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Vol. 18 (2026)

Tri-Band Regulation and Split-Type Smart Photovoltaic Windows for Thermal Modulation of Energy-Saving Buildings in All-Season

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01985-w
Qian Wang
Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People’s Republic of China
Zongxu Na
Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People’s Republic of China
Jianfei Gao
Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People’s Republic of China
Li Yu
State Key Laboratory of Green and Efficient Development of Phosphorus Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, No. 206 Guanggu 1 Road, Wuhan 430205, People’s Republic of China
Yuanwei Chen
Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People’s Republic of China
Peng Gao
Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, People’s Republic of China
Yong Ding
College of Renewable Energy, Hohai University, Changzhou 213000, People’s Republic of China
Songyuan Dai
Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‑Film Solar Cells, School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University (NCEPU), Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH‑1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Huai Yang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Huai Yang

yanghuai@pku.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 132

Abstract

Energy-saving buildings (ESBs) are an emerging green technology that can significantly reduce building-associated cooling and heating energy consumption, catering to the desire for carbon neutrality and sustainable development of society. Smart photovoltaic windows (SPWs) offer a promising platform for designing ESBs because they present the capability to regulate and harness solar energy. With frequent outbreaks of extreme weather all over the world, the achievement of exceptional energy-saving effect under different weather conditions is an inevitable trend for the development of ESBs but is hardly achieved via existing SPWs. Here, we substantially reduce the driving voltage of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) by 28.1 % via molecular engineering while maintaining their high solar transmittance (Tsol = 83.8 %, transparent state) and solar modulating ability (ΔTsol = 80.5 %). By the assembly of perovskite solar cell and a broadband thermal-managing unit encompassing the electrical-responsive PDLCs, transparent high-emissivity SiO2 passive radiation-cooling, and Ag low-emissivity layers possesses, we present a tri-band regulation and split-type SPW possessing superb energy-saving effect in all-season. The perovskite solar cell can produce the electric power to stimulate the electrical-responsive behavior of the PDLCs, endowing the SPWs zero-energy input solar energy regulating characteristic, and compensate the daily energy consumption needed for ESBs. Moreover, the scalable manufacturing technology holds a great potential for the real-world applications.


Highlights:
1 Broadening the modulation range and decreasing the driving voltage of polymer dispersed liquid crystals via molecular engineering without sacrificing high solar transmittance (transparent state) and solar modulating ability.
2 Modulating capability of the smart photovoltaic windows across visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared bands enabling superb energy-saving performance in all season.
3 Holding a great potential for real-world application due to their scalable manufacturing technology.

Keywords

Smart photovoltaic windows Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals Passive radiative cooling Tri-band regulation Energy-saving buildings
Wang, Qian, Zongxu Na, Jianfei Gao, Li Yu, Yuanwei Chen, Peng Gao, Yong Ding, Songyuan Dai, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, and Huai Yang. 2026. “Tri-Band Regulation and Split-Type Smart Photovoltaic Windows for Thermal Modulation of Energy-Saving Buildings in All-Season”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (January):132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01985-w.
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