Smart Building Material with Near-Infrared-Triggered Reversible Color Switching

Smart materials and devices play an increasingly important role in improving modern life due to their richer functions, enhanced controllability, and improved biocompatibility. Herein, calcium silicate hydration (C-S-H) is integrated with layered [Co(NCS)2(pyrazine)2]n metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOF) and polymeric skeleton to fabricate the smart building material (M-C-S-H). C-S-H was anchored on the polymeric skeleton to reinforce the network structure for enhanced mechanical strength and toughness. Simultaneously, the highly porous skeleton structure enables the uniform distribution of layered Co-MOF, which could maintain its molecular form to endow the M-C-S-H with the photoresponsive color-switching performance. The M-C-S-H as a smart building material exhibits the color change between light blue and black blue upon near-infrared illumination on/off within a wide temperature range to achieve personalized wall and building decoration. Taking advantage of the low cost, rapid response, outstanding reversibility, and good color stability, M-C-S-H could provide lively, dynamic, and changeable decorating effects for walls and buildings. The smart building material, which is composed of calcium silicate hydration, layered metal-organic frameworks, and polymeric skeleton, exhibits the color change between light blue and black blue, upon near-infrared illumination on/off within a wide temperature range, achieving the lively, dynamic, changeable decorating effects for walls and buildings.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH