Phase-change thermal storage transparent wood based on optical reversibility

Traditional transparent wood lacks the response efficiency and storage capacity to natural light and heat. Here, we report an optically reversible phase-change thermal storage transparent wood (TW/DO). It uses three-dimensional porous delignified wood materials as carriers to encapsulate and shape polymer resin prepared by melt blending method. To increase the adhesion between wood tracheids, 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) was used to successfully crosslink the wood cell wall. TW/DO exhibits hydrophobicity, with a melting latent heat of 83.22 J/g and a high effective heat storage conversion rate; After 100 freeze-thaw cycles, the thermal properties remain stable due to the excellent crystal nucleation ability of dodecanol. In environments above the phase transition temperature, its transmittance at 800 nm reaches 78.5 %, and its haze is 33.19 %. TW/DO has excellent leakage resistance and a tensile strength of 60.82 Mpa. In addition, through the construction of a house simulation model, it is known that when TW/DO is used as a building window, compared to glass, it has a significant delaying and suppressing effect on the temperature rise inside the building. This material provides reference for the design of new materials for energy-saving building windows. • Crosslinking agents can increase the adhesion between wood tracheids. • Three dimensional porous wood structure can encapsulate phase change materials. • Endow transparent wood with thermal storage and optical reversibility. • Both the wood cell cavity and cell wall contain phase change resin.