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Stereocomplexation-Enhanced Biomimetic Janus Poly(Lactic Acid) Metafabric for High-Power Passive Personal Cooling.
Jiaqi Li1, Xinjian He1,2, Yang Wu3
1School of Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 30, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a biodegradable cooling fabric using stereocomplexed poly(lactic acid) (PLA). This innovative textile offers high solar reflectance and efficient sweat management for advanced personal thermal regulation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Textile Engineering
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Developing biodegradable textiles with high solar reflectance, effective sweat management, and durability is challenging.
- Existing cooling textiles often lack multi-functionality or long-term performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a high-performance, biodegradable radiative cooling textile with enhanced mechanical properties and efficient moisture transport.
- To investigate the effectiveness of molecular stereocomplexation and biomimetic architecture for textile cooling.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a hierarchical Janus poly(lactic acid) (PLA) metafabric (J-PLA) utilizing molecular stereocomplexation.
- Construction of a plant-transpiration-inspired dual-gradient architecture via electrospinning hydrophilic PLA/SiO2 nanofibers onto a hydrophobic PLA microfiber substrate.
- Evaluation of spectral selectivity, solar reflectance, infrared emittance, and thermal performance under dry and simulated sweating conditions.
Main Results:
- The J-PLA fabric exhibited a solar reflectance of 94.2% and a mid-infrared emittance of 93.3%.
- Achieved ultrafast directional water transport (<21 s) and significant temperature reduction (up to 12.1 °C) under direct sunlight.
- Demonstrated enhanced cooling (additional 7.6 °C reduction) under simulated sweating conditions due to directional transport and evaporation.
Conclusions:
- The developed J-PLA metafabric offers a sustainable design for next-generation personal thermal management textiles.
- Molecular stereocomplexation and biomimetic dual-gradient architecture are effective strategies for enhancing textile performance.
- The J-PLA fabric provides a promising solution for high-performance cooling and moisture management in textiles.
Keywords:
Janus fabricbioinspired metafabricdaytime radiative coolingnanofiber membranestereocomplex PLAMore Related Videos
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