Novel energy-saving window coating based on F doped TiO2 nanocrystals with enhanced NIR shielding performance

Abstract To reduce the energy consumption of cooling in the hot summer days, searching for novel NIR shielding materials for buildings is of great value. In this report, monodispersed F doped TiO2 nanocrystals with an average size of 8.6 nm were synthesized as novel solar shielding materials for energy-saving windows. All the products adopted an anatase TiO2 structure. After doping of F ions, the morphology of TiO2 was transformed from an irregular shape to a pseudospherical shape. The Raman shift and XPS depth analysis confirmed the successful doping of F− ions into the lattice oxygen sites in the TiO2 structure. The introduction of F− ions generated free electrons and bulk Ti3+ in TiO2 crystals, which activated a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption in the NIR region. Correspondingly, the NIR shielding performance of the TiO2 films improved with increasing F doping amounts. The NIR shielding value of the films increased from 1.3% to 43.2% when the molar ratio of F to Ti increased from 0 to 0.3. The reason can be attributed to the enhanced NIR absorption induced by the increased electron concentration after doping of fluorine ions. The F–TiO2 films showed superior visible transmittance (90.1–96.7%). Moreover, the F–TiO2 films lowered the indoor temperature of the heat box by 5.3 °C in the thermal tests. Overall, the prepared F–TiO2 nanocrystals show a great potential to be used for energy-saving windows.