Weatherproof glass film adheres without heat

A glass coating could prevent heat loss from leaky windows.

The transparent film, from Rice University, USA, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is made by weaving carbon into the atomic lattice of boron nitride.

The research team says this forms a thin tough layer that reflects heat, resists scratches and shrugs off moisture, UV light and temperature swings.

The coating’s durability reportedly allows for placement on the glass exterior.

The researchers have simulated the material's behaviour in a building during a cold winter, with energy savings reported to improve 2.9% compared to existing alternatives.

'Although pure boron nitride shows almost similar emissivity to glass, when you add a little amount of carbon into it, the emissivity lowers significantly ⎯ and this changes the game altogether,' says Professor Pulickel Ajayan of Rice University.

The team have used laser deposition, which can take place at room temperature.

Ajayan notes the same technique could be adapted for other materials, including polymers, textiles and possibly even biological surfaces.

'The high weatherability makes it the first outdoor-facing low-E window coating, with an energy-saving capacity that clearly outperforms the indoor-facing counterpart,' Long says. 'It could be an excellent solution in densely built environments.'