Photothermal Fabric Based on In Situ Growth of CuO@Cu Fractal Dendrite Fiber for Personal Thermal Management

Abstract

Advanced personal thermal management fabrics are being developed to realize improved human body thermal comfort and effectively regulate heat exchange between the human body and surroundings. Fiber‐based thermal management fabrics are directly worn on soft and curved multiple curvature human body. Herein, a flexible photothermal fiber based on copper fractal dendrites with abundant CuO nanowires is designed. Well‐aligned Cu fractal dendrite fiber is electrodeposited template freely via a low‐cost and scalable process in an aqueous solution. Then, flexible CuO@Cu fractal dendritic photothermal fiber is fabricated by direct in situ oxidation and calcination of Cu fractal dendrites. Furthermore, the CuO@Cu fractal dendritic photothermal fiber can be woven into photothermal fabric by the traditional jacquard embroidery process. The temperature of photothermal fabric can be adjusted within the range of 35–65 °C by adjusting the number of photothermal fibers, which can be achieved with comfortable wearing of human thermal management and hot compress of hyperthermia to relieve local pain. Therefore, the Cu fractal dendrites have shown considerable potential for promoting the photothermal conversion of flexible personal thermal management.