Silica-Based Core-Shell Nanocapsules: A Facile Route to Functional Textile

In this work, we present a surfactant-free miniemulsion approach to obtain silica-based core-shell nanocapsules with a phase change material (PCM) core via in-situ hydrolytic polycondensation of precursor hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxanes (PEOS) as silica shells. The obtained silica-based core-shell nanocapsules (PCM@SiO2), with diameters of ~400 nm and silica shells of ~14 nm, reached the maximum core content of 65%. The silica shell had basically no significant influence on the phase change behavior of PCM, and the PCM@SiO2 exhibited a high enthalpy of melt and crystallization of 123–126 J/g. The functional textile with PCM@SiO2 has been proposed with thermoregulation and acclimatization, ultraviolet (UV) resistance and improved mechanical properties. The thermal property tests have shown that the functional textile had good thermal stability. The functional textile, with a PCM@SiO2 concentration of 30%, was promising, with enthalpies of melting and crystallization of 27.7 J/g and 27.8 J/g, and UV resistance of 77.85. The thermoregulation and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) value could be maintained after washing 10 times, which demonstrated that the functional textile had durability. With good thermoregulation and UV resistance, the multi-functional textile shows good prospects for applications in thermal comfort and as protective and energy-saving textile.