In-situ MoS2-reinforced aramid nanofiber aerogels with integrated photothermal–phase-change coupling for adaptive thermal management

Abstract

Multifunctional aerogels, as ultralight, high-porosity three-dimensional network materials, achieve multiple functions such as mechanical enhancement, thermal management, photothermal conversion, and energy storage through molecular-level regulation, interface engineering, and multi-component composite design, for overcoming the brittleness and single-function limitations of traditional aerogels. This study introduces a novel fabrication of MoS₂/aramid nanofiber (ANF) composite aerogels (ANFM) through in-situ hydrothermal growth of MoS₂ nanosheets on ANF skeleton, integrated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as phase-change material (PCM) to yield ANFM-PCM composites for adaptive thermal management. MoS₂ nanosheets by reinforcing the pore network delay buckling instability, forming and leveraging C-Mo/N-Mo interfacial bonds to achieve efficient load transfer, enhances mechanical properties of ANFM composite aerogels from 228.25 to 501.1 kPa. ANFM-PCM composites preserve the intrinsic phase-transition behavior of PEG with maximum latent heat of 177.14 J/g, offering tunable latent heat and strong cycling durability, 92.4% enthalpy retention after 100 cycles. Moreover, their thermal decomposition temperatures all exceed 350 °C. Benefiting from high light absorption and broadband response of MoS₂, the composites achieve efficient light-to-heat conversion synergized with phase-change storage for adaptive thermal regulation. Even if under a light intensity of 0.1 W/cm², the absolute temperature difference between ANFM-PCM and the cold environment exceeds 90 °C. These lightweight, mechanically robust aerogels hold strong potential for intelligent thermal management, infrared stealth, and solar-energy storage applications.