ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
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2024
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IF 7.1
Guoxiang Xie,Yifan Li,Jing Luo,Changheng Wu,Mengran Cao,Dahai Zhu,Xinfeng Wu,Huaqing Xie,Wei Yu
Thermochromic materials exhibit variable optical properties in response to ambient temperature changes and are promising for the development of smart windows aimed at reducing energy consumption in buildings. However, scaling up the thermochromic materials-based smart window with a broad color-changing range remains a significant challenge for practical engineering applications. In this study, we present a series of PNIPAm-based thermochromic hydrogels with controllable discoloration temperatures ranging from 24 to 43 °C, achieved by regulating the swelling–dissolution transition. These materials demonstrate a high solar modulation capacity (>81%), excellent transmittance (>83%), and low haze value (<9.87%). Two strategies for the integration of smart windows are provided, and their effectiveness in reducing energy consumption is verified. Practical application tests conducted in Shanghai during the summer show that using smart windows can reduce indoor temperatures by up to 13 °C. Simulation results further indicate that these smart windows offer significant energy-saving benefits in various cities, particularly those with high daily energy consumption and poor thermal insulation. Additionally, the thermochromic hydrogel is coupled with a thermoelectric hydrogel, utilizing the residual heat from the glass surface to generate electricity, thus powering small electrical appliances.
研究领域:
材料科学
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能源工程
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建筑技术
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Energy Storage
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2024
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IF 8.9
Qi Liu,Chongqin Xu,Guiying Wang
In this work, a continuous thermochromic energy storage material (CTESM) was developed based on two distinct mechanisms, which provided a wider range of colors. Separate formulations of thermochromic energy storage materials were made using hexadecanol as the solvent, crystal violet lactone (CVL) as the color former, bisphenol A (BPA) as the developer, or crystal violet lactone and cresol red (CSR) interacting as color former and developer, respectively. More color changes were explored according to the above two combinations. Functional groups and thermal properties of CTESM were studied utilizing Fourier Transform Infrared, Thermogravimetry Analysis, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. This research indicates that the maximum color difference, which occurs in the condition that the ratio of CVL:BPA:CSR:HD is 2:1:2:140, enables transitions from blue-gray to green hues and then to red. Overall, CTESM has excellent thermal stabilities and cycling capabilities, leading to significant potential in anti-counterfeiting and sensors.
研究领域:
材料科学
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化学工程
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
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2025
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IF 6.2
Zhong Zhang,Juan Zhou,Yuru Du,Zhi Huang,Kai Lu,Wenfei Wang,Yong Guo,Yuxia Chen
Smart response materials have gradually become a research hotspot for architectural furniture, among which, thermochromic materials with phase-change heat storage and color change function constitute the most reliable, energy-efficient, and aesthetically pleasing class. In this study, tannic acid (TA)-modified bamboo powder/high-density polyethylene was used as the matrix. The reversible thermochromic material (TBC) was impregnated into diatomaceous (DE) to prepare DE/TBC composite materials with reversible thermochromic phase change energy storage. Phase-change reversible thermochromic bamboo-plastic (TF-X) composites were fabricated via hot-pressing. DE/TBC presented good heat storage capacity (122.8 J·g −1 ) and color changing capacity(E＞40), and with the increase in the ratio of DE/TBC, the temperature-controlled energy storage and color changing capacity of TF-X became stronger. Addition of TA led to the improvement in the flexural and tensile properties of TF-X over those of reversible discoloration-causing bamboo–plastic composites without TA, and the mildew-resistance rating of TF-X remained at 1 at the seventh day. Moreover, the color change-based intelligent response system developed in this study was able to realize the real-time warning about potential temperature-related issues. The temperature control performance of TF-X is also studied. Briefly, these processing techniques provide theoretical reference and practical foundation for the promotion of reversible color-changing bamboo–plastic composites in the field of construction and furniture materials.
研究领域:
建筑材料学
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智能响应材料
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复合材料科学
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
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2024
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IF 13.3
Shiwei Zhao,Anqian Yuan,Xingbao Chen,Yuan Lei,Xiaowei Fu,Jingxin Lei,Liang Jiang
The stimulus-responsive chromic materials under the single-triggered condition are hard to deal with the advanced forgery or tampering technologies due to its simple color variation. Herein, a novel multiple thermochromism materials (G-LPCMs) was synthesizing through structuring a gel factor as skeleton to adsorb intrinsic thermochromic component (TC) and thermochromic microspheres (TCM) in a simple way. The cooperation of TC and TCM can endow the G-LPCMs with rich color variations from blue to white and ultimately to pink at different temperature ranges, realizing multiple color variations in one material. Capitalizing on this rich color variation characteristic, a digital encryption system can be designed only by using its color change under single thermal-triggered condition. The devised cryptographic system can reversibly achieve the functions of information storage, information erasure and information reorganization during the cyclic heating–cooling process. Moreover, the synthetic G-LPCMs can be recycled only by simple heating, those chemical structure, crystal structure, and information encryption function can basically remain unchanged after multiple thermal cycles, greatly enhancing their service life for the security system. This work offers a new design for thermochromic PCMs that have the rich color variation characteristic in one material under single stimulus.
研究领域:
材料科学
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信息安全
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Materials Today Communications
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2024
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IF 3.7
Sai Zhong,Yuxuan Xue,Kuanwen Wang,Lei Wang,Tengyao Jiang
Resource utilization of solid waste promotes resource conservation, energy transformation and sustainable development. In this study, we developed a synthetic strategy for converting biomass waste, such as waste bamboo powder, into a smart material with thermochromic properties - hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). The synthesis process includes extraction of cellulose and modification with hydroxypropyl groups. The maximum extraction efficiency of cellulose from raw bamboo powder was up to 48 % by carefully adjusting the reaction conditions including NaOH concentration, reaction time, and treatment temperature. The maximum yield of modification process was achieved to 1.32 g/g by optimizing alkalization temperature, alkalization time, NaOH concentration, propylene oxide concentration, etherification temperature and etherification time. The samples were characterized by a variety of techniques such as FTIR , 1 H NMR, XRD , SEM to validate the micro-structure of the extracted cellulose the HPC materials. Moreover, this study explored the potential application of HPC hydrogel in smart window application, and evaluated its building energy saving efficiency under different climate conditions through computational simulation. The corresponding results showed that the HPC hydrogel smart window could have significant energy saving potential compared to ordinary clear glass window. This novel approach of converting waste resources into high valued thermochromic materials for smart windows, not only reduces waste disposal demand for excessive land-use and energy consumption but also shows a positively contributes to sustainable development, environmental protection, as well as energy conservation.
研究领域:
材料科学
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环境科学
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可持续发展
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
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2025
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IF 5.6
Sen Wang,Lanhe Zhang,Yanping Jia,Wei Du,Jingbo Guo
Metal equipment is susceptible to corrosion and aging under high temperature condition. It is low-cost and effective thermal malfunction detection method by coating temperature-indicating paint on the metal surface. In this study, thermochromic material (TCM) was synthesized by liquid-phase synthesis method in which [CuCl 4 2− ] was used to react with Na 2 EDTA. A temperature-indicating anti-corrosive coating (TIAC) was prepared by dispersing TCM and modified graphene oxide (MGO) into the silicone resin. The microstructure, crystal plane, functional groups, and bonding changes of TCM before and after discoloration were analyzed using FE-SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. Corrosion resistance of TIAC were detected using OCP, Tafel, and EIS experiments. The mechanism of color changes in TCM were studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results showed that TCM produced a reversible color change from green to yellow when the temperature increased from 80 °C to 300 °C. When the temperature exceeds 300 °C, the TCM had irreversible color change. After heating and discoloration, the C-N bond was broken and the content of COO-Cu increased. A reticular structure appeared on the surface of TCM and the crystal plane spacing reduced. DFT calculation proved that TCM had a high formation energy (E F ) below 300 °C, its structure was unstable and prone to change. When the temperature exceeded 300 °C, the E F of TCM decreased to −1.24 eV. The structure of TCM tended to stabilize and remained yellow. After immersion for 21 days, the protection efficiency ( Pi ) of TIAC for the metal reached 96.465 %, corrosion current density ( i corr ) was 6.501 × 10 −7 A cm −2 . This work combines thermochromism and corrosion resistance, and promotes the development in the design and application of multifunctional coatings.
研究领域:
材料科学
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腐蚀与防护
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理论计算
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
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2018
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IF 3.141
Yu Wang,Fang Zhao,Jie Wang,Ali Raza Khan,Yulin Shi,Zhang Chen,Kaiqiang Zhang,Li Li,Yanfeng Gao,Xuhong Guo
VO2/PNIPAm hybrid thermochromic material has been verified as promising to improve optical performance of smart windows. However, VO2 can be easily oxidized especially when being dispersed in the hydrogel matrix, and also the nonuniform dispersion of VO2 in a host will worsen the material’s optical performance. Herein, pure VO2(M)@SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were first prepared using a surfactant-free method. Then VO2(M)@SiO2/PNIPAm hybrid microgels were synthesized through suspension polymerization. The VO2(M)@SiO2 NPs in the hydrogel matrix exhibited obviously improved resistance to oxidation. Monodispersed hybrid microgel with uniformly distributed VO2(M)@SiO2 NPs (Sample I) was obtained. Meanwhile, compared with the best VO2 film reported, our composite microgel (Sample III) demonstrated a 164% increase in the solar modulating ability at a relatively high average luminous transmittance (38.4%). All these remarkable features of VO2(M)@SiO2/PNIPAm microgel synthesized in our work will help a lot in the practical application of the inorganic–organic hybrid nanothermochromic materials.
研究领域:
材料科学
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化学工程
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Journal of Materiomics
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2024
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IF 8.4
Jin Li,Chunhui Zhang,Yunxiang Chen,Ke Jiao,Zhang Chen,Yifei Liu,Yanfeng Gao,Zongtao Zhang
Smart windows are an important strategy to reduce the energy consumption in buildings, which accounts for as much as 30%–40% of the society’s energy consumption. VO 2 -based thermochromic materials can intelligently regulate the solar heat gains of building interiors. However, the unmatched thermal emissivity ( ɛ ) modulation of traditional VO 2 /glass systems, i.e. , high emissivity at low temperatures and low emissivity at high temperatures, leads to additional heating and cooling energy loads in winter and summer, respectively. In this study, we propose a novel VO 2 /polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/AgNW multilayer possessing flexible Ag nanowire supported Fabry–Pérot cavities, which synchronously achieves high modulation abilities in both solar spectrum ( ΔT sol of 13.6%) and middle infrared region ( Δɛ of 0.50 at 8–13 μm). These achievements are the best among reports for pure VO 2 smart windows. This study provides a flexible and effective protocol to dynamically enhance the light and heat utilization for practical building windows.
研究领域:
材料科学
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能源技术
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光学工程
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DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2024
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IF 7.7
Pengyu Pan,Yuanyuan Liu,Zhishuang Zhu,Yang Liu,Renzhong Wei,Qiang Wang,Qingxian Miao,Yilian Lei,Chengshui Guo,Hongjie Zhang,Liulian Huang,Lihui Chen,Jianguo Li
Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) is a green thermochromic material in energy-saving buildings, anti-counterfeiting, and data security fields. However, the high lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of HPC, around 42 °C (higher than the human thermal comfort temperature), limits its thermochromic sensitivity, poor stability, and short lifespan. Herein, we developed a durable, high-performance cellulose-based thermochromic composite with a lower LCST and easy preparation capability by combining HPC with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). In such thermochromic cellulose, CMC constructs a hydrophilic skeleton to enable uniform dispersion of HPC, and functions as a stronger competitor to attract the water molecules compared to HPC, both of which trigger high thermochromic sensitivity and low LCST (just 32.5 °C) of our CMC/HPC. In addition, CMC/HPC shows superior stability, such as 100-day working capability and 60-time recyclability. This advancement marks a significant step forward in creating sustainable, efficient thermochromic materials, offering new opportunities for energy conservation in the building.
研究领域:
材料科学
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能源与建筑
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
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2025
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IF 19
Anqi Zhou,Ziyi Wu,Qiaoqiao Bai,Xianghong Zhang,Xiaowei Li,Hengxin Shen,Huimin Li,Tang Liu,Song Liu
Flexible pressure-temperature dual-functional sensors are crucial for healthcare monitoring and human-machine interfaces, yet their development is hindered by inherent signal interference. To address this challenge, this study presents a flexible, dual-functional sensor that achieves decoupled pressure and temperature detection through a novel heterogeneous sensing architecture. The device integrates a piezoresistive MXene/cellulose nanofiber/chitosan (MCC) composite film with a thermochromic PDMS layer, enabling simultaneous electrical and visual signal outputs. The MCC film exhibits high sensitivity (35.7 kPa −1 ), rapid response (0.25 s), ultralow detection limit (6.5 Pa), and excellent durability (>4400 cycles). The thermochromic layer provides reversible, color-based temperature feedback, ensuring minimal signal interference. This decoupled sensing strategy enables accurate monitoring of physiological signals—including pulse waveforms, respiration, and fracture healing—with strong correlation to clinical indicators. The sensor's simplicity, scalability, and multifunctionality position it as a promising platform for next-generation wearable healthcare technologies.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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柔性电子学
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转化医学
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智能材料
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可穿戴设备
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生理信号监测
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多功能传感器
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2025
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IF 8.5
Weihua Zou,Xinze Liu,Wenhui Wang,Naike Zou,Delin Sun
Thermochromic phase change material (TC) is a temperature-responsive heat storage material. However, few TCs are renewable. In the present study, a renewable TC (RTC) composed of alizarin , myristyl myristate , and 1-hexadecanol was synthesized, demonstrating a color shift between orange and orange-red during phase transitions. To maintain the shape stability, the RTC was encapsulated within a wood-based cellulose/sodium methylsilicate framework, termed thermochromic wood composite-smart material (TWC-SM). This framework altered the chemical structure of alizarin , resulting in a color shift between greyish-purple ( L : 26 ± 1, a : 4 ± 1, b : −6 ± 1) and deep-purple ( L : 14 ± 2, a : 1 ± 1, b : −3 ± 1) for TWC-SM during phase changes, indicating a distinct thermochromic mechanism compared to RTC. Specifically, TWC-SM appears greyish-purple below 52 °C, where the benzene ring of alizarin features two fixed O groups and an additional -OH group. At temperatures above 70 °C, it turns deep-purple as the -OH group loses a hydrogen ion. TWC-SM exerts a pronounced thermochromic effect, conferring temperature-responsive functionality. Moreover, the solid-liquid phase-changing enthalpy of RTC is 186.78 J/g, and the wood-based cellulose/sodium methylsilicate framework ensures the shape stability of RTC within TWC-SM. Consequently, the average temperature of TWC-SM is at least 5.56 °C higher than that of untreated wood over 60 min following identical thermal treatment. This finding shows the potential of the framework for practical applications in temperature-responsive heat storage materials. This study reveals the structure-activity relationship between RTC and the framework within TWC-SM, which is key to the development of practical applications of RTCs.
研究领域:
材料科学
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高分子化学
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能源存储
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智能材料
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可再生资源利用
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Energy Materials
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2021
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IF 6.024
Liangmiao Zhang,Hui Xia,Fang Xia,Yi Du,Yupeng Wu,Yanfeng Gao
Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogels exhibit thermal-responsive transparency change due to their temperature-sensitive miscible–immiscible transitions, making them promising thermochromic materials for fabricating energy-saving smart windows. However, their transition temperatures, named lower critical solution temperature (LCST), are too high for building window applications, and it is also challenging to reduce LCST to comfortable room temperature range (e.g., 26–28 °C) in hot seasons. In this work, we report smart windows prepared using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-modified HPC hydrogels and demonstrate that the LCST of the resulting HPC/PAA hybrid hydrogels can be effectively tuned by solution pH, from 44 to 10 °C with decreasing pH from 6.0 to 1.0. At pH 2.5, an optimized LCST at 26.5 °C has been achieved. The sandwich-structured smart window, composed of two glass panes and an optimized HPC/PAA hydrogel in between, shows a high visible-light transmittance (Tlum = 90.1%), excellent solar energy modulation (ΔTsol = 47.5%), outstanding heat-shielding performance, and excellent stability after 100 heating and cooling cycles. These optical properties outperform the reported thermosensitive cellulose-based materials, vanadium oxide based smart windows, and other thermosensitive hydrogel-based smart windows. Furthermore, HPC/PAA hydrogels are easy to prepare, nontoxic, biocompatible, low-cost, and environmentally friendly, making them very promising materials for energy-saving and climate-adaptable smart windows.
研究领域:
材料科学
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化学工程
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能源效率
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建筑技术
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）