Biospired Janus Silk E-Textiles with Wet–Thermal Comfort for Highly Efficient Biofluid Monitoring
Xuecheng He, Chuan Fan, Tailin Xu, Xueji Zhang
Abstract
Functionalized textiles capable of biofluid administration are favorable for enhancing the wet–thermal comfort of the wearer and healthcare performance. Herein, inspired by the Janus wettability of lotus leaf, we propose a skin-comfortable Janus electronic textile (e-textile) based on natural silk materials for managing and analysis of biofluid. Silk materials are chosen and modified as both a textile substrate and a sensing electrode due to its natural biocompatibility. The unidirectional biofluid behavior of such Janus silk substrate facilitates a comfortable skin microenvironment, including weakening the undesired wet adhesion (∼0 mN cm –2 ) and avoiding excessive heat or cold on the epidermis. We noninvasively analyze multiple targets of human sweat with less required liquid volume (∼5 μL) and a faster (2–3 min) response time based on the silk-based yarn electrode woven into the hydrophilic side of Janus silk. This work bridges the gap between physiological comfort and sensing technology using biomass-derived elements, presenting a new type of smart textiles for wet–thermal management and health monitoring.