Multifunctional Shape Memory Composites for Joule Heating, Self-Healing, and Highly Efficient Microwave Absorption

Traditional microwaves absorption materials (MAMs) are applied in the form of coatings, generally inflexible, with high production costs and poor adaptability to applications in different locations. The diversification of application scenarios requires materials with multifunctionalities, but it is extremely challenging to integrate multifunctionalities within single material at present. Herein, a multifunctional CoNC@GN/PCL/TPU MAMs is synthesized. The CoNC@GN nano-micro absorber has high-efficiency microwave absorption ability. The electromagnetic microwave absorption performance is ultra-light (4 wt.%), ultra-thin (2.3 mm), and broadband (6.21 GHz), which is better than similar MAMs. Additionally, the samples have highly efficient electro-thermal conversion properties, enabling controlled electrical heating performance and excellent self-healing properties. More remarkably, the sample has an electrically driven shape memory effect that allows the material to target the absorption of multi-angle incident electromagnetic waves. Therefore, CoNC@GN/PCL/TPU absorbers are the key to truly opening up opportunities for flexible, shape memory, and multifunctional absorbers in frontier applications such as wearables, deformable robots, and chip protection.