A PhD student has discovered new plant-inspired window glass that could 'simultaneously store solar energy and darken' a room when sunny to cool it down

A PhD researcher at Finland's University of Turku has developed plant-inspired polymer films that can both store energy and change color when electricity is applied — a combination that could one day lead to smart windows that automatically darken in sunlight while capturing solar energy, reducing a building's cooling needs. Inspired by chlorophyll's electron-transfer abilities, the films demonstrated rapid color-switching, long-term durability, and measurable energy storage capacity.