VO2(M)@CeO2 core-shell nanospheres for thermochromic smart windows and photocatalytic applications

Abstract Vanadium dioxide (VO2(M)) is a first order reversible thermochromic material which changes its phase at particular temperature and thus can be used as a thermochromic smart material for window coating. Similarly, the cerium dioxide (CeO2) is a well-known photo catalyst which can be applied on vanadium dioxide for self-cleaning. This paper reports a successful direct synthesis and detailed characterizations of core-shell VO2(M)@CeO2 spherical nanoparticles. In the core-shell nanoparticles, the vanadium dioxide core exhibits a solar light modulation property while cerium dioxide shell shows dye degradation through a facile photocatalytic process. Addition of ceria facilitates the VO2 (B) to VO2 (M) transformation and also improves its optical properties. With reduced transition temperature, the thermal stability was enhanced due to core –shell structure. To the extent of our knowledge, the synthesis of core-shell VO2@CeO2 nanoparticles is reported for the first time. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited improved thermochromic and photocatalytic properties.