Non-equilibrium Spark Plasma Reactive Doping Enables Highly Adjustable Metal-to-Insulator Transitions and Improved Mechanical Stability for VO₂

Although vanadium dioxide (VO2) exhibits the most abrupt metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) properties near room temperature, present regulation of their MIT functionalities is insufficient owing to high complexity and susceptibility associated with V4+. Herein, we demonstrate a spark plasma-assisted reactive sintering approach simultaneously achieve in situ doping VO2 within largely short period (∼10 min). This enables convenience flexibility regulating electronic structure via dopant elements covering Ti, W, Nb, Mo, Cr, Fe, leading wide adjustment temperature (TMIT) basic resistivity (ρ). Furthermore, mechanical strength doped meanwhile improved compositing effect high-melting-point oxide. The adjustability further pave way toward practical applications power electronics, thermochromism, infrared camouflage.