Multifunctional and wearable MXene/CuS/cotton fabrics for integrating electromagnetic interference shielding, pressure sensing, and thermal management

Abstract

Wearable electronics have gained considerable attention in recent years owing to their softness, flexibility, and compatibility with the human body. However, most conventional multifunctional smart textiles are developed by integrating various fibers or fabrics with single functionalities, facing challenges such as high integration complexity and poor stability, and struggling to meet the demands of wearable electronics. In this study, we present a simple and scalable method involving dip-coating and spray-coating to produce multifunctional, wearable, high-performance MXene/CuS/cotton fabrics. Leveraging the conductive networks formed by synergistic MXene/CuS and the porous structure of the fabrics, these MXene/CuS/cotton fabrics demonstrate impressive electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (51.1 dB at a thickness of 335 μm) and notable Joule heating performance (approximately 60 °C at a voltage of 6 V). Moreover, when pressure is applied, MXene/CuS/cotton fabrics exhibit negative piezoresistivity, high sensitivity (− 18.2 kPa⁻¹ for 1–4 kPa pressures), rapid response and recovery times (0.4 s), along with exceptional long-term durability and stability (over 2000 cycles). These remarkable properties suggest that MXene/CuS/cotton fabrics are highly promising for future applications in human motion detection, EMI shielding, thermal management, and other applications.