Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin.

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An electrospun Janus membrane for integrated radiative cooling, photothermal conversion and phase change energy storage for adaptive solar regulation

Wentong Zhao1, Yanqi Ma1, Fan Zhou1, Silu Feng2, Li Zhang1, Ying Chen1, Delong Xie3, Xinxin Sheng1   

  1. 1 School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong Province, China;
    2 School of Integrated Circuits, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong Province, China;
    3 Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Saving in Phosphorus Chemical Engineering and New Phosphorus Materials, Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Polymers, The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Phosphorus Chemical Engineering of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, Yunnan Province, China.
  • Received:2026-06-30 Revised:2026-08-26 Accepted:2026-09-04
  • Contact: Silu Feng, Delong Xie, Xinxin Sheng E-mail:siluf@gdut.edu.cn;cedlxie@kust.edu.cn;xinxin.sheng@gdut.edu.cn

Abstract: Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy source, yet its intermittent nature and variable intensity severely limit efficient and stable solar-thermal utilization. Achieving adaptive regulation of solar energy flow by balancing solar heat rejection, harvesting, and thermal energy storage remains a key challenge for all-weather solar applications. Herein, we develop a multifunctional electrospun Janus membrane integrating radiative cooling, solar-driven photothermal conversion, and latent heat storage for adaptive solar energy utilization under dynamic irradiation conditions. The membrane consists of a PVDF fibrous layer with high reflectance and infrared emissivity for radiative cooling, and a MXene/Ag-modified microencapsulated phase change composite layer for broadband solar absorption, photothermal conversion, and thermal energy storage. The asymmetric architecture spatially decouples solar energy rejection and harvesting, enabling switchable thermal regulation. The MXene-modified AMPCM/PVDF side exhibits efficient photothermal conversion for heat retention, whereas the pure PVDF side delivers high reflectance (89.5%) and emissivity (95.4%), achieving 8.4 °C average sub-ambient cooling during daytime. Meanwhile, the optimized membrane shows an ideal enthalpy of 39.3 J g-1 and pronounced anisotropic thermal conductivity, with out-of-plane and in-plane values of 0.120 and 1.060 W m-1 K-1, respectively. By integrating solar energy harvesting, storage, and radiative cooling within a unified Janus system, this work provides a versatile platform for regulating solar energy flow and improving the efficiency and stability of solar energy utilization under intermittent solar irradiation.

Key words: Phase change thermal storage, Electrospinning, Radiative cooling, Photothermal conversion, Solar energy management