Resolving the damping-insulation-strength trilemma via dual-component yolk-shell architectures

The long-standing trilemma between damping performance, electrical insulation, and mechanical properties remains a fundamental constraint on the development of polymer piezoelectric damping composites due to the formation of continuous conductive networks. Herein, we introduce a yolk–shell filler architecture for polymer composites, which efficiently consumes mechanical energy by converting it first into electrical energy and subsequently into thermal energy. The polymer composites thus achieved an optimal balance: significantly enhanced damping performance (an 84% increase), excellent electrical insulation (volume resistivity of 10 8  Ω·m), and improved mechanical strength (a 7.07% increase). Through systematic comparative studies with other filler types, we further decoupled the individual contributions of material composition and structural design to the overall damping performance. Moreover, the yolk-shell particles exhibit broad compatibility across diverse polymer matrices, demonstrating strong potential for application in electronics, transportation, and other damping systems for vibration and impact mitigation.