Pub Date : 2026-03-16DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2026.102714
Xiao Chen, Si Wang, Mei Yang, Yijiang Liu, Huaming Li, Duanguang Yang, Bei Liu, Jieshan Qiu
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are of great potential in sustainable energy storage and conversion, yet how to finely tune the structure and the accessible active sites that are key to enhancing the performance of the concerned COFs remains a challenge. Herein, we report molecular tautomerism-enabled isomerization of COFs to precisely regulate the COF structure via the molecule tautomerism of cyanuric acid (tri-one and tri-ol configurations). The two homogenous triazine-based COFs with the same chemical composition but different molecular architectures can be finely tuned by varying the dielectric constant of the solvent used in the synthesis procedure, yielding Ton-COF and Tol-COF with distinct performance for supercapacitors. Notably, the Ton-COF-assembled KI-enhanced supercapacitors deliver an ultra-high specific capacitance and energy density due to more exposed active sites with enhanced responsiveness to the redox-active electrolyte, while the Tol-COF with tuned hierarchical porous structure shows a higher rate performance and cycle stability because of the efficient ionic/electronic transport expressways.
{"title":"Molecular tautomerism-enabled isomerization of COFs for aqueous supercapacitors","authors":"Xiao Chen, Si Wang, Mei Yang, Yijiang Liu, Huaming Li, Duanguang Yang, Bei Liu, Jieshan Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2026.102714","url":null,"abstract":"Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are of great potential in sustainable energy storage and conversion, yet how to finely tune the structure and the accessible active sites that are key to enhancing the performance of the concerned COFs remains a challenge. Herein, we report molecular tautomerism-enabled isomerization of COFs to precisely regulate the COF structure via the molecule tautomerism of cyanuric acid (tri-one and tri-ol configurations). The two homogenous triazine-based COFs with the same chemical composition but different molecular architectures can be finely tuned by varying the dielectric constant of the solvent used in the synthesis procedure, yielding Ton-COF and Tol-COF with distinct performance for supercapacitors. Notably, the Ton-COF-assembled KI-enhanced supercapacitors deliver an ultra-high specific capacitance and energy density due to more exposed active sites with enhanced responsiveness to the redox-active electrolyte, while the Tol-COF with tuned hierarchical porous structure shows a higher rate performance and cycle stability because of the efficient ionic/electronic transport expressways.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147464980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2026.102669
Vignesh Athiyarath, Elma Naranjo, Dhwanit Dave, Osman Goni Ridwan, Danilo A. Arturo Rodriguez, Qiang Zhu, Marta Monti, Gonzalo Díaz Mirón, Debarshi Banerjee, Ali Hassanali, Michelle C. Neary, Eric G. Keeler, Sheng Zhang, Rein V. Ulijn, Xi Chen
Biological systems, including proteins, employ water-mediated supramolecular interactions to adopt specific conformations to support their functions. Here, we present dynamic porous crystals of aliphatic dipeptides with sequence isomers of variable conformational entropy (leucine [L] and isoleucine [I]) exhibiting shallow-energy landscapes, with various reconfigurable topologies and consequent mechanics accessible through changes in relative humidity and temperature. Specifically, for LI crystals, changes in water chemical potential cause the solid-state porous architecture to reorganize and reversibly transition between perpendicular and parallel honeycomb structures as well as layered van der Waals structures, leading to significant and distinct variations in macroscopic morphologies and mechanical and photophysical properties. These dynamic crystals are achieved by leveraging non-directional side-chain interactions with confined water, which drive the phase transition while stabilizing the structures. Our findings highlight the potential of minimalistic peptide designs, inspired by protein architecture, to create dynamic solid-state materials that adjust their properties in response to environmental stimuli.
{"title":"Water-mediated reconfigurable topology and mechanics in porous peptide materials","authors":"Vignesh Athiyarath, Elma Naranjo, Dhwanit Dave, Osman Goni Ridwan, Danilo A. Arturo Rodriguez, Qiang Zhu, Marta Monti, Gonzalo Díaz Mirón, Debarshi Banerjee, Ali Hassanali, Michelle C. Neary, Eric G. Keeler, Sheng Zhang, Rein V. Ulijn, Xi Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102669","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2026.102669","url":null,"abstract":"Biological systems, including proteins, employ water-mediated supramolecular interactions to adopt specific conformations to support their functions. Here, we present dynamic porous crystals of aliphatic dipeptides with sequence isomers of variable conformational entropy (leucine [<strong>L</strong>] and isoleucine [<strong>I</strong>]) exhibiting shallow-energy landscapes, with various reconfigurable topologies and consequent mechanics accessible through changes in relative humidity and temperature. Specifically, for <strong>LI</strong> crystals, changes in water chemical potential cause the solid-state porous architecture to reorganize and reversibly transition between perpendicular and parallel honeycomb structures as well as layered van der Waals structures, leading to significant and distinct variations in macroscopic morphologies and mechanical and photophysical properties. These dynamic crystals are achieved by leveraging non-directional side-chain interactions with confined water, which drive the phase transition while stabilizing the structures. Our findings highlight the potential of minimalistic peptide designs, inspired by protein architecture, to create dynamic solid-state materials that adjust their properties in response to environmental stimuli.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"90 1","pages":"102669"},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Although hydrogels have gained remarkable advances in flexible electronics, a crucial limitation lies in their low environmental adaptability, especially in underwater scenarios. Furthermore, flexible electronics impose stringent demands on the integrated mechanical, optical, conductive, and sensing performances of hydrogels. Here, we present a set of versatile hydrogels enabled by grid-like microphase separation (GLMPS). The hydrogels are constructed by continuous grid-like microdomains with poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) dispersed in ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and grid-filling microdomains with EVOH dispersed in PHEMA. Dynamic borates enable interphase crosslinking and incorporate ion channels in the microdomains. The GLMPS structure endows the hydrogels with numerous merits, including mechanical robustness, light diffusion, high conductivity, linear strain sensitivity, self-lubrication, anti-swelling properties, and solvent resistance. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibit almost constant mechanical, conductive, and sensing performances in both air and underwater. The hydrogel-enabled electronic skins, touch panels, and flexible electrodes demonstrate a high adaptability to underwater environments with varied conditions.
{"title":"Grid-like microphase separation of hydrogels for ultra-stable underwater flexible electronics","authors":"Rubin He, Xiuwen Zheng, Yunfei Zhang, Conghui Yuan, Yiting Xu, Birong Zeng, Lizong Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102707","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2026.102707","url":null,"abstract":"Although hydrogels have gained remarkable advances in flexible electronics, a crucial limitation lies in their low environmental adaptability, especially in underwater scenarios. Furthermore, flexible electronics impose stringent demands on the integrated mechanical, optical, conductive, and sensing performances of hydrogels. Here, we present a set of versatile hydrogels enabled by grid-like microphase separation (GLMPS). The hydrogels are constructed by continuous grid-like microdomains with poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) dispersed in ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and grid-filling microdomains with EVOH dispersed in PHEMA. Dynamic borates enable interphase crosslinking and incorporate ion channels in the microdomains. The GLMPS structure endows the hydrogels with numerous merits, including mechanical robustness, light diffusion, high conductivity, linear strain sensitivity, self-lubrication, anti-swelling properties, and solvent resistance. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibit almost constant mechanical, conductive, and sensing performances in both air and underwater. The hydrogel-enabled electronic skins, touch panels, and flexible electrodes demonstrate a high adaptability to underwater environments with varied conditions.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147381015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-05DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2026.102664
Yi Cheng, Phelecia Scotland, Qiming Liu, Tianyou Xie, Jaeho Shin, Victoria Granja, Karla J. Silva, Jinhang Chen, Tarence Rice, Chi Hun Choi, Carolyn H. Teng, John Li, Lorenzo Castelli, Lucas Eddy, Zicheng Wang, Mine G. Ucak-Astarlioglu, Yimo Han, Geoff Wehmeyer, Boris I. Yakobson, C. Fred Higgs, James M. Tour
Morphology control is critical to unlock the full potential of silicon carbide (SiC) as a high-performance reinforcement and semiconducting material. However, conventional synthetic approaches often rely on tailored precursors, catalytic agents, and harsh reaction conditions, limiting scalability and sustainability. Here, we report a fluorine-assisted flash Joule heating process that rapidly upcycles waste glass into morphology-controllable SiC within seconds. Fluorine additives selectively activate iron oxide species in the glass matrix, selectively triggering directional growth of one-dimensional SiC nanostructures. The resulting SiC nanowires exhibit markedly enhanced mechanical reinforcement performance in composites compared to their SiC particle counterparts. The fluorine-assisted flash process can be extended to synthesize one-dimensional carbide nanowires from the class of ultra-high temperature ceramics, such as B4C, TiC, and NbC. This active-element-guided strategy establishes a versatile and scalable platform for controlling nanomaterials morphologies through kinetic modulation, with implications for structural, electronic, and energy-related applications.
{"title":"Fluorine-assisted flash Joule heating synthesis for morphology controllable carbide materials","authors":"Yi Cheng, Phelecia Scotland, Qiming Liu, Tianyou Xie, Jaeho Shin, Victoria Granja, Karla J. Silva, Jinhang Chen, Tarence Rice, Chi Hun Choi, Carolyn H. Teng, John Li, Lorenzo Castelli, Lucas Eddy, Zicheng Wang, Mine G. Ucak-Astarlioglu, Yimo Han, Geoff Wehmeyer, Boris I. Yakobson, C. Fred Higgs, James M. Tour","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102664","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2026.102664","url":null,"abstract":"Morphology control is critical to unlock the full potential of silicon carbide (SiC) as a high-performance reinforcement and semiconducting material. However, conventional synthetic approaches often rely on tailored precursors, catalytic agents, and harsh reaction conditions, limiting scalability and sustainability. Here, we report a fluorine-assisted flash Joule heating process that rapidly upcycles waste glass into morphology-controllable SiC within seconds. Fluorine additives selectively activate iron oxide species in the glass matrix, selectively triggering directional growth of one-dimensional SiC nanostructures. The resulting SiC nanowires exhibit markedly enhanced mechanical reinforcement performance in composites compared to their SiC particle counterparts. The fluorine-assisted flash process can be extended to synthesize one-dimensional carbide nanowires from the class of ultra-high temperature ceramics, such as B<sub>4</sub>C, TiC, and NbC. This active-element-guided strategy establishes a versatile and scalable platform for controlling nanomaterials morphologies through kinetic modulation, with implications for structural, electronic, and energy-related applications.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147368130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-04Epub Date: 2026-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102621
Shangzhen Li (李尚真) , Lei Lei (雷磊) , Ziyi Su (苏子懿) , Derong Zhang (张德荣) , Tongxin Liao (廖童歆) , Yuqing Sun (孙钰清) , Zhiyan Liu (刘芷言) , Yanzheng Liu (刘言正) , Jin Wang (王琎) , Rong Chen (陈荣) , Lei Wang (王磊)
Escalating water shortages and energy insecurity pose severe threats to global sustainable development. Acid-base neutralization is a routine process in industrial production and wastewater treatment. Efficiently harvesting chemical energy released during neutralization, along with produced water, is significant for addressing the challenges of the water and energy crisis. Here, inspired by bamboo—the fastest growing plant on Earth owing to its highly ordered structure—we developed a biomimetic Ti3C2Tx nanochannel membrane exhibiting ultrafast and selective proton transport. When mixing 0.03 M HCl and 0.5 M NaOH, the Ti3C2Tx-based nanofluidic system can produce clean water of 7.83 × 103 L·m−2·h−1, accompanied by spontaneous electricity generation with a power density of 6.7 W/m2, which also maintains stable performance under scaled-up conditions. Our membrane outperforms state-of-the-art nanochannel membranes in water and energy recovery, offering a promising pathway toward integrated solutions to the water-energy nexus.
日益严重的水资源短缺和能源不安全对全球可持续发展构成严重威胁。酸碱中和是工业生产和废水处理中的常规工艺。有效地收集中和过程中释放的化学能以及采出水，对于解决水和能源危机的挑战具有重要意义。在这里，受竹子（地球上生长最快的植物，由于其高度有序的结构）的启发，我们开发了一种具有超快速和选择性质子传输的仿生Ti3C2Tx纳米通道膜。当混合0.03 M HCl和0.5 M NaOH时，ti3c2tx基纳米流体系统可以产生7.83 × 103 L·M−2·h−1的清洁水，并伴有功率密度为6.7 W/m2的自发发电，在放大条件下也保持稳定的性能。我们的膜在水和能量回收方面优于最先进的纳米通道膜，为水-能关系的综合解决方案提供了一条有希望的途径。
{"title":"Simultaneous water and energy harvesting from routine acid-base neutralization via biomimetic nanofluidic membranes","authors":"Shangzhen Li (李尚真) , Lei Lei (雷磊) , Ziyi Su (苏子懿) , Derong Zhang (张德荣) , Tongxin Liao (廖童歆) , Yuqing Sun (孙钰清) , Zhiyan Liu (刘芷言) , Yanzheng Liu (刘言正) , Jin Wang (王琎) , Rong Chen (陈荣) , Lei Wang (王磊)","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Escalating water shortages and energy insecurity pose severe threats to global sustainable development. Acid-base neutralization is a routine process in industrial production and wastewater treatment. Efficiently harvesting chemical energy released during neutralization, along with produced water, is significant for addressing the challenges of the water and energy crisis. Here, inspired by bamboo—the fastest growing plant on Earth owing to its highly ordered structure—we developed a biomimetic Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> nanochannel membrane exhibiting ultrafast and selective proton transport. When mixing 0.03 M HCl and 0.5 M NaOH, the Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub>-based nanofluidic system can produce clean water of 7.83 × 10<sup>3</sup> L·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, accompanied by spontaneous electricity generation with a power density of 6.7 W/m<sup>2</sup>, which also maintains stable performance under scaled-up conditions. Our membrane outperforms state-of-the-art nanochannel membranes in water and energy recovery, offering a promising pathway toward integrated solutions to the water-energy nexus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 3","pages":"Article 102621"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147279479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-04DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2026.102696
Menglu Xin , Yue Wu , Yanzhao Yang
A high-resolution combinatorial printing strategy creates pixelated and gradient structural colors on complex 3D surfaces through aerosol jetting of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers. This advancement, reported in Matter by Zhang, Yang, and coworkers, overcomes long-standing limitations in patterning mechanochromic materials on curved substrates.
{"title":"Combinatorial aerosol printing of mechanochromic materials","authors":"Menglu Xin , Yue Wu , Yanzhao Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A high-resolution combinatorial printing strategy creates pixelated and gradient structural colors on complex 3D surfaces through aerosol jetting of cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers. This advancement, reported in <em>Matter</em> by Zhang, Yang, and coworkers, overcomes long-standing limitations in patterning mechanochromic materials on curved substrates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 3","pages":"Article 102696"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147417773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-04DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2026.102675
Steve Cranford
{"title":"This is the way: Our vision, mission, and values","authors":"Steve Cranford","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102675","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 3","pages":"Article 102675"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147417908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-04Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102608
Xiaodan Wu , Huhu Wang , Siying Guo , Xin Zhao , Jing Liu , Zechang Wei , Fulin Cheng , Meng Zhang , Bowen Jiang , Yu Fu , Chenyang Cai
The use of radiative cooling technology to generate electricity from vapor is a promising solution to address the energy crisis. However, existing integrated devices still suffer from poor thermal-mass kinetics and low power output. Herein, an integrated configuration was proposed to convert natural wood into a hygroscopic cooling wood hydro-aerogel (HCW) via cell wall engineering and gel co-assembly. The formation of a partially saturated interpenetrating hygroscopic network in radiative cooling wood, which regulates the water absorption-evaporation process and facilitates directional infrared radiation transfer, can effectively decouple power generation from external humidity variations during daytime. With vapor-driven hybrid passive cooling enabled by optimized thermal-mass kinetics, the HCW device unit (1 cm2) can continuously generate 0.87 V, deliver a maximum power density of 56 μW cm−2, and operate steadily outdoors for 7 days without structural shrinkage. This work paves the way for the development of advanced, sustainable, and structurally stable energy-harvesting materials.
{"title":"Self-driven wood hydro-aerogel with optimized thermal-mass kinetics for all-day hybrid-cooling-driven electricity generation","authors":"Xiaodan Wu , Huhu Wang , Siying Guo , Xin Zhao , Jing Liu , Zechang Wei , Fulin Cheng , Meng Zhang , Bowen Jiang , Yu Fu , Chenyang Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102608","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102608","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of radiative cooling technology to generate electricity from vapor is a promising solution to address the energy crisis. However, existing integrated devices still suffer from poor thermal-mass kinetics and low power output. Herein, an integrated configuration was proposed to convert natural wood into a hygroscopic cooling wood hydro-aerogel (HCW) via cell wall engineering and gel co-assembly. The formation of a partially saturated interpenetrating hygroscopic network in radiative cooling wood, which regulates the water absorption-evaporation process and facilitates directional infrared radiation transfer, can effectively decouple power generation from external humidity variations during daytime. With vapor-driven hybrid passive cooling enabled by optimized thermal-mass kinetics, the HCW device unit (1 cm<sup>2</sup>) can continuously generate 0.87 V, deliver a maximum power density of 56 μW cm<sup>−2</sup>, and operate steadily outdoors for 7 days without structural shrinkage. This work paves the way for the development of advanced, sustainable, and structurally stable energy-harvesting materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 3","pages":"Article 102608"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147417912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-04Epub Date: 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102572
Mengmeng Yuan , Yufeng Wang , Ying Liu , Baiyu Ji , Tianyi Zhu , Wei Fan , Yue-E Miao , Chao Zhang , Tianxi Liu
Traditional thermal camouflage materials often fail in outdoor settings due to surface heat accumulation from solar irradiation, necessitating the development of camouflage materials that can withstand direct sunlight and high temperatures. Herein, a gradient porous nanocomposite foam with continuous dual gradients in MXene content and porosity is prepared through electrostatic field-driven gradient polymerization. This foam demonstrates Janus spectral characteristics: the polymer-rich surface with high mid-infrared emissivity and strong solar reflectance enables efficient radiative cooling, while the MXene-rich surface with low emissivity suppresses thermal signatures. The dual-gradient architecture enables thermal rectification capabilities with a rectification factor of 28%, thereby redirecting excess heat from the sunlight-exposed surface to the radiatively cooled side to mitigate heat buildup and enhance camouflage performance. The gradient foam reduces surface temperature by up to 8.8°C compared to conventional uniform foam. This study offers a promising strategy for developing spontaneous-cooling thermal camouflage systems for challenging outdoor environments.
{"title":"Thermal-rectified gradient porous nanocomposite foam enables spontaneous-cooling thermal camouflage","authors":"Mengmeng Yuan , Yufeng Wang , Ying Liu , Baiyu Ji , Tianyi Zhu , Wei Fan , Yue-E Miao , Chao Zhang , Tianxi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional thermal camouflage materials often fail in outdoor settings due to surface heat accumulation from solar irradiation, necessitating the development of camouflage materials that can withstand direct sunlight and high temperatures. Herein, a gradient porous nanocomposite foam with continuous dual gradients in MXene content and porosity is prepared through electrostatic field-driven gradient polymerization. This foam demonstrates Janus spectral characteristics: the polymer-rich surface with high mid-infrared emissivity and strong solar reflectance enables efficient radiative cooling, while the MXene-rich surface with low emissivity suppresses thermal signatures. The dual-gradient architecture enables thermal rectification capabilities with a rectification factor of 28%, thereby redirecting excess heat from the sunlight-exposed surface to the radiatively cooled side to mitigate heat buildup and enhance camouflage performance. The gradient foam reduces surface temperature by up to 8.8°C compared to conventional uniform foam. This study offers a promising strategy for developing spontaneous-cooling thermal camouflage systems for challenging outdoor environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 3","pages":"Article 102572"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：