i2Cool integrates materials science, optics and heat transfer principles to develop multi-component, multi-scale nanoparticle materials. This results in efficient solar reflectivity and mid-infrared emissivity, reducing heat absorption and promoting heat dissipation, achieving zero-energy cooling without electricity or refrigerants.
The core R&D team is led by Ir Prof. Edwin Chi-Yan TSO, who is among the top 2% of leading scientists globally. Ir Prof. TSO serves as the Associate Dean (Internationalisation and Outreach) and Associate Professor at the School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong. The team consists of young scientists from diverse fields, bringing a wealth of expertise.
City University of Hong Kong is a renowned center of innovation and research. In 2022, the university ranked first in Hong Kong among the top 100 global universities with the most US patents granted. It has also consistently ranked first in Hong Kong for faculty paper citation rates according to the QS World University Rankings from 2017 to 2022. Furthermore, City University of Hong Kong is ranked 15th in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2024.
After 7 years of dedicated research, the R&D team has successfully transformed cutting-edge technology into commercial applications. They have achieved low-cost and highly optimized optical and thermal performance through a combination of polymers and inorganic particles. This breakthrough has resulted in an impressive 95% solar reflectivity and mid-infrared emissivity.
More than 80 journal papers published, covering a wide range of topics, including physics, the environment, materials science, and other fields.