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Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications
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Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Engineering for Energy Harvesting, Conversion, and Storage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 24015

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Afshin Hadipour

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Guest Editor
Condensed Matter Physics Group, Department of Physics, Kuwait University, Safat 1320, Kuwait
Interests: photovoltaics; electrochromics; thermochromics; light emmiting diods (LED)
Dr. Xiang Zhang

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Guest Editor
Center for Composite Materials and Structure, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: electrochromic materials and devices
Dr. Jing Wang

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Guest Editor
School of Light Industry, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin 150028, China
Interests: energy storage and conversion; supercapacitor; electrochromics; photocatalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In order to save our planet and have an green future, we have to generate energy with sustainable methods, such as producing electricity from sunlight, water or wind energy and also use that generated energy with much better ways. For example, buildings use as much as 40% of the world’s total primary energy. This huge energy consumption is mainly due to poor design. One road toward more energy efficient buildings is to employ design principles that are in harmony with the radiation in our natural surroundings. To do so, electro-chromic and/or thermo-chromic coatings can be used onto buildings windows to reduce energy consumptions for cooling (or heating). Therefore, I like to invite you to submit your innovating research results about electronics based on thin coated films covering subjects such as photovoltaics, electrochromics, thermochromics and light emitting diodes.

In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Opto-electronic coatings such as organic, perovskite and inorganic (CIGS, CZTS, etc.) based coatings for photovoltaic applications.
  • Electro-chromic coatings for window applications.
  • Thermo-chromic coatings for window applications.
  • Organic based coatings for large area LED applications.

Dr. Afshin Hadipour
Dr. Xiang Zhang
Dr. Jing Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photovoltaics
  • silicon based
  • thin film solar cell
  • dye-sensitized solar cell
  • tandem cell
  • electrochromic materials
  • photochromic materials
  • thermochromic materials
  • LED applications

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 3209 KiB  
Article
Electrochromic and Electrochemical Properties of Co3O4 Nanosheets Prepared by Hydrothermal Method
by Xinrui Yue, Gang Wang, Jing Wang, Licai Fan, Jian Hao, Shen Wang, Mingli Yang and Yang Liu
Coatings 2022, 12(11), 1682; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12111682 - 5 Nov 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2020
Abstract
In this paper, Co3O4 nanosheets were prepared by the hydrothermal method. The structure of the material was analyzed by morphological characterization and physical phase analysis, which confirmed the preparation of the product, Co3O4, showing a nanosheet [...] Read more.
In this paper, Co3O4 nanosheets were prepared by the hydrothermal method. The structure of the material was analyzed by morphological characterization and physical phase analysis, which confirmed the preparation of the product, Co3O4, showing a nanosheet structure. By studying the electrochromic properties of the prepared products, the results show that the transmittance modulation range of the Co3O4 nanosheet is 75% at 780 nm. The coloring response time and bleaching response time is about 3.8 s and 3.4 s, respectively. Electrochemical tests show that the Co3O4 nanosheets have good capacitive properties. Their specific capacitance reaches 1850 F/g when the current density is 1 A/g. When the current density is 5 A/g, the specific capacitance can still maintain 99.6% after 5000 cycles. In addition, Co3O4//CNTs devices can provide a maximum energy density of 79.52 Wh/kg (1 A/g) and a maximum power density of 11,000 W/kg (15 A/g), showing good energy storage capacity. The above data results indicate that the prepared Co3O4 nanosheets can be used as good candidates for supercapacitors. This paper provides a new idea and method for preparing Co3O4 materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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13 pages, 2978 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of the Porous ZnO Nanosheets and TiO2/ZnO/FTO Composite Films by a Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Method and Their Applications in Photocatalysis and Electrochromism
by Xusong Liu, Gang Wang, Hui Zhi, Jing Dong, Jian Hao, Xiang Zhang, Jing Wang, Danting Li and Baosheng Liu
Coatings 2022, 12(5), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12050695 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3935
Abstract
In this paper, porous zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets were successfully prepared by a simple low-temperature hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) tests showed that the synthesized product was ZnO with porous sheet structure. [...] Read more.
In this paper, porous zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets were successfully prepared by a simple low-temperature hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) tests showed that the synthesized product was ZnO with porous sheet structure. The diameter of porous nanosheets was about 100 nm and the thickness was about 8 nm. As a photocatalyst, the degradation efficiencies of porous ZnO nanosheets for methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) were 97.5%, 99% and 96.8%, respectively. In addition, the degradation efficiency of ZnO for mixed dyes (Mo, MB and RhB) was satisfactory, reaching 97.7%. The photocatalytic stability of MB was further tested and remained at 99% after 20 cycles. In the experiment, ZnO/FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) composites were prepared by using ZnO as the conductive layer. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was deposited on the surface of ZnO/FTO by electrodeposition, so as to obtain a TiO2/ZnO/FTO composite. By studying the electrochromic properties of this composite, it was found that the TiO2/ZnO/FTO composite shows a large light modulation range (55% at 1000 nm) and excellent cycle stability (96.6% at 200 cycles). The main reason for the excellent electrochromic properties may be the synergistic effect between the porous structure and the polymetallic oxides. This study is helpful to improve the photocatalytic efficiency and cycling stability of metal oxides, improve the transmittance of thin films and provide a new strategy for the preparation of ZnO composite materials with excellent photocatalytic and electrochromic properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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11 pages, 3743 KiB  
Article
Electrochromic and Capacitive Properties of WO3 Nanowires Prepared by One-Step Water Bath Method
by Xusong Liu, Gang Wang, Jun Wang, Xue Gong, Jiang Chang, Xiangyang Jin, Xiang Zhang, Jing Wang, Jian Hao and Baosheng Liu
Coatings 2022, 12(5), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12050595 - 27 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2311
Abstract
In this paper, WO3 nanowires were successfully synthesized via a one-step water bath method at an appropriate temperature. The XRD (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer), SEM (Scanning electron microscope), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) and other characterization methods proved that the synthesized product was WO [...] Read more.
In this paper, WO3 nanowires were successfully synthesized via a one-step water bath method at an appropriate temperature. The XRD (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer), SEM (Scanning electron microscope), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) and other characterization methods proved that the synthesized product was WO3, and the product of water bath reaction for 9 h showed the nanowires’ structure. The nanowires were evenly distributed, and the length ranged from 2 μm to 4 μm. The results showed that the nanowires had excellent light transmittance (66%), a very short response time (1.2 s, 2 s) and excellent color rendering efficiency (115.2 cm2 C−1) at 650 nm. The electrochemical performance test showed that the specific capacity of the WO3 nanowires was up to 565 F/g at 1 A/g. Change the different current densities and cycle 100 times, then return to the initial current density, accounting for 99% of the initial specific capacity of 565 F/g. We used this method for the first time to prepare tungsten oxide nanowires and investigated the bifunctional properties of the material, namely the electrochromic and capacitive properties. All of these data indicate that WO3 nanorods have excellent electrochromic and electrochromic properties and have potential market prospects in the fields of electrochromic glass, variable glasses, advertising, and supercapacitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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10 pages, 2600 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Electrochromic Performance of All-Solid-State Electrochromic Device Based on W-Doped NiO Films
by Xin Zhao, Xiang Zhang, Zhiwei Yin, Wenjie Li, Changpeng Yang, Wenhai Sun, Hulin Zhang and Yao Li
Coatings 2022, 12(2), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12020118 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
Electrochromic materials have attracted much attention due to their promising applications in smart windows and thermal control. However, NiO is a weak point for a complementary ECD and needs to be improved due to its low optical modulation and charge density. In this [...] Read more.
Electrochromic materials have attracted much attention due to their promising applications in smart windows and thermal control. However, NiO is a weak point for a complementary ECD and needs to be improved due to its low optical modulation and charge density. In this work, the W-doped NiO films are designed and prepared by RF magnetron co-sputtering to improve the performance of the NiO. The results shows that the optical modulation of the W-NiO (52.7%) is significantly improved compared with pure NiO (33.8%), which can be assigned to the increase in lattice boundaries due to the W doping. The response time of W-NiO is 8.8 s for coloring and 7.2 s for bleaching, which is similar to that of NiO film. The all-solid-state electrochromic devices (ECDs) that employed W-NiO as a complementary layer are prepared and exhibit a high-transmittance modulation of 48.5% in wavelengths of 450–850 nm and an emittance modulation of 0.28 in 2.5–25 μm, showing great application potential in the field of smart windows and spacecraft thermal control devices. The strategy of preparing NiO doped by W indicates an innovative direction to obtain ECDs with high performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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9 pages, 17037 KiB  
Article
Investigation on Solar Absorption and Thermal Emittance of Al Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering
by Jinxin Gu, Xin Zhao, Feifei Ren, Hang Wei, Shuhui Liang, Chenchen Geng, Huan Guan, Xiang Zhang, Shuliang Dou and Yao Li
Coatings 2022, 12(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12010017 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2549
Abstract
A metal layer with high reflectance is widely used as the bottom mirror of smart radiation devices. Reduced solar absorption and enhanced emittance tunability are required for smart radiation devices applied in aerospace. Thus, reducing the absorption in the metal is also necessary. [...] Read more.
A metal layer with high reflectance is widely used as the bottom mirror of smart radiation devices. Reduced solar absorption and enhanced emittance tunability are required for smart radiation devices applied in aerospace. Thus, reducing the absorption in the metal is also necessary. Here, Al films have been prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering on the fused silica substrate. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the films have been analyzed at various deposition temperatures and deposition times. The spectrum absorption tends to increase with the increase of surface roughness due to the agglomeration and size increase of Al particles, which has been further demonstrated by the simulated results. The optimized Al film exhibits small solar absorption of 0.14 and low emittance of 0.02, which benefits the application for smart radiation devices and solar reflectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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10 pages, 2904 KiB  
Article
Electrochromic Performance and Capacitor Performance of α-MoO3 Nanorods Fabricated by a One-Step Procedure
by Ying Duan, Chen Wang, Jian Hao, Yang Jiao, Yanchao Xu and Jing Wang
Coatings 2021, 11(7), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11070783 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2494
Abstract
In this paper, we propose for the first time the synthesis of α-MoO3 nanorods in a one-step procedure at mild temperatures. By changing the growth parameters, the microstructure and controllable morphology of the resulting products can be customized. The average diameter of [...] Read more.
In this paper, we propose for the first time the synthesis of α-MoO3 nanorods in a one-step procedure at mild temperatures. By changing the growth parameters, the microstructure and controllable morphology of the resulting products can be customized. The average diameter of the as-prepared nanorods is about 200 nm. The electrochromic and capacitance properties of the synthesized products were studied. The results show that the electrochromic properties of α-MoO3 nanorods at 550 nm have 67% high transmission contrast, good cycle stability and fast response time. The MoO3 nanorods also exhibit a stable supercapacitor performance with 98.5% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. Although current density varies sequentially, the nanostructure always exhibits a stable capacitor to maintain 100%. These results indicate the as-prepared MoO3 nanorods may be good candidates for applications in electrochromic devices and supercapacitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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12 pages, 4494 KiB  
Article
Thermochromic Behavior of VO2/Polymer Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Coatings
by Michalis Xygkis, Emmanouil Gagaoudakis, Leila Zouridi, Olga Markaki, Elias Aperathitis, Kyriaki Chrissopoulou, George Kiriakidis and Vassilios Binas
Coatings 2019, 9(3), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9030163 - 1 Mar 2019
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5641
Abstract
Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a well-known thermochromic material that can potentially be used as a smart coating on glazing systems in order to regulate the internal temperature of buildings. Most growth techniques for VO2 demand high temperatures (>250 °C), making [...] Read more.
Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a well-known thermochromic material that can potentially be used as a smart coating on glazing systems in order to regulate the internal temperature of buildings. Most growth techniques for VO2 demand high temperatures (>250 °C), making it impossible to comply with flexible (polymeric) substrates. To overcome this problem, hydrothermally synthesized VO2 particles may be dispersed in an appropriate matrix, leading to a thermochromic coating that can be applied on a substrate at a low temperature (<100 °C). In this work, we reported on the thermochromic properties of a VO2/Poly-Vinyl-Pyrrolidone (PVP) nanocomposite. More specifically, a fixed amount of VO2 particles was dispersed in different PVP quantities forming hybrids of various VO2/PVP molar ratios which were deposited as films on fused silica glass substrates by utilizing the drop-casting method. The crystallite size was calculated and found to be 35 nm, almost independent of the PVP concentration. As far as the thermochromic characteristics are concerned, the molar ratio of the VO2/PVP nanocomposite producing VO2 films with the optimum thermochromic properties was 0.8. These films exhibited integral solar transmittance modulation (overall wavelengths) ΔTrsol = 0.35%–1.7%, infrared (IR) switching at 2000 nm ΔTrIR = 10%, visible transmittance at 550 nm TrVis = 38%, critical transition temperature TC = 66.8 °C, and width of transmittance hysteresis loop ΔTC = 6.8 °C. Moreover, the critical transition temperature was observed to slightly shift depending on the VO2/PVP molar ratio. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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11 pages, 3396 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Solution-Stable PEDOT-Coated Sulfonated Polystyrene Copolymer PEDOT:P(SS-co-St) Particles for All-Organic NIR-Shielding Films
by Soeun Im, Chanil Park, Wonseok Cho, Jooyoung Kim, Minseok Jeong and Jung Hyun Kim
Coatings 2019, 9(3), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9030151 - 26 Feb 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6088
Abstract
We prepared poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-coated sulfonated polystyrene copolymer particles as efficient heat-shielding agents, which showed strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, with high solid contents and good solution stability. The poly(styrene sulfonate-co-styrene) (P(SS-co-St)) copolymers were successfully synthesized via radical solution polymerization, and PEDOT-coated P(SS-co-St) (PEDOT:P(SS-co-St)) was [...] Read more.
We prepared poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-coated sulfonated polystyrene copolymer particles as efficient heat-shielding agents, which showed strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, with high solid contents and good solution stability. The poly(styrene sulfonate-co-styrene) (P(SS-co-St)) copolymers were successfully synthesized via radical solution polymerization, and PEDOT-coated P(SS-co-St) (PEDOT:P(SS-co-St)) was synthesized via Fe+-catalyzed oxidative polymerization. PEDOT:P(SS-co-St) was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The particle size and morphology of PEDOT:P(SS-co-St) were examined using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential measurements. The maximum NIR-shielding efficiency of the film was 92.0% with 40% transmittance. The high solution stability of PEDOT:P(SS-co-St) make it an ideal candidate for heat-insulating materials that find application in semi-transparent heat-insulator-coated windows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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Review

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23 pages, 6362 KiB  
Review
TiO2 Nanotubes Architectures for Solar Energy Conversion
by Yin Xu and Giovanni Zangari
Coatings 2021, 11(8), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11080931 - 4 Aug 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3487
Abstract
Electromagnetic light from the Sun is the largest source, and the cleanest energy available to us; extensive efforts have been dedicated to developing science and engineering solutions in order to avoid the use of fossil fuels. Solar energy transforms photons into electricity via [...] Read more.
Electromagnetic light from the Sun is the largest source, and the cleanest energy available to us; extensive efforts have been dedicated to developing science and engineering solutions in order to avoid the use of fossil fuels. Solar energy transforms photons into electricity via the photovoltaic effect, generating about 20 GW of energy in the USA in 2020, sufficient to power about 17 million households. However, sunlight is erratic, and technologies to store electric energy storage are unwieldy and relatively expensive. A better solution to store energy and to deliver this energy on demand is storage in chemical bonds: synthesizing fuels such as H2, methane, ethanol, and other chemical species. In this review paper we focus on titania (TiO2) nanotubes grown through electrochemical anodization and various modifications made to them to enhance conversion efficiency; these semiconductors will be used to implement the synthesis of H2 through water splitting. This document reviews selected research efforts on TiO2 that are ongoing in our group in the context of the current efforts worldwide. In addition, this manuscript is enriched by discussing the latest novelties in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings for Energy Saving Applications)
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