A team of engineers and chemists from Nanjing University in China has developed a metafabric capable of thermoregulating body temperature in response to external conditions. The work was published in the journal Science.
Central to the innovation is a flexible organic photovoltaic module with heating elements integrated into a specialized microfiber. The fiber helps keep the wearer cool by speeding up heat dissipation, while the solar-powered module can warm the garments through the electrocaloric effect when sunlight is available.
Tests indicate that the metafabricated suit can hold a stable skin temperature between 32°C and 36°C even as ambient conditions range from 12.5°C to 37.6°C.
The researchers say this material offers greater comfort and adaptability compared with earlier temperature-control solutions that relied solely on bulky heating or cooling components. Those older products often proved impractical for everyday wear due to their size and weight.
In related progress from China, researchers have previously explored fabrics engineered to extract uranium from seawater, leveraging textile materials to enable new chemical processes. This line of work demonstrates how advanced fabrics can intersect with energy and materials science to address diverse challenges.