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Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Atomic Layer Deposition of Vanadium Dioxide and a Temperature-dependent Optical Model
Published on: May 23, 2018
Visible Thermochromism in Vanadium Pentoxide Coatings
Sunil Kumar1, Awais Qadir1, Francis Maury2
1Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) , 5 avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
Di-vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) films exhibit thermochromism, changing color with temperature. This reversible color change is linked to anisotropic thermal expansion and can be tuned by chromium doping.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Di-vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is a material with a long history of research.
- Its intrinsic thermochromic properties have not been previously reported.
- Understanding thermochromism in V2O5 can lead to novel optical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the intrinsic thermochromism of di-vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) films.
- To investigate the relationship between thermal expansion and the observed color change.
- To explore methods for tuning the thermochromic behavior of V2O5.
Main Methods:
- V2O5 films were grown on various substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition.
- Temperature-dependent UV-vis spectroscopy was employed to study optical properties.
- X-ray diffraction was used to analyze structural changes with temperature.
Main Results:
- V2O5 films displayed a reversible color change from yellow to orange with increasing temperature.
- A continuous red shift in absorption spectra correlated with anisotropic thermal expansion along the (001) direction.
- Chromium doping was shown to effectively tune the thermochromic response.
Conclusions:
- The study reports the novel intrinsic thermochromism of V2O5 films.
- Anisotropic thermal expansion is identified as the mechanism behind the thermochromic effect.
- Chemical doping offers a pathway to engineer the thermochromic properties of V2O5 for potential applications.
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