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High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
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Visible Light Locking in Mineral-Based Composite Phase Change Materials Enabling High Photothermal Conversion and
Xiaoguang Zhao1, Yili Tang1, Jie Wang1
1Hunan Key Laboratory of Mineral Materials and Application, School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 13, 2023
Summary
This study developed a composite aerogel with paraffin wax for efficient solar energy storage. The material achieved high encapsulation and photothermal conversion efficiency, demonstrating excellent stability and durability for solar-thermal applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Efficient solar energy capture, conversion, and storage are crucial for renewable energy technologies.
- Developing advanced materials that synergistically combine phase change materials (PCMs), supporting structures, and photothermal components is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore interaction forces between PCMs and supporting materials.
- To investigate synergy between PCMs and photothermal materials for enhanced photothermal conversion.
- To provide design principles for high-efficiency solar-thermal conversion materials.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a hierarchically porous composite aerogel (PEPG) as a supporting structure.
- Encapsulation of paraffin wax (PW) within the PEPG structure.
- Characterization of encapsulation rate, phase change enthalpy, and photothermal conversion efficiency.
- COMSOL Multiphysics simulations to analyze heat transfer mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Achieved a superior PW encapsulation rate of 85.11% using the PEPG structure.
- Prepared PEPG-PW exhibited a high phase change enthalpy of 182.9 J/g.
- Demonstrated ultrahigh photothermal conversion efficiency of 95.2% under 1 sun irradiation with excellent durability.
- Identified van der Waals force and Lewis acid-base action for excellent material stability.
Conclusions:
- The developed PEPG-PW composite demonstrates exceptional performance for solar energy storage.
- The synergistic design principles enhance photothermal conversion efficiency and material stability.
- This work offers a pathway for designing advanced materials for efficient solar-thermal energy applications.
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