Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a window that he can quickly change transparency from fully transparent to dark.
This smart window is made of elektrohromichni materials that can change characteristics under the influence of an electric voltage.
Compared with Photochromic materials used in glasses and lenses that slowly darken when exposed to bright light, elektrohromichnite can very quickly change their transparency. Such materials are used in the windows of the Boeing 787 aircraft, although they need a few minutes to change color.
The team from MIT has managed this process to accelerate the use of permeable components called metal-organic frameworks, conducting electrons and ions at high speeds, thus allowing an accelerated response.
The research team in previous studies with these materials failed to make material that changed color from transparent to blue or green, but to a new study to get (almost) black, they mixed the two complementary colors – green and red.
While most existing elektrohromichni materials require constant electrical voltage to operate this smart window as discolored can maintain this situation at all, or very little voltage and electricity needs to return to its original condition – black in transparent.
Researchers say that this type of windows has a lot more potential than just prevents glare – they could save energy by reducing the need for air conditioning in buildings with lots of windows, which are located in areas with warm climates. The whole process of darkening can be a button, or automatically.