Bioinspired smart dual-layer hydrogels system with synchronous solar and thermal radiation modulation for energy-saving all-season temperature regulation

All-season thermal management with zero energy consumption and emissions is more crucial to global decarbonization over traditional energy-intensive cooling/heating systems. However, the static single thermal management for cooling or heating fails to self-regulate the temperature in dynamic seasonal temperature condition. Herein, inspired by the dual-temperature regulation function of the fur color changes on the backs and abdomens of penguins, a smart thermal management composite hydrogel (PNA@H-PM Gel) system was subtly created though an "on-demand" dual-layer structure design strategy. The PNA@H-PM Gel system features synchronous solar and thermal radiation modulation as well as tunable phase transition temperatures to meet the variable seasonal thermal requirements and energy-saving demands via self-adaptive radiative cooling and solar heating regulation. Furthermore, this system demonstrates superb modulations of both the solar reflectance (DR = 0.74) and thermal emissivity (DE = 0.52) in response to ambient temperature changes, highlighting efficient temperature regulation with average radiative cooling and solar heating effects of 9.6 degrees C in summer and 6.1 degrees C in winter, respectively. Moreover, compared to standard building baselines, the PNA@H-PM Gel presents a more substantial energy-saving cooling/heating potentials for energy-efficient buildings across various regions and climates. This novel solution, inspired by penguins in the real world, will offer a fresh approach for producing intelligent, energy-saving thermal management materials, and serve for temperature regulation under dynamic climate conditions and even throughout all seasons. (c) 2024 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.