Integrated Solar-thermal Conversion, Heat Collection and Antibacterial Properties of Composite Fabrics: A Case Study of PEG@SiO₂ Microcapsules Intercalated within MXene Interlayer Coatings

Composite fabrics with integrated photothermal conversion, heat collection, and antibacterial properties are urgently needed to enhance personal thermal management in northern cold regions. Herein, a designed sandwich-like structure, in which PEG@SiO2 microcapsules were intercalated into the MXene interlayers (PEG@SiO2/MXene), was proposed to achieve the fast solar-thermal conversion and the surplus solar-generated heat storage and release and even further corresponding fabrics with antibacterial properties for the personal thermal management. Remarkably, the prepared PEG@SiO2/MXene (PSM) exhibited fast solar-to-heat conversion, followed-on heat storage ability, with an average temperature rising rate of 8.1 °C/min under one-sunlight irradiation and a phase change enthalpy of 155.7 J/g. Furthermore, under one-sunlight irradiation, the designed antibacterial composite fabrics with PSM coatings could greatly increase the local working temperature from 1 °C to 27.3 °C compared with the reference traditional cotton fabrics (from only 1 °C to 6.5 °C). This work provides a potential multifunctional composite material/fabric for the development of personal thermal management in outdoor sunlight applications.