Authors
Zhixiong Wen, Jiaming Zhong, Hao Li, Zheng Zhu, Congze Pang, Wei Huang
Published in
Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany). Nov 06, 2026. Epub Nov 06, 2026.
Abstract
Passive radiative cooling coatings are commonly designed for high reflectance under undamaged conditions, whereas protective surfaces must retain their optical function during impact. Reconciling mechanical and optical properties in a single material has been a challenge. The glass sponge (Euplectella sp.) maintains damage tolerance with desirable optical properties by laminated nanocomposite designs. Inspiring from this hierarchical structure, a rapidly photocurable polyurethane acrylate/Glass (PUA/Glass) multilayer composite coating is developed to confine impact damage while preserving radiative cooling performance. Alternating compliant PUA interlayers deflect and arrest cracks, whereas hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) and TiO2/Al2O3 nanoparticles in glass layers redistribute load across multiple scales. HGM crushing, shell fragmentation, and local particle-matrix debonding dissipate energy yet retain or reconstruct air/glass/polymer interfaces; by contrast, connected macroscopic cracks disrupt the reflective layer. The coating combines solar reflectance above 92% with atmospheric-window emittance above 95% and remains, on average, 10.42°C below ambient during daytime outdoor testing. After a 20 J impact, localized hierarchical pores preserve reflectance and local cooling, while repeated 1 J impacts reveal a transition from optically tolerable microscale damage to reflectance-degrading macrocracks. These results provide a route toward impact-tolerant radiative-cooling surfaces for protective components.
PMID:
42990059
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Nov 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 15
- Comments 0