Microencapsulation of n-dodecane into zirconia shell doped with rare earth: Design and synthesis of bifunctional microcapsules for photoluminescence enhancement and thermal energy storage

Ying Zhang, Xiaodong Wang and Dezhen Wu

Energy, 2016, vol. 97, issue C, 113-126

Abstract: We have designed a new type of bifunctional microcapsules composed of an n-dodecane PCM (phase change material) core and a rare-earth-doped zirconia shell for photoluminescence enhancement and thermal energy storage and have synthesized a series of microcapsule samples through in-situ polycondensation in a non-aqueous emulsion templating system. The scanning electron microscopic investigation indicated that the resultant microcapsules presented the regular spheres with a smooth surface and a uniform size distribution, while the transmission electron microscopy showed a well-defined core–shell structure for these microcapsules. The Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy characterized the chemical compositions of the resultant microcapsules, and the rare-earth elements doped within the zirconia shell were confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray patterns and X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The resultant microcapsules exhibited a good thermal regulation capability with high encapsulation and energy-storage efficiencies. Most of all, the photoluminescence characterization indicated that these rare-earth-doped microcapsules achieved a significant enhancement in emission intensity of the cyan-colored up-conversion and purple-colored down-conversion fluorescence after excited by radiation at wavelengths of 850 and 280 nm, respectively. The enhancement level of emission intensity varied with different rare-earth species and was determined by the bond length of rare-earth ion to oxygen in the solid solution of zirconia host.

Keywords: Phase change materials; Bifunctional microcapsules; Zirconia shell; Rare-earth doping; Photoluminescence enhancement; Thermal energy storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:97:y:2016:i:c:p:113-126

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.12.114

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