VO2/ZnS core-shell nanoparticle for the adaptive infrared camouflage application with modified color and enhanced oxidation resistance

VO 2 has attracted extensive attention as an adaptive camouflage material due to its structural change during the metal-insulator transition (MIT) at 68   °C, which can fast respond to ambient temperature and actively modulate infrared emissivity. However, the thermal instability and undesirable color have restricted its applications in multi-spectral camouflage. In this study, the VO 2 /ZnS core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized via a homogeneous precipitation method. The VO 2 nanoparticle core exhibited a remarkable infrared emissivity modulation ability in the mid-wavelength and long-wavelength thermal atmospheric windows. The ZnS shell, as an infrared transparent material , not only modified the color of VO 2 nanoparticle from unpleasant blue-black to gray-green that adapts to visible camouflage in the woodland background, but also significantly enhanced the oxidation resistance . This is the first report of such a single nanoparticle structure with both variable infrared emissivity and desirable color that offer significant potential for multi-spectral camouflage application.