Cement-based materials for radiative cooling: Potential, material and structural design, and future prospects

Abstract Radiative cooling (RC), as a passive cooling technology, has characteristics such as no energy consumption, no pollution, and sustainability. Recently, with the emergence of advanced materials such as nanophotonic structures and metamaterials, efficient passive daytime radiative cooling has become increasingly possible. However, the tradeoff between the performance, cost, and stability limits the large-scale application of RC materials. Cement-based materials have been proven to have significant potential and advantages in this regard, offering a new direction for RC development and application. Therefore, this study reviews the progress in the research on cement-based materials for RC. This study provides a principle-based analysis of the cooling potential of cement-based materials, describes the pathways for optimizing their performance from the perspectives of materials and structures, and discusses the future development of these materials for RC.