Emerging thermoregulating textile for energy exchange and personal thermal management

Abstract

Frequent extreme weather events pose significant threats to human health and thermal comfort. As the body's second layer of skin, textiles serve not only as the primary protective barrier but also as the critical interface for energy exchange between the human body and its surroundings. In recent years, various advanced personal thermal management (PTM) textiles have been proposed, designed to maintain the human body's temperature within a comfortable range. However, a lack of systematic classification and comprehensive review of these strategies hinders the iterative development of PTM textiles. Here, we review the latest advances in PTM textiles based on fundamental pathways of energy exchange between the human body and environment. After introducing the concept of thermal comfort and the mechanisms of energy transfer regulation through clothing, we systematically categorize and critically analyze PTM strategies based on radiation, conduction, convection, and moisture management. For each category, we explore the design principles, fabrication methods, and performance metrics of state-of-the-art textiles. The review concludes by discussing persistent challenges and future research directions, aiming to guide the development of next-generation, high-performance, and intelligent PTM systems.