Silver/Polypyrrole-Functionalized Polyurethane Foam Embedded Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Conversion of solar energy into thermal energy stored in phase change materials (PCMs) can effectively relieve the energy dilemma and improve energy utilization efficiency. However, facile fabrication of form-stable PCMs (FSPCMs) to achieve simultaneously energetic solar–thermal, conversion and storage remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we report a desirable solar–thermal energy conversion and storage system that utilizes paraffin (PW) as energy-storage units, the silver/polypyrrole-functionalized polyurethane (PU) foam as the cage and energy conversion platform to restrain the fluidity of the melting paraffin and achieve high solar–thermal energy conversion efficiency (93.7%) simultaneously. The obtained FSPCMs possess high thermal energy storage density (187.4 J/g) and an excellent leak-proof property. In addition, 200 accelerated solar–thermal energy conversion-cycling tests demonstrated that the resultant FSPCMs had excellent cycling durability and reversible solar–thermal energy conversion ability, which offered a potential possibility in the field of solar energy utilization technology.