Conventional
polymeric phase change materials (PCMs) exhibit good
shape stability, large energy storage density, and satisfactory chemical
stability, but they cannot be recycled and self-healed due to their
permanent cross-linking structure. Additionally, the high flammability
of organic PCMs seriously restricts their applications for thermal
energy storage (TES). Therefore, it is urgently required to explore
PCM composites exhibiting superior recyclability, good self-healing
capability, and excellent flame retardancy simultaneously. Herein,
tri-maleimide end-capped cyclotriphosphazene flame retardant (TMCTP)
was synthesized via the nucleophilic substitution between 1,3,5,2,4,6-triazatriphosphorine-2,2,4,4,6,6-hexachloride
and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)maleimide. Then, novel dynamically
cross-linked PCM composites (FPCMs) with superior recyclability, good
self-healing capability, and excellent flame retardancy were fabricated
by bonding PEG and TMCTP to polymeric skeleton via reversible furan/maleimide
Diels–Alder (DA) reaction. TMCTP, which covalently and dynamically
binding in the polymeric FPCMs, acted not only as an efficient flame
retardant for reducing the flammability of PCM composites but also
as dynamic cross-linking skeletons for thermally induced self-healing
and recycling. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis confirmed
the reversible energy storage and release ability of FPCMs. Due to
its reversible DA covalent bonds, the introduction of TMCTP endowed
the FPCMs with considerably increased self-healing efficiency (up
to 93.1%) and recyclability efficiency (94.6%). Moreover, with the
introduction of TMCTP into FPCMs, the heat release rate (HRR) and
total heat release (THR) significantly decreased, while the char residue
and limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased, confirming that the
flame retardancy of FPCMs greatly improved. Hence, the synthesized
FPCMs show enormous potential in TES applications.