van der Waals-bonded graphene clusters enhance thermal conductivity of phase-change materials for advanced thermal energy management

Abstract

Organic phase-change materials possess immense application potential, but their low thermal conductivity (≤0.5 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) severely limits the thermal energy charge/discharge rate, impeding their practical implementation in the field of advanced energy. While incorporating thermally conductive fillers into the phase-change matrix can address this issue, achieving a thermal conductivity exceeding 10 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at a filler content below 30 vol% remains challenging, attributed to the absence of a well-designed filler interface and structure. Herein, a strategy for developing planar graphene clusters and subsequently integrating them with phase-change microcapsules to fabricate composites using compression molding was demonstrated. The proposed graphene clusters are formed by closely aligned and overlapping graphene sheets that bond together through van der Waals forces, resulting in a significant decrease in junction thermal resistance within the composites. Combining this interface design with compression-induced construction of a highly oriented structure, the composites achieved a remarkable thermal conductivity of 103 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ with ≈29 vol% filler addition, enhancing the thermal energy charge/discharge rate by over two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the composites possess the essential enthalpy values, competent strength, and ease of shaping, making them applicable across various domains of thermal energy management.