Facile Solution Process of VO(2) Film with Mesh Morphology for Enhanced Thermochromic Performance

The fabrication and applications of VO(2) film continue to be of considerable interest due to their good thermochromic performance for smart windows. However, low visible transmittance (T(lum)) and solar modulation efficiency (∆T(sol)) impede the application of VO(2) film, and they are difficult to improve simultaneously. Here, a facile zinc solution process was employed to control the surface structure of dense VO(2) film and the processed VO(2) film showed enhanced visible transmittance and solar modulation efficiency, which were increased by 7.5% and 9.5%, respectively, compared with unprocessed VO(2) film. This process facilitated the growth of layered basic zinc acetate (LBZA) nanosheets to form mesh morphology on the surface of VO(2) film, where LBZA nanosheets enhance the visible transmittance as an anti-reflection film. The mesh morphology also strengthened the solar modulation efficiency with small caves between nanosheets by multiplying the times of reflection. By increasing the zinc concentration from 0.05 mol/L to 0.20 mol/L, there were more LBZA nanosheets on the surface of the VO(2) film, leading to an increase in the solar/near-infrared modulation efficiency. Therefore, this work revealed the relationship between the solution process, surface structure, and optical properties, and thus can provide a new method to prepare VO(2) composite film with desirable performance for applications in smart windows.