Electro-Optical Dual-Responsive Smart Windows with All-Solid-State Structure

As a major energy consumer in modern society, the promotion of green and energy-efficient buildings, along with the enhancement of energy efficiency in existing structures, has become an urgent priority. Windows, as critical components for lighting and thermal exchange in buildings, play a pivotal role in energy conservation through optimized design. Traditional energy-saving windows, such as double-glazed or Low-e glass, offer certain energy-saving benefits but lack the capability for intelligent adjustment to varying environmental conditions. Smart windows, particularly electrochromic (EC) and photochromic (PC) smart windows, provide a promising solution for dynamically regulating light and heat exchange. EC windows exhibit superior dynamic regulation capabilities but require electrical support, while PC windows operate without external energy sources but are limited in response speed and modulation range. This study presents a novel all-solid-state electro-photo dual-responsive smart window based on semiconductor-coupled heterojunction composed of ZnO nanoparticles and oxygen-deficient WO_3-x, which not only automatically adjusts transmittance in response to light intensity (ΔT^PC = 41.2%) but also enables active regulation its transmittance through applied electrical field (ΔT^EC = 61.9%). By leveraging EC and PC functionalities, the window achieves significant temperature modulation of 5.3°C and 4.7°C, respectively, demonstrating exceptional thermal regulation performance and energy-saving potential. This innovative technology offers a new direction for the development and application of high-performance smart windows, paving the way for a more energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable future in the construction industry.