Smart windows that can repel diverse liquids are highly attractive for the development of self-cleaning building system. Despite immense achievements having been made in drophobic smart windows, unfortunately, the limitations of inferior transparency, unsatisfactory flexibility, and scarce functionality greatly hinder their practical applications. Here, a multifunctional, all-flexible and slef-cleaning electrothermal-actuated (SETA) module with superior transparency is developed by sandwiching the hydrophobic SiO₂ nanoparticles decorated silver nanowires thin-film heater and the thermo-responsive hydrogel. Through loading/discharging an electric stimulus of 5 V, the optical visibility of SETA could be in situ switched between an opaque state (T₅₅₀ = 11.0%) and a transparent state (T₅₅₀ = 84.9%) relying on the dynamically collapsed and swollen transition of hydrogel on planar and three-dimensional curved surfaces. Moreover, SETA chipset is able to repel diverse liquids, including organic and inorganic species, showcasing an excellent self-cleaning capability. Lastly, all-in-one multifunctionalities, including pixelated display, thermal regulation, defogging, and self-cleaning on a single SETA chipset, are successfully deployed. Compared to the previous windows, the current SETA chipset is more competent for optical switching in reality, owing to its portable, energy-efficient, flexible, highly-transparent, and on-demand manipulating advantages. This work provides inspirations for self-cleaning greenhouse, tunable optics, intelligent vehicles, and so on.

Smart windows (SWs) garner significant potential in green buildings owing to their capability of on-demand tuning the solar gains. Apart from solar regulation, people always desire a type of slippery SW which can repel the surface hydrous contaminants for anti-fouling application. Unfortunately, the up-to-date slippery SWs that respond to electrical/thermal stimuli have drawbacks of inferior durability and high energy-consumption, which greatly constrain their practical usability. This article presents our current work on an ultra-robust and energy-efficient near-infrared-responsive smart window (NIR-SW) which can regulate the optical transmittance and droplet's adhesion in synergy. Significantly, laser-printing strategy enables us to seed the shape-memory photothermal microwalls on a transparent substrate, which can promote daylighting while maintaining privacy by near-infrared (NIR) switching between being transparent and opaque. As a light manipulator, it turns transparent with NIR-activated erect microwalls like an open louver; however, it turns opaque with the pressure-fixed bent microwalls akin to a closed louver. Simultaneously, the droplets can easily slip on the surface of erect microwalls similar to a classical lotus effect; by contrast, the droplets will tightly pin on the surface of bent microwalls analogous to the prevalent rose effect. Owing to shape-memory effect, this optical/wettability regulation is thus reversible and reconfigurable in response to thealternate NIR/pressure trigger. Moreover, NIR-SW unfolds a superior longevity despite suffering from the raindrop's impacting more than 10 000 cycles. Remarkably, such a new-type SW is competent for thermal management, anti-icing system, peep-proof screen, and programmable optics. This work renders impetus for the researchers striving for self-cleaning intelligent windows, energy-efficient greenhouse, and so forth.