OICC Press Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry 2193-8865 15 2 2025 04 30 Wasted Poly (ethylene terephthalate) Derived Composite Xerogel with Enhanced Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Photothermal Conversion 10.57647/jnsc.2025.1502.05 EN Yan Gao Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Special Functional Textile Materials, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Textile and Garment, Changzhou 213164, China Jingang Xie Institute of Architectural Engineering, Anhui Vocational and Technical College, Hefei 230011, China Najla AlMasoud Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia Taghrid S. Alomar Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia Zeinhom M. El-Bahy Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City 11884, Cairo, Egypt Hassan Algadi Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Najran University, Najran, 11001, Saudi Arabia Juanna Ren College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China Zhanhu Guo Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK Chao Yao Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China Haoguan Gui Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China Journal Article 2025 04 30 The wasted poly(ethylene terephthalate) recycling (rPET) presents a critical worldwide challenge requiring  optimization of processing economics and material performance. This study demonstrates the synthesis of hybrid xerogels through thermoreversible gelation using rPET matrices combined with nickel-decorated carbon nanotubes (Ni@CNTs). Investigations focused on the gel formation dynamics within rPET/Ni@CNT systems and structural transformations during xerogel formation. The engineered xerogels displayed hierarchical macroporous architectures supported by interconnected nanofibrous networks, achieving enhanced thermal resilience and mechanical strength. To functionalize these scaffolds, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was chemically grafted to fabricate phase-change composites (PCCs) with multifunctional capabilities. Optimized PCC formulations exhibited synergistic performance metrics: enhanced heat transfer kinetics (1.3±0.32 W/(m·K)), substantial energy storage capacity (125.6 J/g), and reliable thermal cycling stability (zero leakage through 20 meltfreeze cycles). Furthermore, the PCCs exhibited a considerable solar-thermal conversion efficiency (73.4%) and a significative  electromagnetic shielding capacity (30.4 dB). This methodology estab lishes a viable pathway for valorizing post-consumer PET waste into high-performance engineering materials, aligning with circular economy objectives.