journal article·2026-01Open access

Reinforced Concrete‐Inspired Multiscale Hierarchical Metamaterial Composite for Synergistic Enhancement Across Thermal, Electromagnetic, and Mechanical Domains

Jeongwoo Lee, Junyeol Choi, Junyong Seo, Jaemin Lee, Dowon Noh, Hoyoung Jang, Hwanju Lim, Jinwoo Park, Run Hu, Wonjoon Choi

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 36· Issue 5

Abstract

Abstract Radiative cooling offers a compelling passive thermal management solution. However, conventional materials like aerogels and polymer films overlook essential domains such as mechanical integrity and electromagnetic interference control, which are critical for scalable applications. Inspired by reinforced concrete—where a lattice framework and bulk matrix synergistically deliver mechanical robustness and wave energy dissipation— a multiscale hierarchical metamaterial composite (MHMC) is developed that integrates a carbon black‐based metamaterial (CBM) with a cellulose acetate aerogel (CAA). Thermally, the gradient porous structure of CAA and high mid‐ and long‐wave infrared emissivity of the CBM enable efficient passive daytime radiative cooling, achieving a solar reflectance of 95.8% and emittance up to 93.1%. Outdoor testing confirms a maximum temperature reduction of −10.75 °C, outperforming pure CAA and Styrofoam. Electromagnetically, impedance matching of the CAA layer minimizes reflection across the C–Ku band (5.8–18 GHz), while interfacial polarization with CBM‐CAA enhances dielectric loss, yielding broadband absorption up to 95.2% and effective absorption bandwidths exceeding 11 GHz. Mechanically, aerogel reinforcement augments energy dissipation, reaching a peak energy absorption of 450.87 kJ m − 3 , substantially surpassing that of the individual constituents. The MHMC design strategy marks a promising milestone toward the paradigm shift from single‐functional materials to advanced multifunctional composites.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies · Electromagnetic wave absorption materials · Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Mechanical Engineering Korea University Seoul 02841 Republic of Korea

Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Kongju National University Cheonan 31080 Republic of Korea

Agency for Defense Development Yuseong P. O. Box 35 Daejeon 34060 Republic of Korea

School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 China

Funding

Agency for Defense Development · National Research Foundation of Korea · Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology · National Natural Science Foundation of China

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