The COVID-19 pandemic has hugely affected the textile and apparel industry. Besides the negative impact due to supply chain disruptions, drop in demand, liquidity problems, and overstocking, this pandemic was found to be a window of opportunity since it accelerated the ongoing digitalization trends and the use of functional materials in the textile industry. This review paper covers the development of smart and advanced textiles that emerged as a response to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. We extensively cover the advancements in developing smart textiles that enable monitoring and sensing through electrospun nanofibers and nanogenerators. Additionally, we focus on improving medical textiles mainly through enhanced antiviral capabilities, which play a crucial role in pandemic prevention, protection, and control. We summarize the challenges that arise from personal protective equipment (PPE) disposal and finally give an overview of new smart textile-based products that emerged in the markets related to the control and spread reduction of SARS-CoV-2.

• Klíčová slova
• COVID-19, medical textiles, smart textiles, telemedicine, textiles for diagnostic and prevention of diseases,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Magneto-responsive textiles have emerged lately as an important carrier in various fields, including biomedical engineering. To date, most research has been performed on single magnetic fibers and focused mainly on the physical characterization of magnetic textiles. Herein, from simple woven and non-woven textiles we engineered materials with magnetic properties that can become potential candidates for a smart magnetic platform for heating treatments. Experiments were performed on tissue-mimicking materials to test the textiles' heating efficiency in the site of interest. When the heat was induced with magneto-responsive textiles, the temperature increase in tissue-mimicking phantoms depended on several factors, such as the type of basic textile material, the concentration of magnetic nanoparticles deposited on the textile's surface, and the number of layers covering the phantom. The values of temperature elevation, achieved with the use of magnetic textiles, are sufficient for potential application in magnetic hyperthermia therapies and as heating patches or bandages.

• Klíčová slova
• magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic textiles, smart materials, tissue-mimicking phantom,
• MeSH
• indukovaná hypertermie * MeSH
• magnetismus MeSH
• textilie MeSH
• vysoká teplota MeSH
• vytápění * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

In this paper, the surface area of coated polymer-based textiles, i.e., copper and nickel plated woven polyester fabric, copper and acrylic coated woven polyester fabric, and copper and acrylic coated non-woven polyamide fabric, is investigated. In order to evaluate the surface area of the woven fabrics, Peirce's geometrical model of the interlacing point and measurement using an electron microscope are used. Non-woven fabrics are evaluated using an optical method, handmade method, and MATLAB functions. An electrochemical method, based on the measurement of the resistance between two electrodes, is used for relative comparison of the effective surface area of the coated woven and non-woven fabrics. The experimental results show that the measured and calculated warp lengths do not differ within the standard deviation. The model for the surface area evaluation of the Pierce's geometrical model for monofilament (non-fibrous) yarns is extended to multifilament yarns and to a uniform sample size. The experimental results show the increasing trend of surface area evaluation using both modeling and electrochemical methods, i.e., the surface area of the copper and acrylic coated woven Polyester fabric (PES) is the smallest surface area of investigated samples, followed by the surface area of the copper and acrylic coated non-woven fabric, and by copper and nickel plated woven PES fabric. These methods can be used for surface area evaluation of coated polymer-based textiles in the development of supercapacitors, electrochemical cells, or electrochemical catalysts.

• Klíčová slova
• electrically conductive textiles, polymers, smart textiles, surface area evaluation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

In the field of textile comfort of smart textiles, the breathability of the material is very important. That includes the flow of air, water and water vapours through the textile material. All these experiments are time consuming and costly; only air permeability is much faster and economical. The research is performed to find correlation between these phenomena of breathability and to predict the permeability based on only the air permeability measurement. Furthermore, it introduces a new way of expressing the Ret (water vapour resistance) unit according to SI standards as it is connected with the air permeability of garments. The need to find a correlation between air permeability and water vapour permeability is emphasised in order to facilitate the assessment of clothing comfort. The results show that there is a strong relation between air permeability and water vapour permeability for most of the textile material.

• Klíčová slova
• air permeability, breathability, medical textiles, resistance, water vapour,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

It is of great significance to develop phase change materials (PCMs) with high performance. The reported PCMs usually possess serious defects like low heat capacity and poor thermal stability. Here, core-sheath structured nanofibers with polyvinyl butyral (PVB) as the sheath and octadecane as the core were fabricated by melt coaxial electrospinning. Pure octadecane without any solvents was used as the core solution, thus, the optimal sample possessed very high latent heat up to 118 J g-1. We studied the influence of core feed rate and PVB solution concentration on the encapsulation rate, and the highest encapsulation rate was found when the PVB concentration was 10% and core feed rate was 0.08 mL h-1. And hexagonal cesium tungsten bronze (Cs x WO3, a near infrared absorber) was introduced into the optimal sample partly to improve its conversion efficiency of solar to thermal energy, and partly absorb uncomfortable infrared light; the composite phase change material also possessed high latent heat up to 96.9 J g-1. In addition, 100 thermal cycle test proved that with a minor latent heat decrease, the prepared core-sheath structured smart nanofibers had good thermal stability, which overcomes the leakage problem of pure octadecane. Additionally, the 9 wt% Cs x WO3-loaded sample had an increase in tensile strength and elongation compared with the sample without Cs x WO3, indicating the good compatibility between Cs x WO3 and PVB.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Here we present a new effective antibacterial material suitable for a coating, e.g., surface treatment of textiles, which is also time and financially undemanding. The most important role is played by hydrophobic carbon quantum dots, as a new type of photosensitizer, produced by carbonization of different carbon precursors, which are incorporated by swelling from solution into various polymer matrices in the form of thin films, in particular polyurethanes, which are currently commercially used for industrial surface treatment of textiles. The role of hydrophobic carbon quantum dots is to work as photosensitizers upon irradiation and produce reactive oxygen species, namely singlet oxygen, which is already known as the most effective radical for elimination different kinds of bacteria on the surface or in close proximity to such modified material. Therefore, we have mainly studied the effect of hydrophobic carbon quantum dots on Staphylococcus aureus and the cytotoxicity tests, which are essential for the safe handling of such material. Also, the production of singlet oxygen by several methods (electron paramagnetic spectroscopy, time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy), surface structures (atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurement), and the effect of radiation on polymer matrices were studied. The prepared material is easily modulated by end-user requirements.

• Klíčová slova
• Antibacterial activity, Hydrophobic carbon quantum dots, Nanocomposite, Photodynamic therapy, Radicals,
• MeSH
• antibakteriální látky chemie   MeSH
• biofilmy MeSH
• biokompatibilní potahované materiály chemie   MeSH
• chytré materiály chemie   MeSH
• fotosenzibilizující látky chemie   MeSH
• hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce MeSH
• kvantové tečky chemie   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• povrchové vlastnosti MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus   MeSH
• singletový kyslík chemie   MeSH
• Staphylococcus aureus MeSH
• uhlík chemie   MeSH
• viabilita buněk účinky léků   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antibakteriální látky MeSH
• biokompatibilní potahované materiály MeSH
• chytré materiály MeSH
• fotosenzibilizující látky MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku MeSH
• singletový kyslík MeSH
• uhlík MeSH

Health concerns as a result of harmful UV-rays drive the development of UV-sensors of different kinds. In this research, a UV-responsive smart textile is produced by inkjet printing and UV-LED curing of a specifically designed photochromic ink on PET fabric. This paper focuses on tuning and characterizing the colour performance of a photochromic dye embedded in a UV-curable ink resin. The influence of industrial fabrication parameters on the crosslinking density of the UV-resin and hence on the colour kinetics is investigated. A lower crosslinking density of the UV-resin increases the kinetic switching speed of the photochromic dye molecules upon isomerization. By introducing an extended kinetic model, which defines rate constants k colouration, k decay and k decolouration, the colour performance of photochromic textiles can be predicted. Fabrication parameters present a flexible and fast alternative to polymer conjugation to control kinetics of photochromic dyes in a resin. In particular, industrial fabrication parameters during printing and curing of the photochromic ink are used to set the colour yield, colouration/decolouration rates and the durability, which are important characteristics towards the development of a UV-sensor for smart textile applications.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Rapid progress on developing smart materials and design of hybrids is motivated by pressing challenges associated with energy crisis and environmental remediation. While emergence of versatile classes of nanomaterials has been fascinating, the real excitement lies in the design of hybrid materials with tunable properties. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are the key materials for gas sorption and electrochemical applications, but their sustainability is challenged by limited chemical stability, poor electrical conductivity, and intricate, inaccessible pores. Despite tremendous efforts towards improving the stability of MOF materials, little progress has made researchers inclined toward developing hybrid materials. MXenes, a family of two-dimensional transition-metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides, are known for their compositional versatility and formation of a range of structures with rich surface chemistry. Hybridization of MOFs with functional layered MXene materials may be beneficial if the host structure provides appropriate interactions for stabilizing and improving the desired properties. Recent efforts have focused on integrating Ti3C2Tx and V2CTx MXenes with MOFs to result in hybrid materials with augmented electrochemical and physicochemical properties, widening the scope for emerging applications. This review discusses the potential design strategies of MXene@MOF hybrids, attributes of tunable properties in the resulting hybrids, and their applications in water treatment, sensing, electrochemical energy storage, smart textiles, and electrocatalysis. Comprehensive discussions on the recent efforts on rapidly evolving MXene@MOF materials for various applications and potential future directions are highlighted.

• Klíčová slova
• Ti3C2Tx MXene, catalysis, derivatives, energy storage, environmental remediation, hybrids, metal−organic frameworks, metal−sulfur batteries, smart textiles,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The growth of IoT and wearable electronics demands sustainable energy solutions beyond short-lived, waste-generating batteries. RF energy harvesting offers a self-powered alternative by capturing ambient RF energy. However, implementing this technology on textile substrates remains challenging due to material incompatibility, ink toxicity, substrate porosity, and scalability constraints. This study addresses these challenges by developing optimized fabrication techniques for printed textile rectennas operating at 2.45 GHz. It focuses on conductive ink formulations tailored for textiles, scalable integration methods such as screen-printing and doctor blade techniques, and improved attachment methods for lumped components, ensuring full integration of a microstrip patch antenna and rectifier circuit onto fabric. The research systematically examines the impact of substrate porosity, ink adhesion, material losses, mechanical deformation, dielectric variability, and surface roughness on energy harvesting efficiency. Additionally, it promotes environmentally sustainable solutions by reducing reliance on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and complex fabrication processes. Electromagnetic simulations and experimental validations confirm the rectenna's capability to harvest 2.4 GHz ISM band energy, despite challenges such as dielectric sensitivity and conductive ink losses. This work establishes a scalable, cost-effective framework for next-generation wearable and IoT applications, advancing flexible electronics and self-sustaining smart textiles.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Gold-sulfur interaction has vital importance in nanotechnologies and material chemistry to design functional nanoparticles, self-assembled monolayers, or molecular complexes. In this paper, a mixture of only two basic precursors, such as the chloroauric acid (HAu(III)Cl4) and a thiol molecule (p-fluorothiophenol (p-HSPhF)), are used for the synthesis of gold(I)-thiolate coordination polymers. Under different conditions of synthesis and external stimuli, five different functional materials with different states of [Au(I)(p-SPhF)]n can be afforded. These gold-thiolate compounds are (i) red emissive, flexible, and crystalline fibers; (ii) composite materials made of these red emissive fibers and gold nanoparticles; (iii) amorphous phase; (iv) transparent glass; and (v) amorphous-to-crystalline phase-change material associated with an ON/OFF switch of luminescence. The different functionalities of these materials highlight the great versatility of the gold(I) thiolate coordination polymers with easy synthesis and diverse shaping that may have great potential as sustainable phosphors, smart textiles, sensors, and phase change memories.

• Klíčová slova
• composite material, coordination polymer glass, gold−thiolate, phase change, photoluminescence,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH