Cephalopod‐Inspired Light Intensity‐Adaptive Radiative Cooling Smart Windows

ABSTRACT Passive radiative cooling (PRC) films and smart windows have emerged as candidates in developing energy‐saving buildings and vehicles. Inspired by the self‐adaptable behaviors of cephalopod skin, a light intensity‐adaptive and self‐powered smart window that presents a transparent state and reversibly switches to a high‐scattering state when exposed to intense illumination was judiciously designed and prepared, effectively balancing natural lighting with anti‐glare requirements. Such a smart window was prepared by integrating a polymer‐dispersed and polymer‐stabilized liquid crystal coexistence (PD&SLC) film and a transparent photovoltaic layer (named as PvRC film). Furthermore, the outer layer PD&SLC film was synthesized from monomers with high mid‐infrared (MIR) emissivity, enabling superior PRC performance. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate that the PvRC film achieves an average daytime cooling effect exceeding 5.4°C compared to that of common glass and exhibits significant building energy‐saving potential across various climate zones, with a maximum annual energy saving of up to 29.1%.