Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A novel non-solvent induced phase separation method using CaCl2 and fluorinated polyurethane enables scalable fabrication of highly permeable protective textiles (HPPT) with micro/nano-network structures. • The optimized HPPT achieves a balance between protection and comfort: high hydrostatic pressure (12.86 kPa) and small pore size (1.03 μm) ensure liquid repellency, while high porosity (69%) and interconnected pores provide excellent air (14.24 mm/s) and moisture (7.92 kg/m²/d) permeability. • Molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic phase transition observations reveal the diffusion–dissolution–phase separation mechanism, offering theoretical guidance for pore structure regulation in protective textiles. • The HPPT outperforms commercial protective materials in comfort, presenting a promising solution to enhance healthcare worker performance and well-being during prolonged wear.
Abstract
Current protective clothing often lacks sufficient comfort to ensure efficient performance of healthcare workers. Developing protective textiles with high air and moisture permeability is a potential and effective solution to discomfort of medical protective clothing. However, realizing the facile production of a protective textile that combines safety and comfort remains a challenge. Herein, we report the fabrication of highly permeable protective textiles (HPPT) with micro/nano-networks, using non-solvent induced phase separation synergistically driven by CaCl2 and fluorinated polyurethane, combined with spraying technique. The HPPT demonstrates excellent liquid repellency and comfort, ensuring high safety and a dry microenvironment for the wearer. The textile exhibits not only a high hydrostatic pressure (12.86 kPa) due to its tailored small mean pore size (1.03 μm) and chemical composition, but also demonstrates excellent air permeability (14.24 mm s−1) and moisture permeability (7.92 kg m−2 d−1) owing to the rational combination of small pore size and high porosity (69%). The HPPT offers superior comfort compared to the commercially available protective materials. Additionally, we elucidated a molding mechanism synergistically inducted by diffusion–dissolution-phase separation. This research provides an innovative perspective on enhancing the comfort of medical protective clothing and offers theoretical support for regulating of pore structure during phase separations.
1. Introduction
Demand and significance of protective clothing for healthcare workers have significantly increased in recent years since COVID-19 pandemic. These protective textiles are crucial for safeguarding the lives of healthcare workers [1–3]. With ongoing advancements in hygiene standards and quality of life, there is a growing demand for protective materials that offer effective protection while ensuring adequate comfort [4]. Comfort of a textile is triggered by its ability to facilitate effective air and moisture transport [5, 6]. Inefficient comfort characteristics may accumulate heat and moisture, leading to fatigue and restricted wearer performance [7]. Furthermore, it may also result in skin allergies, heat stroke, and even fainting, especially during long shifts that many healthcare workers faced at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic [8–10].
In recent decades, the development of medical protective garments has made great progress in providing enhanced protection from various microorganisms and external fluids, including water and blood [11]. However, relatively little attention has been given to the comfort aspects of protective textiles designed for healthcare workers. Therefore, the critical balance between protective barrier capacity and the wearability of protective membranes—factors that can significantly influence worker performance—remains largely overlooked [12]. Thus, it is essential to design and develop protective textiles capable of providing high comfort without compromising robust protection capability, thereby ensuring a balance between protective barrier capacity and wearing comfort.
Currently, several protective clothing materials are commercially available such as polypropylene melt-blown non-wovens, polyester spun bond non-wovens, PTFE microporous membranes, and cellulose spun bond non-wovens. They are being produced at mass scale and have satisfactory protective properties [13, 14]. Nevertheless, they exhibit poor air and moisture permeability, which is further compromised when subjected to multilayer compounding and reduced pore size, leading to significant discomfort. To address the problem of discomfort, scientists have been making intensive efforts to design protective clothing using traditional woven and non-woven textiles [15]. Various functional materials have been coupled with traditional textiles via coating and la
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Na Meng, Yuen Hu, Yufei Zhang, Ningbo Cheng, Yanyan Lin, Chengfeng Ding, Qingyu Chen, Shaoju Fu, Zhaoling Li, Xianfeng Wang, Jianyong Yu, Bin Ding (2025). Highly Permeable and Liquid-Repellent Textiles with Micro-Nano-Networks for Medical and Health Protection. Nano-Micro Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01716-1
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are highly permeable protective textiles (HPPT) and how are they fabricated?
HPPT are advanced protective textiles with micro/nano-network structures that offer both high liquid repellency and excellent air/moisture permeability. They are fabricated using a non-solvent induced phase separation method synergistically driven by CaCl2 and fluorinated polyurethane, combined with a spraying technique.
How do HPPT achieve both protection and comfort?
HPPT achieve a balance by having a small mean pore size (1.03 μm) and low surface energy for liquid repellency (high hydrostatic pressure of 12.86 kPa), while maintaining high porosity (69%) and interconnected pores for superior air (14.24 mm/s) and moisture (7.92 kg/m²/d) permeability, thus ensuring wearer comfort.
What is the significance of the micro/nano-network structure in HPPT?
The micro/nano-network structure provides a high surface area and interconnected pore channels, which are crucial for achieving both high protection (by blocking liquids) and high breathability (by allowing air and moisture transport). This structure is key to overcoming the traditional trade-off between safety and comfort in protective clothing.
How does the HPPT compare to commercially available protective materials?
The HPPT offers superior comfort compared to commercial protective materials like polypropylene melt-blown non-wovens and PTFE microporous membranes, which typically have poor air and moisture permeability. The HPPT maintains high protection while significantly improving breathability, making it more suitable for prolonged wear by healthcare workers.
What is the molding mechanism of HPPT?
The molding mechanism of HPPT is synergistically induced by diffusion–dissolution–phase separation. This process, driven by CaCl2 and fluorinated polyurethane, leads to the formation of the micro/nano-network structure. Molecular dynamics simulations and dynamic phase transition observations were used to analyze and illustrate this mechanism, providing theoretical support for pore structure regulation.
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