Stretchable copper-nanocellulose paper heater

Abstract

Conformal paper heater electronics manage thermal and electromagnetic radiation while achieving mechanical stretchability and environmental sustainability. Here we report conformal copper-nanocellulose electronics ranging from stretchable Joule heating to electromagnetic shielding devices, regulate electro-thermal performance using printed copper conductive features and superinsulation nanocellulose paper. Flexible nanocellulose based materials exhibit a low thermal conductivity of 15 mW/mK and high thermal resistance below 250 °C, while printed copper traces show a low driving voltage from 0.15 V (37.2 °C) to 0.35 V (88.7 °C) with 99.9% electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. The copper-nanocellulose electronics shown here provide a pathway towards the applications in disposable and low-resource environments.