系数和固有的鲁棒性使其成为动态薄膜的理想材料。与电致变色等传统材料相比，可逆金属电沉积是一种尚未开发的用于构建可切换薄膜的策略。在过去的五年里，麦基希和巴里莱小组设计了新的策略，使透明电极上的可逆金属电沉积的控制增强。本研究的基本目标是确定物理和化学参数，产生快速和可逆的金属电沉积在透明导电电极上，具有定制的光学特性和出色的耐久性，用于光电开关薄膜。这项工作适用于建筑物和汽车的节能动态窗户，可切换眼镜和相机。该项目团队独特的研究策略使动态薄膜的开发能够对器件的光学对比度、开关速度、可扩展性和循环寿命进行前所未有的控制。这项工作通过开发具有增强电压稳定性的碱性和Zn电解质，允许大规模均匀着色的聚合物改性电极，控制设备光学的脉冲电沉积技术，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得支持通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。

Title: Reversible Metal Electrodeposition for Modulating LightThe project team is developing windows whose tinting can be adjusted by applying a voltage between two transparent electrodes to either electroplate metal or remove the metal. These windows could reduce heating, cooling and lighting costs in buildings by 20% and allow people to enjoy the views through their windows even when the window is partially tinted to control glare. This technology is expected to enable people to have better moods and be more productive by optimizing the amount of natural daylight they have. The project team is distributing kits to high school teachers and helping them show students how to make the windows. Through the construction of these dynamic windows, high school students are learning valuable concepts in electrochemistry, optics and architectural engineering with a project that is easy to visualize and has a clear purpose. The adoption of high-performing dynamic windows based on reversible metal electrodeposition will increase the energy efficiency and comfort of buildings. Dynamic windows in buildings result in an average of 20% energy savings and 2% increase in workplace productivity due to improved management of lighting and temperature. The large extinction coefficients and intrinsic robustness of metals make them ideal materials for dynamic thin films. Compared to traditional materials such as electrochromics, reversible metal electrodeposition is an underexplored strategy for constructing switchable thin films. Over the last five years, the McGehee and Barile groups have designed new strategies that enable enhanced control over reversible metal electrodeposition on transparent electrodes. The underlying objective of this research is to determine the physical and chemical parameters that yield rapid and reversible metal electrodeposition on transparent conducting electrodes with tailored optical properties and outstanding durability for optoelectronically switchable thin films. This work is applicable to energy-saving dynamic windows for buildings and automobiles, switchable eyewear, and cameras. The project team’s unique research strategies are enabling the development of dynamic thin films with an unprecedented control over device optical contrast, switching speed, scalability, and cycle life. The work is aiding the progress of metal-based switchable films through the development of alkaline and Zn electrolytes with enhanced voltage stabilities, polymer-modified electrodes that allow for uniform tinting on a large scale, pulsed electrodeposition techniques to control device optics, and systematic durability studies that are enhancing the cycle lives of the devices.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.