Integrated Solar-thermal Conversion, Heat Collection and Antibacterial Properties of Composite Fabrics: A Case Study of PEG@SiO2 Microcapsules Intercalated within MXene Interlayer Coatings

Composite fabrics with integrated photothermal conversion, heat collection, and antibacterial properties are urgently needed to enhance personal thermal management in northern cold regions. Herein, a designed sandwich-like structure, in which PEG@SiO₂ microcapsules were intercalated into the MXene interlayers (PEG@SiO₂/MXene), was proposed to achieve the fast solar-thermal conversion and the surplus solar-generated heat storage and release and even further corresponding fabrics with antibacterial properties for the personal thermal management. Remarkably, the prepared PEG@SiO₂/MXene (PSM) exhibited fast solar-to-heat conversion, followed-on heat storage ability, with an average temperature rising rate of 8.1 °C/min under one-sunlight irradiation and a phase change enthalpy of 155.7 J/g. Furthermore, under one-sunlight irradiation, the designed antibacterial composite fabrics with PSM coatings could greatly increase the local working temperature from 1 °C to 27.3 °C compared with the reference traditional cotton fabrics (from only 1 °C to 6.5 °C). This work provides a potential multifunctional composite material/fabric for the development of personal thermal management in outdoor sunlight applications.