Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, March 28 (Reporter Zhang Jiaxin) - Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia have developed the world's first "phase change ink" that can change the heating and cooling methods of houses and cars. It can achieve complex "passive climate" control and has enormous potential to help reduce energy consumption and global greenhouse gas emissions. The study was published in the latest issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Journal of Materials Chemistry A.

Research leader Dr. Mohammad Taha stated that these inks can be used to develop coatings for passive heating and cooling.

Passive climate control can create comfortable living conditions and reduce unnecessary energy consumption. For example, in order to provide heating during winter, the ink on the building facade can be automatically converted to receive more solar radiation during the day and provide better insulation to keep warm at night. In summer, they can form a barrier to block thermal radiation from the sun and the surrounding environment.

The multifunctional "phase change ink" that utilizes nanotechnology to control daily environmental temperatures is a proof of concept that can be laminated, sprayed, or added to paints and building materials. It can also be integrated into clothing to regulate body temperature in extreme environments, or used to manufacture large, flexible and wearable electronic devices such as flexible circuits, cameras and detectors, as well as gas and temperature sensors.

Taha stated that the new research means that existing structures and building materials can be refurbished, and this ink is likely to be launched on the market within 5 to 10 years. Through cooperation with the industry, it can also expand its scale and integrate it into existing new technologies as a solution to address the challenges of global climate change.

This breakthrough was achieved by discovering how to modify one of the main components of "phase change materials", vanadium dioxide. Phase change materials use thermal or electrical triggers to create enough energy to transform themselves under pressure. Previously, phase change materials needed to be heated to a very high temperature to activate their phase change characteristics.

Dr. Taha's team tested how they triggered the reaction of insulator metal phase transition, in which the new material acted as a switch to prevent heat exceeding a specific temperature.

Researchers say that new materials can adjust their heat absorption properties as needed, which means more intelligent bricks and paints can be designed.