Yarn-Based Degradable Janus PPDO Fabric for Multifunctional Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Growing demand for high-performance fabrics necessitates multifunctional materials.
• Textile waste incineration causes pollution and resource depletion.
• Development of sustainable and functional textiles is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate degradable nanofiber yarns (NYs) with self-cleaning properties.
• To create Janus PPDO fabrics with asymmetric wettability and dual thermal management.
• To evaluate the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of the developed fabrics.

Main Methods:

• In situ growth of SiO2 nanoparticles on electrospun poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) NYs via the Stöber method.
• Blending PPDO NYs with carbon fibers and PPDO/SiO2 NYs to form Janus PPDO fabrics.
• Characterization of fabric properties including wettability, thermal management, and EMI shielding.

Main Results:

• Janus PPDO fabric exhibited asymmetric wettability and dual personal thermal management.
• The PPDO/C side achieved radiative heating (up to 65.8 °C).
• The PPDO/SiO2 side demonstrated radiative cooling (reducing skin temperature by 4.6 °C) with high solar reflectivity (81.8%) and MIR emissivity (99.1%).
• Excellent EMI shielding performance of 53.3 dB was achieved.

Conclusions:

• Yarn-based degradable Janus fabric offers promising multifunctional properties for wearable products.
• The developed fabric addresses environmental concerns associated with textile waste.
• This innovation paves the way for advanced, sustainable smart textiles.