Femtosecond laser rapid fabrication of Janus sweat-permeable fabric for personal cooling

Current human body cooling technologies aggravate the energy crisis and cause environmental issues, and an efficient and energy-saving personal comfort cooling technology is critical. Many recent smart cooling textiles involve complex and time-consuming fabrication processes and fail to achieve both comfort drying and cooling functions. Herein, a hydrophobic/superhydrophilic Janus fabric was fabricated rapidly via one-step femtosecond laser direct writing technology, which allowed liquid transport exclusively from the hydrophobic side to the superhydrophilic side at a rapid transport speed. The Janus fabric quickly removed sweat from the skin upon contact with the hydrophobic surface and removed extra heat simultaneously to exhibit a cooling function (about 2 degrees C lower than traditional fabrics). The Janus fabric also kept the skin dry while removing sweat. This study provides a facile technology for the design and manufacture of comfort cooling fabrics and may play a key role in addressing health, resource, and energy-related issues.