A smart material built upon the photo-thermochromic effect and its use for managing indoor temperature.

ABSTRACT

We demonstrate a material by dispersing a thermochromic mixture of leuco dye, developer, and solvent as microspheres in a polymer matrix to improve the efficiency of building energy management. The smart, photo-thermochromic film can automatically switch between a colored and colorless state in response to climate temperature and light to realize photothermal heating and cooling.