Dual-functional phase change composite based on copper plated cellulose aerogel

The application of latent heat storage technology, employing phase change materials (PCMs) to realize the storage and release of energy, is hindered by the leakage problem and low thermal conductivity of the PCMs. To synchronously solve these problems, copper plated cellulose aerogel (CPCA) has been prepared by plating lightweight cellulose aerogel with thin copper layer via simple and energy-saving electroless deposition (ELD), which could encapsulate polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form composite PCM. The cellular and porous structure of cellulose scaffold could generate enough capillary force to effectively confine PCMs and provide heat and electricity transfer pathways. Therefore, the composite PCM shows enhanced thermal conductivity (1.03 W m−1 K−1 with 11.1 wt% Cu content), high PCM loading capacity (84.0 wt%) and extraordinary shape-stability. Moreover, the improved electrical conductivity of the composite PCM endows it with intriguing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding property (the average total shielding effectiveness is 38.2 dB), suggesting the great potential of this material in heat-harvesting, thermal management and EMI shielding systems.