A wearable multifunctional fabric with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding and passive radiation heating performance

Abstract

Increasingly serious electromagnetic radiation pollution puts forward higher demands on wearable fabrics: high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness. Besides, the ability for the fabrics to keep the human body warm is also important in a frigid environment. However, there have been few reports on fabrics simultaneously with the two functions so far. Here, a flexible wearable fabric with both excellent EMI shielding and passive radiation heating functions was developed through integrating silver nanowire (AgNW), ferroferric oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) onto a commercial fabric. The conductive AgNW networks endowed the fabric with a super-high EMI shielding property of 100.9 dB at the thickness of 450 μm – one noticeable advantage. The passive radiation heating ability was achieved by regulating the spectral selectivity of the fabric (a high solar energy absorptivity of 80.5% at 250–2500 nm, a low mid-infrared emissivity of 0.21 at 7 − 14 μm), so no electric power is needed for the fabric to heat the human body – another prominent advantage. The fabric resulted in a 20.6 °C temperature enhancement of the simulated skin under sunlight in the daytime and a 6.4 °C temperature enhancement in nighttime compared with traditional cotton fabric with the same thickness. Thus, the prepared multifunctional fabric can effectively protect the human body from electromagnetic radiation harm and injury caused by cold climate. This work holds great potential to enlarge the application scope of current EMI shielding fabrics. • A flexible wearable fabric with both excellent EMI shielding and passive radiation heating functions was prepared. • The fabric possesses a super-high EMI shielding property of 100.9 dB at the thickness of 450 μm. • Warmed the simulated skin by 20.6/6.4 °C in daytime/nighttime environments compared to pristine cotton fabric. • The fabric can protect the human body from electromagnetic radiation and cold environment harm at the same time.