Invent a material that turns windows into smart

2016/08/26 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak
• Nanoteknologia
• Ingeniaritza

An international team of researchers has invented a material that controls the brightness and heat entering the window. Ikerbasque researchers from CICenergiGUNE have also participated in this research, the results of which have been published in the journal Nature Material.

It has been explained that it is a cover, more efficient and economical than the existing intelligent crystals, and because of its flexibility it adapts to any surface. In addition, it controls in a differentiated way the heat and the luminosity, allowing the entrance of the light, leaving out the heat or vice versa. It therefore has a dynamic response.

Metal oxides in amorphous state are used for this type of material. Normally they are produced at high temperature, thus forming an amorphous structure of 3 dimensions. For the creation of the new cover have been based on niobium oxide and used ambient temperature in the process. With this, atoms form chains, in a single dimension, which confers these special characteristics to the material.

According to researchers, the roof is appropriate to reduce the energy needs of buildings.