Dynamic radiative thermal management materials for sustainable development and carbon neutrality

Since industrial revolution, the growing global population and rising living standards have substantially increased energy demands. Generally, people use traditional thermal management systems such as air conditioners to maintain indoor thermal comfort, which is a serious cause for atmospheric accumulation of carbon emissions and global warming. Consequently, in order to align with sustainable goals, dynamic radiative thermal management (DRTM) materials, which can intelligently regulate temperature based on inherent properties of natural environment and exhibit minimal reliance on energy-intensive systems, have gained significant attention in recent years. These materials enable reversible switching between cooling and heating modes by actively tuning their thermal radiative properties on demand and thus can be applied in multiple scenarios. Herein, we reviewed key milestones in the development of DRTM materials, which were categorized by their stimuli mechanisms. Also, we discussed their contributions to sustainability and carbon neutrality, along with existing challenges and future perspectives.