1.School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Dazhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
2.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
3.Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
4.Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, Kgs, Lyngby 2800, Denmark
5.Department of Electronic Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
Fuqiang Wang (Wangfuqiang@hitwh.edu.cn)
Yi Long (yilong@cuhk.edu.hk)
Published:31 October 2024,
Published Online:21 August 2024,
Received:26 October 2023,
Revised:13 June 2024,
Accepted:10 July 2024
Scan QR Code
Liang, H. X. et al. Bio-inspired micropatterned thermochromic hydrogel for concurrent smart solar transmission and rapid visible-light stealth at all-working temperatures. Light: Science & Applications, 13, 2201-2211 (2024).
Liang, H. X. et al. Bio-inspired micropatterned thermochromic hydrogel for concurrent smart solar transmission and rapid visible-light stealth at all-working temperatures. Light: Science & Applications, 13, 2201-2211 (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01525-y.
Thermochromic hydrogels exhibit a smart capacity for regulating solar spectrum transmission
enabling automatically change their transmissivity in response to the ambient temperature change. This has great importance for energy conservation purposes. Military and civilian emergency thermochromic applications require rapid visible-light stealth (VLS); however
concurrent smart solar transmission and rapid VLS is yet to be realized. Inspired by squid-skin
we propose a micropatterned thermochromic hydrogel (MTH) to realize the concurrent control of smart solar transmittance and rapid VLS at all-working temperatures. The MTH possesses two optical regulation mechanisms: optical property regulation and optical scattering
controlled by temperature and pressure
respectively. The introduced surface micropattern strategy can arbitrarily switch between normal and diffuse transmission
and the VLS response time is within 1 s compared with previous ~180 s. The MTH also has a high solar-transmission regulation range of 61%. Further
the MTH preparation method is scalable and cost-effective. This novel regulation mechanism opens a new pathway towards applications with multifunctional optical requirements.
Li, W., Buddhiraju, S.&Fan, S. H. Thermodynamic limits for simultaneous energy harvesting from the hot sun and cold outer space.Light Sci. Appl.9, 68 (2020)..
Mitchard, E. T. A. The tropical forest carboncycle and climate change.Nature559, 527–534 (2018)..
Zhu, B. et al. Subambient daytime radiative cooling textile based on nanoprocessed silk.Nat. Nanotechnol.16, 1342–1348 (2021)..
Sheng, S. Z. et al. Nanowire-based smart windows combining electro- and thermochromics for dynamic regulation of solar radiation.Nat. Commun.14, 3231 (2023)..
Yu, C. T. et al. Hydrogels as dynamic memory with forgetting ability.Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA117, 18962–18968 (2020)..
Lou, D. Y. et al. Double lock label based on thermosensitive polymer hydrogels for information camouflage and multilevel encryption.Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.61, e202117066 (2022)..
Zhang, R. et al. Energy-efficient smart window based on a thermochromic microgel with ultrahigh visible transparency and infrared transmittance modulation.J. Mater. Chem. A9, 17481–17491 (2021)..
Davy, N. C. et al. Pairing of near-ultraviolet solar cells with electrochromic windows for smart management of the solar spectrum.Nat. Energy2, 17104 (2017)..
Ke, Y. J. et al. Bio-inspired, scalable, and tri-mode stimuli-chromic composite for smart window multifunctionality.Adv. Funct. Mater.33, 2305998 (2023)..
Jung, C. et al. Disordered-nanoparticle–based etalon for ultrafast humidity-responsive colorimetric sensors and anti-counterfeiting displays.Sci. Adv.8, eabm8598 (2022)..
Tang, L. et al. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based smart hydrogels: Design, properties and applications.Prog. Mater. Sci.115, 100702 (2021)..
Park, G. et al. Bidirectional thermo-regulating hydrogel composite for autonomic thermal homeostasis.Nat. Commun.14, 3049 (2023)..
van Kesteren, S. et al. Self-propelling colloids with finite state dynamics.Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA120, e2213481120 (2023)..
Downs, F. G. et al. Multi-responsive hydrogel structures from patterned droplet networks.Nat. Chem.12, 363–371 (2020)..
Zhou, Y. et al. Liquid thermo-responsive smart window derived from hydrogel.Joule4, 2458–2474 (2020)..
Xia, L. W. et al. Nano-structured smart hydrogels with rapid response and high elasticity.Nat. Commun.4, 2226 (2013)..
Li, X. H. et al. Broadband light management with thermochromic hydrogel microparticles for smart windows.Joule3, 290–302 (2019)..
Du, X. et al. Fast transport and transformation of biomacromolecular substances via thermo-stimulated active "inhalation–exhalation" cycles of hierarchically structured smart pNIPAM–DNA hydrogels.Adv. Mater.35, 2206302 (2023)..
Na, H. et al. Hydrogel-based strong and fast actuators by electroosmotic turgor pressure.Science376, 301–307 (2022)..
Li, C. A. et al. Fast and programmable locomotion of hydrogel-metal hybrids under light and magnetic fields.Sci. Robot.5, eabb9822 (2020)..
Yoshida, R. et al. Comb-type grafted hydrogels with rapid deswelling response to temperature changes.Nature374, 240–242 (1995)..
Ma, Y. F. et al. Bioinspired high-power-density strong contractile hydrogel by programmable elastic recoil.Sci. Adv.6, eabd2520 (2020)..
Jiang, Z. et al. Strong, ultrafast, reprogrammable hydrogel actuators with muscle-mimetic aligned fibrous structures.Chem. Mater.33, 7818–7828 (2021)..
Bi, Y. H. et al. Smart bilayer polyacrylamide/DNA hybrid hydrogel film actuators exhibiting programmable responsive and reversible macroscopic shape deformations.Small16, 1906998 (2020)..
Cangialosi, A. et al. DNA sequence-directed shape change of photopatterned hydrogels via high-degree swelling.Science357, 1126–1130 (2017)..
Xu, X. D. et al. Strategy to introduce a pendent micellar structure into Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels.Langmuir23, 4231–4236 (2007)..
Feng, Y. Q. et al. Entanglement in smart hydrogels: fast response time, anti-freezing and anti-drying.Adv. Funct. Mater.33, 2211027 (2023)..
Kim, Y. S. et al. Thermoresponsive actuation enabled by permittivity switching in an electrostatically anisotropic hydrogel.Nat. Mater.14, 1002–1007 (2015)..
Imran, A. B., Seki, T.&Takeoka, Y. Recent advances in hydrogels in terms of fast stimuli responsiveness and superior mechanical performance.Polym. J.42, 839–851 (2010)..
Zhang, L. M. et al. Energy-saving smart windows with HPC/PAA hybrid hydrogels as thermochromic materials.ACS Appl. Energy Mater.4, 9783–9791 (2021)..
Cho, H. et al. Mechano-thermo-chromic device with supersaturated salt hydrate crystal phase change.Sci. Adv.5, eaav4916 (2019)..
Yu, C. J. et al. Adaptive optoelectronic camouflage systems with designs inspired by cephalopod skins.Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA111, 12998–13003 (2014)..
Xu, C. Y., Stiubianu, G. T.&Gorodetsky, A. A. Adaptive infrared-reflecting systems inspired by cephalopods.Science359, 1495–1500 (2018)..
Sánchez-Gil, J. A.&Nieto-Vesperinas, M. Light scattering from random rough dielectric surfaces.J. Opt. Soc. Am. A8, 1270–1286 (1991)..
Elson, J. M. Theory of light scattering from a rough surface with an inhomogeneous dielectric permittivity.Phys. Rev. B30, 5460–5480 (1984)..
Kang, G. M. et al. Broadband and ultrahigh optical haze thin films with self-aggregated alumina nanowire bundles for photovoltaic applications.Energy Environ. Sci.8, 2650–2656 (2015)..
Wang, S. C. et al. Thermochromic smart windows with highly regulated radiative cooling and solar transmission.Nano Energy89, 106440 (2021)..
Wang, S. C. et al. Scalable thermochromic smart windows with passive radiative cooling regulation.Science374, 1501–1504 (2021)..
Chen, S. et al. Gate-controlled VO2phase transition for high-performance smart windows.Sci. Adv.5, eaav6815 (2019)..
Liu, S. et al. Near-infrared-activated thermochromic perovskite smart windows (Adv. Sci. 14/2022).Adv. Sci.9, 2270088 (2022)..
Lin, C. J. et al. All-weather thermochromic windows for synchronous solar and thermal radiation regulation.Sci. Adv.8, eabn7359 (2022)..
Li, J. N. et al. Transmittance tunable smart window based on magnetically responsive 1D nanochains.ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces12, 31637–31644 (2020)..
Ke, Y. J. et al. Cephalopod-inspired versatile design based on plasmonic VO2nanoparticle for energy-efficient mechano-thermochromic windows.Nano Energy73, 104785 (2020)..
Li, J. N. et al. Highly sensitive mechanoresponsive smart windows driven by shear strain.Adv. Funct. Mater.31, 2102350 (2021)..
Cho, D. et al. High-contrast optical modulation from strain-induced nanogaps at 3D heterogeneous interfaces.Adv. Sci.7, 1903708 (2020)..
Yin, K. et al. Tailoring micro/nanostructured porous polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces for dual-reversible transition of wettability and transmittance.Chem. Eng. J.434, 134756 (2022)..
Cai, G. F. et al.Diphylleia grayi-inspired stretchable hydrochromics with large optical modulation in the visible–near-infrared region.ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces10, 37685–37693 (2018)..
Cao, S. et al. A visible light-near-infrared dual-band smart window with internal energy storage.Joule3, 1152–1162 (2019)..
Barile, C. J. et al. Dynamic windows with neutral color, high contrast, and excellent durability using reversible metal electrodeposition.Joule1, 133–145 (2017)..
0
Views
0
Downloads
0
CSCD
Publicity Resources
Related Articles
Related Author
Related Institution