Temperature-adaptive dual-modal photonic textiles for thermal management.

Abstract

Maintaining a thermally comfortable living and working environment with renewable energy sources is crucial for human health. However, achieving temperature self-regulation in individual textiles without external interventions remains a challenge. Here, we present a dual-modal photonic textile capable of autonomously achieving both low-temperature solar heating and high-temperature radiative cooling under sunlight. This innovative textile is primarily composed of textile fibers that are functionalized with thermochromic microcapsules encapsulated in graphene and barium sulfate coatings, which exhibit approximately 80% visible light optical modulation when integrated into the fabric. We demonstrate that garment and tent (3.5 m × 2.9 m × 1.3 m) fabricated from these textiles can achieve temperature-adaptive, all-weather thermal management, expanding the thermal comfort range by 8.5°C. This research showcases notable potential for applications in fabric-related heat management and highlights the importance of exploring temperature-adaptive solutions for a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.