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Designing Plasmon‐Enhanced Thermochromic Films Using a Vanadium Dioxide Nanoparticle Elastomeric Composite
Author(s) -
Moot Taylor,
Palin Cass,
Mitran Sorin,
Cahoon James F.,
Lopez Rene
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced optical materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 91
ISSN - 2195-1071
DOI - 10.1002/adom.201500586
Subject(s) - materials science , thermochromism , elastomer , transmittance , composite number , plasmon , optoelectronics , nanoparticle , fabrication , surface plasmon resonance , composite material , infrared , nanotechnology , optics , medicine , alternative medicine , physics , organic chemistry , pathology , chemistry
Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) is a common material for use in thermochromic windows due to a semiconductor‐to‐metal transition (SMT) that is coupled with a change in infrared opacity. Commercialization of VO 2 ‐based thermochromic technology is hampered by relatively expensive synthesis and film fabrication techniques as well as overall low performance as a window material. Here, simulations that indicate the plasmon resonance of VO 2 nanoparticles in a composite film, which can be tuned to achieve record performance values, are reported. These simulations are experimentally verified by fabricating a VO 2 nanoparticle composite in an elastomeric matrix using low‐temperature and atmospheric processing conditions. The optical properties of the films are analyzed, yielding visible transmittance and infrared modulation values within the range of top‐performing thermochromic windows. In addition, an improvement in performance is observed upon stretching the films, an effect that can be attributed to a local refractive index modulation. The results highlight the potential use of elastomeric composites as a low‐cost route to higher‐performance smart windows.