# Children's Functional Clothing: Design Challenges and Opportunities
## 4 Functional Textiles
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Functionality** & **Description of Functionality** & **Materials and Products** & **Source** \\ \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Abrasion Resistance} & Provides resistance against wear & \multirow{2}{*}{High-strength fibres, polyurethane (PU)} & [23] \\  & and tear. & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Antimicrobial} & Inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungi & \multirow{4}{*}{An Nanoparticles NPs (e.g., nano silver, \(\quad\) nano zinc oxide, nano titanium \(\quad\) antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral, \(\quad\) respectively.} & \\  & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Antisatic} & Reduce or restrict the build-up of \(\quad\) static charge. & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\  & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Camouflage} & Adapts colour and pattern to blend & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\  & with the environment. & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Colour-changing} & Changes colour in response to external \(\quad\) stimuli (temperature, humidity, UV \(\quad\) source, etc.). & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Dirt-resistant} & Removes or prevents the accumulation \(\quad\) of dirt and stains. & NPs, photocatalytic materials, \(\quad\) polymers, enzymes & [23; 25] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Electro conductivity} & Exhibits electrical conductivity for \(\quad\) various purposes. & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\  & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{ElectroUluminescence} & Emits light in response to an \(\quad\) electric current. & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\  & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Electromagnetic Shielding} & Protects against \(\quad\) electromagnetic interference. & Shielding materials, conductive \(\quad\) polymers, metals, metal oxides & [16; 23] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Ergonomics} & Specifically designed to improve \(\quad\) wellbeing, comfort and interactivity. & \multirow{2}{*}{\
\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\  & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Flame Retardance} & Resists ignition and combustion. & \multirow{2}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } & \\  & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Fluorescent and \(\quad\) Phosphorescent} & Absorb UV light and re-emit it as \(\quad\) visible light. & Fluorescent and \(\quad\) phosphorescent pigments & [28; 32] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Health Monitoring} & Monitor or collect data related to the \(\quad\) wearer’s health. & Sensors, conductive threads, data \(\quad\) science tools, conductive polymers & [22; 29] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Insect-repellent} & Repels insects to protect against bytes \(\quad\) and potential vector-borne diseases. & Insect-repelling chemicals, natural dyes, \(\quad\) synthetic insecticides, essential oils & [23] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Odour-resistant} & Inhibits the growth of odour-causing \(\quad\) bacteria and fungi. & NPs, antimicrobial components, \(\quad\) chitosan, essential oils, natural dyes & [16; 23] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Photovoltaic} & Converts sunlight into electricity for \(\quad\) powering devices. & Photovoltaic cells, solar textiles & [23] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Pressure Sensing} & Detects and measures pressure or \(\quad\) vibration applied to the fabric. & Piezoresistive materials, \(\quad\) pressure sensors & [16] \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Comprehensive overview of features, products, and technologies of functional textiles. A diverse range of functional materials, including organic or inorganic agents, polymers, nanomaterials and electronic materials have been developed to achieve functional textiles through functionalised technologies [19; 39]. In addition to health and protection, research also explores design aspects like versatile usability, responsive elements (such as colour-changing and glow-in-the-dark), and interactive applications. As functional textiles evolve, ensuring their safety becomes crucial for widespread use [19].