Tianjin University

Yiyu Feng

Wei Feng

Fei Zhang

Hui Wang

Huitao Yu

Cong Peng

Liqi Dong

Fei Zhai

Mengmeng Qin

Weixiang Yang

The present disclosure relates to an azobenzene-graphene metal coordination solar photothermal energy storage material based on metal coordination bonds and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: preparing reduced graphene oxide; preparing an azobenzene-graphene material; and preparing an azobenzene-graphene metal coordination solar photothermal energy storage material: dispersing the prepared azobenzene-graphene material in DMF, dissolving a certain amount of metal compound in DMF, adding the DMF solution of the metal compound into the DMF solution of the azobenzene-graphene, taking out the precipitate, washing off metal ions which do not participate in coordination, and drying the obtained product to obtain the azobenzene-graphene metal coordination solar photothermal energy storage material. The present disclosure also relates to a method for improving the solar photothermal energy storage ability of a molecular solar energy fuel, comprising using an azobenzene-graphene metal coordination solar photothermal energy storage material.

Azobenzene-graphene metal coordination solar photothermal energy storage material and preparation thereof

Provided is a method for preparing a carbon nanotube/polymer composite material, including: coating a nano-silicon oxide film on the surface of a porous polymer by vacuum coating; depositing a metal catalyst nano-film on the nano-silicon oxide film by vacuum sputtering; growing a carbon nanotube array in situ on the surface of the porous polymer by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition to obtain a carbon nanotube/polymer porous material; and impregnating the carbon nanotube/polymer porous material with a polymer and curing to obtain the carbon nanotube/polymer composite material. By using a heat-resistant polymer having a high heat-resistant temperature and a PECVD technique, a carbon nanotube array directly grows in situ on the surface of a polymer at a low temperature, which thereby overcomes the defects of the composites previously prepared, in which carbon nanotubes are difficult to be homogeneously dispersed and the interfacial bonding force in the composites is weak.

Method for preparing carbon nanotube/polymer composite

A method for preparing fluorinated graphene nanoribbons by using fluorine gas as a fluorine source, which includes a step of: fluorinating anhydrous carbon nanotubes in a fluorine gas atmosphere under a pressure of &#x2212;0.07&#x2dc;0 MPa and a temperature of 280&#x2dc;450&#xb0; C. to obtain the fluorinated graphene nanoribbons. The method provided is operationally simple, and has a wide variety of raw material sources, low cost, and high production which can reach up to tens of milligrams and even up to hundreds of grams; moreover, the method has simple post-treatment, and can produce fluorinated graphene nanoribbons by a one-step reaction. The prepared fluorinated graphene nanoribbons have very good superhydrophobic properties and chemical stability, and thus can be applied to the anti-icing and other fields, having a very good application prospect.

Method for preparing fluorinated graphene nanoribbons

Provided is an azobenzene-based photothermal energy storage molecule represented by Formula I which contains two types of azobenzene unit: two biscarboxyl azobenzene units and one monoamino azobenzene unit. By utilizing the energy difference between the two configurations of the azobenzene units, energy is stored during the transition from trans to cis, and in reverse, energy is released. The carboxyl and amino groups on different azobenzene units can form strong intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which leads to a great improvement in energy density and reversion half-life compared with the traditional azobenzene materials in which a single type of an azobenzene unit is grafted. Moreover, the release of thermal energy can be controlled by light and heating, which is beneficial to fully utilize the solar energy for photothermal energy conversion and storage, and used as a solar thermal fuel to the field of heating technology and new generation of light-driven spacecrafts. 

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Tianjin, China

Yiyu Feng