Thermoresponsive Polymer Induced Sweating Surfaces as an Efficient Way to Passively Cool Buildings

Advanced　Materials

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201202574/abstract

Buildings can be effectively cooled by a bioinspired sweating-like action based on thermoresponsive hydrogels (PNIPAM), which press out their stored water when exceeding the lower critical solution temperature. The surface temperature is reduced by 15 °C compared to that of a conventional hydrogel (pHEMA) and by 25 °C compared to the bare ground.