PI/CsxWO3/GO Composite Aerogel Fibers with Highly Efficient Solar Energy Utilization for Personal Thermal Management

Abstract

Developing fibers with integrated photothermal conversion and thermal storage functions provides a promising approach for personal thermal management. However, conventional phase change materials (PCMs) are limited by poor solar absorption and leakage issues, reducing their efficiency. Herein, a novel porous polyimide/Cs_xWO₃/GO composite aerogel fiber (PCGAF) was fabricated by freeze-spinning technology, using polyimide as the skeleton and incorporating Cs_xWO₃ and graphene oxide (GO) as photothermal absorbers. Moreover, a PCGAF/PEG composite with enhanced phase change thermal storage capacity was obtained by vacuum-impregnating polyethylene glycol (PEG), as a phase change material, into the framework of PCGAF. The as-prepared aerogel fibers exhibit superior radiative heating, outstanding thermal stability, and excellent thermal management properties. The addition of an appropriate amount of GO improves the solar absorption efficiency of the composite aerogel fibers and provides a thermally conductive backbone, facilitating the rapid thermal response of PCGAF/PEG. The optimized PCGAF-1/PEG exhibited high PEG loading (91.5%) and high enthalpy (117.8 J/g). The dynamic thermal properties of the PCGAF/PEG can effectively regulate body temperature fluctuations, making them highly promising for next-generation smart textiles in personal thermal management.