Integrated Passive Radiative and Evaporative Cooling in Hierarchical Gradient Fibrous Fabric with Wide Spectral Response for Advanced Thermal-Wet Management

Abstract

Thermal management and moisture transport are of paramount importance for human comfort when developing next-generation high-performance fabrics. However, most flexible radiative cooling materials fail to achieve broad-spectrum solar thermal regulation while neglecting human moisture comfort, leading to compromised cooling efficiency. Herein, we fabricate a hierarchical gradient structured fabric (SPRF) that mitigates challenges with both thermal management and moisture transport. The hierarchical gradient structure enables broadband scattering across the entire solar spectrum, thereby enhancing radiative cooling performance, and concurrently facilitates directional water transport to deliver additional evaporative cooling. With a reflection of 94.2% and an emission of 96.7%, SPRF achieved sub-ambient radiative cooling temperature of 4.4 ℃. In addition, the SPRF achieved a cooling temperature of 9.2 ℃ via the synergistic integration of radiative and evaporative cooling. In summary, the SPRF employs a dual strategy of radiative cooling and rapid perspiration, paving the way for the development of next-generation human thermal management materials.

Keywords

Gradient structure / Directional water transport / Radiative cooling / Evaporative cooling / Wide spectrum response

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Funding

the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52473178)

China Scholarship Council(202406790015)

Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST(2022QNRC001)

Wuxi Taihu Talent Innovation Project(2024)

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(JUSRP202504025)

Jiangnan University Student Innovation Program(2025CXZ066)

Laboratory of Flexible Electronics Technology, Tsinghua University

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Donghua University, Shanghai, China