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Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications
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Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 9420

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yunzheng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Optics Research and Engineering (CORE), Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Interests: ultrafast lasers; optical nonlinearity; nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phase change phenomena exist in many natural materials, such as metals, polymers and oxides, etc. Phase change materials have been widely researched in terms of energy storage, thermal management, smart building, and information storage. Especially in the intelligent photonics fields, various new types of photonic devices have materialized by taking advantage of phase change materials in rapid reversible switching, large variation range of optical dielectric function, and nonvolatile and long-term retention. These devices usually possess reprogrammable, reconfigurable, rewriteable, tunable, and switchable properties.

This volume aims to collect the latest developments for scientific and technological advances of the PCMs so as to provide an exhaustive overview of the state of the art and future trends. Topics will include but not be limited to:

  • Synthesis and doping engineering;
  • Calculation and modeling of transition dynamics;
  • New structures, e.g., super-lattice and heterostructure;
  • Fundamental and device physics;
  • Micro- and nanoscale phase-change devices;
  • Metal-insulator transition in VO2;
  • Phase-change memory;
  • Neuromorphic computing and AI;
  • Thermal management;
  • Photonics application.

Dr. Yunzheng Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • phase change materials
  • synthesis and doping engineering
  • calculation and modeling
  • micro- and nanoscale phase-change devices

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4944 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials with Enhanced Thermal Performance for Cold Storage
by Yang Wang, Yunchuan Xu, Haojie Zhao, Ruilin Cao, Bei Huang and Lingling Xu
Materials 2025, 18(9), 2074; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18092074 - 30 Apr 2025
Abstract
Microencapsulated phase-change materials (MPCMs) with excellent thermal properties for low-temperature cold storage were developed in this study. Using 1-decanol as the core and methyl methacrylate as the shell precursor, the effects of emulsifier type and ultrasonic emulsification conditions were investigated. Styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer [...] Read more.
Microencapsulated phase-change materials (MPCMs) with excellent thermal properties for low-temperature cold storage were developed in this study. Using 1-decanol as the core and methyl methacrylate as the shell precursor, the effects of emulsifier type and ultrasonic emulsification conditions were investigated. Styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer served effectively as a protective colloid emulsifier, producing MPCMs with high enthalpy and a well-defined, uniform microstructure. Under optimal conditions of 5 wt% emulsifier content relative to the oil phase, an ultrasonic power of 375 W, and an emulsification time of 12 min, the MPCMs exhibited a phase-change enthalpy of 126.7 kJ/kg. To further improve the thermal properties, a binary eutectic mixture was prepared by combining 1-decanol and 1-tetradecane at an optimal molar ratio (51.1:48.9). This binary-core MPCM showed a higher storage enthalpy (144.3 kJ/kg), with an increase of 13.9% compared to the single-core material (1-decanol). It also exhibited improved microstructural uniformity due to the stabilizing role of 1-tetradecane. These optimized MPCMs demonstrate phase-transition temperatures particularly suitable for low-temperature thermal storage, providing a practical and innovative technical solution for cold-chain logistics and vaccine refrigeration applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
16 pages, 9709 KiB  
Article
Al Doping Effect on Enhancement of Nonlinear Optical Absorption in Amorphous Bi2Te3 Thin Films
by Tengfei Zhang, Shenjin Wei, Shubo Zhang, Menghan Li, Jiawei Wang, Jingze Liu, Junhua Wang, Ertao Hu and Jing Li
Materials 2025, 18(6), 1372; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061372 - 20 Mar 2025
Viewed by 269
Abstract
Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) has attracted significant attention due to its broadband ultrafast optical response and strong nonlinearity at high laser fluence in the field of optoelectronic materials. The objective of this work is to study the effect of Al [...] Read more.
Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) has attracted significant attention due to its broadband ultrafast optical response and strong nonlinearity at high laser fluence in the field of optoelectronic materials. The objective of this work is to study the effect of Al doping on the structure, linear optical properties, and nonlinear optical absorption behavior of Bi2Te3 thin films. The amorphous Al-doped Bi2Te3 thin films with varying Al doping concentrations were prepared using magnetron co-sputtering. The structure and linear optical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometry. The third-order nonlinear optical absorption properties of Al: Bi2Te3 thin films were investigated using the open-aperture Z-scan system with a 100 fs laser pulse width at a wavelength of 800 nm and a repetition rate of 1 kHz. The results indicate that Al dopant reduces both the refractive index and extinction coefficient and induces a redshift in the optical bandgap. The optical properties of the films can be effectively modulated by varying the Al doping concentration. Compared with undoped Bi2Te3 thin films, Al-doped Bi2Te3 thin films exhibit larger nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and higher damage thresholds and maintaining high transmittance. These findings provide experimental evidence and a reliable approach for the further optimization and design of ultrafast nonlinear optical devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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9 pages, 3114 KiB  
Communication
Coherent Structure in Indium Doped Phase Change Materials
by Rui Wang, Yonghui Zheng, Qianchen Liu, Tao Wei, Tianjiao Xin, Cheng Liu, Qiongyan Tang, Guangjie Shi, Bo Liu and Yan Cheng
Materials 2025, 18(5), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18050934 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 453
Abstract
Phase change memory (PCM) technology demonstrates significant potential as a next-generation non-volatile storage solution for information applications. Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) alloy, the most well-established material employed in commercial PCM devices, exhibits limited thermal stability. Doping, as an effective approach [...] Read more.
Phase change memory (PCM) technology demonstrates significant potential as a next-generation non-volatile storage solution for information applications. Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) alloy, the most well-established material employed in commercial PCM devices, exhibits limited thermal stability. Doping, as an effective approach for enhancing thermal stability, often induces element segregation and phase separation. This study systematically investigates the impact of indium (In) doping on GST phase-change material. Experimental results demonstrate that In doping significantly enhances the thermal stability of GST film. In17GST exhibits a 130 °C increase in crystallization temperature (from 181 °C to 311 °C). Especially, the introduction of In leads to the formation of In2Te3 phase, which exhibits a remarkably similar crystal structure to GST with only a ~2% lattice mismatch. Consequently, In2Te3 phase forms a coherent structure with GST lattice, thereby promoting the stability of the phase boundary. Additionally, In2Te3 phase facilitates efficient heating with a 5.7% improvement in heating efficiency (913 K vs. 864 K at 5 ns) and contributes to improved RESET operations in PCM devices. Our study lays the foundation for the composition and structure design for high thermal stability and low power consumption in PCM devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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15 pages, 4926 KiB  
Article
Dual-Tuned Terahertz Absorption Device Based on Vanadium Dioxide Phase Transition Properties
by Ruyuan Zheng, Yingting Yi, Qianju Song, Zao Yi, Yougen Yi, Shubo Cheng, Jianguo Zhang, Chaojun Tang, Tangyou Sun and Qingdong Zeng
Materials 2024, 17(17), 4287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17174287 - 29 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1130
Abstract
In recent years, absorbers related to metamaterials have been heavily investigated. In particular, VO2 materials have received focused attention, and a large number of researchers have aimed at multilayer structures. This paper presents a new concept of a three-layer simple structure with [...] Read more.
In recent years, absorbers related to metamaterials have been heavily investigated. In particular, VO2 materials have received focused attention, and a large number of researchers have aimed at multilayer structures. This paper presents a new concept of a three-layer simple structure with VO2 as the base, silicon dioxide as the dielectric layer, and graphene as the top layer. When VO2 is in the insulated state, the absorber is in the closed state, Δf = 1.18 THz (absorption greater than 0.9); when VO2 is in the metallic state, the absorber is open, Δf = 4.4 THz (absorption greater than 0.9), with ultra-broadband absorption. As a result of the absorption mode conversion, a phenomenon occurs with this absorber, with total transmission and total reflection occurring at 2.4 THz (A = 99.45% or 0.29%) and 6.5 THz (A = 90% or 0.24%) for different modes. Due to this absorption property, the absorber is able to achieve full-transmission and full-absorption transitions at specific frequencies. The device has great potential for applications in terahertz absorption, terahertz switching, and terahertz modulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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12 pages, 6917 KiB  
Article
Optimization of a Ge2Sb2Te5-Based Electrically Tunable Phase-Change Thermal Emitter for Dynamic Thermal Camouflage
by Yufeng Xiong, Guoxu Zhang, Yaolan Tian, Jun-Lei Wang, Yunzheng Wang, Zhuang Zhuo and Xian Zhao
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1641; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071641 - 3 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Controlling infrared thermal radiations can significantly improve the environmental adaptability of targets and has attracted increasing attention in the field of thermal camouflage. Thermal emitters based on Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) can flexibly change their radiation energy by controlling the [...] Read more.
Controlling infrared thermal radiations can significantly improve the environmental adaptability of targets and has attracted increasing attention in the field of thermal camouflage. Thermal emitters based on Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) can flexibly change their radiation energy by controlling the reversible phase transition of GST, which possesses fast switching speed and low power consumption. However, the feasibility of the dynamic regulation of GST emitters lacks experimental and simulation verification. In this paper, we propose an electrically tunable thermal emitter consisting of a metal–insulator–metal plasmonic metasurface based on GST. Both optical and thermal simulations are conducted to optimize the structural parameters of the GST emitter. The results indicate that this emitter possesses large emissivity tunability, wide incident angle, polarization insensitivity, phase-transition feasibility, and dynamic thermal camouflage capability. Therefore, this work proposes a reliable optimization method to design viable GST-based thermal emitters. Moreover, it provides theoretical support for the practical application of phase-change materials in dynamic infrared thermal camouflage technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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21 pages, 18109 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Performance Study of n-Undecane Phase Change Cold Storage Material
by Luchao Yan, Yang Wang, Shijian Lu, Zhipeng Zhu and Lingling Xu
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1570; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071570 - 29 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1382
Abstract
With the fast development of the cold chain transportation industry, the traditional refrigeration method results in significant energy consumption. To address the national call for energy saving and emission reduction, the search for a new type of energy storage material has already become [...] Read more.
With the fast development of the cold chain transportation industry, the traditional refrigeration method results in significant energy consumption. To address the national call for energy saving and emission reduction, the search for a new type of energy storage material has already become a future development trend. According to the national standard GB/T28577 for the classification and basic requirements of cold chain logistics, the temperature in frozen logistics is typically below −18 °C. In this study, n-undecane with a phase change temperature of −26 °C is chosen as the core material of microcapsules. Poly(methyl methacrylate) is applied as the shell material, with n-undecane microcapsules being prepared through suspension polymerization for phase change cold storage materials (MEPCM). Using characterization techniques including SEM, DSC, FTIR, and laser particle size analysis, the effects of three types of emulsifiers (SMA, Tween-80, Tween-80/span-80 (70/30)), SMA emulsifier dosage, core–shell ratio, and emulsification rate on the thermal performance and micro-surface morphology of n-undecane/PMMA microcapsules were studied. The results indicate that when comparing SMA, Tween-80, and Tween-80/span-80 (70/30) as emulsifiers, the dodecane/PMMA microcapsules prepared with SMA emulsifier exhibit superior thermal performance and micro-surface morphology, possessing a complete core–shell structure. The optimal microstructure and the highest enthalpy of phase change, measuring 120.3 kJ/kg, are achieved when SMA is used as the emulsifier with a quantity of 7%, a core-to-wall ratio of 2.5:1, and an emulsification speed of 2000 rpm. After 200 hot and cold cycles, the enthalpy of phase change decreased by only 18.6 kJ/kg, indicating the MEPCM thermal performance and cycle life. In addition, these optimized microcapsules exhibit favorable microstructure, uniform particle size, and efficient energy storage, making them an excellent choice for the refrigeration and freezing sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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Review

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80 pages, 5820 KiB  
Review
Phase Change Materials in Residential Buildings: Challenges, Opportunities, and Performance
by José Pereira, Reinaldo Souza, Jeferson Oliveira and Ana Moita
Materials 2025, 18(9), 2063; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18092063 - 30 Apr 2025
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising solutions for improving thermal management in residential buildings by enhancing thermal storage capacity and reducing energy consumption. This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the application of PCMs in residential construction, focusing on [...] Read more.
Phase change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising solutions for improving thermal management in residential buildings by enhancing thermal storage capacity and reducing energy consumption. This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the application of PCMs in residential construction, focusing on their thermal properties, benefits, and limitations. A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, primarily covering studies published between 2015 and 2025. However, key studies published outside this period were also considered due to their relevance and significant contribution to the understanding of PCM performance and application. This analysis explores key parameters affecting PCM performance, including phase transition temperature, thermal conductivity, and material stability. The results highlight that optimized PCM integration can reduce energy consumption by up to 30% and improve indoor thermal comfort. However, challenges such as low thermal conductivity and phase separation still limit their large-scale adoption. The findings provide insights into the advantages and barriers associated with PCM-based systems and propose strategies to enhance their performance, including the use of nanocomposites and improved encapsulation techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
31 pages, 7772 KiB  
Review
Aerogels for Phase-Change Materials in Functional and Multifunctional Composites: A Review
by Katarzyna Suchorowiec, Natalia Paprota and Kinga Pielichowska
Materials 2024, 17(17), 4405; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17174405 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1648
Abstract
Phase-change materials (PCMs) have gained more attention during the last few decades. As the main function of these materials is to store and release energy in the form of latent heat during phase transitions, they perfectly fulfill the direction of modern research focused [...] Read more.
Phase-change materials (PCMs) have gained more attention during the last few decades. As the main function of these materials is to store and release energy in the form of latent heat during phase transitions, they perfectly fulfill the direction of modern research focused on energy-related topics. Although they have basic energy-related properties, recent research shows a need to upgrade those materials in terms of improving their common drawbacks like shape stability, leakage, and poor conductivity. The research related to PCM-based composites leads to imparting some additional functional properties such as different types of conversion abilities or extra performance such as shape memory and thermal protection. Together with a new emerging material group—aerogels (AGs), extra-light and highly porous matrices—PCMs could become functional and multifunctional materials. AG-PCM composites could be implemented in a large variety of applications in different sectors like energy, buildings, medical, defense, space technologies, and more. This study aims to help summarize current trends, methods, and works on PCM–aerogel composites in terms of developing new functional materials, especially for energy conversion purposes but also for improved conductivity, mechanical properties, and flame retardancy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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24 pages, 5685 KiB  
Review
Designing Dual-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems: The Role of Phase Change Materials and Metal–Organic Frameworks
by Wanying Wei and Ping Lu
Materials 2024, 17(13), 3070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17133070 - 22 Jun 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1899
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) offer precise control over drug release, enhancing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects. This review focuses on DDSs that leverage the unique capabilities of phase change materials (PCMs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to achieve controlled drug release in [...] Read more.
Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) offer precise control over drug release, enhancing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects. This review focuses on DDSs that leverage the unique capabilities of phase change materials (PCMs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to achieve controlled drug release in response to pH and temperature changes. Specifically, this review highlights the use of a combination of lauric and stearic acids as PCMs that melt slightly above body temperature, providing a thermally responsive mechanism for drug release. Additionally, this review delves into the properties of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), a stable MOF under physiological conditions that decomposes in acidic environments, thus offering pH-sensitive drug release capabilities. The integration of these materials enables the fabrication of complex structures that encapsulate drugs within ZIF-8 or are enveloped by PCM layers, ensuring that drug release is tightly controlled by either temperature or pH levels, or both. This review provides comprehensive insights into the core design principles, material selections, and potential biomedical applications of dual-stimuli responsive DDSs, highlighting the future directions and challenges in this innovative field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Phase Change Materials: Characterization, Design and Applications)
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