Visible-Light-Controlled Thermal Energy Storage and Release: A <i>Tetra</i>-<i>Ortho</i>-Fluorinated Azobenzene-Doped Composite Phase Change Material.

ABSTRACT: Organic phase change materials (OPCMs) offer high energy density for thermal storage but suffer from crystallization kinetics dependent on ambient temperature, leading to uncontrolled heat release and limited storage lifetime. Although doping OPCMs with azobenzene (Azo) derivatives enables optically controlled energy storage and release, existing systems require UV irradiation for E-to-Z isomerization. This UV dependency seriously hinders their development in practical solar applications. Herein, we develop a visible-light-responsive Azo@OPCM composite by doping tetra-ortho-fluorinated azobenzene into eicosane. Systematic characterization of composites with different dopant ratios via UV-visible spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry reveals that gre

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12429928 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature