Janus Textile: Advancing Wearable Technology for Autonomous Sweat Management and Beyond

To alleviate the discomfort caused by excessive sweating, there is a growing emphasis on developing wearable textiles that can evacuate sweat autonomously. These advanced fabrics, unlike their absorbent and retention-prone predecessors, harness the Janus structure-distinguished by its asymmetric wettability-to facilitate one-way transport of liquid. This unique characteristic has significant potential in addressing issues related to excessive bodily moisture and propelling the realm of smart wearables. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the advancements in Janus-structured textiles within the wearable field, delving into the mechanisms behind their unidirectional liquid transport, which rely on chemical gradient and curvature gradient strategies, alongside the methodologies for achieving asymmetric wettability. It further spotlights the multifaceted applications of Janus-based textiles in wearables, including moisture and thermal management, wound care, and sweat analysis. In addition to examining existing hurdles, the review also explores avenues for future innovation, envisioning a new era of Janus textiles tailored for personalized comfort and health monitoring capabilities.