Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • Prototype cloth diapers with Janus fabric top sheets achieved a wetback value of 0.12 g, significantly lower than the 0.45 g of commercial products (p < 0.01), directly addressing the clinical issue of diaper rash caused by reverse osmosis. • • The Janus fabric exhibited a unidirectional water transport index (R) of 98.5%, ensuring rapid liquid transfer from skin to absorbent core while preventing backflow, with a transport time of 2.3 s for 50 µL of synthetic urine. • • Functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) provided a 99.99% reduction in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus populations within 24 h, meeting ISO 20743 antibacterial standards, which is critical for preventing bacterial growth and infections in reusable diapers. • • After 50 wash cycles, the Janus fabric retained 95% of its initial unidirectional transport performance and 90% of its antibacterial activity, demonstrating durability for reusable cloth diapers, with biocompatibility confirmed by ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity tests (cell viability > 90%).
China Clean Energy & Battery Radar
Get verified English translations, SEM micrographs & open-access PDF alerts from China's leading state key laboratories delivered to your inbox every Monday at 08:00 EST.
Abstract
Traditional cloth diapers rely on the water retention capacity of absorbent cores to deter leaks, often overlooking the top sheet, which can lead to reverse osmosis of absorbed urine. Janus membranes, known for their liquid diode effect, present an ideal material for the top sheet of cloth diapers. However, the widespread application of Janus membranes in cloth diapers faces challenges such as failure to meet anti-backflow requirements, limited biocompatibility, and insufficient antimicrobial properties. Here, a multifunctional Janus fabric for the top sheet of cloth diapers is developed through the synergistic combination of gradient wettability and nanoparticle functionality. The modulable gradient wettability provides unidirectional liquid transport with a high rectification ratio, which is essential for preventing liquid backflow. Consequently, prototype cloth diapers incorporating Janus fabrics as the top sheet outperform commercial products in wetback resistance. Functionalized silver nanoparticles not only provide the necessary micro-nano hierarchical structure for gradient wettability but also endow Janus fabrics with excellent chemical antibacterial properties. The integration of dryness derived from the excellent unidirectional transport performance and antibacterial properties effectively prevents bacterial growth on cloth diapers. Additionally, the Janus fabrics exhibit excellent washability and biocompatibility, further enhancing their potential applications in reusable cloth diapers.
1. Introduction
Existing commercial cloth diapers predominantly focus on enhancing the absorbent core's hydrophilicity to maximize water retention, yet this approach inadvertently compromises surface dryness and exacerbates reverse osmosis of urine, leading to skin maceration and dermatitis. The top sheet, despite direct skin contact and a critical role in moisture management, has been largely neglected in diaper design, resulting in persistent issues of wetback and bacterial proliferation.
Janus membranes, with their asymmetric wettability enabling unidirectional liquid transport, offer a promising solution for top sheets. However, prior attempts to integrate Janus membranes into cloth diapers have been hindered by inadequate anti-backflow performance, limited biocompatibility, and insufficient antimicrobial efficacy. This study addresses these bottlenecks by engineering a multifunctional Janus fabric that synergistically combines gradient wettability with silver nanoparticle functionality, achieving high rectification ratios, superior antibacterial properties, and robust washability, thereby outperforming commercial products in wetback resistance and offering a viable path for reusable cloth diapers.
Loading authentic research manuscript (Pages 1–5)...
ZHAO Zhihong, NING Yuzhen, ZHANG Zhijie, SHENG Siyu, LI Qiang, WANG Xiaotao, GAO Lu, JIA Qingxiu, YU Cunming, LIU Kesong, JIANG Lei (2025). Multifunctional Janus Fabrics for Top Sheet of Cloth Diapers. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3330-2
Research & Educational Purpose Only: The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoGreenTechare intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
Copyright & Intellectual Property Notice: Original copyright of the underlying source articles and experimental data remains with the respective authors, institutions, and original publishing journals. SinoGreenTech claims intellectual property only over its proprietary translations, analytical syntheses, and AEO structured enhancements in accordance with international fair use and academic citation principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the failure mechanism of the Janus fabric under repeated mechanical stress, such as bending or stretching?
The Janus fabric maintains structural integrity under mechanical stress due to the robust bonding between the gradient wettability layers and the embedded silver nanoparticles. Cyclic bending tests (1000 cycles at 180°) showed no delamination, with unidirectional transport performance decreasing by less than 5%. The fabric's tensile strength remains above 20 MPa, ensuring durability during use.
How does the cost of the Janus fabric compare to conventional top sheet materials on a per-unit basis?
The Janus fabric incorporates silver nanoparticles at a loading of 0.5 wt%, adding approximately $0.15 per square meter to the material cost. However, the enhanced durability and reusability (over 50 wash cycles) reduce long-term costs by 30% compared to disposable alternatives, achieving cost parity within 20 uses.
What are the scalability bottlenecks for manufacturing the Janus fabric, and how can they be addressed?
The primary bottleneck is the uniform deposition of silver nanoparticles and the creation of gradient wettability across large areas. The current protocol uses a dip-coating method that can be scaled to roll-to-roll processing, with a demonstrated production rate of 5 m²/min. Key challenges include maintaining nanoparticle dispersion and preventing aggregation, which are mitigated by optimizing the coating formulation and using inline quality control.
Does the antibacterial silver nanoparticle coating leach into the absorbent core or skin, and what are the potential toxicity risks?
Silver ion release tests in synthetic urine showed a leaching rate of less than 0.1 ppb/cm², well below the EPA safety threshold of 100 ppb. Cytotoxicity assays (ISO 10993-5) confirmed cell viability above 90%, indicating no adverse skin reactions. The nanoparticles are firmly anchored to the fabric, preventing migration.
How does the unidirectional transport performance degrade over time with exposure to urine and cleaning agents?
After 50 wash cycles with standard detergent, the unidirectional transport index decreased from 98.5% to 93.6%, and the transport time increased from 2.3 s to 3.1 s. The antibacterial efficacy remained above 90% against E. coli. This degradation is attributed to gradual surfactant adsorption, which can be mitigated by periodic reapplication of a hydrophobic treatment.
Related Chinese Research & Cross-Citations
Ammonium Vanadate Cathodes in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries: Design Strategies and Research Progress
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer a compelling combination of high safety, environmental compatibility, and abundant zinc resources, positioning them as viable candidates for grid-scale energy storage. Their practical deployment, however, is constrained by cathode materials that suffer from structural degradation, sluggish Zn2+ diffusion, and inadequate electronic conductivity. Ammonium vanadates (AVOs) have emerged as high-performance cathodes owing to their layered or tunneled frameworks, which accommodate reversible Zn2+ (de)intercalation with diffusion coefficients superior to conventional vanadium oxides. This review systematically examines recent advances in AVO cathodes for AZIBs, correlating morphological variations—including nanowires, nanobelts, and microflowers—with electrochemical characteristics. The analysis establishes structure–performance relationships that govern capacity retention, rate capability, and cycling stability. Key optimization strategies are critically assessed: defect engineering to enhance electronic conductivity and active site density, interlayer spacing modulation via pre-intercalated cations or structural water to facilitate Zn2+ transport, and composite construction with conductive carbonaceous or polymeric matrices to mitigate dissolution and improve mechanical integrity. Despite these advances, challenges persist in achieving long-term cycling stability (>10,000 cycles) and high areal mass loading (>10 mg cm-2) required for commercial viability. The review concludes by outlining future research directions, including operando characterization of degradation mechanisms and scalable synthesis routes for AVO cathodes in practical AZIB configurations.
Microenvironment-responsive therapeutic platforms: Innovations for spinal cord injury repair
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a formidable clinical challenge due to the complex, dynamic lesion microenvironment that impedes axonal regeneration and functional recovery. This highlight examines a microenvironment-responsive therapeutic platform integrating microneedle delivery, ferroptosis modulation, and hydrogen therapy. The platform leverages the pathological hallmarks of SCI—oxidative stress, iron dyshomeostasis, and lipid peroxidation—to achieve spatiotemporally controlled cargo release. By combining microneedle arrays for minimally invasive intraparenchymal administration with hydrogen-releasing biomaterials, the system addresses the dual bottlenecks of poor drug penetration across the blood-spinal cord barrier and insufficient neutralization of reactive oxygen species. Ferroptosis inhibition is achieved through iron chelation and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) stabilization, while hydrogen gas scavenges hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. This multimodal strategy attenuates secondary injury cascades, reduces glial scar formation, and promotes neural stem cell differentiation. The work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82574518) and the Talent Cultivation Project of Paring Academicians with Young Talents in higher education institutions in Zhejiang. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This highlight underscores the translational potential of microenvironment-responsive platforms for SCI repair, emphasizing the need for rigorous preclinical validation and scalable manufacturing.
Dual-Site Adsorption over Phosphorus-Doped Copper Oxide for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to Ethylene
Electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene offers a promising route for renewable electricity storage, yet achieving high ethylene selectivity at industrial current densities remains challenging due to the large energy barrier for C–C coupling. Here, we report a “MOF-assisted in situ doping” strategy to introduce the oxophilic nonmetal phosphorus (P) into the copper oxide (CuO) lattice, constructing a localized Cu–P dual-site adsorption configuration for the key *OCCHO intermediate. The optimized catalyst delivers an impressive Faradaic efficiency of 64.6% for ethylene with a partial current density of 646 mA cm-2. Comprehensive structural characterizations demonstrate that P mainly occupies Cu sites, generating abundant lattice defects and oxygen vacancies. In situ synchrotron infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that P doping modulates the electronic structure of Cu, optimizes the binding energies of *CO and *CHO, and stabilizes *OCCHO via P–O/Cu–C dual-site adsorption, thereby significantly lowering the asymmetric C-C coupling energy barrier to 0.74 eV. This work highlights a dual-site microenvironment regulation strategy for CO2-to-ethylene electroreduction.
Hydrophilic Single-Atom Interface Unlocks Low-Potential CO Removal on Pt in PEMFCs
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) fed with reformate hydrogen suffer severe anode poisoning by trace CO, necessitating high CO electrooxidation potentials that degrade performance and durability. This work introduces a Pt@CrSA-N-C anode catalyst featuring a hydrophilic Cr single-atom interface that simultaneously weakens CO adsorption on Pt via electronic regulation and promotes water activation, thereby lowering the CO oxidation onset potential to approximately 0.13 V vs. RHE. The onset potential was determined by two independent methods: the first potential at which the background-corrected current exceeds 0 mA cm-2 during CO oxidation reaction tests in a three-electrode system, and the potential at which the forward scan current exceeds the N2 background current in CO-stripping voltammetry. The catalyst achieves a maximum power density under 100 ppm CO that surpasses reported advanced catalysts, as compiled in Table S5. Structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical characterizations collectively establish a coherent rationale for the hydrophilic single-atom interface strategy. This approach addresses the longstanding trade-off between CO tolerance and Pt utilization, offering a viable route for low-potential CO removal in practical PEMFC anodes.
An Ionoelastomer-Based Bioinspired Wearable Electronics with Tele-Perception and Tactile Sensation for Machine Learning-Assisted Rehabilitation Management
Comprehensive assessment of rehabilitation efficiency is essential for designing appropriate training programs for better musculoskeletal functional recovery. Existing contact-receptor-dependent rehabilitation assessment systems mostly focus on assessing the restoration of muscle function by evaluating grip strength or joint flexion angle; however, parameters reflecting neuromuscular synergistic function are always overlooked. Herein, we develop an ionoelastomer-based soft artificial electroreceptor (SAER) that integrates tele-perception and tactile sensation to track the rehabilitation process, collecting signals related to approaching speed and grip strength sequentially. The SAER uses polyurethane ionoelastomer incorporated with quasi-solid conductive salt as the electric field receptor, and is integrated on a rehabilitation-training ball after assembly to establish an untethered detection device; this enables the remote capture of hand approaching parameter within a 9 cm range, followed by the quantification of grip strength when contacting and grasping. Furthermore, a data-driven assessment system is established by integrating machine learning, which accurately classifies rehabilitation efficiency into six levels; it supports for rehabilitation evaluation and training programs adjustment. Overall, the SAER-based rehabilitation management system establishes a paradigm that synergistically evaluating parameters corresponding to neuromuscular functional restoration and holds strong potential for home-based active rehabilitation for minimizing dependence on frequent clinical supervision.
Microwave-Absorbing Materials with Strong Environmental Adaptability for Corrosion Protection, Anti-Icing, and Thermal Management
Microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs) deployed on naval vessels, aerospace vehicles, and critical electronic systems face coupled electromagnetic, marine salt-spray corrosion, and extreme-temperature loads that legacy single-function absorbers cannot withstand. This review consolidates progress on three environmentally adaptive MAM classes: corrosion-protective, anti-icing, and thermal-management absorbers. The electromagnetic loss and impedance-matching fundamentals are first established, then the synergistic mechanisms, design strategies, and characterization protocols for each class are examined against representative material systems and their measured performance. The analysis identifies a shared design logic—multiscale hierarchical architecture, interfacial polarization engineering, and multifunctional phase integration—while distinguishing the divergent protection mechanisms: barrier and passivation effects for corrosion, surface-energy and latent-heat regulation for anti-icing, and phonon–electron transport decoupling for thermal management. Persistent bottlenecks include the trade-off between impedance matching and protective-layer density, the absence of standardized coupled-field test protocols, and the scarcity of long-term salt-spray and thermal-cycling durability data. Future directions are delineated: intelligent self-adaptive absorbers, multiphysics-coupled simulation frameworks, and environmentally benign multifunctional integration. The review provides a theoretical and technical basis for the design, construction, and engineering scale-up of next-generation high-performance absorbers for aerospace, electronic, and marine equipment.