Enhancing phase change fiber composites with double shell capsules: Magnetic response and photothermal conversion studies

Phase change fibers (PCFs) with temperature-regulating ability have received more and more attention due to their great potential in various advanced applications. However, the preparation of PCFs by electrospinning or wet spinning will release a lot of organic solvents, and it is difficult to solve the leakage problems during thermal cycling and single functionality. Herein, we propose an environmentally friendly and efficient melt spinning strategy to prepare multifunctional magnetic PCFs (MPCFs). Initially, a double shell composed by SiO2–Fe3O4 was constructed of Si–O–Si bond, which not only endowed the prepared phase change capsules with sensitive magnetic responsiveness (18.22 emu/g), but also improved their thermal stability (∼20.0 °C), thus it can be applied in melt spinning. Then the MPCFs prepared by melt spinning exhibited a range of desirable properties inherited from the phase change capsules, including pronounced thermal regulation (Hm = 23.8 J/g), which is higher than most of the PCFs based on phase change capsules. As well as good cycle stability (120 times), sensitive magnetic responsiveness (Ms = 2.68 emu/g), and efficient photothermal conversion ability (66.1 %). Therefore, this study sheds new insight into the preparation of multifunction MPCFs by melting spinning. [Display omitted] •A novel magnetic phase change capsule (M-EPCM) with SiO2–Fe3O4 shell was prepared.•The M-EPCMs possess excellent thermal stability and good leakage proof ability.•Magnetic phase change fibers (MPCFs) based on M-EPCM was prepared by melt spinning.•MPCFs shown good photothermal conversion and high sensitivity to magnetic stimuli.