Advanced Bionic Textile Materials: From Principles to Functional Applications

Textiles have played a vital role in human civilization throughout history. With advancements in materials science and technology, people are no longer satisfied with the fundamental properties of textiles. This has led to the emergence of various textile materials, including functionalized fabrics, wearable electronic textiles, environmental-remediation fabrics, etc. However, there is still a great challenge to design fabrics with high performance and versatility. Nature offers numerous examples of unique characteristics developed over thousands of years, providing inspiration for the next generation of textile design. This paper provides a comprehensive review of some advanced bionic textile materials, including structural color textiles, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic textiles, thermal and moisture management textiles, wearable electronic textiles, and environmental-remediation textiles. The bionic principles are emphasized, the novelty of bionic design is highlighted, and the results of different bionic designs are also compared. Finally, the challenges, perspectives, and sustainability in these fields are also discussed. This review aims to facilitate a systematic and in-depth understanding of the bionic approach toward textiles.