A Study on the Radiation Cooling Characteristics of Cerambycini Latreille

Biomimetics (Basel). 2024 Jan 4;9(1):34. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics9010034.

Abstract

The severe climate and energy issues require more environmentally friendly and efficient cooling methods. Radiative cooling offers a cooling solution with significant advantages. However, current radiative cooling technologies focus primarily on seeking perfect materials to achieve complete wavelength absorption. However, numerous research studies have shown that achieving such a perfect scenario is not feasible. Here, inspired by the surface of the Cerambycini Latreille, the inherent mechanism of radiative cooling functionality in the unique structure of these hairs is revealed using effective medium theory and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) optical simulation analysis. Through alkaline etching and template methods, a biomimetic radiative cooling film (BRCF) was successfully fabricated. The BRCF not only efficiently reflects solar radiation but also enhances absorption in the atmospheric window wavelength range. The radiative cooling mechanism proposed in this study and the BRCF presented here may inspire researchers to further explore the field of structural radiative cooling.

Keywords: alkaline etching; bionic; cerambycini latreille; effective medium theory; radiation cooling; structure functional surface.