Stretchable and Self-Cleaning Daytime Radiative Coolers for Human Fabric and Building Applications

Advancements in radiative cooling technology have shown significant progress in recent years. However, the limited mechanical properties of most radiative coolers greatly hinder their practical applications, particularly in the context of human cooling fabrics. In this study, we present the fabrication of facile and stretchable radiative coolers with exceptional cooling performance by utilizing the design of porous radiative coolers as guidelines for developing promising elastomer coolers. Subsequently, we employ a simple electrospinning method to fabricate these coolers, resulting in impressive solar reflectivity (∼96.1%) and infrared emissivity (over 95%). During the summer, these coolers demonstrate a maximum temperature drop of ∼9.6 °C. Additionally, the developed coolers exhibit superior hydrophobicity and mechanical properties, with a high strain capacity exceeding 700% and a stress tolerance of over 30 MPa, highlighting their potential for application in automobile textiles and cooling fabrics. Furthermore, we evaluate the radiative cooling performance of stretchable coolers using global-scale modeling, revealing their significant cooling potential across various regions worldwide.