Page 52 - Read Online

Yan et al. Soft Sci. 2025, 5, 8 Soft Science
DOI: 10.20517/ss.2024.66

Review Article Open Access

Construction strategies and recent advances of

flexible EMI phase change composites

1,3
1
2,*
1,#
1
Ruihan Yan 1,2,# , Qianhui Lin , Kaijie You , Li Zhang , Ying Chen , Zan Huang , Xinxin Sheng 1,3,*
1
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong
University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China.
2
School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangzhou 510725, Guangdong, China.
3
Department of Polymeric Materials and Engineering, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology,
Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China.
#
Authors contributed equally.
* Correspondence to: Dr. Zan Huang, School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Guangzhou Maritime University, No.
101, Hongshan 3rd Road, Huangpu District, Guangzhou 510725, Guangdong, China. E-mail: zhuanggz@aliyun.com; Dr. Xinxin
Sheng, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong
University of Technology, No. 100 Waihuan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006,
Guangdong, China. E-mail: xinxin.sheng@gdut.edu.cn
How to cite this article: Yan, R.; Lin, Q.; You, K.; Zhang, L.; Chen, Y.; Huang, Z.; Sheng, X. Construction strategies and recent
advances of flexible EMI phase change composites. Soft Sci. 2025, 5, 8. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ss.2024.66
Received: 25 Nov 2024 First Decision: 27 Dec 2024 Revised: 10 Jan 2025 Accepted: 16 Jan 2025 Published: 22 Jan 2025

Academic Editor: Junwei Gu Copy Editor: Pei-Yun Wang Production Editor: Pei-Yun Wang

Abstract
With the continuous development of small and medium-sized electronic devices, which bring convenience to
people’s lives, electromagnetic wave (EMW) pollution has emerged as a significant issue. The development of
materials with electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities for protection against harmful radiation
plays a vital role. Currently, a wide range of multifunctional, lightweight EMI shielding materials have been created
to address various environmental requirements. However, a single EMI shielding material has been difficult to meet
the requirements of high-speed transmission of electromagnetic radiation of electronic equipment because when
such devices operate at high speeds, they typically generate elevated temperatures, and excessive electromagnetic
radiation further exacerbates heat accumulation, reducing both efficiency and lifespan. Therefore, thermal
management is essential to lower operating temperatures and ensure optimal performance. Phase change
materials (PCMs) are known for storing a large amount of energy, and have significant potential in thermal
management, so flexible EMI phase change composites (PCCs) have emerged. This review provides a detailed
examination of flexible EMI shielding materials based on various fillers, the potential of flexible PCMs in thermal
management, and the latest advancements in developing new lightweight EMI PCCs. Finally, we suggest some

© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made.

www.oaepublish.com/ss