Authors
Yang Zhang, Ying Wu, Wenxuan Liu, Xin Wang, Dirk J Broer, Ben L Feringa, Jiawen Chen
Published in
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). Pages e7998291. Jun 20, 2026. Epub Jun 20, 2026.
Abstract
Smart windows that function in response to external conditions provide a promising approach to reduce heating, ventilation, and air conditioning energy consumption. However, it remains a major challenge to develop a smart window with environmental adaptability, multiple working states, and most importantly, the ability of dynamic management of solar light and heat with a simple and versatile molecular-designed material. Here, we present a temperature- and light-regulated smart window based on the interplay of light-driven molecular motors and liquid crystal (LC) polymers. The window can dynamically switch among three distinct working states: transparent, reflective, and scattering, depending on ambient temperature and solar light intensity. The fast switching of working states enables excellent modulation of visible light transmittance (ΔTlum = 75.2%) and near-infrared light transmittance (ΔTNIR = 49.3%), showing effective management of daylight and solar heat gain indoors. Simulation of energy regulation demonstrates that the smart window significantly reduces energy demand for indoor cooling and, therefore, is suitable for cities with different climate conditions. Our system provides an attractive approach toward more effective smart windows for sustainable and energy-efficient green buildings.
PMID:
42322146
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Jun 2026.
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