Highly integrated, breathable, metalized phase change fibrous membranes based on hierarchical coaxial fiber structure for multimodal personal thermal management

Abstract

The development of personal thermal management textile is of great significance to satisfy the individual thermal comfort in an energy saving manner. However, major challenges remain, such as the sacrificed permeability, and limited mechanical durability, hindering long-term wearing comfort and reliability. Herein, a breathable, integrated thermoregulating fibrous membrane combining photo/electrothermal conversion and energy storage/release performance was fabricated for all-weather, on-demand, personal thermal management. We have delicately constructed a hierarchically ordered coaxial fiber structure that assembled functional components together for a versatile platform, through facile coaxial electrospinning followed by polydopamine (PDA) assisted metal deposition techniques. Interestingly, the intermediate PDA layer not only favors homogeneous loading of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), but also facilitates the interfacial bonding of the adjacent metal layer and the phase change fiber substrate for a seamlessly integrated system with improved structural stability and robust electrical performance. As a result, benefiting from the hierarchical coaxial structure of individual fibers and the overall well-preserved porous structure, we have fabricated an highly integrated, breathable, metalized phase change fibrous membrane with admirable heat enthalpy of 101.1 J/g, decent solar heating capability (up to 63.2 °C at 100 mW/cm2), and low voltage-driven Joule heating performance (up to 76.8 °C at 3.5 V), which exhibited a broad application prospect in next-generation wearable personal thermal management.