Flexible electrospun porous carbon nanofiber@PEG phase change nanofibrous membrane for advanced solar-/electro-thermal energy conversion and storage

Abstract

Flexible phase change materials (PCMs) showed great application prospects in the field of thermal management of flexible electronic devices and wearable devices, nevertheless, their development was seriously hindered by the intrinsic solid rigidity, liquid leakage and lack of functionality of PCMs. Herein, a multifunctional flexible leakage-proof composite PCM (named PCNF@PEG) was fabricated, in which poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was encapsulated in robust flexible porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs) derived from electrospun polyacrylonitrile/polystyrene (PAN/PS) composite nanofibers. The as-prepared PCNF@PEG showed excellent flexibility, shape stability, satisfactory phase change performance with melting/freezing latent heat of 71.9/70.9 J g⁻¹ and prominent thermal reliability after 100 thermal cycles. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of PCNF@PEG was noticeably enhanced by 45 % compared to pure PEG. Significantly, the interconnect carbon nanofiber matrix endowed PCNF@PEG unprecedented solar-/electro-thermal energy conversion performance and cycle stability. Therefore, the fabricated PCNF@PEG with pronounced comprehensive performance is a promising candidate for advanced thermal management applications in flexible devices.