Flexible phase change composites supported by Cu-Modified carbon Felt: Enhanced Solar-to-Thermal conversion and shape memory properties

The deployment of phase change materials (PCMs) presents a viable strategy for enhancing solar energy conversion and storage, providing a continuous thermal energy generation process in line with carbon neutrality objectives. Through the modification of carbon felts (CF) with polydopamine (PDA) and subsequent controlled integration of Cu nanoparticles, this study achieved the development of flexible phase change composites (FPCCs) for enhanced solar thermal energy conversion and storage, incorporating thermally-driven shape memory and spatial adaptability. Notably, the CF/PDA/Cu/PW variant demonstrated a thermal conductivity of 1.43 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, marking a 680 % enhancement relative to pure paraffin wax (PW), with an energy storage density of 171.3 J/g. Moreover, these composites exhibited rapid responsiveness, near-complete thermal shape recovery, and maintained stable solar-to-thermal conversion efficiency and shape stability. These findings suggest the potential of these FPCCs for utilization in solar thermal energy systems, as well as in thermal management under spatial and shape constraints.