Wood-based composite phase change materials with self-cleaning superhydrophobic surface for thermal energy storage

Form-stable composite phase change materials, as thermal energy storage technology, show great promise for reducing energy consumption and relieving current energy shortage problems. However, porous supporting materials and most phase change materials are hydrophilic and hygroscopic, which cause crack-formation at the interfaces between supporting materials and phase change materials and decrease in thermal energy storage capacity of composite phase change material in wet or humid environment. There are almost no reports concerning this topic. Herein, form-stable and superhydrophobic composite phase change materials are fabricated by spraying superhydrophobic coating on the surface of composite phase change materials, in which delignified wood acts as a supporting material to protect against liquid leakage of 1-tetradecanol. The superhydrophobic composite phase change materials possess large water contact angle of 155° and superhydrophobic stability at 20–100 °C and pH 3–12, which prevents supporting materials and phase change materials from contacting with moisture in wet environment. In addition, the superhydrophobic composite phase change materials exhibit large latent heat of fusion (125.40 J/g), 29.58 J/g higher than that of composite phase change materials without superhydrophobic coating in wet environment. Moreover, the superhydrophobic composite phase change materials possess excellent thermal reliability and stability, efficient solar-to-thermal energy conversion and self-cleaning property, which are potential in the application of advanced energy-related devices and systems for thermal energy storage in wet or humid environment.