Fabrication of Flexible and Superhydrophobic Melamine Sponge with Aligned Copper Nanoparticle Coating for Self-Cleaning and Dual Thermal Management Properties

Abstract

In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) flexible copper coated melamine sponge (Cu-MES) with superhydrophobic properties capable of active heating and infrared insulation is fabricated via deposition of copper nanoparticles on the MES surfaces for personal thermal management applications. The results showed that the Cu nanoparticles were tightly anchored on the surface of the melamine sponge, forming a low infrared emissivity coating, resulting in high thermal insulation properties of the multifunctional Cu-MES. The promising electrical conductivity grants the superior Joule heating for extra warmth of 40 °C using a low supply voltage around 7 V. Besides, obtained Cu-MES material shows a self-cleaning property with a stable water contact angle of 157.5° and a sliding angle of 15°. These promising results including low infrared emissivity for high thermal insulation and high conductivity for heat collection make the Cu-MES promising candidates for applications in personal thermal management, energy regulation, and other facilities.

Rapid Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Coupling Tungsten Trioxide (WO3) Photocatalyst with Copper Nanoclusters

“…The photocatalytic system used in this study is in liquid phase and relies on the combination of two elements: a metallic mesh filter coated with WO 3 nanoclusters and a cotton fabric treated with metallic CuNPs. To prepare the CuNPs coated fabric, a wet chemical synthesis process was used following the modified process described by Zhou et al [24]. Briefly, Cu nanoclusters were first synthesized in the aqueous media from Cu cations dissolved from copper acetate monohydrate salt (98%, Sigma-Aldrich) and hydrazine hydrate (80% solution in water, Sigma-Aldrich) as the reducing agent.…”

“…Although many studies have been reported on photocatalytic inactivation of bacteria, only a few studies have addressed virus inactivation [21]. Another pathogen killer is copper and its compounds which have been used as disinfectant, antimicrobial and antiviral agent for many years [22][23][24]. By combining the two processes in one system, a superior efficiency of virus inactivation is expected.…”

Controlling radiative heat flows in interior spaces to improve heating and cooling efficiency

“…Although significant progress has been made on insulation materials for walls, prior studies have primarily examined thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and density ( Schiavoni et al., 2016 ; Wang et al., 2018 ; Dickson and Pavía, 2021 ).The effect of radiative heat transfer on thermal comfort has also been explored ( Winslow et al., 1939 ; Cai et al., 2017 ) but remains a comparatively untapped mechanism for efficiency gains. One approach that has attracted considerable interest in recent years is tuning the radiative properties of clothing through photonic and materials-based strategies, making the clothing fabric more or less transparent to thermal radiation emitted from the human wearer, depending on weather conditions ( Hsu et al., 2015 , 2016 ; Tong et al., 2015 ; Guo et al., 2016 ; Cai et al, 2019 ; Qiu et al., 2019 ; Yue et al., 2019 ; Zhou et al, 2019 ). Although this approach is conceptually attractive, it poses practical challenges, as it requires the human occupants of a conditioned space to wear specialized clothing depending on weather conditions.…”

Fabrication of MnO2 nanowires@Ag/cellulose laminated membrane with unidirectional liquid penetration for personal thermal management applications

“…It is demonstrated that the laminated ber/Ag/nanoPE shows a high IR re ectance (87.0%) and can be used for warming purposes (Yang et al 2017). Zhou et al prepared exible copper coated melamine sponge (Cu-MES) via deposition of copper nanoparticles on the MES surfaces for personal thermal management applications (Zhou et al 2019). The low infrared emissivity metal coating results in infrared insulation properties of the Cu-MES.…”