Humidity-gated, temperature-responsive photonic infrared reflective broadband coatings

The fabrication of temperature responsive photonic polymers remains a challenge. Here, we report the fabrication of humidity-gated temperature-responsive infrared reflective photonic coatings using an easy-to-process bar-coating technique. At high humidity the hydroscopic cholesteric liquid crystall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Materials for energy and sustainability, 2019, Vol.7 (11), p.6113-6119
Main Authors: van Heeswijk, Ellen P. A., Kloos, Joey J. H., Grossiord, Nadia, Schenning, Albertus P. H. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air temperature
Broadband
Cholesteric liquid crystals
Coatings
Crystals
Dew
Dew point
Fabrication
Greenhouses
Humidity
Liquid crystals
Photonics
Polymers
Relative humidity
Smart materials
Temperature effects
Water vapor
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Summary:The fabrication of temperature responsive photonic polymers remains a challenge. Here, we report the fabrication of humidity-gated temperature-responsive infrared reflective photonic coatings using an easy-to-process bar-coating technique. At high humidity the hydroscopic cholesteric liquid crystalline polymer is able to absorb water vapour from the air causing swelling of the photonic coating. By increasing the temperature, water is desorbed from the coating, resulting in a reversible 420 nm shift of the photonic reflection band. In particular, it is shown that temperature-responsive single-layered broadband IR reflective coatings, prepared by creation of a pitch gradient of the cholesteric liquid crystals, might be suitable for smart window applications in high relative humidity environments such as greenhouses.
ISSN:2050-7488
2050-7496
DOI:10.1039/C9TA00993K