Facile, scalable, and adaptive infrared reflection towards soft systems by blowing a Janus rubber film

Controllable IR-reflection systems can be applied to displays, adaptive military camouflages, thermal managements, and many other fields. However, current reported controllable IR-reflection systems suffer from utilizing rigid materials, complicated devices, or high working temperature/voltage, which are not suitable for their widespread applications toward soft systems. Herein, inspired by cephalopods, we demonstrate a facile and scalable method for adaptive IR reflection based on a Janus rubber film, which is composed of aluminum-coated microsheets (AMSs)/rubber composite top and a rubber only bottom. Expansion of the Janus rubber film causes random arrangement of AMSs to stay planar, resulting in the change from IR scattering to concentrated IR reflection. By fixing the Janus rubber films upon the arranged tubes, as-prepared arrays could display complex and changeable patterns by selectively pumping tubes. Being facile and of general validity, our strategies broaden the scope of future controllable IR reflecting applications for environmental IR camouflages and displays.