Multifunctional polyimide aerogel textile inspired by polar bear hair for thermoregulation in extreme environments

Thermoregulating textiles (or protective clothing) are highly demanded for both human health and labor productivity especially in hot working environments. It is challenging to balance wearability and thermal insulating property as they usually demand for opposite porosity. Here, learning from the porous structure of polar bear hair, we report a polyimide aerogel fiber obtained by a freeze-spinning technique. A textile woven with such polyimide fiber is thermally insulating, strong and highly stretchable, fire-retardant (or self-extinguishing), and temperature-resistant. Additionally, it can be readily incorporated with other functions such as acid alkali resistance and thermoregulation by surface modification and infiltration of phase change material. All these properties indicate its potential in protective clothing in hot environments. With the versatility and scalability, our approach paves a new way for fabricating smart textiles with well-defined microstructure and multi-functionality by learning from nature.