Citation: Xiaoqing Yu, Jie Ren, Nianxiang Zhang, Zirong Li, Kebing Chen, Jiazhuang Guo, Su Chen, Guoxing Li, Chang Liu. Enhanced structural coloration and thermal management via hydrophobic force-driven colloidal photonic crystals[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(3): 111947. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111947 shu

Enhanced structural coloration and thermal management via hydrophobic force-driven colloidal photonic crystals

Xiaoqing Yu ^{a, b, 1} ,
Jie Ren ^{a, 1} ,
Nianxiang Zhang ^a ,
Zirong Li ^b ,
Kebing Chen ^a ,
Jiazhuang Guo ^a ,
Su Chen ^{a, *,} ,
Guoxing Li ^{a, *,} ,
Chang Liu ^{a, *,}

a.
State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
b.
College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Anhui Science and Technology University, Bengbu 233000, China

chensu@njtech.edu.cn

xing1065172121@163.com

liuchang09@njtech.edu.cn

Received Date: 8 May 2025
Revised Date: 1 October 2025
Accepted Date: 12 October 2025
Available Online: 12 October 2025

Figures(5)

Developing passive cooling materials with dual functionality of high-performance thermal management and aesthetic appeal remains a critical challenge for sustainable development. Here, we present a hydrophobic force-driven assembly strategy to construct crack-free colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs) for colored passive daytime cooling (PDC) textiles. Monodispersed poly(styrene-hydroxypropyl acrylate-hexafluorobutyl methacrylate) (P(St-HPA-HFBMA)) colloidal particles with low surface energy (9 mN/m) and high monodispersity (PDI < 0.05) are synthesized via soap-free emulsion polymerization. The hexafluorobutyl terminal groups (C₃F₆) enable robust hydrophobicity (water contact angle: 124°), facilitating crack-free CPC assembly through hydrophobic driving force. By integrating the CPCs with SiO₂ aerogel-embedded polyethylene oxide (PEO/SiO₂ aerogel) fiber scaffold based on microfluidic spinning technology, a colored hybrid composite film is fabricated, achieving 0.76 solar reflectance and 0.84 thermal emissivity in the atmospheric window (8-13 µm). Outdoor evaluations demonstrate a sub-ambient cooling temperature of 4.1 ℃ under 732 W/m² solar intensity, reaching the desirable level of PDC materials. The hybrid composite film also exhibits angle-independent structural colors, mechanical robustness (tensile strength: 1.86 MPa), and scalable manufacturability. This work provides a paradigm for multifunctional PDC systems combining aesthetic versatility with sustainable cooling performance.
- Hydrophobic driving force,
- Colloidal photonic crystals,
- Structural color,
- Fiber scaffold,
- Passive daytime cooling
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