A longstanding challenge in personal thermal management has been transitioning from static, appearance-limited passive radiative cooling (PDRC) materials to systems that are both dynamically adaptive and visually versatile. The central hurdle remains the inherent compromise between color saturation and cooling power. Inspired by organisms such as butterflies, which decouple structural color from thermal function, we present a smart textile that seamlessly merges a dynamic thermochromic layer with static photonic crystals (PCs). This design enables the solar reflectance to be autonomously switched-from approximately 0.6 in the colored state for heating to about 0.9 in the high-reflectance state for cooling. Consequently, outdoor experiments validated substantial temperature regulation: the fabric achieves a surface temperature reduction of 3-4 °C in summer and a heating difference of <1 °C in winter compared to commercial reference materials, all while maintaining high-saturation colors. This dual-mode operation offers a viable pathway for achieving adaptive, aesthetic, and energy-free thermal comfort.
In this work, hollow-structured nanofibers with densely and uniformly distributed ZnO nanorods were successfully prepared by a combination of coaxial electrospinning, heat treatment, and hydrothermal synthesis, exhibiting excellent photocatalytic degradation performance. The morphological and structural characteristics of hollow ZnO nanofibers obtained at different heat treatment temperatures were systematically investigated, and their photocatalytic degradation performances were compared through degrading methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. It was found that the hollow ZnO nanofibers obtained by heat treatment at 280 °C exhibited the best photocatalytic degradation performance due to their optimal morphology and structure. Their photocatalytic degradation efficiencies for MB under 3 h of UV light and natural sunlight were 94.70% and 92.95%, respectively. Furthermore, cyclic stability tests were conducted on the optimal sample, revealing that its degradation efficiency remained at 89.96% after three cycles, demonstrating its excellent reusability.
This study was conducted to explore the catalytic effects of different metal salts on the pyrolysis behavior of cotton waste textiles (CWTs) and the properties of their activated carbons (ACs). The decomposition characteristics of CWTs with Zn, Fe, and Cu salts were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to analyze the catalytic effects. The physical and chemical characteristic differences of the ACs were detected with SEM-EDS, BET, FTIR, and XPS. The results show that metal salts reduced the decomposition temperature of the CWTs and improved the pore structures and specific surface areas of the activated carbons (ACs). The ACs produced abundant acidic surface functional groups on their surfaces, which facilitated the selective adsorption of pollutants. This study indicates that cotton waste textile biochar treated with metal salts may be a promising adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants.
Silver-plated yarn is one of the fundamental materials in smart textiles. However, the plating can be corroded seriously by human sweat during daily wear, degrading the electrical conductivity. To address this issue, this article designed a new set of experimental protocols to faithfully simulate sweat immersion in daily wear. Artificial sweat with pH 5.5 and 8.0 was applied to five types of yarns on a daily basis, and changes in the morphological, electrical and mechanical properties of the yarns before and after treatment were recorded. The results showed increasing resistance of the yarns after exposure to sweat at both pH values. After 10–20 test cycles, almost all samples lost their electrical conductivity, and their mechanical properties also degraded. Yarn service life in acidic sweat was longer than in alkaline sweat. Morphological characterization revealed that the coating on the yarn surface peeled off after treatment. The coating reacted electrochemically with Cl − in sweat, resulting in interruption of the conductive pathway, hence a sudden increase in resistance. Compared to acidic environment, Ag is more prone to undergo redox reaction in alkaline environment. Therefore, silver-plated yarn corrodes faster in alkaline sweat. Finally, the decrease in mechanical properties was due to the swelling behavior of nylon 6 in sweat.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Chemical technology
3D printing has revolutionized numerous scientific fields and industries, with printing in biological systems emerging as a rapidly advancing area of research. However, its application to the subcellular level remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the fabrication of custom-shaped polymeric microstructures directly inside living cells using two-photon polymerization. A biocompatible photoresist is injected into live cells and selectively polymerized with a femtosecond laser. The unpolymerized photoresist is dissolved naturally within the cytoplasm, leaving behind stable intracellular structures with submicron resolution within live cells. We printed various shapes, including a $10 μm$ elephant, barcodes for cell tracking, diffraction gratings for remote readout, and microlasers. Our top-down intracellular biofabrication approach, combined with existing functional photoresists, could open new avenues for various applications, including intracellular sensing, biomechanical manipulation, bioelectronics, and targeted intracellular drug delivery. Moreover, these embedded structures could offer unprecedented control over the intracellular environment, enabling the engineering of cellular properties beyond those found in nature.
Mandana Mohammadi Looey, Marissa Loraine Scalise, Amrita Basak
et al.
The trade-off between model fidelity and computational cost remains a central challenge in the computational modeling of extrusion-based 3D printing, particularly for real time optimization and control. Although high fidelity simulations have advanced considerably for offline analysis, dynamical modeling tailored for online, control-oriented applications is still significantly underdeveloped. In this study, we propose a reduced order dynamical flow model that captures the transient behavior of extrusion-based 3D printing. The model is grounded in physics-based principles derived from the Navier Stokes equations and further simplified through spatial averaging and input dependent parameterization. To assess its performance, the model is identified via a nonlinear least squares approach using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation data spanning a range of printing conditions and subsequently validated across multiple combinations of training and testing scenarios. The results demonstrate strong agreement with the CFD data within the nozzle, the nozzle substrate gap, and the deposited layer regions. Overall, the proposed reduced order model successfully captures the dominant flow dynamics of the process while maintaining a level of simplicity compatible with real time control and optimization.
Jerónimo González Cortés, Byeong Ryeol Ryu, Christopher Pauli
et al.
In Europe, hemp fiber has historically been utilized in textile, paper, and construction industries prior to the emergence of synthetic fibers. The demand for hemp fibers in the European Union (EU) has led to a significant increase in cultivation area, rising by 46.5% from 22,010 hectares (ha) in 2016 to 32,250 ha in 2022. Recently, the European Parliament relaxed hemp regulations by raising the allowable THC level from 0.2% to 0.3%. France stands as the largest hemp fiber producer, contributing 78% of EU production, equivalent to 121,720 tonnes in 2022. This increase in production is driven by the fibers’ use in textiles, clothing, paper, and hemp seed in food products. Notably, the building industry has seen a rise in the use of hemp, particularly in materials such as hemp insulation and hemp concrete. Furthermore, innovations in hemp include the development of bioplastics and the replacement of glass fibers with hemp fibers in the automotive sector. This review explores the regulatory landscape, industrial applications of hemp fiber, and the future potential of hemp by-products as alternative agricultural commodities in EU countries.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Liquid Crystal Elastomers with near-ambient temperature-responsiveness (NAT-LCEs) have been extensively studied for building bio-compatible, low-power consumption devices and robotics. However, conventional manufacturing methods face limitations in programmability (e.g., molding) or low nematic order (e.g., DIW printing). Here, a hybrid cooling strategy is proposed for programmable 3D printing of NAT-LCEs with enhanced nematic order, intricate shape forming, and morphing capability. By integrating a low-temperature nozzle and a cooling platform into a 3D printer, the resulting temperature field synergistically facilitates mesogen alignment during extrusion and disruption-free UV cross-linking. This method achieves a nematic order 3000% higher than NAT-LCEs fabricated using traditional room temperature 3D printing. Enabled by shifting of transition temperature during hybrid cooling printing, printed sheets spontaneously turn into 3D structures after release from the platform, exhibiting bidirectional deformation with heating and cooling. By adjusting the nozzle and plate temperatures, NAT-LCEs with graded properties can be fabricated for intricate shape morphing. A wristband system with enhanced heart rate monitoring is also developed based on 3D-printed NAT-LCE. Our method may open new possibilities for soft robotics, biomedical devices, and wearable electronics.
The present research signifies a new modeling method for calculating the stiffness of braided composites. In previous works, the modeling approach has been related to repetitive unit cells for analysis of braided composites based on a single area or a few added areas. Also, no confirmed modeling method has recently been available for braided composites because of different fibers’ configuration considerations. Therefore, there is no preferred one, and fiber bundle arrangements are complex in practicality; it is unclear whether their shape is straight or curved. Also, the previously proposed mesoscale repetitive unit cell models have many elements and nodes in the finite element analysis phase, so applying periodic boundary and mesh conditions can mislead the results when they are used. So current research proposes a multi-cell multi-domain strategy and verifies it for modeling and computation of mechanical properties while showing the significance of braiding path and manufacturing process. The currently proposed method is tested with selected sections’ configuration and shown for actual braided composites’ scenario. So, according to the literature, the section is modeled as a complex shape with a squeezing effect. Then, that model is analyzed, and calculated properties are verified by the existing methods and found results with a maximum and minimum difference of 2.7% and 0.25%, respectively. Afterward, it is divided into cells, which are then analyzed and checked to determine which number of simplistic division stages can represent a section. It is found that a minimum of 15 divisions can be defined with a maximum 2% difference, and over that has approximately the same results as of the current considered section model. Additionally, the study examines how the elastic constants of 2D braided composites are influenced by the braiding angle and fiber volume fractions.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Chemical technology
Addressing the uncertainty and variability in the quality of 3D printed metals can further the wide spread use of this technology. Process mapping for new alloys is crucial for determining optimal process parameters that consistently produce acceptable printing quality. Process mapping is typically performed by conventional methods and is used for the design of experiments and ex situ characterization of printed parts. On the other hand, in situ approaches are limited because their observable features are limited and they require complex high-cost setups to obtain temperature measurements to boost accuracy. Our method relaxes these limitations by incorporating the temporal features of molten metal dynamics during laser-metal interactions using video vision transformers and high-speed imaging. Our approach can be used in existing commercial machines and can provide in situ process maps for efficient defect and variability quantification. The generalizability of the approach is demonstrated by performing cross-dataset evaluations on alloys with different compositions and intrinsic thermofluid properties.
HYPOTHESIS Materials and colloids science can provide significant contributions to the conservation of Cultural Heritage. Hybrid systems made of a castor oil-derived polymeric network and a disperse phase of zinc oxide particles (ZnO/COPs) can be more effective absorbers of acetic acid (AcOH, a major pollutant harmful to artifacts in museums and art collections) than state-of-the-art materials, provided the acid uptake mechanism by the hybrids is elucidated and optimized. The starting hypothesis was that the polymer matrix might act as transporter, while acid adsorption would take place at the ZnO particles surface. The effect of particles size was expected to play a significant role. EXPERIMENTS The adsorption kinetics of the hybrids were studied in the 23-45˚C range, in comparison with activated charcoal, the benchmark employed by conservators. Morphological and fractal dimension of ZnO micro- and nano-particles in the hybrid networks were investigated and correlated to the adsorption kinetics. FINDINGS The presence of a two-steps mechanism for AcOH uptake by the hybrids was demonstrated for the first time: a combination of Fickian diffusion and Case-II transport occurs in the COP matrix, and adsorption dominates acid uptake (followed by neutralization) at the particles surface. This mechanism is likely key to explain the enhanced performances of the hybrids vs activated charcoal and state-of-the-art tools to remove AcOH. The hybrids have high uptake capacity, and lower activation energies for the removal process than materials where the uptake of acid relies solely on adsorption. The size of the ZnO particles contributes to the process, i.e. nanoparticles form smaller and ramified fractal clusters that are able to adsorb AcOH more effectively than microparticles. These insights demonstrated the efficacy of the novel hybrids in art conservation, where the control of minimal concentrations of VOCs is crucial for the preventive conservation of masterpieces, and can be useful to other fields where efficient capture of acetic acid is critical (food industry, textile dyeing/printing, etc.).
The present article is a review of research works on promising applications of graphene and graphene-based nanostructures. It contains five main scientific subjects. The first one is the research on graphene-based transparent and flexible conductive films for displays and electrodes: efficient method ensuring uniform and controllable deposition of reduced graphene oxide thin films over large areas, large-scale pattern growth of graphene films for stretchble transparent electrodes, utilization of graphene-based transparent conducting films and graphene oxide-based ones in many photonic and optoelectronic devices and equipments such as the window electrodes of inorganic, organic and dye-sensitized solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes, light-emitting electrochemical cells, touch screens, flexible smart windows, graphene-based saturated absorbers in laser cavities for ultrafast generations, graphene-based flexible, transparent heaters in automobile defogging/deicing systems, heatable smart windows, graphene electrodes for high-performance organic field-effect transistors, flexible and transparent acoustic actuators and nanogenerators etc. The second scientific subject is the research on conductive inks for printed electronics to revolutionize the electronic industry by producing cost-effective electronic circuits and sensors in very large quantities: preparing high mobility printable semiconductors, low sintering temperature conducting inks, graphene-based ink by liquid phase exfoliation of graphite in organic solutions, and developing inkjet printing technique for mass production of high-quality graphene patterns with high resolution and for fabricating a variety of good-performance electronic devices, including transparent conductors, embedded resistors, thin-film transistors and micro supercapacitors. The third scientific subject is the research on graphene-based separation membranes: molecular dynamics simulation study on the mechanisms of the transport of molecules, vapors and gases through nanopores in graphene membranes, experimental works investigating selective transport of different molecules through nanopores in single-layer graphene and graphene-based membranes toward the water desalination, chemical mixture separation and gas control. Various applications of graphene in bio-medicine are the contents of the fourth scientific subject of the review. They include the DNA translocations through nanopores in graphene membranes toward the fabrication of devices for genomic screening, in particular DNA sequencing; subnanometre trans-electrode membranes with potential applications to the fabrication of very high resolution, high throughput nanopore-based single-molecule detectors; antibacterial activity of graphene, graphite oxide, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide; nanopore sensors for nucleic acid analysis; utilization of graphene multilayers as the gates for sequential release of proteins from surface; utilization of graphene-based electroresponsive scaffolds as implants for on-demand drug delivery etc. The fifth scientific subject of the review is the research on the utilization of graphene in energy storage devices: ternary self-assembly of ordered metal oxide-graphene nanocomposites for electrochemical energy storage; self-assembled graphene/carbon nanotube hybrid films for supercapacitors; carbon-based supercapacitors fabricated by activation of graphene; functionalized graphene sheet-sulfure nanocomposite for using as cathode material in rechargeable lithium batteries; tunable three-dimensional pillared carbon nanotube-graphene networks for high-performance capacitance; fabrications of electrochemical micro-capacitors using thin films of carbon nanotubes and chemically reduced graphenes; laser scribing of high-performance and flexible graphene-based electrochemical capacitors; emergence of next-generation safe batteries featuring graphene-supported Li metal anode with exceptionally high energy or power densities; fabrication of anodes for lithium ion batteries from crumpled graphene-encapsulated Si nanoparticles; liquid-mediated dense integration of graphene materials for compact capacitive energy storage; scalable fabrication of high-power graphene micro-supercapacitors for flexible and on-chip energy storage; superior micro-supercapacitors based on graphene quantum dots; all-graphene core-sheat microfibres for all-solid-state, stretchable fibriform supercapacitors and wearable electronic textiles; micro-supercapacitors with high electrochemical performance based on three-dimensional graphene-carbon nanotube carpets; macroscopic nitrogen-doped graphene hydrogels for ultrafast capacitors; manufacture of scalable ultra-thin and high power density graphene electrochemical capacitor electrodes by aqueous exfoliation and spray deposition; scalable synthesis of hierarchically structured carbon nanotube-graphene fibers for capacitive energy storage; phosphorene-graphene hybrid material as a high-capacity anode material for sodium-ion batteries. Beside above-presented promising applications of graphene and graphene-based nanostructures, other less widespread, but perhaps not less important, applications of graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials, are also briefly discussed.
Iman Azarian Borojeni, Grzegorz Gajewski, Reza A. Riahi
Air filtration has seen a sizable increase in the global market this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nanofiber nonwoven mats are able to reach certain efficiencies with a low-pressure drop, have a very high surface area to volume ratio, filter out submicron particulates, and can customize the fiber material to better suit its purpose. Although electrospinning nonwoven mats have been very well studied and documented there are not many papers that combine them. This review touches on the various ways to manufacture nonwoven mats for use as an air filter, with an emphasis on electrospinning, the mechanisms by which the fibrous nonwoven air filter stops particles passing through, and ways that the nonwoven mats can be altered by morphology, structure, and material parameters. Metallic, ceramic, and organic nanoparticle coatings, as well as electrospinning solutions with these same materials and their properties and effects of air filtration, are explored.
Chemicals: Manufacture, use, etc., Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Optimum process condition of preparation of porous hydroxyapatite bodies has been successfully achieved using response surface methodology. This optimum process condition is gotten by optimizing the three parameters: porosity, density and compressive strength, through response surface methodology based on central composite design using design-Expert software. This research used replica method to produce porous hydroxyapatite bodies. Analysis of XRD, SEM, and compressive strength test are used to characterize the produced porous hydroxyapatite bodies. The results were then evaluated by response surface methodology method using design-Expert software. Porous hydroxyapatite was characterized by using XRD, SEM, and compressive strength test. Porous hydroxyapatite bodies were obtained with 54.3–65.4% porosity, 1.085–1.436 g/cm3 density, 1.4–6.8 MPa compressive strength, and 70.68–89.13 µm pore sizes. The RSM results revealed that density and porosity were affected by the parameters with R2 0.9218 and 0.9902, respectively, and R2adj 0.8513 and 0.9814, respectively. The optimum condition was obtained at process condition of 9 g hydroxyapatite, 12% sago starch, and 2.5%wt darvan821A with compressive strength response 5.7 MPa, 63.1% porosity, and 1.159 g/cm3 density. The desirability value was 0.795 which was close to 1.0 and considered as acceptable value.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
The cultivation and wet processing of cotton is very harmful to the environment. Recycling of cotton is an important way to reduce its environmental impact. For this purpose, recycled cotton by using it in a mixture with chitosan yarns and the dyeing behavior of fabrics produced from this blend were examined within the scope of sustainable production. Among the reactive, direct and acid dyeings, the highest color depths were obtained from dyeing with direct dye in alkaline medium and in the presence of salt. It was observed that the dyeing temperature was important for leveling dyeing. The fastness results of reactive dyeing were higher than the others. The FTIR analysis interpreted as that polyester might have been mixed during processing into recycled cotton and the presence of chitosan in the blend could be indicated by decreasing band intensities compared to cotton. The SEM images supported the presence of chitosan in the blended fabric. According to the TGA results, the change in temperature at which the maximum weight loss was observed in the blended fabric approached to that of chitosan. The results showed that chitosan and cotton obtained from recycling could be used as a mixture instead of cotton.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
The effect of different dyeing temperatures on the properties of cashmere fibers was characterized and discussed in detail in this research. The influence of dyeing processes on fiber morphology, mechanical properties and chemical characteristics was investigated by using FTIR, SEM, EDS, DFE, alkali solubility, etc. Due to dyeing, the mechanical properties and DFE of cashmere fibers decreased while the alkali solubility increased. The SEM images showed that the high-temperature dyeing caused greater damage to the fiber surface than that of the low-temperature dyeing, which was consistent with the test results of DFE and alkali solubility. The new bands at 1127 and 1042 cm-1 that appeared in FTIR clearly showed the destruction of disulfide bonds. Furthermore, EDS results substantiated that the different amounts of increase of sulfur on different dyed cashmere fibers. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the change of dyeing temperature had obvious effect on the properties of cashmere fibers, and that the dyeing process at a lower temperature was very significant to reduce the cashmere fibers damage.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Machines of chainstitches 104 create imitation of hand stitches 209 from one material side. Every hand stitch is formed from two threads, therefore the seams are more accented and very short length pick stitches are larger than created seams from real hand stitches 209. The length of the hand stitches is determined by the distance between a sewing needle and a hook needle of the machine. To create different length hand stitches a gauge set of the machine has to be changed. Because of different appearance of the stitches on top and bottom fabric surfaces the machines are used for top stitching of seams which are seen on a ready garment from one side only. In men suit manufacturing there are: top stitching of a jacket's lining, top stitching on pockets, fronts, etc. of jackets, vests, trousers. There are also available chainstitch 104 machines which create different variations of the hand stitches: double row hand stitches, parallel hand stitches, angular hand stitches. Comparing with the machines of real hand stitches 209, the machines of chainstitches 104 are much lower priced and have much higher productivity .
Sergei Vladimirovich Grigorev, Ksenia Viktorovna Illarionova, Alexey Vasilevich Konarev
et al.
The study was targeted at naturally colored cotton: white, white with a shade of ash gray, white with a creamy shade, and brown with a shade of marmoreal pink, collected from eighteen lines and cultivars. Metabolites were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. 83 metabolites were studied in cotton fiber. Brown fiber samples differed from white, ash-gray, and creamy ones in the sum of lactic + β-hydroxypropionic acids (>11.0 ppm), concentrations of phosphoric acid (>57.0 ppm) and asparagine (>3.3 ppm), contents of oligo- and monosaccharides, with the maximum for glucose (130.0 ppm), but brown had minimum levels of linolenic acid (>10.0 ppm) and diacylglycerol (>0.1 ppm). Meanwhile, pipecolic acid content was higher in white samples (>2.1 ppm). Brown samples had high contents of glycerol (20.0 ppm), β-sitosterol (>17.0 ppm), and the highest content of phenol-containing compounds (>12.2 ppm), including hydroxybenzoic and salicylic acid (8.0 ppm of each), but erythritol was higher in white samples (2.5 ppm). Properties of bioactive metabolites suggested therapeutic, delicate aseptic, repellent, UV protective, and metal toxicity reducing effects of the studied fibers, and their resistance to biodestruction by pecto- and cellulolytic bacteria and mold fungi, which would make biofunctional textile more comfortable, and hygienic.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Silvan Gantenbein, Emanuele Colucci, Julian Käch
et al.
Biological living materials, such as animal bones and plant stems, are able to self-heal, regenerate, adapt and make decisions under environmental pressures. Despite recent successful efforts to imbue synthetic materials with some of these remarkable functionalities, many emerging properties of complex adaptive systems found in biology remain unexplored in engineered living materials. Here, we report on a three-dimensional printing approach that harnesses the emerging properties of fungal mycelium to create living complex materials that self-repair, regenerate and adapt to the environment while fulfilling an engineering function. Hydrogels loaded with the fungus Ganoderma lucidum are 3D printed into lattice architectures to enable mycelial growth in a balanced exploration and exploitation pattern that simultaneously promotes colonization of the gel and bridging of air gaps. To illustrate the potential of such living complex materials, we 3D print a robotic skin that is mechanically robust, self-cleaning, and able to autonomously regenerate after damage.