Work

A PBFDO‐Based Protective Material with Tunable Infrared Emissivity Integrating Thermal Management and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Materials capable of simultaneously modulating infrared (IR) signal, shielding electromagnetic interference (EMI), and enabling active thermal management are critical for advanced aerospace and electronic applications. Here, we report a multifunctional composite by integrating the intrinsically conductive polymer poly(benzodifurandione) (PBFDO) with a polyimide (PI) film, a humidity-adaptive nanoporous polyethylene (HANPE) layer, and a silica aerogel (SA) substrate. This rationally designed multilayer architecture HANPE/PBFDO@PI/SA (HPPS) enables a suite of synergistic functionalities. The core PBFDO@PI layer provides a foundation of high electrical conductivity (1732.1 S/cm) and low intrinsic IR emissivity (0.19 ± 0.02). Leveraging this, the HPPS composite achieves dynamic, passive IR camouflage through a wide tunable emissivity range (0.17-0.60), successfully reducing a 50°C target's apparent temperature by 19.6°C. It also delivers excellent EMI shielding of 43.85 dB for robust electronic protection. Moreover, its superior electrothermal performance enables active control of radiation temperature from 28.9°C to 108°C at low voltages (0-4 V), facilitating on-demand thermal camouflage and rapid de-icing. This work presents a versatile design strategy for creating intelligent adaptive materials with integrated passive and active functionalities.

Source: Small

DOI: 10.1002/smll.202514007