Dual-Band Electrochromic Optical Modulation Improved by a Precise Control of Lithium Content in Li4+x Ti5O12

Dual-band electrochromic smart windows that can dynamically and independently control incident solar irradiation and visible light are envisioned as intelligent technology to reduce power consumption of buildings. However, there is still a great challenge to put the dual-band electrochromic technology into practice due to some limits in material systems and preparation techniques. Herein, a new electrochromic material of Li4Ti5O12 is developed to implement the dual-band optical modulation behavior, which could be further improved by a precise control of the lithium content in the active material. It could separately modulate the light and heat based on regulation of the transmittance of visible and near-infrared light. This enables Li4Ti5O12 to operate in three distinct modes of bright, cool, and dark, so as to meet various indoor needs. The optical transmittance contrast reaches over 60% at both visible- and near-infrared-light regions between different modes, and a large range of apparent temperature adjustments (7 °C) could be achieved. The prototype device based on dual-band electrochromic Li4Ti5O12 is further developed into a smart window of a house model, which exhibits good optical and thermal modulation behaviors in response to a high-temperature environment. This work provides a new material system for achieving dual-band electrochromic optical modulation toward smart energy-saving window applications.