Scientists in China have turned wood into a transparent material that could be used as a replacement for glass in energy efficient buildings.
Windows are a key factor in making buildings more energy efficient, by helping to control heat and light levels. For instance, windows that transmit visible light but block infra-red light could reduce the need for air conditioning in buildings. ‘Lighting and air conditioning account for 30-40% of the total energy used in buildings, most of which is exchanged via windows,’ says Yanfeng Gao, one of the authors of the research and a professor at Shanghai University.
Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry
A model house with transparent wood windows (left hand house) had a cooler interior than one with glass windows. The cooling effect is improved by adding caesium tungsten oxide nanoparticles (top row)
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Transparent wood containing CsxWO3 nanoparticles for heat-shielding window applications
Ziya Yu, Yongji Yao, Jianing Yao, Liangmiao Zhang, Zhang Chen, Yanfeng Gao and Hongjie Luo
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 6019-6024
DOI: 10.1039/C7TA00261K, Communication
