Enhanced and Tunable Visible-Light and Near-Infrared Transmittance of VO₂/ATO Composite Coatings for Smart Windows

Abstract

We synthesized tungsten-doped vanadium dioxide (W-VO₂) particles via a one-step hydrothermal method, followed by their integration with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles to formulate a composite coating. Subsequently, the VO₂/ATO composite coating was fabricated through a spin-coating process. The impact of varying W-VO₂ content and coating thickness on the performance of the composite coatings was systematically investigated by employing X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution analysis, spectrometry, and other pertinent test methodologies. Our findings revealed that an escalation in both W-VO₂ content and coating thickness retained high transmittance in the near-infrared band at lower temperatures. However, as the temperature increased, a notable reduction in transmittance in the near-infrared band was observed, alongside a slight decrease in transmittance within the visible band. Remarkably, when the W-VO₂ content reached 5% and the coating thickness was 1 253 nm, the transmittance of the composite coating surpassed 80%. Furthermore, the heat insulation effect achieved a remarkable 10.0 °C increase. Consequently, the synthesized composite coating demonstrates significant potential for smart glass applications, particularly in the realm of heat-insulating glass.

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