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Novel pyrene-based aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) composite phase change fibers with satisfactory fluorescence anti-counterfeiting, temperature sensing, and high-temperature warning functions for solar-thermal energy storage

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Abstract

Advanced multifunctional composite materials have been a significant force in the advancement of efficient solar-thermal energy conversion and storage, which is critical to address current energy shortage problems. In this study, novel phase change material (PCM) composite fiber films, composed of Py-CH (one novel pyrene-based aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen))/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)/polyethylene glycol (PEG), have been produced by electrospinning technology with PEG as the phase change material. The combination of AIE and twist intermolecular charge transfer (TICT) characteristics of Py-CH together with the water absorption performance of PVP afforded a temperature-dependent fluorescence change. On increasing the temperature from 30 to 160 °C, the APP (pyrene-based AIEgen/PVP/PEG) composites exhibit a blue-shifted emission with a color changed from green-yellow to cyan, from cyan to blue, and finally, to purple. Furthermore, the entanglement of the macromolecular chains and distinctive porous structure between PVP and PEG played a significant role in preventing the leakage and transfer issues of PEG. Therefore, the composite fiber films with a PEG content of 60% exhibited latent heat in the range of 79~89 J/g and were extremely stable for up to 100 heating-cooling cycles. As a result, the application of these APP composites could be further promoted to solar energy conversation and storage, high-temperature warning, and anti-counterfeiting applications. Hence, composite materials containing the pyrene-based AIEgen and phase change materials have opened up new avenues for the possible application of such materials in thermal energy storage.

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Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 52003111, 21975054, and U20A20340), National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFB0408100), the Program for Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Entrepreneurial Team (2016ZT06C412), and Foshan Science and Technology Innovation Team Project (1920001000108). CR thanks the University of Hull for support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Jintao Huang, Yiwei Liu, Jiahui Lin, Jingtao Su, Xing Feng & Yonggang Min

  2. Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, Yorkshire, HU6 7RX, UK

    Carl Redshaw

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  1. Jintao Huang
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Contributions

Jintao Huang: methodology, writing—original draft, and conceptualization; Yiwei Liu: data curation and investigation; Jiahui Lin: validation and writing—original draft; Jingtao Su: software; Carl Redshaw: writing—review and editing; Xing Feng: supervision and funding acquisition; Yonggang Min: funding acquisition. Jintao Huang and Yiwei Liu contributed equally to this work.

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Jintao Huang and Yiwei Liu contributed equally to this work.

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Huang, J., Liu, Y., Lin, J. et al. Novel pyrene-based aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) composite phase change fibers with satisfactory fluorescence anti-counterfeiting, temperature sensing, and high-temperature warning functions for solar-thermal energy storage. Adv Compos Hybrid Mater 6, 126 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-023-00706-4

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