Adaptive IR- and Water-Gating Textiles Based on Shape Memory Fibers

Abstract

Thermoregulation is an essential function of the human body for adapting to the surrounding temperature. Stimuli-responsive smart textiles can provide effective protection of the human skin temperature from a continuously changing environment. Herein, we develop a smart textile based on shape memory polymer (SMP) fibers for adaptive regulation of IR and water transmission on human skin. An SMP textile is fabricated with hierarchical micro/nanoporous structures to enhance thermal insulation performance, and silver nanowires are coated on one side to provide asymmetric IR reflectivity and hydrophilicity. The porous SMP textile shows great tunability of thermal insulation and asymmetric wettability by deformation and recovery of the shape and structure in response to stimuli. The degree of thermal insulation is controlled by 65.7% of the original value, and the surface temperature of the SMP textile on a hot plate is successfully controlled in the IR images due to adaptive IR reflectivity. Additionally, the directional transportation of water droplets can be switched on/off according to the shape of the SMP textiles, which can be employed for sweat removal from the human skin. This IR- and water-gating smart textile can provide a feasible strategy for protecting the human skin from external environmental changes.

Fibrous Structures: An Overview of Their Responsiveness to External Stimuli towards Intended Application

“…These structures find application across various domains such as wearable and smart textiles [24], water filtration [30], biomedicine [31], biomimetics [26], among others. In these applications, the fibrous structures exhibit versatile behaviors in response to environmental stimulus, showcasing functions like color changes [22], shape changes [32], self-cleaning processes [33], or perform other tailored responses.…”

Recent Advances in Shape Memory Polymers: Multifunctional Materials, Multiscale Structures, and Applications

“…An SMP fabric on a hot plate had its surface temperature successfully controlled by infrared images. [ 113 ] Additionally, the SMP fiber's structure, which can be employed to absorb perspiration from human skin, can open or close the directional transit of droplets. Figure 24e illustrates how an IR and water‐gated smart textile offers a workable method for shielding human skin from alterations in the external environment.…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [ 113 ] Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society. e) Photographs of the macroscale form fixation and shape recovery of the PU/PEG70 microporous membraneReproduced with permission.…”

A hierarchical metafabric with dynamically thermochromic property for subambient daytime radiative cooling

“…[24][25][26][27] Materials possessing properties relevant to personal health management, such as moisture absorption and sweat-wicking abilities, thermochromism, and antibacterial functionalities, have garnered significant attention due to their potential in enhancing the practicality of fibers and textiles while improving bodily comfort and elevating daily life quality. [28][29][30][31][32] Recently, Wang et al reported a moisture-wicking passive cooling hierarchical metafabric based on nanofiber membranes that combines selective optical cooling and wick-evaporation cooling to achieve efficient temperature and moisture management. 33 Cui et al proposed a novel strategy that employs inorganic nanoparticles as coloring components for the production of scalable brightly colored, infrared-transparent textiles.…”