Graphene Oxide Nanopowder-Based Hydrophobic Fluid Diode Fabric with Passive Radiative Warming for Simultaneous Thermal and Moisture Management during Cold Weather

Abstract

Fabrics with simultaneous thermal and moisture management are of great importance for improving human comfort and saving energy during cold weather. In this study, fabric capable of simultaneous thermal and moisture management was fabricated by using a one-stop solution. This fabric, consisting of polyester fabric and a hydrophobic paste with graphene oxide (GO) nanopowder, was fabricated by a single-side coating. Because of its collaborative influence in regulating thermal moisture, the fabric featured a warming effect, regardless of whether skin perspiration was present. Based on the passive radiative warming ability of GO nanopowder, the fabric exhibited effective warming (producing a skin temperature approximately 2.9 °C higher than that of polyester) in the absence of perspiration. Meanwhile, it achieved efficient directional sweat transportation (with an accumulative one-way transport capability of 1062%) and heat loss reduction during evaporation to maintain an adequate body temperature (approximately 3.0 °C higher than that for polyester and approximately 1.8 °C higher than that for Janus fabric with a hydrophilic layer) in the presence of perspiration to avoid an after-chill effect. Because of simultaneous thermal and moisture management effects, this bilayer hydrophobic fluid diode fabric shows potential for practical applications in static settings (indoor environments with no perspiration) and dynamic settings (indoor exercise scenarios in which sweat is produced) to maintain warmth during cold weather.