Molecularly Engineered Polyimide Films with Switchable Cavitation for Bidirectional Passive Thermal Regulation

Qiao-Ran Zhang; Xin-Fei Wang; Ya-Nan Chen; Bo-Yuan Zhou; Hong-Liang Wei; Xiao-Yu Cao; Jin Wang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3687-5

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Molecularly Engineered Polyimide Films with Switchable Cavitation for Bidirectional Passive Thermal Regulation

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-08-31

- Molecularly Engineered Polyimide Films with Switchable Cavitation for Bidirectional Passive Thermal Regulation
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 9, Pages: 3119-3128(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
  b.Key Laboratory of Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Smart Systems, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
- Author bio：
  
  qrzhang@haut.edu.cn (Q.R.Z.)
  caoxy@haut.edu.cn (X.Y.C.)
  jwang2014@sinano.ac.cn (J.W.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3687-5
  CLC：
- Received：13 January 2026，
  
  Accepted：27 March 2026，
  
  Online First：26 June 2026，
  
  Published：05 September 2026
- Accepted：
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Zhang, Q. R.; Wang, X. F.; Chen, Y. N.; Zhou, B. Y.; Wei, H. L.; Cao, X. Y.; Wang, J. Molecularly engineered polyimide films with switchable cavitation for bidirectional passive thermal regulation. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 3119–3128

Qiao-Ran Zhang, Xin-Fei Wang, Ya-Nan Chen, et al. Molecularly Engineered Polyimide Films with Switchable Cavitation for Bidirectional Passive Thermal Regulation[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(9): 3119-3128.
Zhang, Q. R.; Wang, X. F.; Chen, Y. N.; Zhou, B. Y.; Wei, H. L.; Cao, X. Y.; Wang, J. Molecularly engineered polyimide films with switchable cavitation for bidirectional passive thermal regulation. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 3119–3128 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3687-5.

Qiao-Ran Zhang, Xin-Fei Wang, Ya-Nan Chen, et al. Molecularly Engineered Polyimide Films with Switchable Cavitation for Bidirectional Passive Thermal Regulation[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(9): 3119-3128. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3687-5.

摘要

Structure-tunable polyimide films enable radiative cooling (about 90% reflectivity

is about –6 °C) and solar heating (about 88.7% transmittance

is about +8 °C)

while offering flame retardancy

thermal stability

and UV/acid resistance.

Abstract

Passive thermal regulation materials offer a promising route toward energy-efficient building and smart devices. However

achieving both passive radiative cooling and solar-driven heating within a single polymeric system remains a significant challenge due to trade-offs in optical transparency

solar reflectivity

and environmental durability. Herein

we report a molecularly engineered polyimide (PI) film platform with switchable cavitation (realized through controlled cross-linking) that enables bidirectional thermal regulation. By tuning the molecular architecture

the PI films can be fabricated into either a highly porous

white reflective film for passive cooling (about 90% solar reflectivity

is about –6 °C) or a transparent solid film for passive heating (about 88.7% solar transmittance

is about +8 °C). The films exhibit excellent flame retardancy (PHRR is about 7.98 W·g

–1

)

thermal stability (

max

500 °C)

and environmental resistance to UV and acidic conditions. Comprehensive outdoor and simulated tests confirm their dual-mode thermal regulation capabilities. This work presents a versatile strategy for designing robust

multifunctional PI materials for year-round thermal management in extreme environments

paving the way for next-generation energy-saving polymers.

关键词

Keywords

references

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