Reinforced Concrete‐Inspired Multiscale Hierarchical Metamaterial Composite for Synergistic Enhancement Across Thermal, Electromagnetic, and Mechanical Domains

Abstract Radiative cooling offers a compelling passive thermal management solution. However, conventional materials like aerogels and polymer films overlook essential domains such as mechanical integrity and electromagnetic interference control, which are critical for scalable applications. Inspired by reinforced concrete—where a lattice framework and bulk matrix synergistically deliver mechanical robustness and wave energy dissipation— a multiscale hierarchical metamaterial composite (MHMC) is developed that integrates a carbon black‐based metamaterial (CBM) with a cellulose acetate aerogel (CAA). Thermally, the gradient porous structure of CAA and high mid‐ and long‐wave infrared emissivity of the CBM enable efficient passive daytime radiative cooling, achieving a solar reflectance of 95.8% and emittance up to 93.1%. Outdoor testing confirms a maximum temperature reduction of −10.75 °C, outperforming pure CAA and Styrofoam. Electromagnetically, impedance matching of the CAA layer minimizes reflection across the C–Ku band (5.8–18 GHz), while interfacial polarization with CBM‐CAA enhances dielectric loss, yielding broadband absorption up to 95.2% and effective absorption bandwidths exceeding 11 GHz. Mechanically, aerogel reinforcement augments energy dissipation, reaching a peak energy absorption of 450.87 kJ m − 3 , substantially surpassing that of the individual constituents. The MHMC design strategy marks a promising milestone toward the paradigm shift from single‐functional materials to advanced multifunctional composites.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-09-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202520521
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.81

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article

Reinforced Concrete‐Inspired Multiscale Hierarchical Metamaterial Composite for Synergistic Enhancement Across Thermal, Electromagnetic, and Mechanical Domains

Wonjoon Choi, Dowon Noh, Junyong Seo, Hoyoung Jang et al.
4 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
3.81
article

Reinforced Concrete‐Inspired Multiscale Hierarchical Metamaterial Composite for Synergistic Enhancement Across Thermal, Electromagnetic, and Mechanical Domains

Wonjoon Choi, Dowon Noh, Junyong Seo, Hoyoung Jang, Run Hu, Jungkyu Choi, Jeong-Woo Lee, Jaemin Lee, Jin‐Woo Park, H. S. Lim
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Abstract Radiative cooling offers a compelling passive thermal management solution. However, conventional materials like aerogels and polymer films overlook essential domains such as mechanical integrity and electromagnetic interference control, which are critical for scalable applications. Inspired by reinforced concrete—where a lattice framework and bulk matrix synergistically deliver mechanical robustness and wave energy dissipation— a multiscale hierarchical metamaterial composite (MHMC) is developed that integrates a carbon black‐based metamaterial (CBM) with a cellulose acetate aerogel (CAA). Thermally, the gradient porous structure of CAA and high mid‐ and long‐wave infrared emissivity of the CBM enable efficient passive daytime radiative cooling, achieving a solar reflectance of 95.8% and emittance up to 93.1%. Outdoor testing confirms a maximum temperature reduction of −10.75 °C, outperforming pure CAA and Styrofoam. Electromagnetically, impedance matching of the CAA layer minimizes reflection across the C–Ku band (5.8–18 GHz), while interfacial polarization with CBM‐CAA enhances dielectric loss, yielding broadband absorption up to 95.2% and effective absorption bandwidths exceeding 11 GHz. Mechanically, aerogel reinforcement augments energy dissipation, reaching a peak energy absorption of 450.87 kJ m − 3 , substantially surpassing that of the individual constituents. The MHMC design strategy marks a promising milestone toward the paradigm shift from single‐functional materials to advanced multifunctional composites.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 36(5)
Korea University (KR), Kongju National University (KR), Agency for Defense Development (KR), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (CN)
National Research Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, National Research Foundation of Korea, Agency for Defense Development, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
3.81
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