Radiative Cooling Materials for Extreme Environmental Applications

Abstract Radiative cooling is a passive thermal management strategy that leverages the natural ability of materials to dissipate heat through infrared radiation. It has significant implications for energy efficiency, climate adaptation, and sustainable technology development, with applications in personal thermal management, building temperature regulation, and aerospace engineering. However, radiative cooling performance is susceptible to environmental aging and special environmental conditions, limiting its applicability in extreme environments. Herein, a critical review of extreme environmental radiative cooling is presented, focusing on enhancing environmental durability and cooling efficiency. This review first introduces the design principles of heat exchange channels, which are tailored based on the thermal flow equilibrium to optimize radiative cooling capacity in various extreme environments. Subsequently, recent advancements in radiative cooling materials and micro-nano structures that align with these principles are systematically discussed, with a focus on their implementation in terrestrial dwelling environments, terrestrial extreme environments, aeronautical environments, and space environments. Moreover, this review evaluates the cooling effects and anti-environmental abilities of extreme radiative cooling devices. Lastly, key challenges hindering the development of radiative cooling devices for extreme environmental applications are outlined, and potential strategies to overcome these limitations are proposed, aiming to prompt their future commercialization.