Polymer inhibitors enable >900 cm2 dynamic windows based on reversible metal electrodeposition with high solar modulation

• Published in: Nature energy Vol. 6; no. 5; pp. 546 - 554
• Main Authors: Strand, Michael T., Hernandez, Tyler S., Danner, Michael G., Yeang, Andrew L., Jarvey, Nathan, Barile, Christopher J., McGehee, Michael D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.05.2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/301/299; 639/301/299/161; 639/4077; Buildings; Carbon footprint; Color; Construction; Economics and Management; Electrodeposition; Energy; Energy demand; Energy Policy; Energy Storage; Energy Systems; Heat; Heat flow; Heat transmission; Infrared reflection; Inhibitors; Metal films; Metals; Modulation; Morphology; Polymers; Renewable and Green Energy; Tinting; Transmittance; Windows (computer programs)
• ISSN: 2058-7546; 2058-7546
• DOI: 10.1038/s41560-021-00816-7

Dynamic windows with adjustable tint give users control over the flow of light and heat to decrease the carbon footprint of buildings and improve the occupants’ comfort. Despite the benefits of dynamic windows, they are rarely deployed in buildings because the existing technology cannot achieve fast and colour-neutral tinting at an agreeable cost. Reversible metal electrodeposition is a promising approach to solve these problems. Here, we demonstrate the use of polymer inhibitors to reversibly deposit metal films with controlled morphology in dynamic windows. The windows that employ the polymer inhibitor can readily tint to below 0.001% visible transmittance in less than 3 min and exhibit high infrared reflectance (>70%), colour-neutral transmittance ( C *  < 5) and an ultrawide range of optical and solar modulation (Δ T vis  = 0.76 and ΔSHGC = 0.56). The polymer inhibitors also increase the efficiency and improve the durability of the windows and enable construction of >900 cm 2 dynamic windows with fast response and excellent uniformity. Dynamic windows can reduce a building’s energy demand, yet the control of light and heat transmission remains challenging. Strand et al. show that polymer inhibitors improve the morphology of metal films allowing a wide modulation of light and heat flow in windows based on reversible metal electrodeposition.