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Solvent-free synthesis of cellulose nanocrystal-graft-poly (ethylene glycol) as solid–solid phase change nanoparticles

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Abstract

Solid–solid phase change materials (SSPCMs) have drawn substantial interest due to their excellent thermal energy storage performances and shape stability. Herein, a series of solid–solid phase change nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by grafting poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG, phase change working substance) onto cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) support in a solvent-free reaction system. The as-synthesized CNC-based solid–solid phase change nanoparticles (namely CNC-g-PEG) exhibited good thermal stability and high thermal energy storage capacity. Additionally, the latent heat and phase transition temperature of CNC-g-PEG could be adjusted by changing the molecular weight of PEG. In particular, the CNC-g-PEG4K possessed a relative high melting enthalpy and crystallization enthalpy of 120.4 and 121.9 J/g at 53.7 and 37.1 °C, respectively. The CNC-g-PEG4K also exhibited excellent thermal reliability after 100 thermal cycles and was suitable for long-term practical application. This study proposes a promising approach for constructing sustainable solid–solid phase change nanoparticles which shows considerable potential applications in thermal energy storage and temperature control.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (21773291, 61904118, 22002102), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20190935, BK20190947), Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (19KJA210005), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Environment Functional Materials and the Talent Introduction Project of Suzhou University of Science and Technology (331912304).

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, BK20190947, Miao Cheng

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Suzhou Key Laboratory for Nanophotonic and Nanoelectronic Materials and Its Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, Jiangsu Province, China

    Miao Cheng & Bo Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Miao Cheng

  3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China

    Jiawei Qin & Houyong Yu

  4. The Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Textile, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Houyong Yu

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  1. Miao Cheng
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  4. Bo Liu
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Correspondence to Miao Cheng.

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Cheng, M., Qin, J., Yu, H. et al. Solvent-free synthesis of cellulose nanocrystal-graft-poly (ethylene glycol) as solid–solid phase change nanoparticles. Cellulose 29, 8165–8176 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-022-04782-5

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