Dispersion-Engineered Stretchable Electrothermal MWCNT/PDMS Films for Uniform Wearable Thermal Therapy

Vollständiger Abstract

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Abstract Flexible electrothermal composites that simultaneously achieve mechanical compliance and uniform Joule heating remain a challenge due to the difficulty in uniformly dispersing nanotubes and constructing stable conductive networks within polymer matrices. Here, we present a dispersion-engineered strategy combining sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-assisted stabilization with isopropanol dilution to fabricate multiwalled carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (MWCNTs/PDMS) composites with a continuous and robust conductive network. The optimized system exhibits a zeta potential shift from −25 mV (SDS-free) to −41 mV, reflecting improved electrostatic stabilization at the nanotube interface. At 5 wt % MWCNT loading, the composite achieves an electrical conductivity of 21.3 S/m, excellent mechanical compliance (Young’s modulus < 0.6 MPa, stretchability > 200%), and remarkable electromechanical stability (2.2% resistance variation after 2000 cycles at 50% strain). The composite delivers stable and uniform Joule heating (∼46.5 °C at 14 V, temperature fluctuation