Stepwise Activation of Switchable Glazing by Compositional Gradient of Copolymers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Thermotropic glazing offers adaptive solar control but is limited by monotonic transitions.
• Current smart window technologies require improved control over transparency changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop switchable glazing with stepwise activation for enhanced solar control.
• To create multicomposition copolymers with a compositional gradient for tunable thermal behavior.

Main Methods:

• Free-radical polymerization with slow monomer addition to create a blend of copolymers.
• Synthesizing copolymers with varying monomer compositions to achieve gradient hydrophilic-hydrophobic balances.
• Integrating photothermal graphene oxide as a heat transducer for sunlight response.

Main Results:

• The developed gradient copolymers exhibit distinct thermal behaviors based on monomer composition.
• A nearly linear transmittance change was achieved over a wide temperature range.
• Demonstrated gradual solar control of a smart window in response to sunlight intensity through outdoor testing.

Conclusions:

• Multicomposition gradient copolymers enable stepwise activation in thermotropic glazing.
• The developed smart window technology provides tunable solar control responsive to environmental conditions.
• This approach enhances the practical application of adaptive solar control in buildings.