Comfort-tailored, zero-carbon thermoregulation fabric enabled by shape memory artificial muscles with noticeable amplitude
The escalating demand for personalized thermal-moisture comfort, coupled with the high energy consumption of conventional heating and cooling systems and the imperative for low-carbon energy conservation, has driven the development of shape memory smart fabrics that respond to environmental changes. However, existing shape memory thermal-moisture management fabrics suffer from excessively high response temperatures, inadequate response performance, and suboptimal thermal-moisture management. In this work, a dual-network shape memory polymer (SMP) was synthesized, and its shape memory transition temperature was tuned to align with the human thermal comfort range. The polymer was processed into fibers and subsequently into twisted-coiled artificial muscles to enhance reversible strain. Woven with wool into a plain fabric, the resulting textile exhibits adaptive thermal-moisture management, achieving a warp reversible strain of up to 17.5%. At elevated temperatures, the fabric contracts, exhibiting an air permeability of 1546 mm/s and thermal conductivity of 0.0518 W/(m·K); at lower temperatures, it elongates, with air permeability of 1322 mm/s and thermal conductivity of 0.0426 W/(m·K), thereby realizing 'warm when cool and cool when hot' functionality. Compared with commercial wool fabrics, this smart fabric lowers the skin microenvironment temperature by 1.5 °C and offers an energy savings potential of approximately 222.58 MJ/m² per year in capital cities such as Beijing. This work provides a novel technical pathway and design approach for future personalized comfort and low-carbon, energy-saving textiles.