Wearable solar energy management based on visible solar thermal energy storage for full solar spectrum utilization

Abstract

Efficient solar energy harvesting offers great potential for a global energy utilization beyond conventional fossil energy. However, current solar thermal approaches depend on sole molecular solar thermal energy storage (MOST) or photothermal materials (PTMs) by the rigid devices, leading to incomplete solar spectrum utilization and impossible wearability. Here we design the visible solar storage fabric (VSSF) with UV–Vis-NIR wavelengths utilization and wearable contrast photochromic display. This VSSF integrates the Azo-PCM@PS nanocapsule and Cs0.32WO3 nanoparticle, enabling the photochemistry thermophysics coupled energy storage and vis-NIR light harvesting, respectively. Rationally designed full solar spectrum utilization achieves high heat release (83 °C) energy efficiency of ∼4.8% under sunlight, which can protect human body from cold injury by a self-heating wrister. A photothermally-driven lifter based on VSSF is demonstrated to raise the targeted subject upon light triggering. Notably, the real-time energy state can be monitored by color change, in view of relationship establishment between color and energy density. This concept of wearable solar energy management provides the possibility of high solar energy efficiency by capturing sunlight through full solar spectrum.