Self-adaptive radiative cooling smart windows with spectral band complementary regulation

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂)-based thermochromic smart windows have emerged as a promising energy-saving technology for building applications due to their passive operation without additional energy consumption. However, it is challenging to achieve simultaneous regulation of both solar and mid-infrared spectra, which significantly hinders further enhancement of their energy efficiency. To address this challenge, we employed a spectral band complementary method, cleverly utilizing the different spectral response bands of VO₂ and core@VO₂ particles, achieving coordinated control of the solar and mid-infrared bands in the thermochromic smart windows. The results demonstrate that the smart window has the luminous transmittance of 49.78 % and the solar modulation ability of 15.41 %, meeting indoor lighting requirements while effectively regulating the high-energy–density solar spectrum. Additionally, it exhibits the emissivity modulation ability of 32.44 %. Energy consumption simulations indicate that the designed smart windows possess significant energy-saving potential globally. Compared to traditional Low-e energy-saving glass, they can save 8.07 % in energy consumption, equivalent to saving 96.2 MJ/m² per year. This single-layer, easy-to-manufacture smart window offers a promising solution for realizing thermochromic smart windows with full-spectrum controllability for a wide range of applications.