Wide-Spectrum Modulated Electrochromic Smart Windows Based on MnO 2 /PB Films.

Inorganic materials have been extensively studied for visible electrochromism in the past few decades. However, the single inorganic electrochromic (EC) material commonly exhibits a single color change, leading to a narrow spectrum of modulation, which offsets or limits the maximally energy-saving ability. Here, we present a wide-spectrum modulated EC device designed by combining the complementary EC nanocomposite of manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) and Prussian blue (PB) for enhanced energy savings. Porous MnO 2 nanostructures serve as host frameworks for the templated growth of PB, resulting in MnO 2 /PB nanocomposites. The complementary optical modulation ranges of MnO 2 and PB enable a widen-spectrum modulation across the solar region with the development of the MnO 2 /PB nanocomposite. The colored MnO 2 /PB device exhibited an optical modulation of 32.1% in the wide solar spectrum range of 320-1100 nm and blocked 72.0% of the solar irradiance. Furthermore, fast switching responses (2.7 s for coloration and 2.1 s for bleaching) and a high coloration efficiency (83.1 cm 2 ·C -1 ) of the MnO 2 /PB EC device are also achieved. The high EC performance of the MnO 2 /PB nanocomposite device provides a new strategy for the design of high-performance energy-saving EC smart windows.