Carbon-based porous materials for performance-enhanced composite phase change materials in thermal energy storage: Materials, fabrication and applications

Latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) effectively reduces the mismatch between energy supply and demand of renewable energy sources by the utilization of phase change materials (PCMs). However, the low thermal conductivity and poor shape stability are the main drawbacks in realizing the large-scale application of PCMs. Promisingly, developing composite PCM (CPCM) based on porous supporting material provides a desirable solution to obtain performance-enhanced PCMs with improved effective thermal conductivity and shape stability. Among all the porous matrixes as supports for PCM, three-dimensional carbon-based porous supporting material has attracted considerable attention ascribing to its high thermal conductivity, desirable loading capacity of PCMs, and excellent chemical compatibility with various PCMs. Therefore, this work systemically reviews the CPCMs with three-dimensional carbon-based porous supporting materials. First, a concise rule for the fabrication of CPCMs is illustrated in detail. Next, the experimental and computational research of carbon nanotube-based support, graphene-based support, graphite-based support and amorphous carbon-based support are reviewed. Then, the applications of the shape-stabilized CPCMs including thermal management and thermal conversion are illustrated. Last but not least, the challenges and prospects of the CPCMs are discussed. To conclude, introducing carbon-based porous materials can solve the liquid leakage issue and essentially improve the thermal conductivity of PCMs. However, there is still a long way to further develop a desirable CPCM with higher latent heat capacity, higher thermal conductivity, and more excellent shape stability.