Photonic-Engineered Radiative Cooling E-Textiles for Self-Powered Sensing and Thermoregulation

Abstract

Electronic textiles have emerged as a critical platform for flexible electronics due to their excellent wearability. However, achieving multifunctionality typically involves layering various functional components, which compromises comfort and interface stability. Here, we present a radiative cooling triboelectric textile (RCTT) that simultaneously addresses self-powered sensing and personal thermal management through photonic-engineered structural design. The textile is fabricated via electrospinning of styrene–butene–styrene (SEBS)/polyethylene-polypropylene glycol (F127) composite, followed by TiO₂ nanoparticle coupling, fluorosilanization, and liquid metal alloying. The resulting RCTT demonstrates a power density of 328 mW·m⁻² with sustained performance over 5100 cycles, enabling self-powered operation as both an energy harvester and motion sensor for human body monitoring. Through engineered photonic design, the textile exhibits a solar reflectance of 92% and an infrared emissivity of 96%. This enables sub-ambient temperature reductions of 2.0 °C and 1.1 °C under sunny and cloudy conditions, respectively, with a corresponding daytime cooling power of 78.5 W·m⁻². Furthermore, the material retains ultra-stretchability, super-hydrophobicity, and excellent air/moisture permeability alongside robust mechanical stability. This integrated approach represents a significant advancement in multifunctional wearable electronics, offering a viable strategy for developing self-powered textiles with enhanced thermal comfort for outdoor applications.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Electronic textiles / Photonic structure design / Personal thermal management / Self-powered sensing / Passive radiative cooling

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Funding

the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52473178)

the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20180628)

the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF(GZC20250350)

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2025M770519)

the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (3132025227)

National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFB0309100)

Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST(2022QNRC001)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Donghua University, Shanghai, China