Dual-Functionality Smart Textile for Personal Thermal Management

Abstract

Smart wearable devices are attracting increasing interest for personal thermal management because they can actively maintain body temperature and help prevent cold-related injury, including hypothermia, in harsh environments. However, current systems often show limited temperature sensitivity under large deformation, insufficient cycling stability, and relatively high energy consumption. Integrating Joule heating and temperature monitoring within a single fiber offers a promising route to improve robustness and enable closed-loop control. Here we report a stretchable temperature-sensing and carbon-nanotube-heating conductive elastic fiber (T-CSEF) fabricated by wet spinning, ultrasonic impregnation, and continuous capillary coating. The T-CSEF provides low-voltage heating (1 V) and a broad temperature-sensing window (0–110 °C). By increasing the applied voltage from 0 to 3 V, the fiber temperature can be tuned from 27.5 to 127.5 °C. When woven into temperature-adjustable electrothermal fabrics, the T-CSEF is expected to support personal thermal therapy and reduce hypothermia risk in extremely cold conditions, expanding the design space for multifunctional smart textiles.

Graphic Abstract

Structure-function schematic of the dual-function smart textile for personal thermal management.

Keywords

Dual functionality / Thermal management / Wearable fiber / Capillary coating / Capacitive sensor

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Funding

the Key·R&D Program of Shandong Province, China(2024CXGC010411)

National· Key·R&D·Program of- China(2023YFC3603500)

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central. Universities(2232025A-06)

DHU Distinguished Young Professor Program(LZB2025002)

Taishan·Industrial Experts Program Special Funding(NO.tscx202408117)

National Natural Science Foundation of China(52373282)

Science Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(23ZR1402000)

Pujiang Project·of the Shanghai-Magnolia Talent Program(No.24PJD001)

Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by CAST(YESS)(NO. YESS20240225)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Donghua University, Shanghai, China