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Updated: Oct 4, 2025
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Experimental Methods for Investigation of Shape Memory Based Elastocaloric Cooling Processes and Model Validation
Published on: May 2, 2016
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Development of magnetocaloric coordination polymers for low temperature cooling
Mario Falsaperna1, Paul J Saines1
1School of Physical Sciences, Ingram Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NH, UK. P.Saines@kent.ac.uk.
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
|February 2, 2022
Summary
Coordination polymers exhibiting the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) offer sustainable solid-state cooling. These materials show promise for replacing conventional cryogenics with large entropy changes at low temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Thermodynamics
- Solid-state physics
Background:
- Conventional refrigeration faces sustainability challenges due to energy use and refrigerant emissions.
- Magnetocaloric materials offer a promising alternative for solid-state cooling technologies.
- The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is crucial for cryogenic applications, potentially replacing scarce resources like liquid helium.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review promising magnetocaloric coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
- To highlight the structural characteristics contributing to their magnetocaloric performance.
- To provide a perspective on the future of magnetocaloric materials in cooling applications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of coordination polymers and MOFs exhibiting the magnetocaloric effect.
- Analysis of structural properties influencing entropy changes.
- Discussion of magnetic centers (e.g., Gadolinium) and magnetic interactions.
Main Results:
- Coordination polymers with polyatomic ligands demonstrate significant entropy changes at low temperatures.
- Materials containing Gadolinium (Gd) are well-researched for high cation density and entropy change.
- Incorporating other magnetic cations enhances MCE for lower applied fields, achieving promising entropy changes above 4 K.
Conclusions:
- Magnetocaloric coordination polymers and MOFs are highly promising for advanced cryogenic cooling.
- Structural flexibility and tailored magnetic interactions are key to optimizing MCE.
- Further research into these materials could lead to more sustainable and efficient refrigeration solutions.
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