Fluorescent thermochromic wood-based composite phase change materials based on aggregation-induced emission carbon dots for visual solar-thermal energy conversion and storage

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Efficient solar-thermal energy conversion and storage is significant to overcome current energy shortage problems. Monitoring solar-thermal energy storage process by an evident and convenient display is conducive to improving energy utilization. Herein, fluorescent thermochromic wood-based composite phase change materials (WPCMs) were constructed for visual solar-thermal energy conversion and storage. It was fabricated by encapsulating polyethylene glycol (PEG) and aggregation-induced emission carbon dots (AIE-CDs) showing blue dispersed emission and red aggregation-induced emission into delignified wood (DW). The DW well-preserved the distinctive anisotropic porous structure and prevented the leakage problem of PEG. The WPCMs possessed great solar-thermal conversion capacity benefitting from strong and broad solar light absorption behaviors of AIE-CDs. Additionally, WPCMs showed real-time and visual fluorescent thermochromic property, it exhibited red AIE, and the fluorescence (FL) decreased and shifted into the blue emission band under solar radiation. The solar-thermal energy conversion and storage led to solid–liquid transformation of WPCMs, which promoted AIE-CDs’ dispersion, thereby changing the FL. It also exhibited a high latent heat of fusion (160.8 J·g−1), favorable stability over 150 heating–cooling cycles, thermal stability below 210 °C and good shape stability. The WPCMs can be extended to applications in energy-saving buildings and optical lighting materials with visual thermal regulation capability.