Vanadium Oxide Thin Films and Passive Radiative Cooling Materials
This community develops thin-film materials that manage heat by reflecting sunlight or emitting infrared radiation, primarily for building windows, energy-efficient coatings, and thermal regulation of surfaces.
The work centers on two distinct but related material systems. The first involves vanadium dioxide (VO2) and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) thin films, synthesized via magnetron sputtering or hydrothermal methods, which undergo a metal-insulator phase transition to create thermochromic smart windows that dynamically regulate solar heat. The second involves passive daytime radiative cooling materials, including polymer-based films, aerogels, and coatings designed to emit heat into the sky. Applications span building energy efficiency, personal thermal management, and infrared camouflage.
The largest share of this community’s output is found in vanadium research, representing 8.0% of all tracked vanadium papers, with 8,574 papers in this group. Lithium and titanium research also contribute significantly, accounting for 1,448 and 910 papers respectively.
The community comprises 14,806 papers, publishing most frequently in Applied Physics Letters, Journal of Applied Physics, and Physical Review B.
Recent work continues to focus on scalable, durable, and multi-functional radiative cooling coatings for buildings and vehicles, as well as dynamic thermal management systems using VO2-based regulators for camouflage and energy efficiency.