Abstract
Windows serve the purpose of allowing people to see outside from inside. However, excessive sunlight and heat can enter through windows, disrupting the indoor thermal environment. In the case of vehicles, heat can accumulate quickly in the enclosed space, and temperatures on dashboards can exceed 80°C in summer, jeopardizing the comfort and safety of passengers and drivers without proper heat shielding measures. Our research group is developing a new light-dimming film that can be used for automotive applications. This light-dimming film uses electrochromic principles to produce color change and heat shielding properties through electrochemical effects caused by the application of voltage. This light-dimming film can be fabricated using a wet coating process, which is expected to be highly productive, low-cost, and easily applicable to large-area applications. We are developing a complementary device by combining Prussian blue (PB)-type complex nanoparticles and tungsten oxide (WO3) nanoparticles (NPs). In this prototype device configuration, the electrochemical response produces a colorless transparent state and a dark blue color change, and when colored, the transmittance in the near-infrared region can be reduced to 1% or less. When applied to automobile windows, the performance of cutting heat rays contained in sunlight under hot weather can reduce the air conditioning load, which is expected to reduce fuel consumption or electricity costs in EV vehicles. On the other hand, this dark blue colored state has design issues such as matching with car body color and luxury. To solve these issues, this research is exploring and developing new black electrochromic material such as CuO nanoparticles, etc. In PRiME, we report on the progress in the development of the black electrochromic materials.
Published Version
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