Smart Windows
The exponentially increasing demand for energy in the domestic sector may be mitigated to a large extent by efficiently modulating the indoor temperature and light. A reliable smart window technology can lead to efficient utilization of energy by modulating indoor cooling and lighting and together with import substitution, this technology will directly result in profound national, industrial and societal impact. Net-positive energy buildings are an integral part of a inevitable components of such buildings. At DST-IIT Kanpur center we will be synthesizing a wide range of novel viologens confirming their applicability to smart windows by characterizing them in terms of their electro-optical properties (switching kinetics, optical modulation, reversibility, coloration efficiency) and their operational and shelf stability in the form of small area devices. The best performing electrochromic materials and electrolytes will be scaled up.