Dual-Modulated Natural Skin-Derived Composite for On-Demand Personal Thermal Management and Self-powered Motion Monitoring

Abstract

Within the framework of smart health, personal thermal management wearables that combine radiative cooling and heating are essential for countering dynamic temperature regulations. However, the integration of motion monitoring and activity analysis functionalities into such systems for extended outdoor use remains challenging. Herein, a dual-modulated natural skin-derived composite (DM-Skin) was tailored via in situ electrospinning of a polyurethane/SiO₂ fibrous membrane (RCFM) and vapor-deposition polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) on both sides of a natural skin-derived material (N-Skin), achieving switchable solar modulation that combines radiative cooling and heating. DM-Skin demonstrated exceptional thermal regulation with 19.3 °C cooling and 14.3 °C heating under 980 W·m⁻² solar irradiance, attributed to the high solar reflectivity (94%) and mid-infrared emissivity (96%) of the cooling side, and strong solar absorptivity (93%) of the heating side. The net cooling power and heating power reached 99.2 W/m² and 770.8 W/m². With the help of enhanced triboelectric charge modulation, DM-Skin triboelectric nanogenerator gained high output performance with an open-circuit voltage of 168.5 V, a short-circuit current of 4.2 μA, and a transfer charge of 59.2 nC, enabling self-powered operation of small electronics, and human motion monitoring. This performance originated from the RCFM, which enhanced charge generation, and the regional incorporation of PPy in N-Skin improved the charge capture and storage capacity. DM-Skin maintained excellent breathability, softness, and mechanical properties comparable to those of conventional leather. This study contributes to the development of next-generation wearable devices that provide satisfactory thermal comfort and human health monitoring.

Keywords

Fiber-based composites / Personal thermal management / Triboelectric nanogenerators / Spectral modulation / Energy saving / Energy harvesting

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China(22378253)

Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi(2024JC-YBMS-122)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Donghua University, Shanghai, China