Single-walled carbon nanotube/phase change material composites: Sunlight-driven, reversible, form-stable phase transitions for solar thermal energy storage

Abstract

The development of solar energy conversion materials is critical to the growth of a sustainable energy infrastructure in the coming years. A novel hybrid material based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and form-stable polymer phase change materials (PCMs) is reported. The obtained materials have UV-vis sunlight harvesting, light-thermal conversion, thermal energy storage, and form-stable effects. Judicious application of this efficient photothermal conversion to SWNTs has opened up a rich field of energy materials based on novel SWNT/PCM composits with enhanced performance in energy conversion and storage. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.