Scalable Production of Leaf-Stomata-Inspired Moisture-Responsive Knitted Fabric for Personal Thermal and Moisture Management

Thermal and moisture management of fabrics is critical for maintaining human comfort during physical activities and across variable climates. Inspired by leaf stomata, we developed a leaf stomata-like fabric (LSF) that leveraged spatial asymmetry in swelling coefficients to open artificial stomata within 5 s after exposure to moisture. The air permeability of LSF under wet conditions surged by nearly 100% compared to its dry conditions. And the LSF outperformed the reported flap structure fabric (FSF) and conventional fabric (CF) by 70% and 360%, respectively. In terms of thermal regulation, the maximum heat flux (Q_max) of the LSF was reduced by 40% and 50% compared to the FSF and CF, effectively alleviating post-sweating chill. The unique structure decreased wet fabric- body skin adhesion by 16% and 70% compared to FSF and CF, respectively, due to stomatal areas bulging, while maintaining tactile comfort. The LSF demonstrated stable, reversible pore actuation and rapid moisture responsiveness after 100 washing cycles. Wear trials confirmed a 0.96°C reduction in microclimate temperature, enabling at least 1°C increase in indoor air-conditioning temperature setpoints without weakening human comfort, thereby reducing building cooling consumption. Due to high performance with scalable manufacturing, LSF offers a commercial pathway for next-generation responsive textiles.