Self-hygroscopic and smart color-changing hydrogels as coolers for improving energy conversion efficiency of electronics

Phase change materials as a potential passive cooling solution is widely used to cool electronic devices, since the high temperature accompanied by the continuous operation of these electronic devices significantly affects their efficiencies and causes irreversible damage. However, there is a lack of the feedback on cooling potential and recessive failures such as ineffective cooling due to overuse. Here, we report a self-hygroscopic and smart color-changing [email protected] hydrogel, composed of polyacrylamide (PAM)-based polymer chains, H2O molecules, and functional ions including Li+, Co2+, [Co(H2O)]2+, Cl-, and Br-. It has been found that the hydrophilic porous PAM network acts as the main framework with excellent biocompatibility and reliable chemical stability, LiBr acts as the adsorbent in the PAM network to absorb water molecules in the air during electronic device downtime, and Co ions are introduced into hydrogels through coordination bonds formed with amide groups of polymer chains. The reversible transformation between [Co(H2O)6]2+ and Co2+ driven by the water content in [email protected] triggers color changes, which indicates the current heat dissipation potential of hydrogels. Applying the as-designed [email protected] hydrogel to cooling commercial polycrystalline silicon solar cells can increase its energy conversion efficiency by 1.26 % under the illumination of 1 kW m-2. This strategy is expected to provide exotic solutions for the development of electronic devices, carbon neutrality, and global sustainable development goals.