MnO2 decorated double-shell microencapsulated phase change materials for photothermal conversion and storage

• Published in: Journal of energy storage Vol. 72; p. 108549
• Main Authors: Han, Cunhao, Zhu, Yuchao, Zhang, Huanzhi, Feng, Cong, Zhang, Shendao, Xu, Fen, Sun, Lixian, Lin, Xiangcheng, Ma, Lei, Peng, Hongliang, Wang, Yazhen, Xia, Yongpeng, Li, Bin, Yan, Erhu, Huang, Pengru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 25.11.2023
• Subjects: Double shell; Light-to-heat conversion performance; Microencapsulated PCMs; MnO2; MnO2; Double shell; Microencapsulated PCMs; Light-to-heat conversion performance
• ISSN: 2352-152X; 2352-1538
• DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2023.108549

Solar energy is considered as a renewable energy source, but it still exists imbalance between energy supply and energy consumption. Although phase change materials (PCMs) can supply an effective way to improve solar energy utilization efficiency with the help of their excellent energy storage capacity, their poor solar-thermal conversion performance significantly reduces energy storage capacity and seriously restricts their applications in solar energy utilization fields. Herein, this work innovatively prepared MnO2-decorated double-shell microencapsulated PCMs using electrochemical adsorption and redox methods to cover a second compact shell of MnO2 on the first polymeric shell, which integrate the advantages of organic and inorganic shell materials with multi-functions and broaden the wide-spread applications of PCMs. The MnO2-decorated double-shell endows the microencapsulated PCMs with multi-functions and broadens their wide-spread applications. The excellent electrochemical and optical performances of MnO2 shell provide the microencapsulated PCMs with a high light-to-heat conversion efficiency of 93 %, and also endow the composite PCMs with a specific capacitance of 364 F/g. Meanwhile, phase change enthalpy of the microencapsulated PCMs is in the range of 133.56–152.71 J/g. These results confirm that the MnO2-decorated double-shell microencapsulated PCMs have a considerable potential in solar energy utilization and electrochemical fields. MnO2-decorated double-shell microencapsulated PCMs were constructed by integrating the advantages of organic and inorganic MnO2 shell materials, which can effectively improve the thermal energy-storage stability, endow PCMs with good photothermal conversion performance and broaden the wide-spread applications of PCMs. [Display omitted] •MnO2-decorated double-shell microencapsulated PCMs were constructed for photothermal conversion and storage.•The synergistic integration of inorganic MnO2 and polymeric shell significantly enhances the photothermal conversion and storage capability.•MnO2-decorated double-shell microencapsulated PCMs exhibit superior shape stability, energy storage stability and temperature regulation after undergoing 100 melting-freezing cycles.•This strategy also endows the microencapsulated PCMs with specific capacitance of 364 F/g as the current density is 0.2 A/g, which broadens the wide-spread applications of PCMs.