Recent advances in VO2-based thermochromic composites for smart windows

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a well-known thermochromic material since it exhibits a notable optical variation in the near-infrared region from transmitting to reflecting upon the semiconductor-to-metal phase transition (SMT). This distinctive character makes it attractive in thermochromic smart window applications. However, the development of VO2 in energy-efficient windows is hindered by high transition temperature (Tc), low luminous transmittance (Tlum), small solar modulation efficiency (ΔTsol), the uncertainty of durability, and the lack of color change. To solve the above problems, researchers have made great efforts in VO2-based composites and found that using composite materials with different fabrication methods revealed the most satisfactory performance. This review focuses on the use of composite structures (core–shell nanostructure, hybridization, multilayer structure, etc.), and we discuss preparation methods, material structures, and prospects of VO2-based thermochromic composites for smart windows.

[1]  Xing-Min Cai,et al.  High performance VO2 thin films growth by DC magnetron sputtering at low temperature for smart energy efficient window application , 2016 .

[2]  Wanxia Huang,et al.  Thermal stability of VO2 thin films deposited by sol–gel method , 2015, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology.

[3]  P. Jin,et al.  Regulation of the phase transition temperature of VO2 thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering without doping , 2014 .

[4]  Gunnar A. Niklasson,et al.  Thermochromic VO2 Films for Energy-Efficient Windows , 1987, Optics & Photonics.

[5]  Chaojiang Niu,et al.  VO2 nanowires assembled into hollow microspheres for high-rate and long-life lithium batteries. , 2014, Nano letters.

[6]  Ping Jin,et al.  Hybrid films of VO2 nanoparticles and a nickel(II)-based ligand exchange thermochromic system: excellent optical performance with a temperature responsive colour change , 2017 .

[7]  Claes-Göran Granqvist,et al.  Thermochromic multilayer films of VO2 and TiO2 with enhanced transmittance , 2009 .

[8]  Aibin Huang,et al.  Synthesis of VO2 nanoparticles by a hydrothermal-assisted homogeneous precipitation approach for thermochromic applications , 2014 .

[9]  S. Magdassi,et al.  Hydrothermal Synthesis of VO2 Polymorphs: Advantages, Challenges and Prospects for the Application of Energy Efficient Smart Windows. , 2017, Small.

[10]  Ping Jin,et al.  A novel multifunctional thermochromic structure with skin comfort design for smart window application , 2017 .

[11]  Aibing Yu,et al.  Recent progress in VO2 smart coatings: Strategies to improve the thermochromic properties , 2016 .

[12]  Yalin Lu,et al.  Simulation of smart windows in the ZnO/VO2/ZnS sandwiched structure with improved thermochromic properties , 2013 .

[13]  Fan Yang,et al.  Anomalously low electronic thermal conductivity in metallic vanadium dioxide , 2017, Science.

[14]  Yanfeng Gao,et al.  F-doped VO2 nanoparticles for thermochromic energy-saving foils with modified color and enhanced solar-heat shielding ability. , 2013, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[15]  Yifu Zhang,et al.  A novel route to fabricate belt-like VO2(M)@C core-shell structured composite and its phase transition properties , 2012 .

[16]  J. Sakai,et al.  Radio frequency substrate biasing effects on the insulator-metal transition behavior of reactively sputtered VO2 films on sapphire (001) , 2015 .

[17]  Chao Li,et al.  Solution-Processed VO2-SiO2 Composite Films with Simultaneously Enhanced Luminous Transmittance, Solar Modulation Ability and Anti-Oxidation property , 2014, Scientific Reports.

[18]  Li Zhao,et al.  New intelligent multifunctional SiO2/VO2 composite films with enhanced infrared light regulation performance, solar modulation capability, and superhydrophobicity , 2017, Science and technology of advanced materials.

[19]  A. Ganguli,et al.  Enhanced functionalization of Mn2O3@SiO2 core-shell nanostructures , 2011, Nanoscale research letters.

[20]  Sang June Cho,et al.  Sharpened VO2 Phase Transition via Controlled Release of Epitaxial Strain. , 2017, Nano letters.

[21]  Bin Su,et al.  Recent Advances in Nanostructured Vanadium Oxides and Composites for Energy Conversion , 2017 .

[22]  Claes-Göran Granqvist,et al.  Durability of thermochromic VO2 thin films under heating and humidity: Effect of Al oxide top coatings , 2014 .

[23]  Ludvik Martinu,et al.  HiPIMS-deposited thermochromic VO2 films with high environmental stability , 2017 .

[24]  Michael E. A. Warwick,et al.  Advances in thermochromic vanadium dioxide films , 2014 .

[25]  M. Tazawa,et al.  Self-Assembled Multilayer Structure and Enhanced Thermochromic Performance of Spinodally Decomposed TiO2-VO2 Thin Film. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[26]  Ping Jin,et al.  TiO2(R)/VO2(M)/TiO2(A) multilayer film as smart window: Combination of energy-saving, antifogging and self-cleaning functions , 2015 .

[27]  Sea-Fue Wang,et al.  The preparation and characterization of transparent nano-sized thermochromic VO2–SiO2 films from the sol–gel process , 2004 .

[28]  Zongtao Zhang,et al.  Nanoceramic VO2 thermochromic smart glass: A review on progress in solution processing , 2012 .

[29]  Shriram Ramanathan,et al.  Studies on room-temperature electric-field effect in ionic-liquid gated VO 2 three-terminal devices , 2012 .

[30]  Xiang Gao,et al.  Facile and Low-Temperature Fabrication of Thermochromic Cr2O3/VO2 Smart Coatings: Enhanced Solar Modulation Ability, High Luminous Transmittance and UV-Shielding Function. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[31]  Changmeng Huan,et al.  The growth mechanism of VO2 multilayer thin films with high thermochromic performance prepared by RTA in air , 2017 .

[32]  Yanfeng Gao,et al.  Significant changes in phase-transition hysteresis for Ti-doped VO2 films prepared by polymer-assisted deposition , 2011 .

[33]  Yunfei Luo,et al.  Influence of sputtering power on the phase transition performance of VO2 thin films grown by magnetron sputtering , 2016 .

[34]  Ping Jin,et al.  Use of ZnO as antireflective, protective, antibacterial, and biocompatible multifunction nanolayer of thermochromic VO2 nanofilm for intelligent windows , 2016 .

[35]  M. Duchamp,et al.  Single‐Crystalline W‐Doped VO2 Nanobeams with Highly Reversible Electrical and Plasmonic Responses Near Room Temperature , 2016 .

[36]  Heliang Yao,et al.  The preparation of a high performance near-infrared shielding CsxWO3/SiO2 composite resin coating and research on its optical stability under ultraviolet illumination , 2015 .

[37]  Arild Gustavsen,et al.  Properties, Requirements and Possibilities of Smart Windows for Dynamic Daylight and Solar Energy Control in Buildings: A State-of-the-Art Review , 2010 .

[38]  Charles B. Greenberg,et al.  Undoped and doped VO2 films grown from VO(OC3H7)3 , 1983 .

[39]  Liuming Yan,et al.  Mg-doped VO2 nanoparticles: hydrothermal synthesis, enhanced visible transmittance and decreased metal-insulator transition temperature. , 2013, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[40]  Bicai Pan,et al.  Theoretical study on the tungsten-induced reduction of transition temperature and the degradation of optical properties for VO2. , 2013, The Journal of chemical physics.

[41]  Ning Wang,et al.  Two-Dimensional SiO2/VO2 Photonic Crystals with Statically Visible and Dynamically Infrared Modulated for Smart Window Deployment. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[42]  Aibin Huang,et al.  Preparation of VxW1−xO2(M)@SiO2 ultrathin nanostructures with high optical performance and optimization for smart windows by etching , 2013 .

[43]  T. Tsuchiya,et al.  Metal–insulator transition of valence-controlled VO2 thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using oxygen radical , 2016 .

[44]  S. Banerjee,et al.  Silica-shell encapsulation and adhesion of VO2 nanowires to glass substrates: integrating solution-derived VO2 nanowires within thermally responsive coatings , 2014 .

[45]  I. Papakonstantinou,et al.  Intelligent Multifunctional VO2/SiO2/TiO2 Coatings for Self-Cleaning, Energy-Saving Window Panels , 2016 .

[46]  Xiujian Zhao,et al.  Thermochromic performances of tungsten-doping porous VO2 thin films , 2016, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology.

[47]  P. Fan,et al.  Effect of substrate temperature on the microstructure, optical, and electrical properties of reactive DC magnetron sputtering vanadium oxide films , 2012 .

[48]  Aibin Huang,et al.  Solar-thermochromism of a hybrid film of VO2 nanoparticles and CoII–Br–TMP complexes , 2016 .

[49]  Yue-liang Zhou,et al.  The characteristics of Au:VO2 nanocomposite thin film for photo-electricity applications , 2013 .

[50]  Younan Xia,et al.  Hydrothermal Synthesis of Monoclinic VO2 Micro- and Nanocrystals in One Step and Their Use in Fabricating Inverse Opals , 2010 .

[51]  B. E. Yekta,et al.  The Effects of Vanadium Pentoxide to Oxalic Acid Ratio and Different Atmospheres on the Formation of VO2 Nanopowders Synthesized via Sol–Gel Method , 2017, Journal of Electronic Materials.

[52]  Ziyu Wu,et al.  Hydrogen-incorporation stabilization of metallic VO2(R) phase to room temperature, displaying promising low-temperature thermoelectric effect. , 2011, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[53]  Hong Ye,et al.  Performance demonstration and evaluation of the synergetic application of vanadium dioxide glazing and phase change material in passive buildings , 2014 .

[54]  Claes-Göran Granqvist,et al.  Nanothermochromics: Calculations for VO2 nanoparticles in dielectric hosts show much improved luminous transmittance and solar energy transmittance modulation , 2010 .

[55]  Xiongzhi Zhang,et al.  One-step hydrothermal conversion of VO2(B) into W-doped VO2(M) and its phase transition and optical switching properties , 2014 .

[56]  Xin Zhang,et al.  Terahertz-field-induced insulator-to-metal transition in vanadium dioxide metamaterial , 2012, Nature.

[57]  Saad Mekhilef,et al.  Performance, materials and coating technologies of thermochromic thin films on smart windows , 2013 .

[58]  P. Jin,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of plate-like VO2(M)@SiO2 nanoparticles and their application to smart window , 2013 .

[59]  J. A. van Kan,et al.  Highly sensitive and multispectral responsive phototransistor using tungsten-doped VO2 nanowires. , 2014, Nanoscale.

[60]  Roman Engel-Herbert,et al.  Wafer-scale growth of VO2 thin films using a combinatorial approach , 2015, Nature Communications.

[61]  Yanfeng Gao,et al.  Enhanced chemical stability of VO2 nanoparticles by the formation of SiO2/VO2 core/shell structures and the application to transparent and flexible VO2-based composite foils with excellent thermochromic properties for solar heat control , 2012 .

[62]  Christopher J. Warren,et al.  A New Polymorph of VO2Prepared by Soft Chemical Methods , 1998 .

[63]  Dai‐Sik Kim,et al.  Terahertz-Triggered Phase Transition and Hysteresis Narrowing in a Nanoantenna Patterned Vanadium Dioxide Film. , 2015, Nano letters.

[64]  Jun Jin,et al.  VO2 (A) nanostructures with controllable feature sizes and giant aspect ratios: one-step hydrothermal synthesis and lithium-ion battery performance , 2012 .

[65]  M. Whittingham,et al.  Nanoscale single-crystal vanadium oxides with layered structure by electrospinning and hydrothermal methods , 2008 .

[66]  Zongtao Zhang,et al.  Formation and metal-to-insulator transition properties of VO2–ZrV2O7 composite films by polymer-assisted deposition , 2011 .

[67]  Xiujian Zhao,et al.  Optical properties and formation mechanism of M1-phase VO2 thin films annealed in a closed NH3 atmosphere , 2017 .

[68]  H. Tao,et al.  Effect of buffer layer on thermochromic performances of VO 2 films fabricated by magnetron sputtering , 2016 .

[69]  Feng Zhao,et al.  Reactive formation of zircon inclusion pigments by deposition and subsequent annealing of a zirconia and silica double shell. , 2009, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[70]  Yanfeng Gao,et al.  Fine crystalline VO2 nanoparticles: synthesis, abnormal phase transition temperatures and excellent optical properties of a derived VO2 nanocomposite foil , 2014 .

[71]  F. J. Morin,et al.  Oxides Which Show a Metal-to-Insulator Transition at the Neel Temperature , 1959 .

[72]  Guohua Chen,et al.  Porous W-doped VO2 films with simultaneously enhanced visible transparency and thermochromic properties , 2015, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology.

[73]  Shangjun Ding,et al.  Sol-gel preparation and characterization of SiO2 coated VO2 films with enhanced transmittance and high thermochromic performance , 2014 .

[74]  Rachel L. Wilson,et al.  Optimized Atmospheric-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition Thermochromic VO2 Thin Films for Intelligent Window Applications , 2017, ACS omega.

[75]  Haihong Yin,et al.  Low-temperature CVD synthesis of patterned core-shell VO2@ZnO nanotetrapods and enhanced temperature-dependent field-emission properties. , 2014, Nanoscale.

[76]  R. Vallée,et al.  Fabrication of high-quality VO2 thin films by ion-assisted dual ac magnetron sputtering. , 2013, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[77]  Zhuangde Jiang,et al.  Construction of 3d arrays of cylindrically hierarchical structures with zno nanorods hydrothermally synthesized on optical fiber cores , 2014 .

[78]  Yuanjie Su,et al.  THz Transmittance and Electrical Properties Tuning across IMT in Vanadium Dioxide Films by Al Doping. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[79]  Wei Liu,et al.  Symmetry-Controlled Structural Phase Transition Temperature in Chromium-Doped Vanadium Dioxide , 2016 .

[80]  S. Mathur,et al.  Interdependence of Structure, Morphology, and Phase Transitions in CVD Grown VO2 and V2O3 Nanostructures , 2017 .

[81]  R. Steiner,et al.  Temperature-induced metal–semiconductor transition in W-doped VO2 films studied by photoelectron spectroscopy , 2007 .

[82]  Xiudi Xiao,et al.  Tunable simultaneously visible-light and near-infrared transmittance for VO2/SiO2 composite films to enhance thermochromic properties , 2017 .

[83]  P. Jin,et al.  Preparation and characterization of self-supporting thermochromic films composed of VO2(M)@SiO2 Nanofibers. , 2013, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[84]  P. Jin,et al.  Modification of Mott phase transition characteristics in VO2@TiO2 core/shell nanostructures by misfit-strained heteroepitaxy. , 2013, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[85]  Bingbing Wang,et al.  Core-regenerated vapor–solid growth of hierarchical stem-like VOx nanocrystals on VO2@TiO2 core–shell nanorods: microstructure and mechanism , 2013 .

[86]  S. Paria,et al.  Core/shell nanoparticles: classes, properties, synthesis mechanisms, characterization, and applications. , 2012, Chemical reviews.

[87]  Ping Jin,et al.  Thermochromic multilayer films of WO3/VO2/WO3 sandwich structure with enhanced luminous transmittance and durability , 2016 .

[88]  Russell Binions,et al.  Thin films for solar control applications , 2010, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[89]  Jian Lin,et al.  Selective Synthesis of Vanadium Oxides and Investigation of the Thermochromic Properties of VO2 by Infrared Spectroscopy , 2013 .

[90]  Ping Jin,et al.  Composite Film of Vanadium Dioxide Nanoparticles and Ionic Liquid-Nickel-Chlorine Complexes with Excellent Visible Thermochromic Performance. , 2016, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[91]  Ivan P. Parkin,et al.  Self-cleaning coatings , 2005 .

[92]  V. Teixeira,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of VO2-based thermochromic thin films for energy-efficient windows , 2011, Nanoscale research letters.

[93]  Yanfeng Gao,et al.  Phase and morphology evolution during the solvothermal synthesis of VO2 polymorphs , 2016 .

[94]  Gokul Gopalakrishnan,et al.  Dielectric and carrier transport properties of vanadium dioxide thin films across the phase transition utilizing gated capacitor devices , 2010 .

[95]  Mario Bertolotti,et al.  Optical response of multilayer thermochromic VO 2 -based structures , 2012 .

[96]  Ludvik Martinu,et al.  Thermochromic VO2 thin films deposited by HiPIMS , 2014 .

[97]  Yanfeng Gao,et al.  Core-shell VO2@TiO2 nanorods that combine thermochromic and photocatalytic properties for application as energy-saving smart coatings , 2013, Scientific Reports.

[98]  Ping Jin,et al.  Preparation and characterization of VO2–BaSO4 composite films with enhanced optical properties in thermochromic field , 2015 .

[99]  Bin Su,et al.  Dual-Phase Transformation: Spontaneous Self-Template Surface-Patterning Strategy for Ultra-transparent VO2 Solar Modulating Coatings. , 2017, ACS nano.

[100]  Xiao Hu,et al.  VO2/hydrogel hybrid nanothermochromic material with ultra-high solar modulation and luminous transmission , 2015 .

[101]  Xiang Gao,et al.  Structure and enhanced thermochromic performance of low-temperature fabricated VO2/V2O3 thin film , 2016 .

[102]  J. Kim,et al.  Reversible phase modulation and hydrogen storage in multivalent VO2 epitaxial thin films. , 2016, Nature materials.

[103]  Chih-Feng Huang,et al.  Heteroepitaxial TiO2@W-doped VO2 core/shell nanocrystal films: preparation, characterization, and application as bifunctional window coatings , 2015 .

[104]  Dongfang Li,et al.  Dynamic control of light emission faster than the lifetime limit using VO2 phase-change , 2015, Nature Communications.

[105]  Yong Ding,et al.  Phase and shape controlled VO2 nanostructures by antimony doping , 2012 .

[106]  Hisao Suzuki,et al.  Fabrication of thermochromic composite using monodispersed VO2 coated SiO2 nanoparticles prepared by modified chemical solution deposition , 2007 .

[107]  Ivan P. Parkin,et al.  Intelligent window coatings: Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of tungsten-doped vanadium dioxide , 2004 .

[108]  P. Jin,et al.  Selective formation of VO2(A) or VO2(R) polymorph by controlling the hydrothermal pressure , 2011 .

[109]  Jinlong Yang,et al.  Direct hydrothermal synthesis of monoclinic VO2(M) single-domain nanorods on large scale displaying magnetocaloric effect , 2011 .

[110]  Ping Jin,et al.  Preparation of VO2/Al-O core-shell structure with enhanced weathering resistance for smart window , 2017 .

[111]  Guanghai Li,et al.  Hydrothermal synthesis of Mo-doped VO2/TiO2 composite nanocrystals with enhanced thermochromic performance. , 2014, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

[112]  I. Parkin,et al.  Qualitative XANES and XPS Analysis of Substrate Effects in VO2 Thin Films: A Route to Improving Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthetic Methods? , 2017 .

[113]  Alexander Pergament,et al.  Effect of memory electrical switching in metal/vanadium oxide/silicon structures with VO2 films obtained by the sol–gel method , 2015 .

[114]  Xiujian Zhao,et al.  VO2/AZO double-layer films with thermochromism and low-emissivity for smart window applications , 2014 .

[115]  Xiaofeng Wang,et al.  Characterization of polycrystalline VO2 thin film with low phase transition temperature fabricated by high power impulse magnetron sputtering , 2016 .

[116]  Ping Jin,et al.  High Performance and Enhanced Durability of Thermochromic Films Using VO2@ZnO Core-Shell Nanoparticles. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[117]  Chan Park,et al.  Effect of Oxide Buffer Layer on the Thermochromic Properties of VO2 Thin Films , 2013, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance.

[118]  P. Jin,et al.  Novel VO2(M)–ZnO heterostructured dandelions with combined thermochromic and photocatalytic properties for application in smart coatings , 2016 .

[119]  Sung Min Cho,et al.  Formamidinium and Cesium Hybridization for Photo‐ and Moisture‐Stable Perovskite Solar Cell , 2015 .

[120]  Rakel Wreland Lindström,et al.  Thin films of vanadium oxide grown on vanadium metal: oxidation conditions to produce V2O5 films for Li‐intercalation applications and characterisation by XPS, AFM, RBS/NRA , 2006 .

[121]  Ping Jin,et al.  Low-temperature deposition of VO2 films with high crystalline degree by embedding multilayered structure , 2017 .