Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • The DEE-DA gel achieves a self-healing efficiency of 98.8% at 30 °C, enabling autonomous repair of mechanical damage and extending operational lifetime in dynamic thermal management applications. • • A light modulation efficiency of 85.45% is demonstrated, indicating superior tunability of optical transmittance for adaptive solar regulation in smart windows. • • The gel exhibits a thermal modulation efficiency of 66.7% over a temperature range of 10–60 °C, providing dual-mode (heating and cooling) thermal management capability. • • In cryogenic testing, the gel-integrated assembly reduces the cooling rate of water to 0.22 °C/min versus 0.29 °C/min for glass, and delays thermal equilibrium by 15 minutes, demonstrating effective suppression of convective heat transfer and energy loss.
Abstract
Thermochromic soft materials are flexible functional materials that adaptively tune optical properties (transmittance, reflectance, or scattering) with temperature for thermal modulation. Herein, a laminated thermochromic gel (DEE-DA) is synthesized by encapsulating a thermochromic hydrogel (DA) between two hydrophobic ionogels (DEE) in a stacked configuration. The synergy of multiple dynamic bonds endows the DEE-DA gel with exceptional mechanical properties and remarkable self-healing capability (98.8% at 30 °C). More importantly, attributed to the temperature-responsive reversible cleavage and recombination of hydrogen bonds and borate ester bonds, DEE-DA gel demonstrates tunable transmittance with a light modulation efficiency of 85.45%. In response to the various external conditions, the gel can auto-adjust the optical properties to avoid sun irradiation or heat loss. Accordingly, the gel enables efficient dual-mode thermal modulation across a broad temperature range to realize thermal management. The research proposes gel thermochromism and laminated durability enhancement for adaptive materials in smart buildings and wearables.
1. Introduction
Urban buildings account for a significant share of global energy consumption, with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems representing a major operational cost. Conventional static glazing and insulation materials fail to adapt to dynamic environmental conditions, leading to energy waste and compromised occupant comfort. While radiative cooling materials and thermochromic coatings offer passive or color-changing responses, they lack the ability to dynamically modulate light transmission across a broad temperature range, limiting their effectiveness in real-world thermal management scenarios.
The DEE-DA gel addresses this bottleneck by integrating a thermochromic hydrogel with hydrophobic ionogels in a laminated architecture. This design leverages reversible hydrogen and borate ester bonds to achieve temperature-responsive optical switching, combined with self-healing and environmental stability. The gel's dual-mode thermal modulation—capable of both blocking solar heat and insulating against heat loss—provides a versatile solution for smart building envelopes and wearable thermal regulators, overcoming the limitations of single-function passive materials.
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Siying Wang, Yu Yu, Qian Wang, Hanjun Sun, Yuxin Guo, Lulu Qu, Xiaochen Dong (2026). Laminated self-healing thermochromic gel for visualizing thermal management. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3747-3
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the self-healing efficiency of the DEE-DA gel and under what conditions is it achieved?
The DEE-DA gel exhibits a self-healing efficiency of 98.8% at 30 °C, as reported in the study. This high efficiency is attributed to the reversible nature of hydrogen bonds and borate ester bonds within the gel matrix, enabling rapid and effective repair of mechanical damage under mild thermal conditions.
How does the DEE-DA gel achieve dual-mode thermal modulation and what are the quantified performance metrics?
The gel achieves dual-mode thermal modulation through temperature-responsive changes in transmittance, driven by reversible cleavage and recombination of hydrogen and borate ester bonds. It demonstrates a light modulation efficiency of 85.45% and a thermal modulation efficiency of 66.7% over a temperature range of 10–60 °C. This allows the gel to block solar radiation in hot conditions and reduce heat loss in cold conditions.
What are the key advantages of the laminated structure compared to single-layer thermochromic gels?
The laminated structure, which encapsulates a thermochromic hydrogel (DA) between two hydrophobic ionogels (DEE), provides enhanced environmental stability, including anti-dehydration and anti-swelling properties. This architecture also synergistically combines the thermochromic response with mechanical robustness and self-healing capability, which are critical for long-term durability in practical applications.
What is the scalability potential of the DEE-DA gel for industrial production?
The fabrication method involves a simple layer stacking approach, which is amenable to scalable manufacturing processes such as roll-to-roll coating or lamination. However, the study does not provide specific cost or production rate data. Further research is needed to assess the economic viability and scale-up challenges, including the availability of raw materials and the consistency of performance in large-area samples.
How does the DEE-DA gel perform under cyclic temperature variations, and what is its repeatability?
The gel was subjected to three cyclic healing-cooling processes in the range of 20–40 °C, simulating natural temperature fluctuations. It showed different transmittance at various temperatures with high repeatability, indicating consistent thermal modulation under daily variations. This suggests that the gel can maintain its performance over multiple cycles, which is essential for long-term use in smart building applications.
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