PNIPAm/HPC/NaCl/CWO Composite Hydrogel with Tunable Phase Transition and Broadband NIR Shielding for Smart Window Applications

Le résumé fourni par la source

Thermochromic hydrogels have attracted considerable attention for applications in energy-saving smart window owing to their dynamic solar transmittance modulation capability. However, achieving a combination of high mechanical strength, superior optical performance, efficient near-infrared (NIR) shielding, and photothermal conversion within a single hydrogel system remains a significant challenge. Herein, a multifunctional thermoresponsive hydrogel-based smart window (NHNC) was constructed via a simple one-pot strategy. In this system, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) served as the thermoresponsive matrix, hydroxypropyl cellulose was employed to enhance mechanical properties and regulate the phase-transition behavior through modulation of the hydrogen-bonding network, and NaCl was introduced to precisely tune the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) via the salting-out effect. Notably, CsxWO3 nanoparticles endowed the composite hydrogel with efficient broadband NIR shielding through free-carrier absorption and localized surface plasmon resonance. Owing to the synergistic regulation of these components, the as-prepared NHNC hydrogel exhibited a tunable LCST of ∼28.7 °C, high visible-light transmittance (>98%), and favorable solar modulation ability (∆Tsol = 68.12%). Meanwhile, the system maintained excellent antifreezing performance at low-temperature (-17 °C) and exhibited enhanced mechanical strength. The incorporation of CsxWO3 also endowed superior UV/NIR shielding capability. In addition, the composite hydrogel exhibited excellent thermal regulation performance and long-term operational stability. It enabled great promise for building energy savings, thermal comfort control, and visual privacy management, while also demonstrating climatic adaptability.

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