MOF-derived Co/C-anchored MoS₂-based phase change materials toward thermal management and microwave absorption

Abstract

With the miniaturization and integration of electronic devices, developing advanced multifunctional phase change materials (PCMs) integrating thermal storage, thermal conduction, and microwave absorption to address electromagnetic interference, thermal dissipation, and instantaneous thermal shock is imperative. Herein, we proposed an extensible strategy to synthesize MOF-derived Co/C-anchored MoS₂- based PCMs using high-temperature carbonation of flower-like MoS₂ grown in situ by ZIF67 and vacuum impregnation of paraffin. The resulting MoS₂@Co/C-paraffin composite PCMs exhibited good thermal storage density, thermal cycling stability, and long-term durability. The thermal conductivity of composite PCMs was 44% higher than that of pristine paraffin due to the construction of low interfacial thermal resistance. More attractively, our designed composite PCMs also possessed -57.15 dB minimum reflection loss at 9.2 GHz with a thickness of 3.0 mm, corresponding to an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.86 GHz. The excellent microwave absorption was attributed to the multicomponent synergy of magnetic loss from Co nanoparticles and conductive loss from MOF-derived carbon layers, and multiple reflection of MoS₂ nanowrinkle, along with good impedance matching. This study provided a meaningful reference for the widespread application of composite PCMs combining thermal storage, thermal conduction, and microwave absorption in high-power miniaturized electronic devices.

Keywords

microwave absorption / phase change materials / thermal conduction / thermal storage

References

[1] Wang G, Tang Z, Gao Y, et al. Phase change thermal storage materials for interdisciplinary applications. Chem Rev. 2023;123(11):6953-7024.

[2] Liang C, Zhang W, Liu C, et al. Multifunctional phase change textiles with electromagnetic interference shielding and multiple thermal response characteristics. Chem Eng J. 2023;471:144500.

[3] Wu MQ, Wu S, Cai YF, Wang RZ, Li TX. Form-stable phase change composites: preparation, performance, and applications for thermal energy conversion, storage and management. Energy Storage Mater. 2021;42:380-417.

[4] Yang R, Gui X, Yao L, et al. Ultrathin, lightweight, and flexible CNT buckypaper enhanced using MXenes for electromagnetic interference shielding. Nano-Micro Lett. 2021;13(1):66.

[5] Che R, Peng L, Duan X, Chen Q, Liang X. Microwave absorption enhancement and complex permittivity and permeability of Fe encapsulated within carbon nanotubes. Adv Mater. 2004;16(5):401-405.

[6] Liu P, Chen X, Li Y, et al. Aerogels meet phase change materials: fundamentals, advances, and beyond. ACS Nano. 2022;16(10):15586-15626.

[7] Yue J, Feng Y, Qin M, Feng W. Carbon-based materials with combined functions of thermal management and electromagnetic protection: preparation, mechanisms, properties, and applications. Nano Res. 2023;17(3):883-903.

[8] Gong S, Sheng X, Li X, et al. A multifunctional flexible composite film with excellent multi-source driven thermal management, electromagnetic interference shielding, and fire safety performance, inspired by a “brick-mortar” sandwich structure. Adv Funct Mater. 2022;32(26):2200570.

[9] Wang P, Mai T, Zhang W, et al. Robust and multifunctional Ti₃C₂T_x/modified sawdust composite paper for electromagnetic interference shielding and wearable thermal management. Small. 2024;20(3):2304914.

[10] Yang S, Lin Z, Wang X, et al. Stretchable, transparent, and ultra-broadband terahertz shielding thin films based on wrinkled MXene architectures. Nano-Micro Lett. 2024;16:165.

[11] Hu Q, Yang R, Yang S, Huang W, Zeng Z, Gui X. Metal-organic framework-derived core-shell nanospheres anchored on Fe-filled carbon nanotube sponge for strong wideband microwave absorption. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2022;14(8):10577-10587.

[12] Dong J, Feng Y, Lin K, Zhou B, Su F, Liu C. A stretchable electromagnetic interference shielding fabric with dual-mode passive personal thermal management. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;34(13):2310774.

[13] Xiao T, Shi X, Gen L, Dai Y, Zhao J, Liu C. Synergistic enhancement of phase change materials through three-dimensional macropore lamellar structured MOF/EG composite for solar energy storage and beyond. Appl Therm Eng. 2023;235:121378.

[14] Wang J, Sui L, Huang J, et al. MoS₂-based nanocomposites for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Bioact Mater. 2021;6(11):4209-4242.

[15] Zhang Y, Wu P, Meng Y, Lu R, Zhang S, Tang B. Flexible phase change films with enhanced thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity for thermal management. Chem Eng J. 2023;464:142650.

[16] Liu S, Quan B, Sheng M, et al. A novel in-situ growth ZIF-67 on biological porous carbon encapsulated phase change composites with electromagnetic interference shielding and multifunctional energy conversion. Nano Energy. 2023;114:108669.

[17] Lin Y, Kang Q, Liu Y, et al. Flexible, highly thermally conductive and electrically insulating phase change materials for advanced thermal management of 5G base stations and thermoelectric generators. Nano-Micro Lett. 2023;15:31.

[18] Luo Z, Yang D, Liu J, et al. Nature-inspired solar-thermal gradient reduced graphene oxide aerogel-based bilayer phase change composites for self-adaptive personal thermal management. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;33(15):2212032.

[19] Hu J, Zhang S, Tang B. 2D filler-reinforced polymer nanocomposite dielectrics for high-k dielectric and energy storage applications. Energy Storage Mater. 2021;34:260-281.

[20] Li Z, Zhang Y, Wang X, Zhang S, Tang B. Thermally conductive enhanced flexible composite phase change materials for thermal management. J Energy Storage. 2024;85:111133.

[21] He Y, Shao Y, Xiao Y, Yang J, Qi X, Wang Y. Multifunctional phase change composites based on elastic MXene/silver nanowire sponges for excellent thermal/solar/electric energy storage, shape memory, and adjustable electromagnetic interference shielding functions. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2022;14(4):6057-6070.

[22] Qi X, Zhu T, Hu W, et al. Multifunctional polyacrylamide/hydrated salt/MXene phase change hydrogels with high thermal energy storage, photothermal conversion capability and strain sensitivity for personal healthcare. Compos Sci Technol. 2023;234:109947.

[23] Guo H, Jiao W, Jin H, Yuan Z, He X. Microsphere structure composite phase change material with anti-leakage, self-sensing, and photothermal conversion properties for thermal energy harvesting and multi-functional sensor. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;33(1):2209345.

[24] Jing Y, Zhao Z, Cao X, Sun Q, Yuan Y, Li T. Ultraflexible, cost-effective and scalable polymer-based phase change composites via chemical cross-linking for wearable thermal management. Nat Commun. 2023;14:8060.

[25] Alehosseini E, Jafari S. Micro/nano-encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) as emerging materials for the food industry. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2019;91:116-128.

[26] Cao Y, Zeng Z, Huang D, Chen Y, Zhang L, Sheng X. Multi-functional phase change composites based on biomass/MXene-derived hybrid scaffolds for excellent electromagnetic interference shielding and superior solar/electro-thermal energy storage. Nano Res. 2022;15(9):8524-8535.

[27] Usman A, Qin M, Xiong F, et al. MXene-integrated solid-solid phase change composites for accelerating solar-thermal energy storage and electric conversion. Small Methods. 2024:2301458.

[28] Bai Z, Wang P, Xu J, Wang R, Li T. Progress and perspectives of sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting for sustainable water generation: materials, devices, and systems. Sci Bull. 2024;69(5):671-687.

[29] Wu M, Li T, Wang P, Wu S, Wang R, Lin J. Dual-encapsulated highly conductive and liquid-free phase change composites enabled by polyurethane/graphite nanoplatelets hybrid networks for efficient energy storage and thermal management. Small. 2022;18(9):2105647.

[30] Yang J, Zhou Y, Yang L, et al. Exploring next-generation functional organic phase change composites. Adv Funct Mater. 2022;32(28):2200792.

[31] Zhong X, He M, Zhang C, Guo Y, Hu J, Gu J. Heterostructured BN@Co-C@C endowing polyester composites excellent thermal conductivity and microwave absorption at C band. Adv Funct Mater. 2024;34(19):2313544.

[32] Liu C, Xiao T, Zhao J, et al. Polymer engineering in phase change thermal storage materials. Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2023;188:113814.

[33] Wang W, Zhang H, Zhao Y, et al. A novel MOF-drived self-decomposition strategy for CoO@N/C-Co/Ni-NiCO₂O₄ multi-heterostructure composite as high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. Chem Eng J. 2021;426:131667.

[34] Li Y, Diao X, Li P, et al. Advanced multifunctional Co/N co-doped carbon foam-based phase change materials for wearable thermal management. Chem Eng J 2024;485:149858,

[35] Hu N, Li H, Wei Q, et al. Continuous diamond-carbon nanotube foams as rapid heat conduction channels in composite phase change materials based on the stable hierarchical structure. Compos B Eng. 2020;200:108293.

[36] Cheng P, Chen X, Gao H, et al. Different dimensional nanoadditives for thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change materials: fundamentals and applications. Nano Energy. 2021;85:105948.

[37] Li X, Liu Y, Xu Y, et al. Rapid large-capacity storage of renewable solar-/electro-thermal energy within phase-change materials by bioinspired multifunctional meshes. Matter. 2023;6(11):4050-4065.

[38] Wu Y, Tan S, Fang G, Zhang Y, Ji G. Manipulating CNT films with atomic precision for absorption effectiveness–enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding and adaptive infrared camouflage. Adv Funct Mater. 2024:2402193.

[39] Tang Z, Gao Y, Cheng P, et al. Metal-organic framework derived magnetic phase change nanocage for fast-charging solar-thermal energy conversion. Nano Energy. 2022;99:107383.

[40] Yun Q, Ge Y, Shi Z, et al. Recent progress on phase engineering of nanomaterials. Chem Rev. 2023;123(23):13489-13692.

[41] Ren J, Huang Y, Zhu H, et al. Recent progress on MOF-derived carbon materials for energy storage. Carbon Eenergy. 2020;2(2):176-202.

[42] Meng H, Liu Y, Liu H, et al. ZIF67@MFC-derived Co/N-C@CNFs interconnected frameworks with graphitic carbon-encapsulated Co nanoparticles as highly stable and efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020;12(37):41580-41589.

[43] Li A, Dong C, Dong W, et al. Network structural CNTs penetrate porous carbon support for phase-change materials with enhanced electro-thermal performance. Adv Electronic Mater. 2020;6(6):1901428.

[44] Diao X, Zhang X, Li Y, et al. Heterogeneous network of 2D MOFs decorated 1D CNTs imparting multiple functionalities to composite phase change materials. Nano Res Energy. 2024;3:e9120114.

[45] Yang L, Wang Y, Lu Z, Cheng R, Wang N, Li Y. Construction of multi-dimensional NiCo/C/CNT/rGO aerogel by MOF derivative for efficient microwave absorption. Carbon. 2023;205:411-421.

[46] Chen X, Xu J, Li Y, Gao Y, Wang G. Integrating multiple energy storage in 1D-2D bridged array carbon-based phase change materials. SusMat. 2023;3(4):510-521.

[47] Liu P, Huang M, Chen X, et al. Polypyrrole-boosted photothermal energy storage in MOF-based phase change materials. Interdisciplinary Mater. 2023;2(3):423-433.

[48] Liu C, Wang L, Li Y, et al. Fe₃O₄/carbon-decorated graphene boosts photothermal conversion and storage of phase change materials. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024;657:590-597.

[49] Zhang F, Sun Y, Guo L, et al. Microstructural welding engineering of carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposites with improved interfacial thermal transport. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;34(10):2311906.

[50] Shi X, Meng Y, Bi R, Wan Z, Zhu Y, Rojas O. Enabling unidirectional thermal conduction of wood-supported phase change material for photo-to-thermal energy conversion and heat regulation. Compos B Eng. 2022;245:110231.

[51] Zhao H, Shu C, Wang X, et al. Bioinspired intelligent solar-responsive thermally conductive pyramidal phase change composites with radially oriented layered structures toward efficient solar–thermal–electric energy conversion. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;33(33):2302527.

[52] Wu S, Li T, Tong Z, et al. High-performance thermally conductive phase change composites by large-size oriented graphite sheets for scalable thermal energy harvesting. Adv Mater. 2019;31(49):1905099.

[53] Guo Z, Lin F, Qiao J, et al. A modified kapok fiber based phase change composite for highly-efficient solar-thermal conversion. Nano Energy. 2023;108:108205.

[54] Liao Z, Ma M, Bi Y, et al. MoS₂ decorated on one-dimensional MgFe₂O₄/MgO/C composites for high-performance microwave absorption. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022;606:709-718.

[55] Wen H, Lei B, Zhang W. Preparation and investigation of high-efficiency ZIF-67/MoS₂-based microwave absorbers. Mater Res Bull. 2024;172:112671.

[56] Sun H, Che R, You X, et al. Cross-stacking aligned carbon-nanotube films to tune microwave absorption frequencies and increase absorption intensities. Adv Mater. 2014;26(48):8120-8125.

[57] Liu Z, Pan F, Deng B, Xiang Z, Lu W. Self-assembled MoS₂/3D worm-like expanded graphite hybrids for high-efficiency microwave absorption. Carbon. 2021;174:59-69.

[58] Wang C, Geng X, Chen J, et al. Multiple H-bonding cross-linked supramolecular solid-solid phase change materials for thermal energy storage and management. Adv Mater. 2024;36(11):2309723.

[59] Liu Q, Cao Q, Bi H, et al. CoNi@SiO₂@TiO₂ and CoNi@Air@TiO₂ microspheres with strong wideband microwave absorption. Adv Mater. 2016;28(3):486-490.

[60] Wen C, Li X, Zhang R, et al. High-density anisotropy magnetism enhanced microwave absorption performance in Ti₃C₂T_x MXene@Ni microspheres. ACS Nano. 2022;16(1):1150-1159.

[61] Gu W, Sheng J, Huang Q, Wang G, Chen J, Ji G. Environmentally friendly and multifunctional shaddock peel-based carbon aerogel for thermal-insulation and microwave absorption. Nano-Micro Lett. 2021;13:102.

[62] Liu Y, Wei X, He X, et al. Multifunctional shape memory composites for Joule heating, self-healing, and highly efficient microwave absorption. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;33(5):2211352.

[63] Wu F, Hu P, Hu F, et al. Multifunctional MXene/C aerogels for enhanced microwave absorption and thermal insulation. Nano-Micro Lett. 2023;15:194.

[64] Tao J, Xu L, Pei C, et al. Catfish effect induced by anion sequential doping for microwave absorption. Adv Funct Mater. 2023;33(8):2211996.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2024 The Author(s). Electron published by Harbin Institute of Technology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.