Low-k nano-dielectrics facilitate electric-field induced phase transition in high-k ferroelectric polymers for sustainable electrocaloric refrigeration

Qiang Li; Luqi Wei; Ni Zhong; Xiaoming Shi; Donglin Han; Shanyu Zheng; Feihong Du; Junye Shi; Jiangping Chen; Houbing Huang; Chungang Duan; Xiaoshi Qian

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-44926-8

Nature Communications (Jan 2024)

Low-k nano-dielectrics facilitate electric-field induced phase transition in high-k ferroelectric polymers for sustainable electrocaloric refrigeration

Qiang Li,
Luqi Wei,
Ni Zhong,
Xiaoming Shi,
Donglin Han,
Shanyu Zheng,
Feihong Du,
Junye Shi,
Jiangping Chen,
Houbing Huang,
Chungang Duan,
Xiaoshi Qian

Affiliations

Qiang Li: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Luqi Wei: Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center of Brain-inspired Intelligent Materials and Devices, East China Normal University
Ni Zhong: Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center of Brain-inspired Intelligent Materials and Devices, East China Normal University
Xiaoming Shi: School of Materials Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology
Donglin Han: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanyu Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Feihong Du: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Junye Shi: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Jiangping Chen: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Houbing Huang: School of Materials Science and Engineering and Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology
Chungang Duan: Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Center of Brain-inspired Intelligent Materials and Devices, East China Normal University
Xiaoshi Qian: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, and MOE Key Laboratory for Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44926-8
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Ferroelectric polymer-based electrocaloric effect may lead to sustainable heat pumps and refrigeration owing to the large electrocaloric-induced entropy changes, flexible, lightweight and zero-global warming potential. Herein, low-k nanodiamonds are served as extrinsic dielectric fillers to fabricate polymeric nanocomposites for electrocaloric refrigeration. As low-k nanofillers are naturally polar-inactive, hence they have been widely applied for consolidate electrical stability in dielectrics. Interestingly, we observe that the nanodiamonds markedly enhances the electrocaloric effect in relaxor ferroelectrics. Compared with their high-k counterparts that have been extensively studied in the field of electrocaloric nanocomposites, the nanodiamonds introduces the highest volumetric electrocaloric enhancement (~23%/vol%). The resulting polymeric nanocomposite exhibits concurrently improved electrocaloric effect (160%), thermal conductivity (175%) and electrical stability (125%), which allow a fluid-solid coupling-based electrocaloric refrigerator to exhibit an improved coefficient of performance from 0.8 to 5.3 (660%) while maintaining high cooling power (over 240 W) at a temperature span of 10 K.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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