Polyacrylonitrile/silver nanowire nanofiber yarn for personal thermal management

Abstract

This work investigates the functionalization of nanofiber yarns by loading silver nanowires (AgNWs) to enhance their electrothermal properties. Dopamine, with its self-polymerization ability and strong adhesion characteristics, was first employed to surface-modify the polyacrylonitrile (NPAN) nanofiber yarns through a dip-coating process. After coating with polydopamine (PDA), the hydrophilicity of the yarns significantly improved, as evidenced by reduced contact angle measurements. Subsequently, AgNWs were uniformly coated onto the PDA-modified nanofiber yarns (P-NPAN) using a straightforward and efficient procedure. The resulting nanofiber yarns displayed a uniform and thin AgNW coating, as observed in SEM images. The conductive network of AgNWs achieved a low resistance of 1.5 Ω, ensuring flexibility and durability. Furthermore, the yarns demonstrated effective electrothermal performance, achieving a significant temperature rise even under low applied voltages, making them promising candidates for thermal management applications.