Adaptive Radiative Cooling via Spectral Decoupling in Bilayered Polymer/VO2 NP Nanocomposites

The imperatives of low energy consumption and environmental sustainability have intensified the demand for passive radiative cooling systems that operate without electrical input. However, the inherent cooling effect under low temperatures significantly hampers their energy-saving potential. Besides, the inflexibility of conventional designs restricts their application to complex or nonplanar surfaces. To surmount these challenges, we propose a flexible smart radiative cooler (FSRC) that synergistically integrates a solar reflective layer (poly-4-methylpentene, TPX) with a phase-change layer (VO2 NPs@TPX). This novel architecture empowers the FSRC with spectrally self-adaptive reflectance and emission capabilities and dynamic response to temperature fluctuations. Simulation results highlight the FSRC’s remarkable energy management capabilities, characterized by minimal solar absorptance (0.13) and high infrared emissivity tunability (0.37). Outdoor field tests and building energy consumption simulations further validate the practical feasibility and efficacy of FSRC. This work not only offers a spectral decoupling strategy for realizing radiative cooling but also presents a promising device architecture and alternative technological solution that enables the evolution from static to dynamic photothermal management.