Biomass lignin/manganese ferrite-modified reduced graphene oxide aerogel composites for multi-source energy...

The conversion, harvesting, and storage of thermal energy using phase change materials (PCM) plays a vital and extensive role in energy transition. Therefore, the development of biomass-based multifunctional materials for multi-source driven energy storage has become increasingly urgent. In this study, conductive magnetic lignin/manganese ferrite-modified reduced graphene oxide (MnFe₂O₄@rGO) carbon aerogels (LM) were fabricated as a porous supporting network to encapsulate polyethylene glycol (PEG). By employing vacuum impregnation, form-stable LM-based phase change composites (LMP) were successfully produced, showcasing superior thermal storage capacity and efficient multi-source driven energy conversion. With the supporting and bridging effects of MnFe₂O₄@rGO, LMP-V-3 demonstrates a considerable phase change enthalpy of 161.9 J/g and excellent electrical conductivity of 137.9 S/m. In electro-to-thermal and magnetic-to-thermal conversion, horizontal-structure composites heated to their respective temperatures in 280 s and 475 s, 84.4 % and 78.6 % faster than the vertical counterparts. In summary, LMP composites with various structures demonstrate broad potential for multi-source driven thermal management and provide a promising approach for the utilization and value-added processing of lignin.