Bioinspired Composite Fabrics with Nanoneedle Structures for High Wicking-Evaporation performance

Abstract

Achieving ultrafast antigravity water transport and evaporation in high-performance moisture-wicking fabrics remains a significant challenge in textile engineering. In this study, we introduce two novel asymmetric composite fabrics, NN-TS/PET/BS and NS-TS/PET/BS, developed through a straightforward one-step method. These fabrics incorporate different hydrophilic nanostructures—nanoneedles (NN) and nanosheets (NS) of cobalt carbonate—to enhance wicking-evaporation capabilities. The NN-TS/PET/BS fabric exhibited superior unidirectional water transport and evaporation performance, achieving a one-way transport value (R) of up to 330 %, an outstanding overall moisture management capacity (OMMC) of 0.87, and a rapid water evaporation rate of 0.5 g h⁻¹, which is 2 and 2.3 times higher than that of NS-TS/PET/BS and Coolmax, respectively. Detailed analyses revealed that the curvature gradients in the nanoneedles significantly enhanced the wetting and evaporation stages, facilitating efficient antigravity water transport. Wear studies confirmed that the NN-TS/PET/BS fabric could swiftly remove sweat from the skin surface, enhancing comfort and performance. These findings offer new perspectives for developing high-performance unidirectional water transport fabrics with broad application potential, including smart textiles, fog harvesting, and wound dressings.