Synchronous Visual/Infrared Stealth Using an Intrinsically Flexible Self-Healing Phase Change Film

Phase change materials (PCMs) have been particularly concerned as infrared stealth functional materials due to their superior thermal management capability. However, traditional PCMs usually behave rigid solid or flowing liquid states with fixed transition temperature, greatly limiting their application especially in multi-band stealth and multiple scenes. Herein, an intrinsically flexible self-healing phase change film used for synchronous visual/infrared stealth for the first time is designed and constructed. The phase change film possesses a solid-solid phase transition behavior with adjustable transition temperature (from 38.8 to 51.1 degrees C) and enthalpy (from 79.7 to 116.7 J g(-1)), long-term cycling stability (500 cycles), and outstanding flexible and self-healing performance. Remarkably, the phase change film can be customized with different colors and various configurations to exhibit attractive visual stealth functions in multiple scenes. Additionally, owing to phase transition property, this phase change film can possess a thermal management capability and behave infrared stealth performance for objectives at various temperatures. Combining the above unique functions, the intrinsically flexible self-healing phase change film developed in this work may show great potential for applications in the synchronous visual/infrared stealth across a wide range of scenarios and temperatures.

Automated summary

This article introduces a flexible self-healing phase change film with unique functions that can achieve synchronous visual/infrared stealth in multiple scenes. The phase change film has adjustable transition temperature and enthalpy, long-term cycling stability, and excellent flexibility and self-healing performance. It can also be customized with different colors and various configurations to exhibit attractive visual stealth functions in different scenarios. Additionally, due to its phase transition property, the phase change film has thermal management capability and can behave infrared stealth performance for objects at different temperatures.