Co-Anchored Carbonized Carbon Cloth Boosting Phase Change Materials for Photo/Electro-Thermal Conversion and Storage

The widespread application of phase change materials (PCMs) in sustainable energy technologies is constrained by their intrinsically low thermal and electrical conductivity. By impregnating stearic acid (SA) into a carbon heterostructure derived from a cobalt-based metal-organic framework and carbon cloth (CC), we have developed a composite phase change materials (CPCMs) that not only achieves high thermal conductivity (2.14 W/m·K) and high electrical conductivity (2186.5 S/m) but also retains effective thermal energy storage capacity (110.4 J/g). This composite attains an electro-thermal conversion efficiency of 95.4% at a voltage of 2.5 V. Furthermore, the synergistic effect between the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of cobalt nanoparticles and the broadband absorption of graphitized carbon fibers enables an exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency of 95.01% under irradiation of 120 mW/cm². A thermoelectric system fabricated by coupling it with a thermoelectric module can stably deliver a voltage of 791 mV and a current of 123.9 mA under an illumination intensity of 300 mW/cm², corresponding to a power density of 61.25 W/m². By integrating highly efficient photo- and electro-thermal conversion capabilities, these multifunctional CPCMs demonstrate significant potential for advanced applications such as solar thermal utilization and active de-icing systems.