Synergistic Sustained Cooling and Adaptive Moisture Regulation Enabled by Core-Shell Structured Textiles.

Meng, Na; Zhang, Yufei; Hu, Yuen; Wang, Chao; Ding, Chengfeng; Lin, Yanyan; Li, Zhaoling; Wang, Xianfeng et al. · Adv Mater · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Thermal and moisture balance in the body-textile microclimate is critical for human comfort, health management, and prolonged wearability. However, designing a textile system capable of simultaneously achieving sustained cooling and dynamic moisture regulation remains an unaddressed and significant challenge. Herein, a thermal and moisture regulating textile (TMRT) is developed via coaxial electrospinning, featuring a rationally designed core-shell micro/nanofiber structure with a moisture-regulating polymer sheath and a thermal-responsive polymer core. The resulting TMRT exhibits exceptional mid-infrared (MIR) emissivity (99.82%) and low solar reflectivity (7.71%), an outstanding contact cooling coefficient (0.43 W cm<sup>-2</sup>), and ultralow thermal resistance (0.08 m<sup>2</sup> K W<sup>-1</sup>), enabling ≈ 6.6 °C reduction in skin temperature at 40 °C. Remarkably, the TMRT demonstrates low moisture resistance (2.49 m<sup>2</sup> K W<sup>-1</sup>) and a high water evaporation rate (0.59 g h<sup>-1</sup>). Furthermore, it possesses favorable moisture regulation performance and rapid humidity response, achieving a humidity-sensing resolution of 0.5% relative humidity (RH). The TMRT-based protective clothing displays a comfortable microenvironment for the human body. This work establishes a groundbreaking paradigm for advanced textiles with synergistic thermal and moisture management, addressing critical limitations in conventional protective gear, particularly in mitigating heat and humidity accumulation during prolonged use.