Porous spongy FexCo1- xP nanostructure and MXene infused self-powered flexible textile based personal thermoregulatory device

A low-power-consuming, self-powered wearable personal thermal management (PTM) device could minimize our reliability on external power sources. Herein, we describe the fabrication of a self-powered PTM device providing thermotherapy that can be wirelessly heated, with warmth preservation and heat produced via the triboelectric effect. Initially, ferromagnetic porous spongy FexCo1_xP nanostructures were synthesized uniformly over the surface of woven Kevlar fiber (WKF). Synthesized MXene was then dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and prepared as a composite with WKF/FexCo1_xP. The combined effect of MXene and FexCo1_xP resulted in very effective Joule heating (74 degrees C at 3 V), and the ferromagnetic behavior of the composite induced wireless heating. The dense interrelated porous structure created by MXene incorporation helped to maintain body warmth (an enhancement of 40.1% compared with bare WKF/PDMS) by reflecting almost all of the infrared radiation (97.7%) back to the body. The composite also exhibited high impact resistance (131.4% compared with WKF/PDMS) for use as smart body armor. Additionally, the PTM device exhibited a maximum power density of 1.3 mW cm_ 2 at a low impact frequency of 5 Hz and was capable of harvesting energy from human motion and wind, indicating a potential self-heating ability of the PTM composite.

Automated summary

The article describes the fabrication of a low-power-consuming, self-powered wearable personal thermal management (PTM) device that provides thermotherapy through wireless heating and warmth preservation. The device is capable of reflecting almost all of the infrared radiation and has high impact resistance, making it suitable for use as smart body armor. It also demonstrates a potential self-heating ability by harvesting energy from human motion and wind.