Novel smart coaxial electrospinning textiles for efficient thermal interface management and electromagnetic compatibility in electronics

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) have attracted considerable attention for their energy storage and thermoregulatory properties. However, the solid–liquid leakage, low thermal conductivity, and single functionality of PCMs hinder their applications to electronic equipment. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethylene oxide/ferric oxide (PEO/Fe3O4)-based core–sheath textiles are prepared using an eco-friendly coaxial electrospinning technique and simple steam crosslinking. The composite phase change fibers (CPCFs) and magnetic composite phase change fibers (MCPCFs) produced in this way show ultrahigh encapsulation ratios of 78.02 wt% and 69.11 wt%, respectively, and high phase change enthalpies of 106.96 J g−1 and 94.75 J g−1, respectively. The addition of Fe3O4 (20 wt%) introduces a saturation magnetization of 9.5 emu g−1, thereby realizing 3 dB electromagnetic shielding performance. The textiles exhibit excellent flexibility and can be formed into complex shapes. Owing to their core–sheath structure, the CPCFs and MCPCFs exhibit outstanding structural and thermal stabilities during 100 thermal cycles. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the CPCF and MCPCF textiles can be enhanced by crosslinking.