Scalable, ultrathin, highly selective and emissive films by microsphere-polymer coupled metasurfaces for passive radiative cooling

Qian Zhu; Yinggang Chen; Tong Wang; Hua Lu; Limin Wu; Min Gu; Yinan Zhang

doi:10.1186/s43074-025-00198-z

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Qian Zhu, Yinggang Chen, Tong Wang, Hua Lu, Limin Wu, Min Gu, Yinan Zhang. Scalable, ultrathin, highly selective and emissive films by microsphere-polymer coupled metasurfaces for passive radiative cooling[J]. PhotoniX. doi: 10.1186/s43074-025-00198-z

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Scalable, ultrathin, highly selective and emissive films by microsphere-polymer coupled metasurfaces for passive radiative cooling

doi: 10.1186/s43074-025-00198-z

Qian Zhu^{1, 2},
Yinggang Chen²,
Tong Wang^{1, 2},
Hua Lu³,
Limin Wu⁴,
Min Gu^{1, 2},
Yinan Zhang^{1, 2}

1.
School of Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
2.
Institute of Photonic Chips, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
3.
Key Laboratory of Light-Field Manipulation and Information Acquisition, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Optical Information Technology, School of Physical Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710129, China
4.
Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

Funds: Y.Z. acknowledges the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 62175154), the Shanghai Science and Technology Program (21ZR1445500) and the Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning. T.W. acknowledges the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 52303091) and the Shanghai Yangfan Program (22YF1430200).

Received Date: 2025-03-28
Accepted Date: 2025-09-12
Rev Recd Date: 2025-09-04

Available Online: 2025-10-15

Abstract

Abstract

Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) is a recently developed zero-carbon cooling technology that harnesses the coldness of the universe as an inexhaustible and environmentally sustainable energy source, holding immense promise for revolutionizing the global energy landscape. Photonic structures with tailored optical responses across solar and thermal wavelengths play pivotal roles in daytime radiative cooling. However, the design of spectrally selective structures with simultaneously high performance, scalable manufacturability and reduced material usage toward real-world deployment remains a significant challenge. Here we report scalable, ultrathin and high-performance selective radiative cooling photonic films by microsphere-polymer coupled metasurface (M-PCM), which consists of subwavelength-thick (~ 8 µm) polymeric elastomer embedded with a monolayer hexagonally close-packed microsphere array on the top and an optically thick reflector underneath via an inexpensive and scalable-manufactured strategy. By controlling the light coupling between the glass sphere and polymers, Mie resonances are spectrally selective excited or suppressed leading to a strong infrared emissivity of 0.96 within 8–13 µm and a large spectral selectivity of 1.50, with simultaneously a high solar reflectance of 0.96, surpassing the state-of-the-art selective PDRC designs. More critically, the M-PCM film yields a maximum temperature drop of 7.1 °C in a represented rooftop test. Promisingly, the mass-produced yet economically viable ultrathin flexible M-PCM films are portable to be integrated into diverse realistic scenarios, such as building exteriors, automobile bodies and water tanks, which could potentially contribute to the global energy conservation and carbon emission reduction.
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