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HighlightsThis review delves into the intricate relationship between thermal models, function-oriented design principles, and practical applications in personal radiative thermal management (PRTM).It provides an in-depth discussion on design strategies for radiative cooling, heating, and dual-mode modulating textiles, offering practical insights for application.It offers a thorough examination of the prospects and challenges of PRTM textiles, proposing potential solutions and future directions for the field.Maintaining thermal comfort within the human body is crucial for optimal health and overall well-being. By merely broadening the set-point of indoor temperatures, we could significantly slash energy usage in building heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. In recent years, there has been a surge in advancements in personal thermal management (PTM), aiming to regulate heat and moisture transfer within our immediate surroundings, clothing, and skin. The advent of PTM is driven by the rapid development in nano/micro-materials and energy science and engineering. An emerging research area in PTM is personal radiative thermal management (PRTM), which demonstrates immense potential with its high radiative heat transfer efficiency and ease of regulation. However, it is less taken into account in traditional textiles, and there currently lies a gap in our knowledge and understanding of PRTM. In this review, we aim to present a thorough analysis of advanced textile materials and technologies for PRTM. Specifically, we will introduce and discuss the underlying radiation heat transfer mechanisms, fabrication methods of textiles, and various indoor/outdoor applications in light of their different regulation functionalities, including radiative cooling, radiative heating, and dual-mode thermoregulation. Furthermore, we will shine a light on the current hurdles, propose potential strategies, and delve into future technology trends for PRTM with an emphasis on functionalities and applications.

Cell encapsulation has been shown to hold promise for effective, long-term treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, challenges remain for its clinical applications. For example, there is an unmet need for an encapsulation system that is capable of delivering sufficient cell mass while still allowing convenient retrieval or replacement. Here,we report a simple cell encapsulation design that is readily scalable and conveniently retrievable. The key to this design was to engineer a highly wettable, Ca2+-releasing nanoporous polymer thread that promoted uniform in situ cross-linking and strong adhesion of a thin layer of alginate hydrogel around the thread. The device provided immunoprotection of rat islets in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice in a short-term (1-mo) study, similar to neat alginate fibers. However, the mechanical property of the device, critical for handling and retrieval, was much more robust than the neat alginate fibers due to the reinforcement of the central thread. It also had facile mass transfer due to the short diffusion distance. We demonstrated the therapeutic potential of the device through the correction of chemically induced diabetes in C57BL/6 mice using rat islets for 3 mo as well as in immunodeficient SCID-Beige mice using human islets for 4 mo. We further showed, as a proof of concept, the scalability and retrievability in dogs. After 1 mo of implantation in dogs, the device could be rapidly retrieved through a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure. This encapsulation device may contribute to a cellular therapy for T1D because of its retrievability and scale-up potential.

Gas diffusion in nanofibrous and microfibrous materials is of great interest in microfluidics. In this work, an analytical model is proposed, based on fractal theory, to quantify gas diffusion across fibrous media composed of nanofibers and microfibers. The fractal model is expressed in terms of pore area and tortuosity fractal dimensions, allowing statistical quantification of the geometrical structures of fibrous media. Knudsen diffusion in nanoscale pores is considered. To validate this model, moisture vapor diffusion rate through electrospun nanofibrous webs was measured using the inverted-cup method. The diffusivities predicted from the proposed model agree well with the experimental measurements in the present investigation and those reported in the literature for effective diffusivities of gas diffusion layers in fuel cells. Based on the model, the effect of porosity, fiber radius, and the ratio between the minimum and the maximum pore sizes on the effective diffusivity is analyzed.

Warp-knitted spacer fabrics are generally used for sportswear, functional clothing, protective clothing, and other applications. This article studied the heat and mass transfer properties of polyester warp-knitted spacer fabrics from low thickness (2 mm) to high thickness (20 mm), from low mass (247.34 g/m ) to high mass (1,585.9 g/m ), and surface structure in plain or mesh construction. Water vapor permeability, air permeability, water absorption, and thermal insulation property were conducted to evaluate the spacer fabrics. The results revealed that with increasing volume density the water vapor permeability of spacer fabrics decreased, but the water absorption ratio increased. The water vapor permeability of fabrics increased when thickness decreased and volume density increased. It was further found that spacer fabrics with mesh worn nearby the skin and plain structure worn far from the skin could facilitate water vapor and air transmission. The difference of 8.82% for water vapor permeability and 14.19% for air permeability were found between testing mesh side up and down for the spacers (2.56 and 3.37 mm), respectively. Thermal insulation ratio was highly and significantly correlated with heat transfer coefficient at −0.958 and with thickness at 0.917. Thermal insulation ratio is highly and significantly correlated with air permeability at 0.941.

Thermal protective textiles are crucial for safeguarding individuals, particularly firefighters and steelworkers, against extreme heat, and for preventing burn injuries. However, traditional firefighting gear suffers from statically fixed thermal insulation properties, potentially resulting in overheating and discomfort in moderate conditions, and insufficient protection in extreme fire events. Herein, an innovative soft robotic textile is developed for dynamically adaptive thermal management, providing superior personal protection and thermal comfort across a spectrum of environmental temperatures. This unique textile features a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)‐sealed actuation system, embedded with a low boiling point fluid for reversible phase transition, resembling an endoskeleton that triggers an expansion within the textile matrix for enhanced air gap and thermal insulation. The thermal resistance improves automatically from 0.23 to 0.48 Km2 W−1 by self‐actuating under intense heat, exceeding conventional textiles by maintaining over 10 °C cooler temperatures. Additionally, the knitted substrate incorporated into the soft actuators can substantially mitigate convective heat transfer, as evidenced by the thermal resistance tests and the temperature mapping derived from numerical simulations. Moreover, it boasts significantly increased moisture permeability. The thermoadaptation and breathability of this durable all‐fabric system signify considerable progress in the development of protective clothing with high comfort for dynamic and extreme temperature conditions. An innovative soft robotic textile is developed for passive, adaptive thermal management, making it ideal for a wide range of applications, including firefighters' gear and protective clothing. This intelligent textile autonomously adjusts thermal insulation using a flexible and robust actuation system, optimizing both protection and comfort across dynamically changing thermal conditions. This groundbreaking clothing technology also offers superior breathability.

Highlights An innovative 3D self-folding fabric was fabricated by knitting technology to achieve dual thermoregulation modes through architectural reconfiguration between 3D and 2D states. In the warming mode, the fabric retains its natural 3D structure, providing high thermal resistance (0.06 m 2 K W⁻ 1 ) by trapping still air. In the cooling mode, it transitions to a 2D flat state with coatings of thermal radiative management materials, achieving a cooling effect of 4.3 °C under sunlight by enhancing solar reflectivity and infrared emissivity, while reducing thermal resistance. The fabric demonstrates exceptional durability and washability, enduring over 1000 folding cycles, and is manufactured using scalable and cost-effective knitting techniques. In the era of global climate change, personal thermoregulation has become critical to addressing the growing demands for thermoadaptability, comfort, health, and work efficiency in dynamic environments. Here, we introduce an innovative three-dimensional (3D) self-folding knitted fabric that achieves dual thermal regulation modes through architectural reconfiguration. In the warming mode, the fabric maintains its natural 3D structure, trapping still air with extremely low thermal conductivity to provide high thermal resistance (0.06 m 2  K W −1 ), effectively minimizing heat loss. In the cooling mode, the fabric transitions to a 2D flat state via stretching, with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings that enhance solar reflectivity (89.5%) and infrared emissivity (93.5%), achieving a cooling effect of 4.3 °C under sunlight. The fabric demonstrates exceptional durability and washability, enduring over 1000 folding cycles, and is manufactured using scalable and cost-effective knitting techniques. Beyond thermoregulation, it exhibits excellent breathability, sweat management, and flexibility, ensuring wear comfort and tactile feel under diverse conditions. This study presents an innovative solution for next-generation adaptive textiles, addressing the limitations of static thermal fabrics and advancing personal thermal management with wide applications for wearable technology, extreme environments, and sustainable fashion.

Sleeping bag can protect the human body keeping warm effectively in the cold environment. Among the many varieties sleeping bags, phase change thermoregulating sleeping bag is an innovative product, which can adjust the cold and hot comfort of the environment around the body. However, there are little phase change thermoregulating sleeping bags for adults, especially about their design and tests. Therefore, this study focused on the development of a phase change viscose sleeping bag suitable for adults, and explored the method to research its thermoregulating property compared with ordinary sleeping bag. Notably, climate chamber, “Walter” biothermal manikin and temperature sensors were used to evaluate the performance of them. The results showed that the phase change sleeping bag had obvious function of thermoregulating. When the ambient temperature changed for about 10 ℃, the temperature in the phase change sleeping bag changed only 0.3–0.8 ℃ because of the thermoregulating property of phase change viscose fiber. Meanwhile, it had a 9–11 ℃ temperature difference (△ T ) between phase change sleeping bag and ordinary sleeping bag in the climate chamber with a temperature change from 10 to 50 ℃.

Achieving rapid hemostasis in complex and deep wounds with secluded hemorrhagic sites is still a challenge because of the difficulty in delivering hemostats to these sites. In this study, a Janus particle, SEC-Fe@CaT with dual-driven forces, bubble-driving, and magnetic field– (MF–) mediated driving, was prepared via in situ loading of Fe 3 O 4 on a sunflower sporopollenin exine capsule (SEC), and followed by growth of flower-shaped CaCO 3 clusters. The bubble-driving forces enabled SEC-Fe@CaT to self-diffuse in the blood to eliminate agglomeration, and the MF-mediated driving force facilitated the SEC-Fe@CaT countercurrent against blood to access deep bleeding sites in the wounds. During the movement in blood flow, the meteor hammer-like SEC from SEC-Fe@CaT can puncture red blood cells (RBCs) to release procoagulants, thus promoting activation of platelet and rapid hemostasis. Animal tests suggested that SEC-Fe@CaT stopped bleeding in as short as 30 and 45 s in femoral artery and liver hemorrhage models, respectively. In contrast, the similar commercial product Celox™ required approximately 70 s to stop the bleeding in both bleeding modes. This study demonstrates a new hemostat platform for rapid hemostasis in deep and complex wounds. It was the first attempt integrating geometric structure of sunflower pollen with dual-driven movement in hemostasis.

Application of nanofibers has become an emerging approach to enhance filtration efficiency, but questions arise about the decrease in Quality factor (QF) for certain particles due to the rapidly increasing pressure drop. In this paper, we theoretically investigate the QF of dual-layer filters for filtration of monodisperse and polydisperse nanoparticles. The inverse problem of air filtration, as defined in this work, consists in determining the optimal construction of the two-layer fibrous filter with the maximum QF. In comparison to a single-layer substrate, improved QF values for dual-layer filters are found when a second layer with proper structural parameters is added. The influences of solidity, fiber diameter, filter thickness, face velocity, and particle size on the optimization of QF are studied. The maximum QF values for realistic polydisperse particles with a lognormal size distribution are also found. Furthermore, we propose a modified QF (MQF) accounting for the effects of energy cost and flow velocity, which are significant in certain operations. The optimal MQF of the dual-layer filter is found to be over twice that of the first layer. This work provides a quick tool for designing and optimizing fibrous structures with better performance for the air filtration of specific nanoparticles.

Wearable electronics, poised to revolutionize real-time health monitoring, encounter significant challenges due to sweat accumulation, including skin irritation, peeling, short circuits, and corrosion. A groundbreaking study published in Nature presents a sustainable solution: three-dimensional (3D) liquid diodes that effectively pump sweat away, thereby maintaining the wearables’ breathability and stable sensing of biometrics or environments without getting messed up by perspiration. This advancement has immense potential for the development of comfortable and skin-friendly intelligent wearable technologies that seamlessly incorporate sophisticated electronics even in sweaty conditions.