Next-Generation Phase Change Materials for Heat Transfer
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G2: Phase Change Materials for Energy Storage".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 60
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid advancement of modern energy and electronics systems has led to increasingly demanding thermal management requirements, particularly under high flux and transient operating conditions. Applications such as power electronics, data centers, renewable energy systems, and advanced manufacturing processes require efficient and reliable heat-transfer solutions to ensure performance, safety, and longevity. In this context, phase change materials (PCMs), which use latent heat during phase transitions, have emerged as a promising approach for thermal energy storage and temperature regulation.
Despite their advantages, conventional PCMs face limitations such as low thermal conductivity, phase segregation, and limited adaptability to dynamic operating conditions. Recent research efforts have therefore focused on developing next-generation PCMs with enhanced thermal transport properties, structural integration capabilities, and tunable phase change behavior. These advances include composite and nano-enhanced PCMs, encapsulation techniques, and architecture materials.
This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in next-generation phase change materials for heat-transfer. It seeks to highlight the interplay between material innovation, heat transfer mechanisms, and system-level integration, with a particular emphasis on energy-related applications. Contributions that bridge fundamental material development with practical energy systems are especially encouraged, in alignment with the scope of Energies.
Topics of Interest
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Advanced phase change materials for thermal energy storage;
- Composite and nano-enhanced phase change materials for thermal energy storage and heat-transfer enhancement in energy systems;
- Encapsulation and stabilization strategies for reliable PCM deployment in thermal energy storage and thermal management applications;
- Heat-transfer enhancement strategies in PCM-integrated systems;
- Modeling and simulation of phase change heat transfer;
- Data-driven and optimization approaches for PCM design;
- PCM-based thermal management for electronics and data centers with emphasis on reducing cooling-energy demand and improving operational efficiency;
- Reliability, cycling stability, and degradation of PCMs;
Multi-scale experimental and numerical analysis from material behavior to component- and system-level energy performance, including techno-economic assessment.
Dr. Soonwook Kim
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- phase change materials (PCMs)
- thermal energy storage systems
- transient thermal management
- caloric materials
- energy-efficient thermal systems
- advanced thermal management
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