TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-adhesive thermotropic smart films for adaptive solar control under various climate conditions
AU - Kim, Bogyeong
AU - Yoo, Kiyoung
AU - Kim, Seonghyun
AU - Park, Jong S.
AU - Gi Seong, Dong
AU - Yoon, Jinhwan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022/9/1
Y1 - 2022/9/1
N2 - Energy conservation has become a crucial concern for reducing carbon dioxide emissions; thus, smart windows that selectively control incident solar radiation are attracting considerable attention. While extensive research has worked towards rendering the adaptive modulation of optical transparency, the wide application of traditional glass-type smart windows is limited by their high-cost installation that requires the removal of existing glazing. In this work, we report the preparation of a smart film that can be easily attached to any surface shape. A multilayer smart film comprising a transparent polyethylene terephthalate substrate, a thermotropic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogel, an acrylic adhesive, and a release film was prepared based on robust interface chemistry to ensure its stability. Field tests for optical switching between transparent and opaque states were demonstrated in response to the outdoor temperature. Furthermore, the developed smart film could be cut into specific shapes, namely letters, and attached to glass windows, indicating its potential to display various forms of information. The switching temperature could be finely tuned for various climatic conditions by copolymerizing the PNIPAm hydrogel with hydrophilic or hydrophobic comonomers. In addition, the attached film can be easily removed on demand without leaving any residue.
AB - Energy conservation has become a crucial concern for reducing carbon dioxide emissions; thus, smart windows that selectively control incident solar radiation are attracting considerable attention. While extensive research has worked towards rendering the adaptive modulation of optical transparency, the wide application of traditional glass-type smart windows is limited by their high-cost installation that requires the removal of existing glazing. In this work, we report the preparation of a smart film that can be easily attached to any surface shape. A multilayer smart film comprising a transparent polyethylene terephthalate substrate, a thermotropic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogel, an acrylic adhesive, and a release film was prepared based on robust interface chemistry to ensure its stability. Field tests for optical switching between transparent and opaque states were demonstrated in response to the outdoor temperature. Furthermore, the developed smart film could be cut into specific shapes, namely letters, and attached to glass windows, indicating its potential to display various forms of information. The switching temperature could be finely tuned for various climatic conditions by copolymerizing the PNIPAm hydrogel with hydrophilic or hydrophobic comonomers. In addition, the attached film can be easily removed on demand without leaving any residue.
KW - Acrylic adhesives
KW - Adaptive solar control
KW - Adhesion promoters
KW - Smart films
KW - Thermotropic hydrogels
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129318710&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2022.136471
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2022.136471
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85129318710
SN - 1385-8947
VL - 443
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
M1 - 136471
ER -
