Scalable Low‐Carbon Ambient‐Dried Foam‐Like Aerogels for Radiative Cooling with Extreme Environmental Resistance
Abstract
Abstract Aerogels have emerged as promising passive radiant cooling materials, offering a sustainable solution to mitigate global warming. However, the energy‐ and resource‐intensive fabrication processes and insufficient environmental durability of current aerogels pose significant challenges for industrial scalability and long‐term energy‐saving applications. Here, a scalable low‐carbon ambient‐dried foam‐like aerogel (GMSx) with integrated radiative cooling and fire/harsh‐conditions resistance is reported. Thermoresponsive physicochemical interactions among gellan gum, melamine‐formaldehyde resin, and fumed silica facilitate the transformation of scalable emulsion‐templated hydrogels into structurally ordered GMSx via a green ambient‐drying process without complex freezing and solvent exchange. The foam‐like aerogel exhibits high porosity (96.2%) and record specific modulus (323 m 2 /s 2 ). Optimized optical properties with 93% solar reflectance and 94% infrared emissivity yield subambient cooling of 4.8 °C. Crucially, the robust crosslinked networks impart remarkable durability under extreme conditions, including exposure to hot water, strong acids/alkalis (pH 1–13), various chemicals, and 1300 °C flame. Furthermore, GMSx can be customized into various shapes via extrusion or spraying techniques and applied as protective coatings using scalable brushing or dipping methods, accommodating diverse substrate geometries. This work overcomes critical scalable green fabrication and durability challenges in passive cooling aerogels, demonstrating practical potential for energy‐efficient thermal management in harsh environments.
Article Details
Authors (9)
Zi‐Chen Peng
The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China
Fu‐Rong Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China
Zhi‐Wei Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China
Peng‐Gang Su
The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China
Pei‐Jie Tang
The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China
Bo‐Wen Liu
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China
Yao Zhang
Yu‐Zhong Wang
Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials Engineering National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu China
Hai‐Bo Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco‐Friendly and Fire‐Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE) National Engineering Laboratory of Eco‐Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan) College of Chemistry Sichuan University Chengdu 610064 China