Phase transition of neopentyl glycol in nanopores for thermal energy storage

Size-dependent thermal properties of neopentyl glycol (NPG) embedded in controlled porous glasses (CPGs) are investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the nanopores of CPGs (diameter d   =   11.5–300   nm), NPG shows depressed solid–solid and solid–liquid phase transition temperatures and latent heats, which decrease as the pore size becomes smaller. In thermal cycling around the solid transition, the nano-sized NPG display stable transition temperature and enthalpy change as the bulk. Supercooling in the solid transition increases with the decreasing pore diameter ( d   >   25   nm). From FT-IR and XRD analysis, NPG in the nanopores maintains the same structure as the bulk. The nanoencapsulated NPG is analogous to a series of new phase change materials (PCMs), through which the ideal heat storage performance of the bulk may be handed down.