News
From butterfly wings to new functional materials: Nanostructures control heat transport
13. December 2017
Our group has for the first time succeeded in precisely controlling the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity with the aid of polymeric materials. Science Advances presents these advanced functional materials initially made for laboratory testing. The insights gained here are of great relevance for the development of new concepts for thermal insulation.
The polymeric materials that enable thermal conductivity control are photonic crystals. They give butterflies, beetles and other insects their often dazzling colors and have so far been researched mainly for their optical effects. Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch and Fabian Nutz have developed four different methods to control the temperature-dependent heat transfer in such photonic crystals.
More details in the press release: https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/de/universitaet/presse/pressemitteilungen/2017/153-Nanostrukturen-Waerme/index.html