Smart Window Coatings: Some Recent Advances

This paper outlines some recent work on electrochromic and thermochromic coatings for smart windows. The purpose is to illustrate materials options and operation principles rather than to present detailed results. Specifically, we discuss electrochromic NiO x H y films operated in a KOH electrolyte, electrochromic Li x WO 3 films operated in conjunction with a novel transparent elastomer electrolyte, thermochromic V0 2 films whose semiconductor-metal transition point was depressed as a result of a dielectric top layer or by applied strain, and a thermochromic material comprising Si0 2 fibres in CC1 4 .