Scalable Squid Skin-Inspired Materials with Tunable Heat-Managing Properties

In the global quest for greater sustainability, the implementation of innovative packaging solutions in the food and beverage industry plays an increasingly prominent role. Within this context, traditional metallized polymer films with static thermal infrared-reflecting functionalities remain among the most widely used materials in packaging applications throughout the world. However, the development of green and low-cost alternative technologies with the highly-desirable ability to dynamically manage the exchange of heat between the contents of packaging containers and surrounding variable-temperature environments still remains relatively challenging. Herein, we present scalable squid skin-inspired sustainable packaging materials with user-tunable dynamic heat-managing properties. The composites feature a low estimated starting material cost of ~ $ 0.1 USD per square meter, sizes of ~ 0.35 m² comparable to those of common metallized plastic films, the ability to modulate infrared transmittance by &gt; 20-fold and heat fluxes by &gt; 30 W/m² upon actuation with strain, and functional robustness upon significant mechanical deformation or after repeated mechanical cycling. The composites also feature adaptive infrared and dynamic thermoregulatory properties that can be computationally predicted via straightforward models. The described materials could represent a technological solution that addresses the combined cost, performance, and sustainability pressures facing the food and beverage packaging industry. <br/><br/><b>References:</b><br/>Badshah, M. A., <i>et al.</i> Scalable manufacturing of sustainable bioinspired packaging materials with tunable heat-managing properties. <i>Nat. Sustainability, </i><b>5</b>, 434–443 (2022).<br/>Liu, P., <i>et al. </i>Structure-Function Relationships for Squid Skin-Inspired Wearable Thermoregulatory Materials. <i>In Revision</i> (2023).