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R&D World—The CU �Ǹ�Թ�-developed technology,��Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulators (MOCHIs), has received a 2026 R&D 100 Special Recognition Award in Green Tech. Described as "frozen air," MOCHIs combine exceptional transparency with record-setting thermal insulation, transmitting more than 99.5% of visible light while outperforming even the aerogels developed for NASA's Mars rovers in thermal insulation. The technology has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of windows and skylights, enable high-performance glazing retrofits, enhance solar thermal energy harvesting and prevent condensation on super-insulated vehicle windshields.

New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view

Physicists at CU �Ǹ�Թ� have designed a new material for insulating windows that could improve the energy efficiency of buildings worldwide—and it works a bit like a high-tech version of Bubble Wrap.

The team’s material, called Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator, or MOCHI, comes in large slabs or thin sheets that can be applied to the inside of any window. So far, the team only makes the material in the lab, and it’s not available for consumers. But the researchers say MOCHI is long-lasting and is almost completely transparent.

That means it won’t disrupt your view, unlike many insulating materials on the market today,

“To block heat exchange, you can put a lot of insulation in your walls, but windows need to be transparent,” said Ivan Smalyukh, senior author of the study and a professor of physics at CU �Ǹ�Թ�. “Finding insulators that are transparent is really challenging.”

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