Advanced Fiber Materials最新文献

Polyphenol is a promising bio-inspired material vital for the creation of various functional systems. The increasing trend in developement and application of polyphenol-coated textiles not only showcases its global relevance but also indicates the extensive scientific research interest in this field. Polyphenol's numerous functional groups play a pivotal role as structural units for covalent and/or non-covalent interactions with polymers, as well as for anchoring transition metal ions crucial for the formation of multi-functional textiles. Consequently, polyphenol enhances textiles with diverse capabilities, such as hydrophobicity, flame retardance, photothermal conversion, and antibacterial properties. This emergent material has rapidly found its way into an array of applications, including solar evaporators, water purification, wound dressings, and thermal management. This review aims to offer an encompassing summary of the recent advances in the field of bio-inspired and multifunctional polyphenol-coated textiles. Polyphenols were introduced as the building blocks of textiles and exhaustively discussed their design and functionality within the textile framework. Moreover, these functions spurred myriad intriguing applications for textiles. Some of the key challenges were also explored in this emerging field, which were bound to stimulate thinking processes in multi-functional textile design.

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Overview of bio-inspired polyphenol-coated textiles

In various biomedical fields, noninvasive medical procedures are favored over invasive techniques, as the latter require major incisions or surgeries that cause bleeding, pain, and tissue scarring. The increased use of noninvasive biomedical equipment has created a demand for effective energy storage devices that are sufficiently compact to be used as a power source, easy to commercialize, and bio-friendly. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of nickel molybdenum oxide nanoparticle-infused biocarbon microfibers (NiMoO NPs@BCMFs) as a novel energy storage material. The microfibers were derived from the bracket fungus Laetiporus sulphureus. In a three-electrode system, the NiMoO NPs@BCMFs/nickel foam (NF) electrode delivered an areal capacity of 113 µAh cm⁻² at 1.5 mA cm⁻², with excellent cycling stability. Its capacity retention was 104%, even after 20,000 cycles. Bare BCMFs were also synthesized from the fungal biomass to fabricate a negative BCMFs/NF electrode. This, together with the positive NiMoO NPs@BCMFs/NF electrode, was used to construct a bio-friendly (hybrid-type) micro-supercapacitor (BMSC), which exhibited maximum energy and power density values of 56 µWh cm⁻² and 11,250 µW cm⁻², respectively. When tested for its ability to power biomedical electronics, the BMSC device successfully operated an electrical muscle stimulator, inducing potential signals into a volunteer in real-time application.

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Silk fibroin (SF) with skin-like features and function shows great prospects in wearable electronics and smart dressing. However, the traditional method of loading conductive materials on physical interfaces can easily lead to the detachment of conductive materials, poor mechanical properties, and unstable conductivity, which hinder their practical application. Herein, simple wet spinning was utilized to fabricate multifunctional regenerated silk fibers reinforced with different contents of intrinsically conductive cellulose nanofibril (CNFene). Significant enhancements in fiber homogeneity, thermal stability, conductivity, mechanical strength, and sensing ability were achieved due to more regular orientation of silk fibroin molecules and strong intermolecular interactions with CNFene. The optimized sample (SF₁) with high sensitivity (100 ms), excellent washing/rubbing resistance, and superb waterproof properties (22 days) can comprehensively monitor human motion and weak signals. Surprisingly, inspired by the different humidity levels around wounds at different stages of healing, SF₁ with favorable humidity sensitivity can be developed as a smart dressing for monitoring wound healing. Therefore, this work provides a simple preparation route of smart high-performance fiber for flexible electronic devices, smart dressing, and underwater smart textiles.

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The interfacial solar evaporator is a key technology for eco-friendly desalination, playing a crucial role in alleviating the global water scarcity crisis. However, limitation of photothermal water evaporation efficiency persists due to inadequate water transfer at the water-steam interface. Herein, we present a new type of scalable and recyclable arch bridge photothermal fabric with efficient warp-direction water paths by a convenient shuttle-flying weaving technique. Compared to the previous overall layer-by-layer assembled fabric, our photothermal fabric precisely constructed effective water paths and achieved excellent water-heat distribution at the solar evaporation interface, which greatly improved the photothermal conversion efficiency and evaporation rate. By the design of the weaving process, the photothermal fabric shows a new interface contact mode of the water path fiber and polyaniline photothermal fiber. Besides, the arch-bridge type design not only minimizes heat loss area but also enhances the water evaporation area, resulting in high-efficiency all-weather available solar water evaporation. Furthermore, the results show that the temperature, evaporation rate and solar-vapor conversion efficiency of photothermal fabric can reach above 123 ℃, 2.31 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and 99.93% under a solar illumination of 1 kW m⁻². The arch-bridge photothermal fabric with an excellent water evaporation rate has been successfully established, which provides a new paradigm for improving the sustainable seawater desalination rate.

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Flexible yarn sensors designed for integration into textiles have the potential to revolutionize wearable technology by continuously monitoring biomechanical strain. However, existing yarn-shaped sensors rely on capacitance as a strain-dependent electrical signal and often face limitations in achieving high sensitivity, especially across a broad strain range. Here, we propose a waterproof all-in-one capacitive yarn sensor (ACYS) that is tailored to monitor a wide range of biophysical strains. Owing to the coaxial helical electrode and the ionic liquid-doped dielectric layer, the ACYS demonstrates remarkable stretchability, ultrahigh capacitance variation, and an outstanding gauge factor of 6.46 at 140% strain. With exceptional mechanical durability based on enduring 3300 stretching cycles and favorable resistance to sweat erosion, this 1D structure can be seamlessly integrated into textiles, making it ideal for use in wearable electronics. Demonstrating its application versatility, the ACYS accurately measures biomechanical strain in joint movements, facial expressions, and physiological assessments, making it a promising advancement in wearable technology.

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Existing personal thermal regulating fabrics fall short of meeting the demands for sustainable and protective outdoor temperature management. Here, a versatile and comfortable Janus fabric has been developed by embedding boron nitride nanosheets within a porous polyurethane matrix (BNNS@TPU) and introducing Ti₃C₂T_x MXene into another layer of TPU pores (MXene/TPU). The well-distributed BNNS in porous TPU matrix enhances refractive index difference, increases porosity and optimizes pore size distribution, resulting in an excellent solar reflectivity (R = 94.22%), while the distinct distribution of MXene in porous TPU effectively improves solar absorptivity (α = 93.57%) and enhances the conduction loss of electromagnetic waves due to multiple scattering and reflection effects. With a simple flip, Janus fabric can switch between sub-ambient cooling of ~ 7.2 °C and super-ambient heating of ~ 46.0 °C to adapt to changing weather and seasonal conditions. The fabric achieves an electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency of 36 dB, protecting the human body from electromagnetic radiation, attributed to the hierarchical distribution of highly conductive MXene. Furthermore, Janus fabric offers excellent comfort, abrasion resistance, washability, and flame retardancy for practical wear. This study presents an effective strategy for developing personal thermal regulating fabrics with adaptability to environmental changes and resistance to electromagnetic radiation.

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Inspired by the overlapping structure of snake scales, a reinforced scale-like knitted fabric (R-SLKF) was created in this work. To achieve this, short carbon fibers in an epoxy resin (ER) matrix were incorporated into the scales of an SLKF. The resulting textile is a highly stable protective composite that is flexible, warm, and thermally insulated. In addition, superior stab-resistance is ensured through rigid protective blocks in the R-SLKF, making up a hard overlapping scale region, besides satisfactory flexibility via soft twisted ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene yarn-based textiles. The R-SLKF achieves high stab resistance (peak load of approximately 600 N for a single scale thickness of 2 mm), good flexibility (~ 290 mN cm), and breathability (100 MPa, 423 mm/s), coupled with good warmth retention and thermal insulation properties (0.28 ℃/s), which are superior to previously reported protective composite textiles. From the results, the combination of desirable individual protection, excellent wearability and comfort enables human beings to survive in extremely dangerous environments. Finite element simulations provided valuable insights into the factors influencing the stab resistance of R-SLKF and elucidated the underlying anti-puncture mechanism in accordance with the experimental findings. This study presents a novel strategy for the facile industrial fabrication of flexible and lightweight protective composite textiles, which is expected to enhance the structure and material design for future innovations and provide advantages for personal protective equipment in various industrial fields.

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The systematic integration of color-changing and shape-morphing abilities into entirely soft devices is a compelling strategy for creating adaptive camouflage, electronic skin, and wearable healthcare devices. In this study, we developed soft actuators capable of color change and programmable shape morphing using elastic fibers with a liquid metal core. Once the hollow elastic fiber with the thermochromic pigment was fabricated, liquid metal (gallium) was injected into the core of the fiber. Gallium has a relatively low melting point (29.8 °C); thus, fluidity and metallic conductivity are preserved while strained. The fiber can change color by Joule heating upon applying a current through the liquid metal core and can also be actuated by the Lorentz force caused by the interaction between the external magnetic field and the magnetic field generated around the liquid metal core when a current is applied. Based on this underlying principle, we demonstrated unique geometrical actuations, including flower-like blooming, winging butterflies, and the locomotion of coil-shaped fibers. The color-changing and shape-morphing elastic fiber actuators presented in this study can be utilized in artificial skin, soft robotics, and actuators.

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Acute liver failure (ALF) has a mortality rate of more than 40%. Currently, orthotopic liver transplantation is the sole clinical treatment for ALF, but its wide usage is severely limited due to donor shortage and immunological rejection. An emerging and promising technology for ALF treatment is liver tissue engineering (LTE), wherein porous scaffolds serve as a crucial component. Nanofiber scaffolds, which mimic the inherent structures of fibrous extracellular matrix well, provide an ideal environment for cell growth and tissue regeneration. Recently, several functional nanofiber scaffolds for LTE have been developed, which show impressive results in regulating cell function and repairing liver injury when combined with appropriate seeding cells and/or growth factors. This review firstly introduces the etiologies and treatment indicators of ALF. Subsequently, typical fabrication technologies of nanofiber scaffolds and their related applications for function regulation of liver-related cells and treatment of ALF are comprehensively summarized. Particular emphasis is placed on the strategies involving an appropriate combination of suitable seeding cells and growth factors. Finally, the current challenges and the future research and development prospects of nanofiber scaffold-based LTE are discussed. This review will serve as a valuable reference for designing and modifying novel nanofiber scaffolds, further promoting their potential application in LTE and other biomedical fields.

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The low ionic conductivities, poor high-voltage stabilities, and lithium dendrite formation of polymer solid electrolytes preclude their use in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs). This work provides a simple and scalable technique for constructing fast ion conductor nanofibers (FICNFs) and poly-m-phenyleneisophthalamide (PMIA) nanofibers synergistically enhanced polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) for ASSLMBs. The FICNFs, which were mainly composed of high loadings of ZrO₂ or Li_6.4La₃Zr_1.4Ta_0.6O₁₂ nanoparticles, had a percolated ceramic phase inside the nanofibers, while the exposed nanoparticles formed continuous organic–inorganic interfaces with the PEO matrix to enable Li⁺ transport. The interfacial transport rate between ZrO₂ and PEO was calculated as 4.78 × 10^–5 cm² s⁻¹ with ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. Besides, the PMIA nanofibers provided strong skeletal support for the CSEs, ensuring excellent mechanical strength and safety for thin CSEs even at high temperatures. More importantly, the amide groups in PMIA provided abundant hydrogen bonds with TFSI⁻, which lowered the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level of lithium salts, thus promoting the generation of lithium fluoride-rich solid electrolyte interphase. Consequently, the modified CSEs exhibited satisfactory ionic conductivities (5.38 × 10^–4 S cm⁻¹ at 50 °C) and notable Li dendrite suppression (> 1500 h at 0.3 mAh cm⁻²). The assembled LiFePO₄||Li full cells display ultra-long cycles (> 2000 cycles) at 50 °C and 40 °C. More strikingly, the LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ (NMC811)||Li cell also can stably run for 500 cycles, and the LiFePO₄||Li flexible pouch cells also cycled normally, demonstrating tremendous potential for practical application.

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