Coordination Compound Guided a Novel Composite Film with ZnVO Nanoflake and VO@ZnVO Nanoparticle for Enhanced Thermochromism Smart Window.

Thermochromic vanadium dioxide (VO) can intelligently modulate the transmittance of indoor solar radiation to reduce the energy consumption of air conditioning in buildings. Nevertheless, it remains a great challenge to simultaneously improve the luminous transmittance (T) and solar modulation ability (ΔT) of VO. In this study, a novel approach is employed utilizing a coordination compound to finely tune the growth of a VO based composite film, yielding a hierarchical film comprising ZnVO nanoflakes and VO@ZnVO core-shell nanoparticles. Remarkably, the resulting composite films showcase exceptional optical performance, achieving a T of up to 73.0% and ΔT of 15.7%. These outcomes are attributed to the antireflection properties inherent in the nanoflake structure and the localized surface plasmon resonance of well-dispersed VO nanoparticles. In addition, the ZnVO-VO film demonstrates remarkable environmental durability, retaining 90% of its initial ΔT even after undergoing aging at 100 °C under 50% relative humidity for a substantial period of 30 days - a durability equivalent to ≈20 years under ambient conditions. This work not only achieves a harmonious balance between T and ΔT but also introduces a promising avenue for the design of distinctive composite nanostructures.