Recent advances in nano-enhanced phase change materials.

In the face of rising global energy demand, phase change materials (PCMs) have become a research hotspot in recent years due to their good thermal energy storage capacity. Single PCMs suffer from defects such as easy leakage when melting, poor thermal conductivity and cycling stability, which are not conducive to heat storage. Therefore, composite PCMs are gaining more and more attention for future applications. Due to the unique physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, it was found that composites of nanomaterials and PCMs can reduce supercooling, suppress phase separation, and improve thermal conductivity and cycle stability. The nano-enhanced PCMs have great applications in the field of phase change energy storage. Although many studies have been reported on nano-enhanced PCMs, there has been no systematic summary of nano-enhanced PCMs so far. This article focuses on improving the thermal performance of PCMs by the types and properties of nano-additives. In this review, the latest research progress on PCMs enhanced by nanomaterials was summarized, ranging from the variety of nanomaterials, the synthesis of nanocomposite PCMs, the effect of nanomaterials on the thermal conductivity of PCMs, and the application of nanocomposite PCMs. This work provides reference value for the future application of nano-enhanced PCMs and is beneficial to expand the applications of nanomaterials in the field of phase change energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]