Natural polymers, exemplified by gelatin (GEL), serve as ideal shell materials for functional microcapsules owing to their excellent biocompatibility and controllable gelation properties. In this study, the environmentally friendly fire extinguishing agent perfluorohexanone was successfully encapsulated via the complex coacervation of gelatin and sodium hexametaphosphate, yielding a GEL/SHMP@C 6 F 12 O core-shell composite. This approach effectively mitigates the high volatility of perfluorohexanone associated with its low boiling point. GC-MS analysis confirmed a perfluorohexanone content of 8.7007% within the microcapsules. Fire suppression tests demonstrated the material's rapid response capability, achieving a minimum extinguishing time of only 8 s. A localized fire test in a simulated meter box further verified its excellent capacity to block flame spread and heat propagation. Moreover, in lithium-ion battery thermal runaway suppression tests, the material significantly delayed the onset of runaway and reduced the peak temperature. This study thus provides a reliable solution for modern fire prevention, integrating efficient suppression with equipment safety in applications involving batteries, electronic devices, and confined spaces. • The GEL/SHMP@C 6 F 12 O microcapsule exhibits a low leakage rate of only 2% in 30 days. • The GEL/SHMP@C 6 F 12 O shows a rapid fire-extinguishing response time of 8 s • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) confirms the successful encapsulation of C 6 F 12 O. • Microencapsulation increases the C 6 F 12 O release temperature from 49 °C to 248 °C.
Bai et al. (2026) studied this question.