Exploring Next‐Generation Functional Organic Phase Change Composites

Abstract

As one of the main forms and intermediate carriers of energy, it is impressive to expand the application scope of heat energy, thereby boosting innovations in heat harvesting, conversion, storage, regulation, and utilization associated with the relevant techniques. Phase change materials (PCMs), as a state-of-the-art latent heat storage technique, have garnered increasing interest in heat-related applications over the past decades, and abundant high-performance PCMs with excellent shape stability and salient thermal conductivity have been developed. This review focuses on the issues concerning organic PCMs from the perspectives of flexible, multifunctional, and smart phase change composites, along with emerging applications and processing technologies, which are expected to offer possible guidance for the exploration of next-generation advanced functional phase change composites.

Super-flexible phase change materials with a dual-supporting effect for solar thermoelectric conversion in the ocean environment

“…However, the implementation of STEGs in the marine environment is hampered by several limiting factors originating from photothermal phase change energy storage units, [24][25][26] including low photothermal conversion capability, 27 insufficient shape stability during phase transition, 28,29 and poor underwater stability. 30 In addition, most of the composite PCMs previously reported in the literature lack exibility, [31][32][33][34][35] giving rise to low adaptability to large-scale assembly of STEGs 36 and application in various scenarios. Therefore, the preparation of leakage-proof exible PCMs with excellent photothermal conversion properties and underwater shape stability is promising for the collection and utilization of solar energy in the ocean environment.…”

Constructing anisotropic conical graphene aerogels with concentric annular structures for highly thermally conductive phase change composites towards efficient solar–thermal–electric energy conversion

“…1 On the basis of solar-thermal energy conversion, the solar energy can be converted to thermal energy and then stored in organic phase change materials, including tetradecanol, 2 octadecanol, 3 paraffin wax, [4][5][6][7] and polyethylene glycols. [8][9][10][11] Although phase change materials can store and release large amounts of latent heat by melting and solidifying, [12][13][14][15] conventional phase change materials have several drawbacks: (i) weak solar light absorption, and no solarthermal energy conversion ability; (ii) low inherent thermal conductivity, which adversely affects the energy storage and release rates; and (iii) poor structural stability, which cannot guarantee the long-term reliability during repeated cycles. [16][17][18][19] These drawbacks seriously compromise the applications of a Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.…”

Leakage-Proof Flexible Phase Change Gels with Salient Thermal Conductivity for Efficient Thermal Management

“…Flexible PCMs are defined as a component capable of withstanding a certain deformation (e.g., stretching, bending, and compression) and closely contacting with objects . Generally, high crystallinity that ensures the high energy storage capacity of PCMs is detrimental to the flexibility. − Considering the balance between flexibility and energy storage capacity, the strategies for preparing flexible PCMs can be divided into three categories: using porous supporting materials, , using encapsulation technologies, , and proper design of molecular structures. − The flexibility of PCMs prepared with porous supporting materials and encapsulation technologies comes from the flexible porous skeleton and the isolated crystal structure, respectively. Compared to them, the flexibility of PCMs by proper design of molecular structures comes from the elastic polymer molecular skeletons or the cross-linked polymer skeletons, which is expected to achieve large-scale production owing to their low cost and superior mechanical properties .…”