Antioxidant MXene-based flame retardant cotton fabrics for sensing and personal thermal management

Ti3C2Tx MXene-based textiles are gaining rapid attention for next-generation wearable technologies. However, drawbacks of MXene, such as susceptibility to oxidative degradation, poor adhesion to fabrics, and low flame-retardant efficiency, hinder its applications. Herein, we proposed a collaborative interfacial strategy to fabricate a durable, antioxidant Mxene-based cotton fabric (C-E-FR-cotton) that exhibited flame retardancy, sensing, and thermal management. A long-term stable MXene dispersion was prepared by surface modification of MXene. Then, MXene was firmly adhered to the fabric by hydrogen bonding and selective cross-linking processes. Flammability test results demonstrated that the C-E-FR-cotton fabric had excellent flame retardancy, with a limiting oxygen index value (LOI) of 36.8%. The fabric retained its electrical stability, exhibiting only a negligible change in resistance even after 20 washing cycles. Besides, signal output of the fabric remained stable during 4000 s of compression-release cycles testing, demonstrating durable sensing capability. Furthermore, the C-E-FR-cotton achieved thermal regulation, including electrothermal heating (76 oC at 10 V), photothermal warming (53.5 oC under 1000 W·m−2), and radiative insulation equivalent to four cotton layers. This work presents a practical strategy to develop MXene-based textiles with enhanced antioxidant capacity, fire safety, and capabilities for sensing and personal thermal management.