Flexible MXene decorative nonwovens with patterned structures for integrated joule heating and strain sensing

Abstract

Multifunctional textile-based wearable electronics require reliable mechanical flexibility, excellent breathability. Therefore, the manufacture of electronic products with the above characteristics is of great significance for multifunctional, physical health care, and personalized medicine. Herein, we fabricated a wearable heater by depositing MXene uniformly on the patterned thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fiber membrane. The unique patterned junctions of the fiber membrane not only guarantee excellent air permeability for the overall structure but also enable MXene to form more stable conductive pathways. The prepared fiber film has a stable electrothermal response and a good Joule heating effect. It can reach 44 ° C instantaneously at a 2 V voltage, and the duration was far more than the 1400 s. The temperature can reach 150 ° C at 5 V voltage, to achieve the purpose of higher temperature at low voltage and low MXene content. In addition, the fiber film also has the photothermal conversion effect, which can reach 32.4 ° C when heated by light for 100 s, and the light-off temperature can be rapidly reduced to room temperature after the 40 s. In addition, it also has the function of monitoring human movement. This study provides multifunctional wearable electronics for personal medical and health monitoring and personal thermal management, because of the uniform loading of MXene and excellent mechanical properties and air permeability provided by the patterned structure. In conclusion, we expect that this work will be beneficial to improve the Joule heating performance of smart wearable devices.