Excellence in Research: Dynamic All-Solid-State Hybrid Electro-Thermo Chromic Solar Radiation Modulator for Smart Windows Applications

建筑和建筑施工部门占全球能源消耗总量的近三分之一。建筑物总能耗的30%以上可归因于寒冷条件下通过窗户的热量损失和温暖条件下冷却建筑物时的热量增加。因此，通过窗户管理热交换可以证明是减少建筑能耗和提高整体能源效率的有效方法。该项目将探索为窗户实现混合涂层结构以提供动态太阳能调制器的实际挑战。在炎热的季节，涂层会阻挡太阳红外辐射的透射，在寒冷的季节，涂层会让太阳红外辐射通过窗户透射，加热室内空间，达到理想的舒适水平。在这两个季节，涂层将允许可见光的传输逐渐变暗。研究生和本科生将在材料合成和表征、热传递机制和模拟等领域提供独特的多学科学习经验。将为K-12和未被充分代表的少数民族建立教育项目。本研究的目的是将电致变色和热致变色的效应结合到一个混合薄膜结构中。这种结构将控制太阳能传输，以响应电或热刺激的变化，允许在可见光和红外区域同时或独立地选择性调制光。研究方法包括：(1)研究影响热致变色薄膜光学和金属-绝缘体跃迁性质的基本因素；(2)探索透明导电氧化膜中导致透明和焦耳加热的材料性质；(3)研究聚合物链长和掺杂参数对电致变色膜电学和光学性能的影响；(4)阐明电致变色膜中离子的输运机制。这项研究的结果将导致智能窗户涂料能够在各种气候条件下减少能源消耗，节省供暖、通风和空调系统的成本。在这个项目中，pi将为来自STEM中代表性不足的群体的本科生和高中生提供教育研究活动。这些实践经验将增强学生的批判性思维、探究能力、解决问题的能力和团队合作能力。这些活动也将激发学生对科学的兴趣，并为他们选择STEM职业道路做好准备。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

Buildings and building construction sectors are responsible for almost one-third of total global energy consumption. More than 30% of the total energy consumption in buildings could be attributed to heat loss through windows in cold conditions and heat gain when cooling the building in warm conditions. Therefore, managing heat exchange through windows can prove to be an effective approach to decreasing building energy consumption and improving overall energy efficiency. This project will explore the practical challenges of implementing a hybrid coating structure for windows to provide a dynamic solar modulator. In the hot season, the coating will block the transmission of the solar infrared radiation and in the cold season, the coating will allow solar infrared radiation to transmit through the window and heat the space inside, to the desired level of comfort. In both seasons the coating will allow gradual dimming of the transmission of visible light. Graduate and undergraduate students will be offered unique multidisciplinary learning experiences across fields of materials synthesis and characterization, heat transport mechanism, and simulation. Educational programs will be established for K-12 and underrepresented minority outreach. The goal of this research is to combine the effects of electrochromism and thermochromism into one hybrid thin-film structure. Such structure would control the solar transmission in response to electric or thermal stimuli change allowing for selective modulation of light in the visible and infrared regions simultaneously or independently. The research approach includes: (1) investigating the fundamental factors influencing the optical and metal-to-insulator transition properties in the thermochromic film; (2) exploring the material properties contributing to the transparency and joule heating in transparent conducting oxide film; (3) studying the influence of polymer chain length and doping parameters on the electrical and optical properties of the electrochromic film, and (4) elucidating the ion transport mechanism in the electrochromic film. Outcomes of this research will lead to smart window coatings with the ability to reduce energy consumption in all types of climates, providing cost savings on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. In this project, the PIs will provide educational research activities to undergraduate and high school students from groups under-represented in STEM. These hands-on experiences will enhance the students' critical thinking, inquiring, problem- solving, and teamwork skills. These activities will also stimulate the students' interest in science and prepare them for choosing STEM career paths.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.