Samira Garshasbi

Thermochromic materials are novel smart materials presenting high reflectance/photoluminescence in warm periods and low reflectance/photoluminescence in cold periods and thus, can decrease both the heating and cooling load of buildings and contribute to achieve adequate comfort conditions in outdoor and indoor spaces during the whole year. Although pilot applications of thermochromic materials in the built environment has shown a tremendous mitigation potential, photo-degradation is reported to be one of the major obstacles that hinders their outdoor application. Taking the serious problem of photodegradation of dyes into account, this PhD project aims to explore the possibility of application of non-dye thermochromic materials as potential alternatives to their dye-based counterparts.