Advanced Functional Fibrous Materials for Enhanced Thermoregulating Performance

Abstract

The concept of thermoregulating textiles capable of providing personal thermal management property (PTM) has attracted significant attention in recent years. It is considered as an emerging approach to promote the comfort and general well-being of wearers and also to mitigate the energy consumption load for indoor living space conditioning. Regulating the heat exchange between human body and environment has been the core subject of many studies on introducing the PTM functionality to textiles. This work provides an overview of the latest literature, summarizing the recent innovations and state-of-the-art approaches of controlling the heat gain and loss of textiles. To this end, methods to control the fundamental aspects of heat gain and loss of fabrics such as using near-infrared reflective materials and conductive nanomaterials, designing photonic structures of fabrics, and engineering nanoporous structures for passive cooling and heating effects will be discussed. Moreover, specific attention is given to the application of phase change materials in textiles, their integration methods, and the associated mechanisms. Several commercial methods such as adapting the innovative designs, introducing moisture management capability, and using air/liquid thermoregulating systems will also be discussed. This review article provides a clear picture of the concept of thermoregulating textiles and recommends some future research trajectories for this emerging field.

Functional Fibers, Composites and Textiles Utilizing Photothermal and Joule Heating

“…As recently reviewed for the enhanced thermoregulating performance of fibrous materials, heat transfer processes occur in a route from human skin surface, air gap, cloth and environment. In the air gap between the human skin and inside surface of the cloth, conductive heat transfer is a major mechanism [15,131]. Furthermore, heat radiation from the human skin with a wavelength at approximately 9.5 µm and reflection of the radiation on the inside surface of the cloth can be controlled in the air gap [132].…”

“…For example, synthetic fibers generally have lower hydrophilicity than natural fibers, such that clothes made from synthetic fibers generally retard the removal of sweat and moisture from the human body to the surrounding environment. Various chemical and physical methodologies, including hydrophilic surface modifications [4][5][6], blending with hydrophilic fibers [7,8], co-polymerizations with hydrophilic monomers [9][10][11], and increasing fiber surface area by introducing porosity [12][13][14][15] or capillaries [16][17][18][19], have been applied to synthetic fibers to enhance the absorption and removal of moisture and water. These treatments significantly enhance the soft and pleasant feeling of wearing clothes fabricated with such modified synthetic fibers.…”

Reversible Water Transportation Diode: Temperature‐Adaptive Smart Janus Textile for Moisture/Thermal Management

“…“Air‐conditioning” materials in the form of hybrid films, foamed coatings, engineered wood, responsive hydrogels, smart windows, and others have shown great promise for reducing energy consumption and carbon emission by electric air conditioners. Among these materials, thermal‐regulation textiles that worn closest to human body and can flexibly adjust the microclimate near skin, are emerging as a promising solution to settle personal comfort without large‐area space cooling/heating. By incorporating materials with unique thermal conduction properties or designing specific structures to manipulate thermal radiation, scientists have realized promising self‐cooling or heat‐preserving functions in textiles.…”

Design of Active Interfaces Using Responsive Molecular Components

“…In recent years there is a clear trend in materials science to move from “passive” to “active” materials . Passive materials are materials with sophisticated and tailor‐made properties depending on their composition and structure that cannot be modified postsynthesis.…”

“…Since the surface of a material is where it connects to its environment, a similar trend from “passive” to “active” interfaces is leading to functional interfaces that respond to external stimuli and enable versatile material interfaces with tunable and reversible properties such as wettability and adhesion . Potential applications are found in a wide range of areas such as electronics and energy materials, biotechnology and biomaterials, sensing, additive manufacturing, and many more …”