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Nanomaterials
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Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials
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Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 9721

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Peng Tao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: thermal energy storage materials; renewable thermal energy conversion; bioinspired thermal materials
Dr. Xiaoliang Zeng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
Interests: polymer nanocomposites; thermal conduction; elastomer nanocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chao Chang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Marine Engineering and Thermal Science, Marine Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China
Interests: thermal management materials and technology; renewable thermal materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To date, more than 90% global energy consumption is related to thermal energy conversion, transportation, storage and management. Thermal materials play increasingly important roles in improving energy utilization efficiency, pursuing sustainable development of low-carbon human society, and ensuring a safe and stable operation of electronic devices as well. Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of nano-enhanced thermal functional materials. For example, various nanostructured solar absorbers have been compounded with thermal fluids or solid–liquid phase change materials to enable high-efficiency direct absorption-based solar–thermal energy harvesting, which in turn drives many solar–thermal processes such vapor/steam generation, seawater desalination, sterilization, domestic and industrial heating and electricity generation. The incorporation of functional nanofillers can not merely boost the thermal conductivity of polymeric packaging materials but also impart them with electromagnetic screening capabilities. In addition to single phase heat transfer, nanostructured fillers can also help enhance performances of liquid–gas phase change-based thermal management devices and systems.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials aims to highlight recent research advances in developing advanced nano-enhanced thermal functional materials for a variety of heating/cooling related applications. We are looking forward to receiving contributions in the form of both research articles and review articles related to the synthesis, characterization, application of nano-enhanced thermal functional materials from diverse research disciplines to promote further rapid growth of the field.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Nanostructured thermal conversion materials: photo-thermal conversion materials, electro-thermal conversion materials, magnetic-to-thermal conversion materials;
  • Nano-enhanced thermal storage materials: solid sensible thermal storage materials, thermal nanofluids, solid–liquid phase change composites;
  • Nano-enhanced thermal management materials: nanostructured thermal fillers, thermal interface materials, high-thermal-conductivity nanocomposites, thermal insulation nanocomposites, radiative cooling materials;
  • Nano-enhanced thermal responsive materials: thermal actuation composites, thermal sensing and detection materials, infrared stealth composites;
  • Mechanistic understanding of nano-enhancement effect: modeling, simulation, theoretical prediction;
  • Diverse thermal-related applications: conversion and utilization of renewable thermal energy, personal thermal management, thermal management of electronic devices, advanced thermal-enabled material synthesis and fabrication techniques.

Prof. Dr. Peng Tao
Dr. Xiaoliang Zeng
Dr. Chao Chang
Guest Editors

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. Nanomaterials 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 2900 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

  • thermal conversion materials
  • thermal storage materials
  • thermal interface materials
  • polymer nanocomposites
  • phase change materials
  • thermal management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4600 KiB  
Article
Simulation and Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Pore Shape on Heat Transfer Behavior of Phase Change Materials in Porous Metal Structures
by Chao Chang, Bo Li, Baocai Fu, Xu Yang, Tianyi Lou and Yulong Ji
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(14), 1206; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14141206 - 16 Jul 2024
Viewed by 763
Abstract
With the gradual increase in energy demand in global industrialization, the energy crisis has become an urgent problem. Due to high heat storage density, small volume change, and nearly constant transition temperature, phase change materials (PCMs) provide a promising method to store thermal [...] Read more.
With the gradual increase in energy demand in global industrialization, the energy crisis has become an urgent problem. Due to high heat storage density, small volume change, and nearly constant transition temperature, phase change materials (PCMs) provide a promising method to store thermal energy. In this work, we designed and fabricated three kinds of porous metal structures with hexagonal, rectangular, and circular pores and explored the phase change process of PCMs within them. A two-dimensional numerical model was established to investigate the heat transfer process of PCMs within different shapes of porous metal structures and analyze the influence of heat source location on the thermal performance of the thermal storage units. Visualization experiments were also carried out to reveal the melting process of PCMs within different porous metal structures by a digital camera. The results show that paraffin in a porous metal structure with hexagonal pores has the fastest melting rate, while that in a porous metal structure with circular pores has the slowest melting rate. Under the bottom heating mode, the melting time of the paraffin in porous metal structures with hexagonal pores is shortened by 18.6% compared to that in porous metal structures with circular pores. Under the left heating mode, the corresponding melting time is shortened by 16.7%. These findings in this work will offer an effective method to design and optimize the structure of porous metal and improve the thermal properties of PCMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials)
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11 pages, 2595 KiB  
Article
Nanocrystalline FeMnO3 Powder as Catalyst for Combustion of Volatile Organic Compounds
by Corneliu Doroftei
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(6), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14060521 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 984
Abstract
The paper shows the obtaining of nanocrystalline iron manganite (FeMnO3) powders and their investigation in terms of catalytic properties for a series of volatile organic compounds. The catalyst properties were tested in the catalytic combustion of air-diluted vapors of ethanol, methanol, [...] Read more.
The paper shows the obtaining of nanocrystalline iron manganite (FeMnO3) powders and their investigation in terms of catalytic properties for a series of volatile organic compounds. The catalyst properties were tested in the catalytic combustion of air-diluted vapors of ethanol, methanol, toluene and xylene at moderate temperatures (50–550 °C). Catalytic combustion of the alcohols starts at temperatures between 180 °C and 230 °C. In the case of ethanol vapors, the conversion starts at 230 °C and increases rapidly reaching a value of around 97% at 300 °C. For temperatures higher than 300 °C, the degree of conversion is kept at the same value. In the case of methanol vapors, the conversion starts at a slightly lower temperature (180 °C), and the degree of conversion reaches the value of 97% at a higher temperature (440 °C) than in the case of ethanol, and it also remains constant as the temperature increases. Catalytic combustion of the hydrocarbons starts at lower temperatures (around 50 °C), the degree of conversion is generally lower, and it increases proportionally with the temperature, with the exception of toluene, which shows an intermediate behavior, reaching values of over 97% at 430 °C. The studied iron manganite can be recommended to achieve catalysts that operate at moderate temperatures for the combustion of some alcohols and, especially, ethanol. The performance of this catalyst with regard to ethanol is close to that of a catalyst that uses noble metals in its composition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials)
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17 pages, 14360 KiB  
Article
Heat Transfer Performance of a 3D-Printed Aluminum Flat-Plate Oscillating Heat Pipe Finned Radiator
by Xiu Xiao, Ying He, Qunyi Wang, Yaoguang Yang, Chao Chang and Yulong Ji
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14010060 - 25 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1732
Abstract
As electronic components progressively downsize and their power intensifies, thermal management has emerged as a paramount challenge. This study presents a novel, high-efficiency finned heat exchanger, termed Flat-Plate Oscillating Heat Pipe Finned Radiator (FOHPFR), which employs arrayed flat-plate oscillating heat pipes (OHP) as [...] Read more.
As electronic components progressively downsize and their power intensifies, thermal management has emerged as a paramount challenge. This study presents a novel, high-efficiency finned heat exchanger, termed Flat-Plate Oscillating Heat Pipe Finned Radiator (FOHPFR), which employs arrayed flat-plate oscillating heat pipes (OHP) as heat dissipation fins. Three-dimensional (3D)-printed techniques allow the internal microchannels of the FOHPFR to become rougher, providing excellent surface wettability and capillary forces, which in turn significantly improves the device’s ability to dissipate heat. In this study, the 3D-printed FOHPFR is compared with traditional solid finned radiators made of identical materials and designs. The impacts of filling ratio, inclination angle, and cold-end conditions on the heat transfer performance of the 3D-printed FOHPFR are investigated. It is demonstrated by the results that compared to solid finned radiators, the FOHPFR exhibits superior transient heat absorption and steady-state heat transfer capabilities. When the heating power is set at 140 W, a decrease in thermal resistance from 0.32 °C/W in the solid type to 0.11 °C/W is observed in the FOHPFR, marking a reduction of 65.6%. Similarly, a drop in the average temperature of the heat source from 160 °C in the solid version to 125 °C, a decrease of 21.8%, is noted. An optimal filling ratio of 50% was identified for the vertical 3D-printed FOHPFR, with the minimal thermal resistance achieving 0.11 °C/W. Moreover, the thermal resistance of the 3D-printed FOHPFR is effectively reduced compared to that of the solid finned radiator at all inclination angles. This indicates that the FOHPFR possessed notable adaptability to various working angles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials)
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Review

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28 pages, 10260 KiB  
Review
Carbon-Enhanced Hydrated Salt Phase Change Materials for Thermal Management Applications
by Yizhe Liu, Xiaoxiang Li, Yangzhe Xu, Yixuan Xie, Ting Hu and Peng Tao
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(13), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14131077 - 24 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2077
Abstract
Inorganic hydrated salt phase change materials (PCMs) hold promise for improving the energy conversion efficiency of thermal systems and facilitating the exploration of renewable thermal energy. Hydrated salts, however, often suffer from low thermal conductivity, supercooling, phase separation, leakage and poor solar absorptance. [...] Read more.
Inorganic hydrated salt phase change materials (PCMs) hold promise for improving the energy conversion efficiency of thermal systems and facilitating the exploration of renewable thermal energy. Hydrated salts, however, often suffer from low thermal conductivity, supercooling, phase separation, leakage and poor solar absorptance. In recent years, compounding hydrated salts with functional carbon materials has emerged as a promising way to overcome these shortcomings and meet the application demands. This work reviews the recent progress in preparing carbon-enhanced hydrated salt phase change composites for thermal management applications. The intrinsic properties of hydrated salts and their shortcomings are firstly introduced. Then, the advantages of various carbon materials and general approaches for preparing carbon-enhanced hydrated salt PCM composites are briefly described. By introducing representative PCM composites loaded with carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, graphene oxide, graphene, expanded graphite, biochar, activated carbon and multifunctional carbon, the ways that one-dimensional, two-dimensional, three-dimensional and hybrid carbon materials enhance the comprehensive thermophysical properties of hydrated salts and affect their phase change behavior is systematically discussed. Through analyzing the enhancement effects of different carbon fillers, the rationale for achieving the optimal performance of the PCM composites, including both thermal conductivity and phase change stability, is summarized. Regarding the applications of carbon-enhanced hydrate salt composites, their use for the thermal management of electronic devices, buildings and the human body is highlighted. Finally, research challenges for further improving the overall thermophysical properties of carbon-enhanced hydrated salt PCMs and pushing towards practical applications and potential research directions are discussed. It is expected that this timely review could provide valuable guidelines for the further development of carbon-enhanced hydrated salt composites and stimulate concerted research efforts from diverse communities to promote the widespread applications of high-performance PCM composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials)
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28 pages, 23357 KiB  
Review
Recent Development and Applications of Stretchable SERS Substrates
by Ran Peng, Tingting Zhang, Sheng Yan, Yongxin Song, Xinyu Liu and Junsheng Wang
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(22), 2968; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13222968 - 17 Nov 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3499
Abstract
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a cutting-edge technique for highly sensitive analysis of chemicals and molecules. Traditional SERS-active nanostructures are constructed on rigid substrates where the nanogaps providing hot-spots of Raman signals are fixed, and sample loading is unsatisfactory due to the unconformable [...] Read more.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a cutting-edge technique for highly sensitive analysis of chemicals and molecules. Traditional SERS-active nanostructures are constructed on rigid substrates where the nanogaps providing hot-spots of Raman signals are fixed, and sample loading is unsatisfactory due to the unconformable attachment of substrates on irregular sample surfaces. A flexible SERS substrate enables conformable sample loading and, thus, highly sensitive Raman detection but still with limited detection capabilities. Stretchable SERS substrates with flexible sample loading structures and controllable hot-spot size provide a new strategy for improving the sample loading efficiency and SERS detection sensitivity. This review summarizes and discusses recent development and applications of the newly conceptual stretchable SERS substrates. A roadmap of the development of SERS substrates is reviewed, and fabrication techniques of stretchable SERS substrates are summarized, followed by an exhibition of the applications of these stretchable SERS substrates. Finally, challenges and perspectives of the stretchable SERS substrates are presented. This review provides an overview of the development of SERS substrates and sheds light on the design, fabrication, and application of stretchable SERS systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enhanced Thermal Functional Materials)
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