Lysozyme-Modified Graphene/Silicon Carbide Heterostructure Fillers in a Cellulose/Polyvinyl Alcohol Matrix as a Multifunctional Composite for Thermal Management, Joule Heating, and Surface Adaptability

Abstract With the rapid advancement of electronic devices, flexible wearables, and battery packs, efficient thermal management has become an increasingly critical challenge. Herein, we report a high-performance composite for multifunctional thermal management, fabricated by incorporating heterostructure fillers of silicon carbide/lysozyme-modified graphene nanoplatelets (SiC@LmGNPs) into a cellulose nanofiber/polyvinyl alcohol (CNF/PVA) hybrid matrix. The optimized SiC@G80/CP20 composite (80 wt % SiC@LmGNP and 20 wt % CNF/PVA) exhibits an ultra-high in-plane thermal conductivity (TC) of 195.91 W·m−1·K−1, a high through-plane TC of 10.54 W·m−1·K−1, and a tensile strength of 25.61 MPa. Moreover, the composite exhibits a rapid Joule heating response (reaching 33.7 °C within 1.5 s) and favorable thermal stability. Additionally, the composite demonstrates excellent surface adaptability; its surface can be softened by ethanol−water mixture treatment, enabling tight conformal contact with target surfaces. This work provides valuable guidance for the design and development of multifunctional smart thermal management materials with integrated thermal, mechanical, electrical, and interfacial characteristics for next-generation electronic devices and energy storage systems.