Enhanced stimuli-responsive phase change gels through pickling-enabled ion permeation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Thermodynamics

Background:

• Supercooled phase change materials (PCMs) are crucial for thermal regulation in various applications.
• Hydrated salt phase change gels offer tunable properties but face limitations in enthalpy and mechanical strength due to salt-ion disruption.
• Existing PCMs struggle to balance mechanical robustness with high energy storage capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer stimuli-responsive phase change gels (PCGs) with enhanced mechanical strength and high thermal energy storage capacity.
• To overcome the trade-off between enthalpy and mechanical strength in hydrated salt PCMs.
• To develop a novel ion permeation strategy inspired by natural processes for material design.

Main Methods:

• Developed stimuli-responsive phase change gels (PCGs) using a competitive hydration effect between salt ions and a polymer network.
• Employed an ion permeation strategy inspired by vegetable pickling.
• Investigated the mechanical properties, thermal energy storage capacity, and phase transition behaviors of the engineered PCGs.

Main Results:

• Achieved ultrahigh stiffness (up to 2120 MPa) and exceptional thermal energy storage capacity (210 kJ kg^-1).
• Demonstrated a haptic/temperature-triggered reversible transition between soft and rigid states due to salt-ion supercooling.
• Exhibited outstanding deicing performance and effective thermal management capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The novel ion permeation strategy successfully overcomes the limitations of traditional hydrated salt PCMs.
• The engineered PCGs offer a robust, cost-effective, and scalable solution for advanced thermal management.
• These materials open new avenues for applications requiring tunable mechanical properties and high thermal energy storage.