Personal thermal protection is crucial in extreme temperature environments, and the rising global temperatures present significant challenges in managing heat stress for individuals. Phase-change materials (PCMs) can absorb or release heat during phase transition to maintain a constant temperature, thus making them ideal innovative thermal protection materials. However, it is currently a bottleneck issue for using PCMs in wearable thermal protection systems due to a balance between the mechanical properties, latent heat, temperature resistance, and rapid response on demand. Herein, a flexible composite PCM film is developed and demonstrated by incorporating superhydrophobic silica aerogel particles (SSAPs) in a cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) network. The cross-linked network effectively addresses the inherent solid-liquid phase-change issue of PCMs, providing self-support, high flexibility, and heat resistance. Meanwhile, the SSAP endows water resistance and synergistic thermal insulation properties to the PCM film. When the SSAP content is adjusted, a latent heat range of 113.1-146.9 J g-1 is achieved. Despite a lower latent heat of the PCM film than pure PEG films, a temperature drop of 13.8 °C is achieved at 80 °C, marking a 2.65-fold enhancement. Interestingly, the heating rate of the PCM film is decelerated by 275% compared to that of pure PEG cross-linked networks. This study not only proposes a strategy for preparing phase-change films with flexibility and temperature resistance but also demonstrates their feasibility of achieving lower latent heat while paradoxically enhancing thermal regulation capability.
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