Understanding how hydration affects color-changing windows can boost their efficiency

Electrochromic materials dynamically alter how they transmit light in response to an applied electrical signal. Engineers are currently working to turn these compounds into 'smart windows' for buildings that change from transparent to colored states at the flick of a switch. Such devices can help to prevent heat loss and maximize the amount of natural light passing through windows. Sing Yang Chiam from the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore and co-workers have discovered how to improve the manufacturing and performance of smart windows by elucidating the critical roles that water molecules play during coloration.

Read the whole article on Physorg

More from Physorg