Liquid metal/CNT nanocomposite coated cotton fabrics for electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal management

Next-generation smart textiles are regarded as the most straightforward and effective solution to address the growing threats from environment including excessive electromagnetic radiation and global warming. Incorporation of novel materials using advanced fabrication technology has been the reliable technology in developing these smart textiles. Herein, a novel fabrication strategy integrating multi-layer spraying and mechanical compression is proposed to fabricate a liquid metal (LM) and carbon nanotubes (CNT)-decorated multifunctional cotton fabric (CF/LM/CNT). The results demonstrate that the double face-sprayed CF/LM/CNT possess electrical resistance of 0.07 Ω, which is primarily responsible for its unprecedented electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of about 85 dB over the X-band. Moreover, the CF/LM/CNT exhibits excellent heat dissipation and thermal insulation behavior, which is an essential prerequisite for effective thermal management. More importantly, the as-prepared CF/LM/CNT is recycled and reconfigured. This fundamental research work provides a facile and scalable approach to fabricate multifunctional textile materials.