Silver nanowire-infused carbon aerogel: A multifunctional nanocellulose-derived material for personal thermal management

Abstract

Personal thermal management (PTM) textiles for outdoor activities have become increasingly important for addressing energy consumption and thermal comfortable. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) aerogels have emerged as promising candidates for PTM due to the eco-friendliness, lightweight, and low thermal conductivity. However, the singular insulation capability may not be sufficient to accommodate the diverse and harsh outdoor conditions. Herein, we carbonized CNF-based aerogel to fabricate anisotropic carbon aerogels, and then incorporated silver nanowires (AgNWs) upon onside to fabricate the dual-function AgNWs/carbon aerogel. The resulting material inherits high porosity (99.3 %), high surface area (503.2 m2/g), low density (7.08 mg/cm3), and low thermal conductivity (18.2 mW·m−1·k−1 in the axial direction) to act as an ideal thermal insulator. The AgNWs coating side demonstrates low IR-emissivity (17.6 % at 7–14 μm) and the carbon aerogel side has high solar absorptivity (91.97 %). Moreover, the AgNWs/carbon aerogel shows Joule heating performance (∆T = 44.5 °C within 3 min at 5 V). The multi-heating modes enabling self-adaptable thermal comfortable under various harsh environment. Additionally, the material's breathability, permeability, and electromagnetic shielding characteristics also make it suitable candidate for advanced wearable textiles for PTM.