Existing superplasticizer cannot meet the requirements of fluidity and viscosity regulation of cementitious materials with low water-binder ratio and high silica fume (SF) content. A novel type viscosity-reducing polycarboxylate superplasticizer (S-PCEs) was synthesized by free radical copolymerization as the ammonium persulfate (APS) was initiator, acrylic acid (AA), maleic anhydride (MAH), 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEO) and allyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (APEG) were monomers. Firstly, the structure of S-PCEs was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Secondly, the physico-chemical characterizations of the S-PCEs and commercially available polycarboxylate superplasticizer (C-PCEs) and their effects on the fluidity, rheological and thixotropic properties of cement-silica fume paste with low water-binder ratio were compared. Last but not least, the wor-king mechanisms of S-PCEs were investigated. The results showed that S-PCEs had good dispersibility for cement-silica fume paste with low water-binder ratio. The initial fluidity and 60 min fluidity of cement-silica fume paste with low water-binder ratio (w/b=0.18) were 22.37% and 20.83% higher than those of C-PCEs. What's more, with the decrease of water-binder ratio or the increase of silica fume content, the superiority of S-PCEs were more obvious. Compared with C-PCEs, the yield stress of cement-silica fume paste with low water-cement ratio decreased by 7.95%, the equivalent plastic viscosity decreased by 61.31% and the area of thixotropic ring decreased by 52.98% with the addition of S-PCEs. On the one hand, S-PCEs had strong adsorption capacity on the surface of cement and silica fume, so the flocculation structure was well disper-sed. On the other hand, the surface tension of the liquid and the solid-liquid interface of the system containing S-PCEs were lower. The binding water on the particles surface of cementitious materials was less. Therefore, there were more free-water in cement-silica fume paste, which resulted to better fluidity and low viscosity. © 2020, Materials Review Magazine. All right reserved.