Polyacrylonitrile/silver nanowire nanofiber yarn for personal thermal management

This work investigates the functionalization of nanofiber yarns by loading silver nanowires (AgNWs) to enhance their electrothermal properties. Dopamine, with its self-polymerization ability and strong adhesion characteristics, was first employed to surface-modify the polyacrylonitrile (NPAN) nanofiber yarns through a dip-coating process. After coating with polydopamine (PDA), the hydrophilicity of the yarns significantly improved, as evidenced by reduced contact angle measurements. Subsequently, AgNWs were uniformly coated onto the PDA-modified nanofiber yarns (P-NPAN) using a straightforward and efficient procedure. The resulting nanofiber yarns displayed a uniform and thin AgNW coating, as observed in SEM images. The conductive network of AgNWs achieved a low resistance of 1.5 Ω, ensuring flexibility and durability. Furthermore, the yarns demonstrated effective electrothermal performance, achieving a significant temperature rise even under low applied voltages, making them promising candidates for thermal management applications.