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Structure-function relationships for squid skin-inspired wearable thermoregulatory materials
Panyiming Liu1, Erica M Leung2, Mohsin Ali Badshah2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
APL Bioengineering
|November 9, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed dynamic thermoregulatory composites inspired by squid skin. These bioinspired materials offer adaptive infrared properties for improved thermal comfort and energy efficiency in wearables and other applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomimetics
- Thermoregulation Technology
Background:
- Wearable thermoregulatory technologies are crucial for personal comfort and building energy reduction.
- Combining active and passive thermoregulation modes in materials is highly desirable.
- Inspiration from nature, specifically squid skin, offers novel solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel class of dynamic thermoregulatory composite materials.
- To demonstrate experimental control and computational prediction of adaptive infrared properties.
- To establish robust structure-function relationships for bioinspired thermoregulatory composites.
Main Methods:
- Bioinspiration from Loliginidae (inshore squid) skin.
- Development of dynamic thermoregulatory composite materials.
- Experimental control and computational prediction of infrared properties.
- Validation of structure-function relationships.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a straightforward approach for controlling and predicting adaptive infrared properties.
- Developed bioinspired composites with outstanding figures of merit for thermoregulation.
- Established validated structure-function relationships for the novel materials.
Conclusions:
- The developed bioinspired composites offer significant potential for thermoregulation.
- Findings pave the way for advanced thermoregulatory wearables and energy-saving solutions.
- The materials have broad applications in areas like infrared camouflage and biomedical sensing.
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