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Yang S, Shi HY, Liu J, Lai YY, Bayer Ö, Fan LW. Supercooled erythritol for high-performance seasonal thermal energy storage. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4948. [PMID: 38862486 PMCID: PMC11166931 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49333-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Seasonal storage of solar thermal energy through supercooled phase change materials (PCM) offers a promising solution for decarbonizing space and water heating in winter. Despite the high energy density and adaptability, natural PCMs often lack the necessary supercooling for stable, long-term storage. Leveraging erythritol, a sustainable mid-temperature PCM with high latent heat, we introduce a straightforward method to stabilize its supercooling by incorporating carrageenan (CG), a bio-derived food thickener. By improving the solid-liquid interfacial energy with the addition of CG the latent heat of erythritol can be effectively locked at a very low temperature. We show that the composite PCM can sustain an ultrastable supercooled state below -30 °C, which guarantees no accidental loss of the latent heat in severe cold regions on Earth. We further demonstrate that the common ultrasonication method can be used as the key to unlocking the latent heat stored in the CG-thickened erythritol, showing its great potential to serve as a high-performance, eco-friendly PCM for long-term seasonal solar energy storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Thermal Science and Power Systems, School of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Yi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Thermal Science and Power Systems, School of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Thermal Science and Power Systems, School of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang-Yan Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Thermal Science and Power Systems, School of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Özgür Bayer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Li-Wu Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
- Institute of Thermal Science and Power Systems, School of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Ren Z, Guo R, Bi H, Jia X, Xu M, Cai L. Interfacial Adhesion of Polylactic Acid on Cellulose Surface: A Molecular Dynamics Study. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:3236-3244. [PMID: 31869208 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b20101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Interfacial bonding and adhesion mechanisms are important in determining the final properties of the polymer composite. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been used to characterize the interfacial structure and adhesion behavior of crystalline cellulose planes in contact with polylactic acid. The structure of the PLA at the interface exhibits a shape that can accommodate the structure of the cellulose surface. The adhesion between the PLA and the cellulose surface is affected by the polarity of the functional groups and the surface roughness. The improved adhesion is primarily due to hydrogen bonds formed between the cellulose and PLA molecular chains. Cellulose planes with higher molecular protrusions and greater surface roughness produce stronger adhesion to PLA due to enhanced hydrogen bonding. This study provides a basic insight into the interfacial mechanisms of PLA and cellulose surfaces at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zechun Ren
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology (Ministry of Education) , Northeast Forestry University , Harbin 150040 , China
| | - Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology (Ministry of Education) , Northeast Forestry University , Harbin 150040 , China
| | - Hongjie Bi
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology (Ministry of Education) , Northeast Forestry University , Harbin 150040 , China
| | - Xin Jia
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology (Ministry of Education) , Northeast Forestry University , Harbin 150040 , China
| | - Min Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Based Material Science and Technology (Ministry of Education) , Northeast Forestry University , Harbin 150040 , China
| | - Liping Cai
- Mechanical and Energy Engineer Department , University of North Texas , Demon , Texas 76201 , United States
- College of Materials Science and Engineering , Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing 210037 , China
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Ramos-Alvarado B. Water wettability of graphene and graphite, optimization of solid-liquid interaction force fields, and insights from mean-field modeling. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:114701. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5118888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bladimir Ramos-Alvarado
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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