Photo-switchable molecular solar thermal fabric composite for solar energy storage and self-powered motion sensing

Smart textiles integrating molecular solar thermal storage (MOST) are an emerging class of wearable systems, with prior work limited to microencapsulated azo-switches for thermoregulation and only scarce exploration of integrated energy harvesting and self-powered sensing, highlighting the need for system-level integration of multifunctional capabilities. Here, a hierarchically engineered woven Kevlar textile is reported that integrates MOST-based thermoregulation with triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) functionality. Azopyridine (APY) MOST nanocapsules are spin-coated onto Zn-Mo-Se nanoflake–grown fibers forming mechanically robust textile. Structural and spectroscopic analyses confirm conformal nanoflake growth and excellent microcapsule integrity over repeated photocharging–discharging cycles. Reversible photoswitching is achieved (98.8% Z under 365 nm and 97.8% E under 520 nm), enabling reversible solar energy storage and on-demand heat release. The Zn-Mo-Se –MOST textile exhibits a high energy density (457 J g⁻¹), storage lifetime (98 h) a maximum heat-release temperature of 56.4 °C, and a 77.1% increase in tensile strength compared to bare WKF. Notably, the color evolution of the fabric directly reflects the stored thermal energy state, enabling real-time visual monitoring. Simultaneously, the textile functions as a high-output TENG (1.7 mW cm⁻²), enabling stable, self-powered detection of human-motion and tactile gestures. This work advances MOST textiles toward scalable, adaptive, and self-powered wearable platforms. A hierarchically engineered molecular solar thermal textile (woven Kevlar) composite integrates photo-switchable solar energy storage and triboelectric performance within a single platform. Reversible photoswitching enables high energy density, long storage lifetime, and on-demand heat release, while the same textile delivers self-powered human-motion sensing with high power density. This work establishes a multifunctional route toward autonomous wearable energy and sensing systems.