Tian Ye, Sun Meng, Sun Hui, Liu Ying, Ju Benzhi
College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science (BEFS), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Dalian Ocean University, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Science and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China.
Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture, Dalian Ocean University, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Science and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China.
Carbohydr Polym. 2025 Mar 15;352:123148. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123148. Epub 2024 Dec 13.
Thermochromic smart windows have been widely developed for building energy saving. However, most smart windows suffer from limited energy-saving performance, fixed phase transition temperature, and are not suitable for the temperature regulation needs of different application scenarios. Herein, a unique self-adaptive thermochromic hydrogel (HBPEC-PNA) with self-moisture-absorbing performance is reported that assembles solar energy cooling and evaporative heat dissipation. Importantly, the hydrogel shows excellent energy-saving performance by using the synergistic interaction of solar and evaporative cooling. The HBPEC-PNA hydrogel has an adjustable critical transition temperature (21.8-33.9 °C), a high solar modulation (ΔT = 78.90 %), and a high light transmittance (T = 90.15 %). Interestingly, the hydrogel harvests water molecules from the surrounding air, enabling it to be directly used in circumstances without losing its ability to dynamically regulate solar energy transmission due to water loss. Furthermore, the indoor simulation experiments confirmed that the dual-cooling system can reduce 14.2 and 2.4 °C, respectively, compared to ordinary glass and conventional smart window. Dramatically, HBPEC-PNA hydrogel can be utilized to personal thermal management due to its superior cooling property. This work provides an attractive strategy that will contribute to the development of thermochromic materials with excellent temperature regulation ability.
热致变色智能窗已被广泛开发用于建筑节能。然而，大多数智能窗存在节能性能有限、相变温度固定等问题，不适用于不同应用场景的温度调节需求。在此，我们报道了一种具有自吸湿性能的独特自适应热致变色水凝胶（HBPEC-PNA），它集成了太阳能冷却和蒸发散热功能。重要的是，该水凝胶通过太阳能和蒸发冷却的协同作用表现出优异的节能性能。HBPEC-PNA水凝胶具有可调节的临界转变温度（21.8 - 33.9 °C）、高太阳调制率（ΔT = 78.90%）和高透光率（T = 90.15%）。有趣的是，这种水凝胶能从周围空气中获取水分子，使其能够直接在相应环境中使用，而不会因水分流失而失去动态调节太阳能传输的能力。此外，室内模拟实验证实，与普通玻璃和传统智能窗相比，这种双冷却系统分别可降低14.2和2.4 °C。引人注目的是，HBPEC-PNA水凝胶因其卓越的冷却性能可用于个人热管理。这项工作提供了一种有吸引力的策略，将有助于开发具有优异温度调节能力的热致变色材料。
