Hierarchical porous carbon foam-based phase change composite with enhanced loading capacity and thermal conductivity for efficient thermal energy storage

Recently, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) derived porous carbon (PC) was integrated with phase change materials (PCMs) to form composite with enhanced thermal conductivity and stability. However, the aggregation of PC particles during carbonization results in low utilization of supporting material and decrease of loading capacity. In this research, Cu foam monolith was decorated with highly dense nanorods (NRs) to provide numerous attached sites for PC particles. Stearic acid (SA) was then filled into the PC/NRs support to prepare a SA-based hierarchical composite (SA@PC/NRs). The hierarchical composite exhibits enhanced loading capacity (42%) and thermal conductivity (0.81W/mK) than that of referent SA@PC/CF and SA@PC, as well as improved energy storage efficiency, durability and shape-stability. The hierarchical composite PCM allows light-driven thermal energy storage with high conversion and storage efficiency, indicating its potential applications in solar-energy utilization and storage.