Flexible thermoregulatory microcapsule/polyurethane-MXene composite films with multiple thermal management functionalities and excellent EMI shielding performance

The development of miniaturized, flexible, and portable electronic devices has led to an increasing demand for multifunctional flexible films that can provide temperature regulation, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and thermal management. In this study, a novel hierarchical multifunctional flexible composite film is presented. The first step involves the synthesis of phase change microcapsule (PCMC) latex through in-situ polymerization. Next, PCMC and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) latex were mixed and dried using a binary colloidal approach to produce a flexible composite phase change film (WPU/PCMC) with complete anti-leakage and satisfying melting enthalpy (147.86 J g -1 ). To enhance the EMI performance and mechanical strength, a thin layer of antioxidant MXene@poly tannin acid (PTA) was directly sprayed onto the surface of WPU/PCMC, resulting in the WPU/PCMC/MXene@PTA film (WPM). Consequently, the WPM displays exceptional thermal management performance for multiple drives and outstanding EMI performance (56.86 dB), making it an ideal candidate for future multifunctional products.& COPY; 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Automated summary

A novel hierarchical multifunctional flexible composite film is developed, which provides temperature regulation, electromagnetic interference shielding, and thermal management. The film is created by synthesizing phase change microcapsule (PCMC) latex through in-situ polymerization, mixed with waterborne polyurethane (WPU) latex, and dried using a binary colloidal approach. To enhance EMI performance and mechanical strength, a thin layer of antioxidant MXene@poly tannin acid (PTA) is sprayed onto the surface of the film. The resulting film exhibits exceptional thermal management performance and outstanding EMI performance, making it an ideal choice for future multifunctional products.