Dual-Driven Functional Fabric with High Electrothermal and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency Modified by CuS Nanoparticles

As an ideal substrate for active material integration,fabricsof nanofiber bundles have held great promise due to their outstandingsurface area, unique mechanical flexibility, and textile structure.Herein, a polyethylene nanofiber bundle (PNB) fabric was preparedvia melt blending extrusion followed by chemical deposition of a coppersulfide (CuS) active layer. Benefiting from the high conductivityand the outstanding light absorption characteristics of CuS, CuS/PNBfabrics exhibited excellent photo and electric dual-driven energyconversion performance. Specifically, the CuS/PNB fabrics showed thehighest electrical conductivity (277 S m(-1)), exceptionalJoule heating (up to 85.7 & DEG;C at a voltage of 0.8 V), a low workingvoltage (0.2-0.8 V), and long-term stability. Furthermore,the photo-absorption efficiency and surface temperature reached 94.3%and 91.2 & DEG;C under the irradiation of 1 sun, respectively. Meanwhile,the CuS/PNB fabrics exhibited a high specific evaporation rate ofup to 1.81 kg m(-2) h(-1), as wellas an energy conversion efficiency of 95.1% under one solar irradiation.We believe that such a functional fabric offers a strategy for energyharvesting and conversion fields and displays promising applicationsin warmth-keeping and solar-driven water evaporation in the future.