Issue 7, 2023

Selective spectral absorption of nanofibers for color-preserving daytime radiative cooling

Abstract

Passive radiative cooling is a promising solution for cooling objects without consuming energy. However, chemical colors absorb visible light and generate heat, posing a challenge in the design of a colored sub-ambient daytime radiative cooler (CSDRC) in a simple and scalable way. Herein, we used nanofibers (NF) to achieve selective spectral absorption of the daytime radiative cooler through a dope-dyeing electrospinning technique. This approach allows for the selective absorption of desired colors in the visible spectrum, while the nanofiber structure provides strong visible and near-infrared light scattering to minimize solar heating. We selected cellulose acetate (CA) with mid-infrared emittance characteristics for efficient sky cooling. Our design enabled the CA NF CSDRC to exhibit an ultra-high NIR reflectance of 99%, a high MIR emittance of 95%, and vibrant colors. These unique optical properties resulted in a reduction of the maximum ambient temperature by 3.2 °C and a cooling power of ≈40 W m−2 at a solar intensity of 700 W m−2. Additionally, the flexibility and deformability of the colored nanofiber cooler make it suitable for thermal management in various practical applications. Our work provides a simple and scalable solution for designing colored passive radiative cooling materials.

Graphical abstract: Selective spectral absorption of nanofibers for color-preserving daytime radiative cooling

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
15 मार्च 2023
Accepted
26 मार्च 2023
First published
31 मार्च 2023

Mater. Horiz., 2023,10, 2487-2495

Selective spectral absorption of nanofibers for color-preserving daytime radiative cooling

X. Li, H. Xu, Y. Yang, F. Li, S. Ramakrishna, J. Yu, D. Ji and X. Qin, Mater. Horiz., 2023, 10, 2487 DOI: 10.1039/D3MH00391D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements