Nickel-Induced Dual Carbon Networks Encapsulating Phase Change Materials for Photothermal Conversion and Storage

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Classical organic phase change materials (PCMs) struggle with poor light absorption, low thermal conductivity, and leakage.
• Advanced thermal management requires materials with both efficient energy storage and photothermal conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel bifunctional composite PCMs with enhanced light harvesting and thermal conductivity.
• To investigate the photothermal conversion mechanisms and energy storage capabilities of the composite PCMs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a dual-carbon network (carbon honeycombs and carbon nanotubes) encapsulating Ni nanoparticles (CH@Ni-CNTs).
• Encapsulation of paraffin wax (PW) within the CH@Ni-CNTs structure to form composite PCMs.
• Characterization of phase change enthalpy, thermal stability, and photothermal conversion efficiency.

Main Results:

• The composite PCMs (PW/CH@Ni-CNTs) exhibited a high phase change enthalpy of 131.0 J g⁻¹.
• Exceptional thermal stability was demonstrated over 300 heating-cooling cycles.
• An outstanding photothermal energy conversion efficiency of 96.9% was achieved due to synergistic effects.

Conclusions:

• The developed Ni-induced dual-carbon network effectively encapsulates paraffin wax, creating bifunctional composite PCMs.
• The synergistic interaction between the dual-carbon network and Ni nanoparticles enhances photothermal conversion and energy storage.
• These composite PCMs show significant promise for advanced thermal management applications.