Electrospun magnetic iron/polyaniline nanofibers with applicable heating performance in an AC magnetic field were developed. A new and low-cost method was introduced to synthesize metallic iron (Fe) nanoparticles with uniform size distribution. The Fe nanoparticles were synthesized in an aqueous environment at room temperature with the assistance of polyvinylpyrrolidone and sodium citrate to tailor their particle sizes ranging from 10 to 20 nm. The experimental results showed that regulating the free iron ions present in the solution is critical for obtaining Fe nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. The Fe nanoparticles were subsequently incorporated with conductive polyaniline (PANI) to fabricate Fe/PANI/polycaprolactone nanofibers using an electrospinning technique. The resultant composite nanofibers have controlled fiber diameters and also show electrochemical redox properties originating from the PANI polymer. The heating performance test concluded that both eddy current loss from PANI and Neel relaxation loss of magnetic Fe nanoparticles can contribute to the power dissipation of the prepared composite nanofibers. The optimal heating performance can be obtained by adjusting the composition of Fe nanoparticles and PANI in nanofibers.

Thermoelectric materials are very effective in converting waste heat sources into useful electricity. Researchers are continuing to develop new polymeric thermoelectric materials. The segregated-network carbon nanotube (CNT)-polymer composites are most promising. Thus, the goal of this study is to develop novel porous CNT -polymer composites with improved thermoelectric properties. The research efforts focused on modifying the surface of the CNT with magnetic nanoparticles so that heat was released when subjecting to an AC magnetic field. Subsequently, polymers covered on the surface of the CNT were crosslinked. The porous CNT -polymer composites can be obtained by removing the un-crosslinked polymers. Polydimethylsiloxane polymer was utilized to investigate the effect of porosity and electrical conductivity on the thermoelectric properties of the composites. This AC magnetic field-assisted method to develop porous carbon nanotube/polymer composites for application in thermoelectric materials is introduced for the first time. The advantage of this method is that the electrical conductivity of the composites was high since we can easily to manipulate the CNT to form a conducting path. Another advantage is that the high porosity significantly reduced the thermal conductivity of the composites. These two advantages enable us to realize the polymer composites for thermoelectric applications. We are confident that this research will open a new avenue for developing polymer thermoelectric materials.