VO2-based Thermochromic and Nanothermochromic Materials for Energy-Efficient Windows : Computational and Experimental Studies

Abstract: VO2-based films are thermochromic and exhibit high or low infrared transmittance when the temperature is below or above a critical temperature. The thermochromic switching is passive and reversible, and therefore VO2 based films are promising for energy-efficient window appli­cations. However the practicaluse of VO2 for energy-efficient windows has long been hampered by low luminous transmittance and low solar energy transmittance modulation. The main goal of this dissertation work is to address these issues.The first half of the work proposes the concept of nanothermochromics for simultaneous improvement of luminous transmittance and modulation of solar energy throughput. nanoth­ermochromics considers VO2 nanoparticle composite layers, whose optical properties were modeled by effective medium theories. Calculations on VO2 spheroids have shown that VO2 nanoparticles, especially nanospheres, can offer dramatically improved luminous transmittance and solar transmittance modulation that are not possible for films. Calculations done on coreshell nanoparticles showed comparable improvements and offer an opportunity to reduce the material costs. It was also found that the composite of In2O3:Sn (ITO) and VO2 can yield moderately high luminous transmittance, solar transmittance modulation and low-emittance properties.In the second half of the dissertation work, Mg-doped VO2 films were sputter deposited. Their band gaps and Mg-content were investigated by means of optical absorption measurement and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, respectively. The band gaps of VO2 were found to increase by ∼3.9±0.5 eV per unit of atom ratio Mg/(Mg+V) for 02 films and nanoparticle composite layers. The results suggest that moderately doped VO2 films with 02 nanospheres, closely followed by the VO2 nanospheres with low Mg-content.Furthermore, the an experimental study on sputter deposited VO2 nanorods has identified the geometry of the oxygen gas inlet, the type of substrate, the substrate temperature and the layer thickness as important factors that influence the growth morphology.Taken as a whole, nanothermochromics offered by VO2 nanoparticles was shown to be the best solution for VO2 based thermochromic energy-efficient window coatings.