Manipulation of light transmission from stable magnetic microrods formed by the alignment of magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

Due to the increasing energy consumption, smart technologies have been considered to automatically control energy loss. Smart windows, which can use external signals to modulate their transparency, can regulate solar energy by reflecting excess energy and retaining the required energy in a building without using additional energy to cool or heat the interiors of the building. Although many technologies have been developed for smart windows, they still need to be economically optimised. Here, we propose a facile method to synthesise magnetic microrods from magnetic nanoparticles by alignment using a magnetic field. To maximise the transparency difference in the ON and OFF states, we controlled the nanoparticle concentration in a dispersion liquid, magnetic field application time, and viscosity of the dispersant. Interestingly, the magnetic microrods remained stable when we mixed short-chain polymers (polyethylene glycol) with a liquid dispersant (isopropyl alcohol). Furthermore, the Fe₂O₃ microrods maintained their shape for more than a week, while the Fe₃O₄ microrods clustered after a day because they became permanent magnets. The anisotropic features of the magnetic rods were used as a light valve to control the transparency of the smart window.