Advancements and challenges in thermoregulating textiles: Smart clothing for enhanced personal thermal management

Abstract

This review addresses the burgeoning field of thermoregulating textiles, highlighting their role in enhancing human thermal comfort and reducing building energy consumption. It delves into the development and application of smart textiles, leveraging novel materials and methods to regulate heat transfer between human skin and the environment. The review systematically explores various thermoregulating strategies, including radiative, conductive and responsive mechanisms in both active/passive and bidirectional textile systems. It provides a critical analysis of the strengths and limitations of these smart textiles and identifies crucial challenges in the field. Furthermore, it offers forward-looking insights into future research trajectories in the rapidly evolving domain of advanced thermoregulating clothing. The roadmap for future development in thermoregulating textiles includes enhancing current materials, innovating new solutions and ultimately establishing global standards for widespread, versatile applications across various industries