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Series of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) nanocomposites are fabricated with polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA)-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nanofillers (G-P) as the interfacial modifiers. PBT/G-P nanocomposites demonstrate good compatibility and interfacial interaction based on the uniform dispersed G-P nanofillers influenced by the grafted PEGMA chains. Crystallization behavior and nucleation density of PBT matrix get an increase and show a maximum at 1.5 wt% G-P nanofillers. Tensile strength and modulus of PBT/G-P nanocomposites first increase and then decrease with the varied G-P contents from 0.1 to 3.0 wt%, indicating the overloaded nanofillers impact the stress transfer. Against PBT/GO nanocomposites, PBT/G-P ones present 58% enhancement for the tensile strength, which is ascribed to the different interfacial compatibility afforded by the GO and G-P nanofillers. The present study demonstrates that it is a possible way to prepare high-performance PBT nanocomposites through the enhanced interfacial layer and nucleation behavior of polymer matrix.

A series of coaxial fibers with poly­(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) as sheath and poly­(tetradecyl acrylate) (PTA) comb-like polymeric phase change material as core have been prepared via an electrospinning technology with carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed into a core component, denoted as PET/PTA-x CNT, where x is the mass fraction of CNT. The morphology, structure, and thermal performance of coaxial fibers are characterized. Good thermal stability below 300 °C is shown due to the sheath–core structure for PET/PTA-x CNT coaxial fibers. Light-to-thermal conversion effect is contributed from the wide UV–vis light absorbance of CNT and phase change of PTA, and PET/PTA-2% CNT reaches 60 °C after 600 s illumination under 100 mW/cm2. Furthermore, a comparable temperature variation is proved for the covered bottle with PET composite membrane containing PET/PTA-2% CNT coaxial fibers, and after 900 s illumination, the inner temperature of the bottle gets to 38 °C, which is 3 °C higher than that of the PET-covered one. The investigations of light-to-thermal conversion and thermoregulated ability of fibers guide an approach to thermal management material and greenhouse film application.

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A series of comb-like poly(n-alkyl acrylate) and poly(acrylonitrile-co-alkyl acrylate) phase change materials (PCMs), denoted as PAn and PANAn, with alkyl carbon atoms varying from n=14, 16 to 18, are synthesized...