Structurally Colored Photonic Janus Films for Switchable Radiative Cooling and Solar Heating.

Wei Wei, Hengrui Gu, Xingchen Zhao, Yulong Lu, Kerui Li, Hongzhi Wang, Jianjun Zhang

Abstract read

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Article in Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Wei WeiState Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.ORCID 0009-0003-8114-0151

Hengrui GuState Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.

Xingchen ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.

Yulong LuState Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.

Kerui LiState Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.

Hongzhi WangState Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.

Jianjun ZhangSchool of Aeronautics, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 201306, China.

Funding

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 2232025G-02Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality Basic Research Funding 25ZR1401008

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Personal thermal management (PTM) requires materials that can adapt to dynamically changing environments, yet most existing systems are limited to single-mode cooling or heating and lack tunable optical appearance. Here, we report a structurally colored photonic Janus film that enables switchable radiative cooling and solar heating within a single material platform. The cooling side is based on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) photonic structures, providing high mid-infrared emissivity (up to 0.91) while enabling tunable structural color through pitch modulation, thereby achieving radiative cooling without sacrificing visual appearance. The heating side consists of a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer with high solar absorptivity (~92%), enabling efficient photothermal conversion, further enhanced by low-voltage Joule heating. By simply flipping the film, reversible switching between cooling and heating modes is achieved, allowing adaptation to varying thermal conditions. In addition, the system is compatible with continuous fabrication, enabling scalable production. This work demonstrates a dual-mode photonic thermal management system that integrates optical tunability with switchable thermal regulation, providing a viable pathway toward wearable microclimate control.

Indexed as

photonic Janus filmsradiative coolingsolar heatingstructural colorswitchable thermal regulation

Identifiers

PMID42188498

DOI10.3390/nano16100603

PMCPMC13209646

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.