Advanced Fiber Materials最新文献

A major challenge in thermal camouflage is maintaining consistent performance under both day–night conditions. Conventional low-emissivity materials are invariably plagued by a fundamental compromise: they are either highly reflective, causing specular glare, or excessively absorptive, leading to solar heating. To overcome this, we draw inspiration from dielectric-metal-dielectric multilayers, widely used in energy-saving glazing for their “high visible transparency and high near-infrared reflection”. We pivot this “spectral-division” concept toward a distinctly different goal: instead of transmitting visible light, we aim for moderate visible reflection to avert glare, while preserving high near-infrared reflection to suppress heating, and ultimately achieving ultralow mid-/long-wave infrared emission for thermal invisibility. Accordingly, we report a flexible titanium oxide (TiO₂)–silver (Ag)–TiO₂ (TAT) sandwich structure that achieves spectrally selective properties—suppressing visible reflection (39.2%), enhancing near-infrared reflectance (85.9%) to reduce solar absorption (0.33), and retaining ultralow infrared emissivity (3.8%). This design effectively resolves the “spectral trilemma” of day–night camouflage within a single passive architecture. Given the increasing threat of multispectral detection in modern applications, integrating additional functionalities such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is highly desirable. The continuous Ag layer in our TAT structure not only ensures ultralow IR emissivity but also provides excellent electrical conductivity, endowing the material with efficient EMI shielding as an added advantage—with an absorption-dominated mechanism that minimizes secondary reflection. When laminated onto fabric, the TAT film achieved outstanding thermal camouflage (ΔT = 0.5 °C on a 36.5 °C platform) and high EMI shielding effectiveness of 54.7 dB. An alternative direct-sputtering approach yielded a wearable metafabric with excellent camouflage (ΔT = 0.6 °C) and substantial shielding (32.2 dB), without compromising comfort. Our study establishes a new design framework for all-weather, multifunctional stealth materials that integrate day–night thermal camouflage with absorption-dominated EMI shielding.

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Thermoelectric conversion directly converts heat into electricity and offers a sustainable, solid-state pathway for energy harvesting, holding particular promise for next-generation wearable electronics. Beyond conventional thin-film and bulk configurations, the advent of fiber-shaped thermoelectric materials has opened new horizons by combining flexibility, breathability, and seamless textile compatibility. These merits make thermoelectric fibers particularly attractive for constructing distributed, body-conformal, and self-sustaining electronic systems. Herein, recent progress in inorganic, organic, and hybrid thermoelectric fibers is systematically reviewed, with particular emphasis on materials design, scalable fabrication strategies, and device engineering. Subsequently, their integration into wearable systems is elaborated, encompassing diverse applications in personalized healthcare and human–machine interfaces. Finally, we critically discuss the key challenges, including performance enhancement, long-term durability, and seamless system-level integration. This discussion aims to provide insights and guidance for advancing thermoelectric fibers toward intelligent, sustainable, and fully autonomous wearable technologies.

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Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) holds promise for on-demand water supply, yet combining high yield with fast kinetics remains challenging. Here, we present a hollow-fiber textile-supported composite sorbent and an integrated solar-powered water harvester. The composite sorbent is fabricated by embedding LiCl into a three-dimensionally oriented channel textile constructed from hollow Calotropis gigantea fibers. An airflow-assisted yarn assembly strategy is employed to form hollow-fiber yarns and further construct a three-dimensional textile with vertically aligned pore arrays. After LiCl integration, efficient water vapor sorption and rapid desorption are achieved. The sorbent attains water uptakes of 0.88, 1.39, and 2.34 g g⁻¹ at relative humidities of 15%, 30%, and 60%, respectively. The harvester integrates power generation, heating, and condensation. When coupled with a multicycle sorption–desorption strategy, it yields about 64 g day⁻¹ (5.19 g_water g⁻¹_sorbent day⁻¹). The operation forms an energy-autonomous loop where daytime solar electricity is generated and stored, powering nighttime desorption and condensation. This work establishes a textile-based platform that integrates structural advantages with solar energy utilization, enabling efficient and scalable AWH systems.

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Thermocell (TEC), as economical, simple, and stable-output ionic thermoelectric (i-TE) systems, provides a reliable solution for the effective utilization of low-grade heat and direct conversion to continuous electricity. However, prevalent issues in TEC, such as electrolyte leakage, low tensile toughness, and limitations in the fabrication of series/parallel planar devices, have restricted its practical applicability. Herein, a quasi-solid, fiber-shaped 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIM BF₄)-liquid crystal elastomer (E-LCE) based TEC is obtained by impregnation with I₂/KI/EMIM BF₄ solution, leveraging the chaotropic effect of BF₄⁻ and the interaction of EMIM⁺-I₃⁻ to expand the entropy and potential differences between the hot and cold electrodes, achieving a thermopower of −1.2 mV K⁻¹. Furthermore, combining traditional weaving techniques and three-dimensional structural embedding design, an E-LCE-based TEC wristband is woven by integrating the TEC into an LCE ribbed textile, achieving accurate monitoring of the wearer’s body temperature, broadening the application scenarios of TEC and paving the way for its commercial applications in wearable devices and biomonitoring fields.

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This work uses Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) as the substrate and employs I₂/KI as the redox couple. The chaotropic effect of EMIM BF₄ not only increases the entropy difference of the system but also serves as a supporting electrolyte to enlarge the potential difference, thereby synergistically improving the thermoelectric properties of the LCE based TEC. Finally, leveraging the mechanical advantages of the LCE material together with the stable and rapid voltage response of the LCE-based TEC, an LCE-based i-TE wristband was fabricated and applied for human body temperature monitoring.

Fiber-based wearable sensors have garnered significant interest in next-generation wearable electronics, owing to their remarkable tensile performance and braidability. Nevertheless, achieving multifunctionality and wearer comfort in such sensors remains a challenge. Here, inspired by the unique structure of polar bear fur, we developed a biomimetic fiber featuring a hollow porous architecture that enables continuous production. This innovative fiber serves as a multifunctional platform, integrating capabilities in thermal management, energy harvesting, and strain sensing. Leveraging the hollow and porous structure, the biomimetic fiber-based textiles exhibit excellent thermal insulation performance, maintaining temperature differentials of 31.8 °C and 57.4 °C under ambient temperatures of 80 °C and 120 °C, respectively. The single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator assembled with the biomimetic fibers exhibits high electrical output performance and good output stability. Moreover, the fiber-based strain sensor achieves a ultralow detection limit (0.01%), a ultra-wide sensing range (628%), and a high sensitivity (GF = 90874 at a strain range of 582%–628%), enableing real-time human motion monitoring and precise control of robotic arm movements. When integrated with machine learning algorithms, it also proves effective in collecting biological signals and recognizing multiple hand gestures, showing great potential for future intelligent gesture-based interaction systems.

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The increasing frequency of extreme weather events underscores the need for thermal management materials that enable energy-free temperature regulation across diverse environments. Phase-change materials offer effective thermal buffering through latent heat storage, but often suffer from leakage and limited adaptability when incorporated directly into fabrics. Here, we report a continuous electrospinning strategy to fabricate a Janus phase-change fabric that achieves simultaneous enhancement of radiative cooling and heating. The design integrates a radiative cooling layer, a phase-change layer, and a radiative heating layer, forming a dual-mode architecture with switchable thermal functionality. The phase-change layer exhibits a high latent heat of 137.7 J/g and reflectivity of 93.5%, contributing to an overall solar reflectivity of 95.1% on the cooling side and solar absorption of 88.5% on the heating side. These properties enable a cooling power of 119.0 W/m² and a temperature rise of up to 18.5 °C above ambient. This synergistic integration of optical modulation and phase-change buffering provides a scalable and general approach for energy-free, all-weather thermal regulation, advancing the development of next-generation intelligent textiles.

Spider silk is an archetypal high-performance protein fiber that combines outstanding toughness with biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, the large-scale harvesting of native spidroins remains impractical. Recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSPs) offer a scalable and engineerable alternative to access spidroin-inspired building blocks with tunable sequences, modular architectures, and biofunctionality. Here, we review current rSSP production platforms. From a fiber-centric perspective, we summarize how key processing parameters—such as dope formulation, shear/elongational flow, ion–pH gradients, and post-drawing—govern self-assembly. We explain how these secondary-structure transitions ultimately dictate the hierarchical microstructure and mechanical performance of the fibers. Furthermore, we highlight recent advances in the bioinspired spinning of rSSP fibers and the expansion into fiber-derived formats (e.g., nonwovens, membranes, hydrogels, particles, and porous scaffolds) that leverage textile manufacturability and interfacial design for biomedical applications. Representative applications are systematically categorized into three parallel domains: surgical closures and wound dressings, controlled drug-delivery systems, and tissue engineering, where distinct rSSP architectures and functionalities are explicitly tailored to the regenerative demands of specific organs. Finally, we outline key challenges for translation, including high-yield production of high-molecular-weight spidroins, robust structure–property–function profiling, sterilization stability, and pathways toward scalable manufacturing. Ultimately, this review aims to bridge molecular design, fiber processing, and the biomedical implementation of rSSP-based materials.

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Schematic overview of spider silk types and representative spidroins, the recombinant production of recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSPs) in representative host systems, and their spinning/processing into fibers and fiber-derived material formats for emerging biomedical applications.

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

The growing global demand for energy for temperature regulation underscores the urgency of developing advanced personal thermal management textiles. However, current radiative cooling/heating materials often lack dynamic adaptability, efficient moisture management, diverse coloration, and satisfactory wearing comfort. Herein, we present colorful Janus metafabrics (CJMs) engineered via scalable solution-dyeing electrospinning, featuring a dual-gradient structure for radiative cooling and solar heating, and directional sweat transport. The metafabric consists of a hydrophobic carbon black/polyurethane (CB/PU) heating layer and a superhydrophilic aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃)/pigment-doped PU cooling layer. The cooling side exhibits approximately 95% MIR emittance, > 85% NIR reflectance, and 86% solar reflectance (yellow) due to synergistic Al₂O₃ scattering and dyeing (67%–86%), compensating for the limitations of conventional dyes. The heating side achieves around 95% solar absorptance for efficient photothermal conversion. Outdoor tests demonstrate significant cooling ΔT = 17.6 °C and heating ΔT = 13.3 °C effects compared to bare simulated skin. Asymmetric wrinkles enhance optical properties and facilitate rapid directional moisture transport, with a one-way transfer index reaching 1163%. CJMs are ultralight, flexible (153%–175% strain), soft, and feature Janus textures, ensuring wearing comfort. This work provides a versatile design integrating energy efficiency, physiological comfort, and aesthetic diversity, offering a promising pathway toward next-generation smart textiles.

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To achieve multifunctional integration in textiles, a Janus structure has been extensively incorporated into fabrics. However, the mass production of these materials remains constrained due to complex fabrication processes. We have developed a nebulization-assisted enzymatic catalysis (NAEC) strategy for the efficient fabrication of Janus fabrics. Herein, the microdroplets act as microreactors, enhancing the efficiency of laccase-catalyzed dopamine polymerization due to the improved enzyme conformation and increased local concentration at the droplet interface. Furthermore, this microdroplet-driven dynamic reaction facilitates the formation of a unique Janus structure on the fabric’s surface. This Janus structure can also function as a template to drive the directional deposition of zinc oxide nanoparticles, attributed to the excellent metal-chelating properties of polydopamine (PDA). Ultimately, the composite fabric develops a distinctive nanoscale gradient interface along its thickness, endowing it with excellent water transport, photothermal conversion, and antibacterial properties. The final composite fabric achieves an impressive water evaporation rate of 0.1 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and enables rapid sterilization within 30 min under simulated sunlight conditions. Notably, the fabric exhibits remarkable machine washability and UV resistance. This innovative microdroplet-driven material finishing method is anticipated to pave the way for environmentally friendly design approaches in developing a new generation of multifunctional Janus textiles.

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Bone defects combined with extensive periosteal stripping often result in delayed union or non-union, posing a significant challenge in orthopedic surgery. Inspired by the natural periosteum and the physicochemical properties of bone tissue, we developed a novel dual-layer piezoelectric bionic periosteum (DPBP) membrane via electrospinning, aiming to reconstruct the periosteal–bone interface microenvironment and actively promote bone repair. Designed with a hierarchical structure, the DPBP features a dense outer layer serving as a crucial protective barrier, while its biomineralized porous inner layer provides a scaffold for cell attachment. In synergy with ultrasound (US), the inner layer’s piezoelectricity generates endogenous electrical stimulation, promoting stem cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation by triggering calcium influx and subsequently activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Furthermore, in vitro studies demonstrated that the DPBP effectively promoted angiogenesis, indicating a synergistic enhancement of osteo-angiogenic coupling. In vivo, in a rat calvarial defect model, the DPBP significantly promoted bone regeneration, enhanced neovascularization, and exhibited beneficial immunomodulatory capabilities. This study presents a bioinspired periosteum substitute that effectively delivers integrated physicochemical signals to actively enhance bone regeneration, offering a promising strategy for challenging clinical applications.

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