Skin-Inspired Zero Carbon Heat-Moisture Management Based on Shape Memory Smart Fabric

Abstract

Excessive energy consumption, especially space heating and cooling, is one of the major challenges facing mankind. Smart heat-moisture management textiles can effectively regulate heat-moisture comfort between the environment and skin, greatly reducing energy consumption; these results are in line with sustainable development goals. In this work, a skin-inspired adaptive heat-regulating fabric based on heat-responsive shape-memory ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer fibres and traditional cotton fabric is used. Furthermore, single-sided hydrophobic finishing is introduced to provide the fabric with unidirectional moisture transport. Owing to the shape memory effect, the smart fabric has an environment-adaptive and responsive dynamic structure in the form of a heat-induced gap opening and cool-induced gap closing. As a result, the heat conductivity of the smart textile can be switched from 0.086 to 0.089 W/m·K. Moreover, the air permeability and moisture evaporation can be regulated between 443.5 mm/s, 1761.81 g/(d·m²) and 461.7 mm/s, 1963.8 g/(d·m²), reversibly and repeatedly; the unidirectional moisture transport capacity with a unidirectional moisture index of 193.2 can also be regulated to synergistically improve the heat-moisture comfort, and the entire process results in zero carbon emission. Moreover, we demonstrate the application of the smart adaptive fabric in heat-moisture management fields, attaining a cooling effect of 4.35 °C and a breathability difference of 89.6 mm/s; these values correspond to more than 30% building cooling and heating energy savings, and these results are in line with the sustainable and zero-carbon trends. The shape memory adaptive heat-moisture management fabric will likely have broad prospects in smart thermoregulation textiles, wearable fields, electronic skin, outdoor, medical, military, and energy-saving fields.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Shape memory / Adaptive / Heat-moisture management / Unidirectional moisture transport

References

[1] Armendariz-LopezJF, Arena-GranadosAP, Gonzalez-TrevizoME, Luna-LeonA, Bojorquez-MoralesG. Energy payback time and greenhouse gas emissions: studying the international energy agency guidelines architecture. J Cleaner Prod, 2018, 196: 1566-1575.

[2] NalleyS, LaRoseA. Annual energy outlook 2022 (AEO2022). Energy Information Agency, 2022, 2022: 23

[3] Lund MT, Aamaas B, Stjern CW, Klimont Z, Berntsen TK, Samset BH. Global temperature response to regional and sectoral air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions under the shared socioeconomic pathways. In: EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts.2020; 11039.

[4] GugliuzzaA, DrioliE. A review on membrane engineering for innovation in wearable fabrics and protective textiles. J Membr Sci, 2013, 446: 350-375.

[5] PennisiE. Living with heat. Science, 2020, 370: 778-781.

[6] LundgrenK, KjellstromT. Sustainability challenges from climate change and air conditioning use in urban areas. Sustainability, 2013, 573116-3128.

[7] JiangQ, KhattakSI, RahmanZU. Measuring the simultaneous effects of electricity consumption and production on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) in China: new evidence from an EKC-based assessment. Energy, 2021, 229. 120616

[8] AhmadiMM, KeyhaniA, KalogirouSA, LamSS, PengW, TabatabaeiM, AghbashloM. Net-zero exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental building as new concepts for developing sustainable built environments. Energy Convers Manag, 2021, 244. 114418

[9] ZhaiSL, JiangWC, WeiL, KarahanHE, YuanY, NgAK, ChenY. All-carbon solid-state yarn supercapacitors from activated carbon and carbon fibers for smart textiles. Mater Horiz, 2015, 26598-605.

[10] XuDW, OuyangZF, DongYJ, YuHY, ZhengS, LiSH, TamKC. Robust, breathable and flexible smart textiles as multifunctional sensor and heater for personal health management. Adv Fiber Mater, 2022, 51282-295.

[11] AbdelatiefMA, OmaraMA. Free convection experimental study inside square tube with inner roughened surface at various inclination angles. Int J Therm Sci, 2019, 144: 11-20.

[12] WangC, ShiJ, ZhangL, FuS. Asymmetric janus fibers with bistable thermochromic and efficient solar-thermal properties for personal thermal management. Adv Fiber Mater, 2024, 611-14.

[13] PedersenL. The heat regulation of the human body. Acta Physiol Scand, 1969, 771–295-105.

[14] Wang P, Li XD, Sun GF, Wang GQ, Han Q, Meng CZ, Meng CZ, Wei ZH, Li Y. Natural human skin‒inspired wearable and breathable nanofiber‒based sensors with excellent thermal management functionality. Adv Fiber Mater. 2024; 1‒14.

[15] YuH, ZhangSL, LianYL, LiuMX, WangMY, JiangJM, YangC, JiaSW, WuMY, LiaoYL, GouJ, JiangYD, WangJ, TaoGM. Electronic textile with passive thermal management for outdoor health monitoring. Adv Fiber Mater., 2024, 6: 1241-1252.

[16] CaiLL, SongAY, LiW, HsuPC, LinDC, CatryssePB, LiuYY, PengYC, ChenJ, WangHX, XuJW, YangAK, FanSH, CuiY. Spectrally selective nanocomposite textile for outdoor personal cooling. Adv Mater, 2018, 30351802152.

[17] WuX, LiJ, XieF, WuX-E, ZhaoS, JiangQ, ZhangS, WangB, LiY, GaoD, LiR, WangF, HuangY, ZhaoY, ZhangY, LiW, ZhuJ, ZhangR. A dual-selective thermal emitter with enhanced subambient radiative cooling performance. Nat Commun, 2024, 151815.

[18] WuJW, HuR, ZengSN, XiW, HuangSY, DengJH, TaoGM. Flexible and robust biomaterial microstructured colored textiles for personal thermoregulation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2020, 121619015-19022.

[19] MiaoDY, WangXF, YuJY, DingB. A biomimetic transpiration textile for highly efficient personal drying and cooling. Adv Funct Mater, 2021, 31142008705.

[20] ZhaoM, GaoC, WangF, KuklaneK, HolmérI, LiJ. A study on local cooling of garments with ventilation fans and openings placed at different torso sites. Int J Ind Ergon, 2013, 433232-237.

[21] WuF, RenY, LvW, LiuX, WangX, WangC, CaoZ, LiuJ, WeiJ, PangY. Generating dual structurally and functionally skin-mimicking hydrogels by crosslinking cell-membrane compartments. Nat Commun, 2024, 151802.

[22] LuZM, StrobachE, ChenNX, FerralisN, GrossmanJC. Passive sub-ambient cooling from a transparent evaporation-insulation bilayer. Joule, 2020, 4122693-2701.

[23] JiY, SunY, JavedM, XiaoY, LiX, JinK, CaiZ, XuB. Skin inspired thermoresponsive polymer for constructing self-cooling system. Energy Convers Manage, 2022, 254. 115251

[24] LaoL, ShouD, WuYS, FanJT. “Skin-like” fabric for personal moisture management. Sci Adv, 2020, 614eaaz0013.

[25] RoachDJ, YuanC, KuangX, LiVC-F, BlakeP, RomeroML, HammelI, YuK, QiHJ. Long liquid crystal elastomer fibers with large reversible actuation strains for smart textiles and artificial muscles. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2019, 112119514-19521.

[26] FarhanM, RudolphT, NöchelU, KratzK, LendleinA. Extractable free polymer chains enhance actuation performance of crystallizable poly(ε-caprolactone) networks and enable self-healing. Polymers, 2018, 103255.

[27] LiangRX, YuHJ, WangL, AminBU, WangN, FuJC, XingYS, ShenD, NiZP. Triple and Two-way reversible shape memory polymer networks with body temperature and water responsiveness. Chem Mater, 2021, 3341190-1200.

[28] WeiFH, JinH, GuYW, WangYR. Effect of chemically modified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymerization content on its shape memory properties. Chem Ind Eng Progress, 2004, 2: 177-180

[29] WangSR, GuoML, XuXC, HeP. Study on shape-memorizing function of ethyl-vinyl acetate copolymer. J Beijing Univ Aeronaut Astronaut, 2000, 2611-4

[30] WeiWT, ZhangPF, CaoF, LiuJH, QianK, PanDK, YaoYT, LiWB. Ultrathin flexible electrospun EVA nanofiber composite with electrothermally-driven shape memory effect for electromagnetic interference shielding. Chem Eng J, 2022, 446: 137135.

[31] SalyerIO, KenyonAS. Structure and property relationships in ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers. J Polym Sci Part A-1 Polym Chem., 1971, 9113083-3103.

[32] WangWH, WangS, ZhouJY, DengHX, SunSS, XueT, MaYQ, GongXL. Bio-Inspired Semi-Active Safeguarding Design with Enhanced Impact Resistance via Shape Memory Effect. Adv Funct Mater, 2023, 33132212093.

[33] GökMO, BilirMZ, GürcümBH. Shape-memory applications in textile design. Proc Soc Behav Sci, 2015, 195: 2160-2169.

[34] PengYC, CuiY. Advanced textiles for personal thermal management and energy. Joule, 2020, 44724-742.

[35] LeungEM, Colorado EscobarM, StiubianuGT, JimSR, VyatskikhAL, FengZ, GarnerN, PatelP, NaughtonKL, FolladorM, KarshalevE, TrexlerMD, GorodetskyAA. A dynamic thermoregulatory material inspired by squid skin. Nat Commun, 2019, 1011947.

[36] HsuPC, SongAY, CatryssePB, LiuC, PengYC, XieJ, FanSH, CuiY. Radiative human body cooling by nanoporous polyethylene textile. Science, 2016, 35363031019-1023.

[37] LiY, MinL, XinJH, WangLH, WuQH, FanLF, GanF, YuH. High-performance fibrous artificial muscle based on reversible shape memory UHMWPE. J Mater Res Technol, 2022, 20: 7-17.

[38] WuY, HuJ, HanJ, ZhuY, HuangH, LiJ, TangB. Two-way shape memory polymer with “switch-spring” composition by interpenetrating polymer network. J Mater Chem A, 2014, 24418816-18822.

[39] FengW, ZhangYS, ShaoYW, HuangT, ZhangN, YangJH, QiXD, WangY. Coaxial electrospun membranes with thermal energy storage and shape memory functions for simultaneous thermal/moisture management in personal cooling textiles. Eur Polym J, 2021, 145. 110245

[40] LiD, ZhouCZ, MengY, ChenC, YuCJ, LongY, LiSZ. Deformable thermo-responsive smart windows based on a shape memory polymer for adaptive solar modulations. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2021, 135161196-61204.

[41] ChoeA, KwonY, ShinY-E, YeomJ, KimJ, KoH. Adaptive IR- and water-gating textiles based on shape memory fibers. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2022, 144955217-55226.

[42] ZhangQ, WangY, LvY, YuS, MaR. Bioinspired zero-energy thermal-management device based on visible and infrared thermochromism for all-season energy saving. Proc Natl Acad Sci, 2022, 11938. e2207353119

[43] ZhangQ, RudolphT, BenitezAJ, GouldOEC, BehlM, KratzK, LendleinA. Temperature-controlled reversible pore size change of electrospun fibrous shape-memory polymer actuator based meshes. Smart Mater Struct, 2019, 285. 055037

[44] MengH, LiG. A review of stimuli-responsive shape memory polymer composites. Polymer, 2013, 5492199-2221.

[45] LanX, WangY, PengJ, SiY, RenJ, DingB, LiB. Designing heat transfer pathways for advanced thermoregulatory textiles. Mater Today Phys, 2021, 17. 100342

[46] ChaiJL, KangZX, YanYS, LouL, ZhouYY, FanJT. Thermoregulatory clothing with temperature-adaptive multimodal body heat regulation. Cell Rep Phys Sci, 2022, 37. 100958

[47] MaC, GaoY, CaoYX, YangYY, WangWJ, WangJF. Hierarchically core-shell nanofiber textiles for personal cooling in hot and humid conditions. Nano Energy, 2024, 123. 109400

[48] WangYF, LiangX, ZhuH, XinJH, ZhangQ, ZhuSP. Reversible water transportation diode: temperature-adaptive smart janus textile for moisture/thermal management. Adv Funct Mater, 2019, 3061907851.

[49] MiaoDY, HuangZ, WangXF, YuJY, DingB. Continuous, spontaneous, and directional water transport in the trilayered fibrous membranes for functional moisture wicking textiles. Small, 2018, 14321801527.

[50] IqbalMI, ShiS, KumarGMS, HuJ. Evaporative/radiative electrospun membrane for personal cooling. Nano Res, 2023, 1622563-2571.

[51] LinY, ChengN, MengN, WangC, WangX, YuJ, DingB. A patterned knitted fabric with reversible gating stability for dynamic moisture management of human body. Adv Funct Mater, 2023, 33442304109.

[52] HuJ, Irfan IqbalM, SunF. Wool can be cool: water-actuating woolen knitwear for both hot and cold. Adv Funct Mater, 2020, 30512005033.

Funding

Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi(2021JQ-678)

National Natural Science Foundation of China(52103066)

Young Talent Fund of Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi, China(20230430)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Donghua University, Shanghai, China