Unravelling the mechanism of coloration and prolonged discoloration in abnormally thermochromic PDMS nanocomposites.

Traditional thermochromic materials prioritize high sensitivity and rapid discoloration. Reversible thermochromism with delayed discoloration is highly desirable for applications like thermal history indicators and energy-saving windows, yet it has rarely been achieved. Here, we construct such thermochromic composites simply by assembling hydrophobic silica nanoparticles in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix.