Self-Adaptive Solar-Thermal System With Moss-Like Surface for Efficient Energy Utilization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Efficient solar energy utilization is crucial for sustainable energy solutions.
• Controlling thermal energy conversion, conduction, storage, and loss is key for effective solar-thermal systems.
• Bioinspiration from natural phenomena, like the 'black carpet effect' in moss, offers novel design strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a self-adaptive Janus solar-thermal system for high-efficiency solar utilization.
• To integrate a composite phase change material (CPCM) thermal storage base with a moss-like switchable solar-thermal surface.
• To achieve controlled solar-thermal conversion, conduction, storage, and minimized thermal loss.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a moss-like solar-thermal surface using graphene skeletons with graphene/polydopamine/MXene heterostructures and MXene nano-porous structures.
• Characterization of solar-thermal conversion efficiency using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS), Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies.
• Evaluation of thermal conductivity, storage capacity, and thermal loss control of the CPCM base and the moss-like surface.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high solar-thermal conversion efficiency of 98.1% due to interlayer carrier interaction and porous structures.
• Demonstrated rapid thermal conduction (26.5 W/(m·K)) and storage (236.7 J/g) within the CPCM base.
• Exhibited ultralow thermal conductivity (0.03 W/(m·K)) and low emissivity (0.2) of the moss-like surface, enabling 13.3 times longer thermal management.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioinspired Janus solar-thermal system effectively manages solar thermal energy.
• The system demonstrates high performance in solar-thermal conversion, storage, and long-term thermal retention.
• This work presents a promising strategy for advanced solar energy utilization with broad application potential.