Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Shenghao Jin, Ming Xiao, Wenbin Zhang, Boxiang Wang, Changying Zhao
Summary: Researchers have designed a multilayered radiative cooler that achieves both chromaticity and cooling performance through the combination of coupled nanocavities and selective emitters. The experimental results show that this cooler can reduce the temperature by an average of 3.4-4.4 degrees Celsius in outdoor experiments. This multilayered radiative cooler has potential in thermal management of electronic/optoelectronic devices and outdoor facilities.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shuai Zhang, Weilong Jing, Zhang Chen, Canying Zhang, Daxiong Wu, Yanfeng Gao, Haitao Zhu
Summary: This study developed a low-cost composite film with superior radiative cooling properties, which dissipates heat into space during the daytime without extra energy demand, showing great potential for application.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dasol Lee, Myeongcheol Go, Soomin Son, Minkyung Kim, Trevon Badloe, Heon Lee, Jin Kon Kim, Junsuk Rho
Summary: An energy-free daytime radiative cooler based on silica-coated porous anodic aluminum oxide has been proposed, optimized, and experimentally realized. The final design, optimized using effective medium theory, exhibits high reflectance in the solar spectral region and a substantial average emissivity in the atmospheric window, achieving a maximum cooling effect of 6.1 degrees C below ambient temperature during the daytime. This approach is believed to be a promising way to produce inexpensive and efficient radiative coolers.
Article
Thermodynamics
Ablimit Aili, Xiaobo Yin, Ronggui Yang
Summary: This study experimentally and theoretically compared the thermal performances of passive radiative cooling and passive evaporative cooling under clear night sky conditions. It found that evaporative cooling is more effective in high-temperature and low-humidity weather, while radiative cooling is more resilient in high-humidity and/or low-temperature conditions.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Bencheng Zhao, Xuejie Yue, Qiong Tian, Fengxian Qiu, Yuqi Li, Tao Zhang
Summary: A bilayer gel combining radiative and evaporative cooling was fabricated by combining hydrophobized bacterial cellulose aerogel and PVA hydrogel. The experimental results showed that the bilayer gel could achieve a temperature difference of about 16 degrees Celsius under direct sunlight, indicating its potential application in building cooling and residential thermal comfort.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bin Zhao, Kegui Lu, Mingke Hu, Ke Wang, Datong Gao, Ken Chen, Qingdong Xuan, Gang Pei
Summary: The study proposes a simple and passive sunlight blocking strategy to reduce the solar heating power of a radiative cooler, achieving efficient sub-ambient daytime radiative cooling.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ji Zhang, Jianjuan Yuan, Junwei Liu, Zhihua Zhou, Jiyuan Sui, Jincheng Xing, Jian Zuo
Summary: Radiative cooling is a technology that emits infrared thermal radiation to achieve cooling without energy consumption. By using an IR-transparent cover shield, the cooling performance can be improved, and selective cover shields can reflect solar radiation while transmitting infrared thermal radiation to enhance cooling power.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Junwei Liu, Jianjuan Yuan, Ji Zhang, Huajie Tang, Ke Huang, Jincheng Xing, Debao Zhang, Zhihua Zhou, Jian Zuo
Summary: In this study, various strategies are implemented to enhance the daytime radiative sky cooling performance. Experiments show that strategies like nano polyethylene wind cover, tilt, and their combinations significantly improve the cooling effect. Further discussion suggests that polyethylene aerogel has great potential in further enhancing the cooling performance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Di Han, Jipeng Fei, Jyotirmoy Mandal, Zhixin Liu, Hong Li, Aaswath P. Raman, Bing Feng Ng
Summary: This study explores the potential of passive radiative cooling in tropical climates using a highly reflective polymeric coating. The coating achieves sub-ambient temperatures under high solar irradiance and humidity conditions, demonstrating effective cooling performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Suwan Jeon, Soomin Son, Seokhwan Min, Hyeonjin Park, Heon Lee, Jonghwa Shin
Summary: This study proposes a material system that utilizes terrestrial radiative cooling to achieve zero-energy cooling and demonstrates experimentally that it can exhibit any desired exterior color, including black, at all ambient temperatures. This system can be used in outdoor applications to meet the demand for carbon-free thermal management while providing color diversity.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Jie Liu, Chengfeng Xu, Xianze Ao, Kegui Lu, Bin Zhao, Gang Pei
Summary: Radiative sky cooling (RSC) is a promising eco-friendly technique that achieves sub-ambient cooling using a highly efficient radiative cooler. In this study, polymer materials with parasitic absorption of functional groups were selected for radiative cooling, and a dual-layer film consisting of ETFE film and silver layer was fabricated for all-day sub-ambient RSC. Experimental results showed that the ETFE cooler had high reflectivity and low temperature, making it a good candidate for sub-ambient RSC.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Junwei Liu, Ji Zhang, Debao Zhang, Shifei Jiao, Zhihua Zhou, Huajie Tang, Jian Zuo, Zhuofen Zhang
Summary: Research has developed an accurate radiative cooling model with wind cover, with experiments showing significant impact of wind cover on cooling performance. The study indicates great potential for radiative cooling in arid areas and discusses a feasible breakthrough route towards rigid wind covers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chi Feng, Yue Lei, Xianqi Huang, Weidong Zhang, Ya Feng, Xing Zheng
Summary: This study experimentally and theoretically analyzed the effectiveness of radiative cooling coating under solar radiation exposure. The experimental results showed that the surface temperature of the coating stayed below air temperature when the incident solar radiation was below 800 W m(-2). Theoretical models revealed that longwave radiation absorption and emission were the main heat transfer pathways for the cooling coating.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haodong Sun, Fengjie Tang, Qunfeng Chen, Linmin Xia, Chenyue Guo, He Liu, Xinpeng Zhao, Dongliang Zhao, Liulian Huang, Jianguo Li, Lihui Chen
Summary: Passive radiative cooling materials offer all-day thermal comfort without energy consumption by reflecting solar radiation and emitting heat into the 3 K universe. However, conventional materials have non-recyclable complex structures and unsustainable polymers, leading to resource waste and environmental issues. This study presents a low-cost, scalable, and eco-friendly radiative cooling material called cooling paper, made from delignified cellulose fibers and nano-sized hydroxyapatite (HA). The resulting paper can be easily recycled and deconstructed to recover cellulose fibers and HA, which can be reused to prepare secondary products with comparable performance. The recyclable cooling paper shows a temperature drop of 6-8.8 degrees C under direct solar radiation and an average cooling energy saving of 29% in buildings across China, indicating its promising potential for sustainable energy-efficient buildings.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Seokhwan Min, Suwan Jeon, Kyungsun Yun, Jonghwa Shin
Summary: In this study, we demonstrate the realization of radiative coolers with any desired color, including black and other dark colors, while still achieving daytime sub-ambient cooling, through optimally designed wavelength conversion technology. We propose a general spectral design method based on metamerism and set performance boundaries for suitable photoluminescent colorants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Miranda A. A. Sinnott-Armstrong, Rox Middleton, Yu Ogawa, Gianni Jacucci, Edwige Moyroud, Beverley J. J. Glover, Paula J. J. Rudall, Silvia Vignolini, Michael J. J. Donoghue
Summary: Compared to animals, little is known about the presence of structural color in plants. In fruits, only a few instances have been described, such as the blue color in Viburnum tinus resulting from a disordered multilayered reflector made of lipid droplets. This study explores the evolutionary context of fruit structural color in the Viburnum genus by examining 30 species, using various techniques to identify the presence of photonic structures, understand the color-producing mechanism, and describe the evolution of cell wall architecture. The findings suggest multiple origins of blue fruit color in Viburnum, associated with large photonic structures made of lipid droplets embedded in the cell wall. Examining the full range of color-producing mechanisms in plants will enhance our understanding of fruit color diversity, ecology, and evolution.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kate A. Sanders, Michael F. L. De Volder
Summary: The use of emulsions as templates for nanomaterial assembly is a versatile method to create controlled microstructures. However, the slow rate of carbon nanotube (CNT) microparticle formation from water-in-oil emulsions is due to spontaneous emulsification. By using methanol-in-oil emulsions and mixtures of methanol and water, the rate of solvent loss can be balanced alongside nanoparticle assembly, resulting in faster CNT microparticle production and providing insights into the mechanisms of solvent transport in emulsions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhen Wang, Ruiting Li, Yating Zhang, Chun Lam Clement Chan, Johannes S. Haataja, Kui Yu, Richard M. Parker, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: Thermal or solvent annealing is commonly used to enhance the nanostructure of block copolymer (BCP) films. This study presents the application of thermal annealing to bottlebrush block copolymer (BBCP) microparticles with a photonic glass architecture, allowing for color tuning from blue to red. The process is driven by temperature-induced softening of the BBCP matrix and the absence of microphase separation. The concept is further applied to produce a thermochromic patterned hydrogel, demonstrating potential applications in smart labeling and anticounterfeiting.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Holly Andersen, Yinan Lu, Joanna Borowiec, Ivan P. Parkin, Michael De Volder, Buddha Deka Boruah
Summary: The development of photo-enhanced lithium-ion batteries, where exposing the electrodes to light results in higher capacities, higher rate performance or self-charging, has recently gained substantial traction. The challenge in these devices lies in the realisation of photo-electrodes with good optical and electrochemical properties. Herein, we propose copper-hexahydroxybenzene as the active photo-electrode material which both harvests light and stores energy. This material was mixed with reduced graphene oxide as a conductive additive and charge transfer medium to create photo-active electrodes. Under illumination, these electrodes show improved charge storage kinetics resulting in the photo-accelerated charging and discharging performance (i.e. specific capacities improvement from 107 mA h g(-1) to 126 mA h g(-1) at 200 mA g(-1) and 79 mA h g(-1) to 97 mA h g(-1) at 2000 mA g(-1) under 1 sun illumination as compared to dark).
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Dhriti Nepal, Saewon Kang, Katarina M. Adstedt, Krishan Kanhaiya, Michael R. Bockstaller, L. Catherine Brinson, Markus J. Buehler, Peter Coveney, Kaushik Dayal, Jaafar A. El-Awady, Luke C. Henderson, David L. Kaplan, Sinan Keten, Nicholas A. Kotov, George C. Schatz, Silvia Vignolini, Fritz Vollrath, Yusu Wang, Boris Yakobson, Vladimir V. Tsukruk, Hendrik Heinz
Summary: This Review discusses recent advancements in bioinspired nanocomposite design, focusing on the role of hierarchical structuring at different length scales in creating multifunctional, lightweight, and robust structural materials. By manipulating the architecture, interphases, and confinement, dynamic and synergistic responses have been achieved. The study highlights the significance of hierarchical structures across multiple length scales for achieving multifunctionality and robustness.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qingchen Shen, Modi Jiang, Ruitong Wang, Kexian Song, Man Hou Vong, Woojin Jung, Febby Krisnadi, Ruyu Kan, Feiyu Zheng, Benwei Fu, Peng Tao, Chengyi Song, Guoming Weng, Bo Peng, Jun Wang, Wen Shang, Michael D. Dickey, Tao Deng
Summary: We demonstrate the use of liquid metals as stretchable hermetic seals in soft materials, which are highly permeable to gases. These soft seals are applied in stretchable battery and heat transfer systems involving volatile fluids. The battery shows a capacity retention of approximately 72.5% after 500 cycles, while the sealed heat transfer system exhibits an increased thermal conductivity of around 309 watts per meter-kelvin when strained and heated. In addition, we successfully achieve wireless communication through these seals by incorporating a signal transmission window. This work provides a promising solution for creating stretchable yet hermetic packaging design for soft devices.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sam Peerlinck, Edoardo Milana, Elias De Smet, Michael De Volder, Dominiek Reynaerts, Benjamin Gorissen
Summary: Human ingenuity has developed various methods to manipulate fluids in different applications, but the principles of fluid propulsion change at the microscale. Nature has found a solution in cilia, microscopic active organelles that propel fluids at small dimensions. Mimicking biological cilia remains challenging due to their small size and complexity. This study analyzes artificial cilia technology and compares it to natural cilia to identify the remaining design and manufacturing challenges causing the disparity.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Tali Lemcoff, Lotem Alus, Johannes S. Haataja, Avital Wagner, Gan Zhang, Mariela J. Pavan, Venkata Jayasurya Yallapragada, Silvia Vignolini, Dan Oron, Lukas Schertel, Benjamin A. Palmer
Summary: This study reveals that the extreme birefringence of isoxanthopterin nanospheres can overcome optical crowding effects, allowing ultra-thin chromatophore cells in shrimp to achieve multiple scattering and brilliant whiteness. Numerical simulations show that the spherulitic arrangement of isoxanthopterin molecules, which results in birefringence, enables intense broadband scattering almost up to the maximal packing for random spheres. This reduces the thickness of material required to produce brilliant whiteness, making it more efficient than other biogenic or biomimetic white materials.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yeonguk Son, Hyungyeon Cha, Taeyong Lee, Yujin Kim, Adam Boies, Jaephil Cho, Michael De Volder
Summary: Small coin cell batteries are commonly used for testing lithium-ion batteries in academia due to their convenience and low material requirement. However, the differences in format between coin cells and pouch or cylindrical cells used in industry are often overlooked, leading to discrepancies in cell performance. This article compares different-sized coin cells and pouch cells with identical electrode materials and conditions, and demonstrates substantial battery impedance variations depending on the cell format. The impedance differences have significant impacts on battery rate performance and lifetime, highlighting the importance of considering cell formats in research and predicting improvements.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Richard M. M. Parker, Thomas G. G. Parton, Chun Lam Clement Chan, Melanie M. Bay, Bruno Frka-Petesic, Silvia Vignolini
Summary: Polysaccharides, particularly cellulose, have diverse applications in living organisms and cellulose possesses a unique helicoidal nanostructure that can result in structural coloration. Different forms of cellulose-derived materials, such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), can self-organize into photonic materials with a wide range of colors and visual effects. These sustainable photonic materials have potential applications in various sectors.
ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mahdi Hamidinejad, Heng Wang, Kate A. Sanders, Michael De Volder
Summary: This study introduces a novel method using carbon nanotube-tin composites to develop electrochromic reconfigurable three-dimensional microstructures. These microstructures respond to external stimuli and can change the shape/color continuously with low-power electric input through an electrochemical process. The method enables parallel production of thousands of microstructures, while their design is optimized for large strokes and high cyclability using finite element analysis.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gen Kamita, Silvia Vignolini, Ahu Gumrah Dumanli
Summary: A biocompatible and edible colorimetric timer is created using the cholesteric liquid crystalline mesophases of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in water suspensions. The timer is encapsulated by shellac membranes, allowing for vibrant coloration and adjustable water evaporation rates, resulting in a visible color change. This system has potential applications in food packaging and smart labelling due to its biocompatibility and visual detection capabilities.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ze He, Jiawei Guo, Fangyu Xiong, Shuangshuang Tan, Yixu Yang, Ruyue Cao, Greta Thompson, Qinyou An, Michael De Volder, Liqiang Mai
Summary: This article introduces improvements made to the Daniell cell to make it rechargeable, including the use of ion exchange membranes as alternatives to salt bridges. These improvements result in increased energy density of the Daniell cell and allow for easy recycling and scalability to higher capacity cells.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)