Low-Cost, Robust Pressure-Responsive Smart Windows with Dynamic Switchable Transmittance

Mechanically responsive smart windows with adjustable light transmittance have attracted more and more attention due to their great potential in our daily life. However, their fabrication normally requires complicated preparation such as oxygen plasma treatment and high-cost materials (i.e., poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)), which hinders their practical applications. Herein, a principally different mechanically responsive smart window, i.e., a pressure-responsive smart window, is reported, which is achieved by harnessing the synergistic interactions (i.e., hydrogen bonding and surface roughness compensation) between the two constituent parts, i.e., hydrogel and agar films. The pressure-responsive smart window features the ultrafast response time (37.5 ms) and high transmittance changes (-50%) with excellent repeatability, which can be stained with different colors and operated on a flexible substrate. Since the pressure-responsive smart window enables the utilization of the low-cost material and does not require the external energy input, it is anticipated that it may have great potential in practical applications.