Cs0.32WO3/PMMA nanocomposite via in-situ polymerization for energy saving windows

Abstract

Inorganic-organic nanocomposites composed of nanoparticles and polymers offer a vast space for tuning material properties have attracted considerable interest. In this work, a nanocomposite composed of Cs0.32WO3 (CWO) nanoparticles as functional additive and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as matrix was developed for the application to energy-saving windows. The key to the process was in-situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers in the presence of CWO nanoparticles, which can effectively prevent the nanoparticles from agglomeration. As a result, a homogeneous dispersion of the nanoparticles in the PMMA matrix was obtained and the nanocomposite exhibits a high visible light transmittance (>70%), a low haze (<1%) and excellent near-infrared (NIR, 780–2600 nm) blocking ability (above 90%). Furthermore, the nanocomposite has a good stability in a high temperature/humid environment. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite is remained comparable with PMMA. A model house was applied to evaluate the heat shielding performance of the nanocomposite, and the results indicate that the nanocomposite is superior to ITO glass. All of these results suggest that the proposed CWO/PMMA nanocomposite is promising for the application to energy saving windows.