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Flame-retardant and leakage-proof phase change composites based on MXene/polyimide aerogels toward solar thermal energy harvesting

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Abstract

To address the problems of easy leakage and high flammability of phase change materials, a series of innovative leakage-proof phase change composites (PCCs) with excellent solar thermal conversion capability and superior flame retardancy have been successfully developed. Herein, two-dimensional layered MXene nanosheets with excellent solar-thermal conversion effect were first synthesized by etching MAX phase with lithium fluoride and hydrochloric acid solutions. MXene/polyimide (PI) aerogel was then prepared by freeze-drying and thermal imidization after MXene dispersions mixed with poly (amic acid). The MXene/PI aerogels were subsequently impregnated into polyethylene glycol (PEG) by vacuum impregnation to obtain new shape-stable MXene/PI@PEG phase change composites (MPPCCs). Among them, MPPCC-4 exhibits a very high PEG loading capacity (98.1%) and high enthalpy (167.9 J/g), and a relative enthalpy efficiency of 99.8%. When compared to PEG, MPPCC-4 has outstanding flame retardant properties, including a 26.2% lower peak heat release rate and an 11.6% lower total heat release rate. In conclusion, MPPCCs show considerable potential for application in solar energy utilization systems.

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MXene/polyimide hybrid aerogel supported phase change composites show excellent solar thermal energy harvesting and flame-retardant property.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U20A20299 and 52003111). X. S. received support from the Research Fund Program of Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Saving in Phosphorus Chemical Engineering and New Phosphorus Materials (Grant No. LHG-2020–0004). Y. C. was supported by the Guangdong Special Support Program (Grant No. 2017TX04N371). J. H. received support from the Opening Project of Key Laboratory of Polymer Processing Engineering (South China University of Technology), Ministry of Education, (Grant No. KFKT2001). The authors also received financial support from Taif University Researchers Supporting Project number (TURSP-2020/158), Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Yan Cao, Mengman Weng, Li Zhang, Ying Chen, Jintao Huang & Xinxin Sheng

  2. Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Saving in Phosphorus Chemical Engineering and New Phosphorus Materials, The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Phosphorus Chemical Engineering of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650500, China

    Xinxin Sheng

  3. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia

    M. H. H. Mahmoud

  4. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia

    Ashraf Y. Elnaggar & Islam H. El Azab

  5. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi, China

    Mina Huang

  6. Key Laboratory of Polymer Processing Engineering, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Jintao Huang

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  1. Yan Cao
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Cao, Y., Weng, M., Mahmoud, M.H.H. et al. Flame-retardant and leakage-proof phase change composites based on MXene/polyimide aerogels toward solar thermal energy harvesting. Adv Compos Hybrid Mater 5, 1253–1267 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-022-00504-4

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