Transflective Mesoscopic Nanoparticles Synthesized in the Leidenfrost Droplet as Black Absorbers

Here, a new class of transflective oxide metaparticles that are able to capture solar radiation in a selective manner based on their size and morphology is demonstrated. The metaparticles possess an electronic polarization response “polarizonics” and show a specular reflective color at the visible frequencies. As a specific highlight, a resonating ultrathin reflective while transparent metacomposite, i.e., a transflective coating is designed. Further, a perfect solar absorber is devised whose function is morphology controlled and supplemented by the transflective coating via the selective interference concept. The multidisciplinary approach presented here enables design of materials with customized functionalities, bridging the sustainable nanochemistry to nanoengineering and proposes a new way for solving challenges in energy and solar harvesting.