Molecular-engineered cotton textile with multimodal heating and high robustness for personal thermal management

Developing natural cotton textiles in personal thermal management applications is of great significance for defending human against adverse climate conditions. However, the intrinsic low optical energy conservation of cotton in terms of human mid-infrared radiation and solar spectrum prevents it from realizing high-efficient thermal retention. Herein, by leveraging a facile technique involving polydopamine (PDA)-assisted ion deposition, we firmly embed silver nanoparticles onto cotton fibers, creating silver-nanoprocessed cotton fabrics (Ag-fabric) with high human mid-infrared reflectivity and superior water/wear resistance. Meanwhile, the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of the PDA and silver nanoparticles contributes to high solar spectrum absorptivity. The as-prepared Ag-fabric demonstrates nearly 2 °C higher temperature compared to unadorned cotton fabrics due to enhanced human mid-infrared radiation, and the outdoor tests show a temperature increase of average 8 °C when covering artificial skin. Moreover, the uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles on hierarchically assembled cotton fibers endow the Ag-fabric with desirable Joule heating performance (~ 40.7 °C at 1 V), self-cleaning capacity, and antibacterial properties, while maintaining breathability and comfort. These merits of the Ag-fabric present promising advantages to transfer natural cotton into commercially available thermal management wearables and eco-textiles.