Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have unveiled a groundbreaking material designed to insulate windows while maintaining transparency, potentially revolutionizing building energy efficiency across the globe. The material, known as Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator (MOCHI), functions similarly to an advanced version of Bubble Wrap, offering a promising solution for energy-conscious construction.
MOCHI, which is currently produced only in laboratory settings, is available in large slabs or thin sheets that can be applied to the interior of any window. Despite its experimental status, researchers assert that MOCHI is both durable and nearly transparent, ensuring it does not obstruct views—a common drawback of many existing insulating materials.
“To block heat exchange, you can put a lot of insulation in your walls, but windows need to be transparent,” stated Ivan Smalyukh, senior author of the study and a physics professor at CU Boulder. “Finding insulators that are transparent is really challenging.”
Revolutionizing Building Energy Efficiency
The development of MOCHI comes at a crucial time, as buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption. They often lose heat during colder months and absorb it during warmer periods, leading to significant energy waste. Smalyukh and his team aim to mitigate this energy loss with their innovative material.
MOCHI is composed of a silicone gel that traps air within a network of microscopic pores, each significantly thinner than a human hair. These air pockets are highly effective at blocking heat, allowing a MOCHI sheet just 5 millimeters thick to insulate against a flame held in one’s hand.
“No matter what the temperatures are outside, we want people to be able to have comfortable temperatures inside without having to waste energy,” said Smalyukh, a fellow at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) at CU Boulder.
The Science Behind MOCHI
The secret to MOCHI’s effectiveness lies in the precise control of its air pockets. While similar to aerogels—widely used insulating materials, including in NASA’s Mars rovers—MOCHI offers a distinct advantage. Aerogels often appear cloudy due to randomly distributed air bubbles that reflect light. In contrast, MOCHI’s structure allows light to pass through, maintaining clarity.
To create MOCHI, the team mixes surfactants into a liquid solution, where they naturally form thin threads. Silicone molecules then adhere to these threads. Through a series of steps, the detergent molecules are replaced with air, resulting in a silicone matrix with a network of tiny air-filled pipes.
Remarkably, air constitutes over 90% of MOCHI’s volume. This structure prevents heat transfer, as the small bubbles inhibit gas molecules from colliding and exchanging energy, effectively trapping heat.
“The molecules don’t have a chance to collide freely with each other and exchange energy,” Smalyukh explained. “Instead, they bump into the walls of the pores.”
Potential Applications and Future Prospects
MOCHI’s unique properties open up a range of potential applications. Engineers could harness the material to capture solar heat, converting it into affordable and sustainable energy. “Even when it’s a somewhat cloudy day, you could still harness a lot of energy and then use it to heat your water and your building interior,” Smalyukh noted.
Despite its promise, MOCHI is not yet commercially available. The current production process is labor-intensive, but Smalyukh is optimistic about streamlining manufacturing. The relatively low cost of the materials used to produce MOCHI further supports its potential for commercialization.
For now, the future of MOCHI appears as clear as the view through a window coated with this innovative insulating material. The research team, including co-authors Amit Bhardwaj, Blaise Fleury, Eldo Abraham, Taewoo Lee, Bohdan Senyuk, Jan Bart ten Hove, and Vladyslav Cherpak, continues to explore ways to bring this promising technology to market.
