ABSTRACT This review discusses the development and applications of inorganic photochromic materials, particularly systems based on transition‐metal oxides (TMO) and polyoxometalates (POM), which have garnered extensive attention due to their excellent transmittance modulation, reversibility, and cost‐effectiveness. It is emphasized herein that the core potential of photochromic materials based on TMO and POM arises from their performance designability and mechanism diversity. Specifically, precise nanostructure engineering, elemental doping, and heterostructure construction strategies enable the programmable modulation of optical bandgaps, carrier dynamics, and photochromic kinetics, enabling the creation of smart materials tailored to specific application requirements. Finally, this review shared strategic perspectives on developing photochromic materials based on TMO and POM with exceptional operational stability.
Tian et al. (2026) studied this question.