An
innovative design of a molecularly imprinted phase-change microcapsule
(MIM) system for bifunctional applications in waste heat recovery
and targeted pollutant removal was reported in this work. This molecularly
imprinted system was successfully constructed by encapsulating n-eicosane with a SiO2 base shell through emulsion-templated
interfacial polycondensation and then coating a molecularly imprinted
polymeric layer with bisphenol A (BPA) as a template molecule through
surface free-radical polymerization. The morphology, microstructure,
and chemical structure of the resultant molecularly imprinted phase-change
microcapsules (MIMs) were characterized, and their phase-change behavior,
thermal energy-storage performance, and selective adsorption capability
were investigated intensively. The MIMs developed in this study achieved
an outstanding latent heat-storage capability with a high capacity
more than 165 J/g and also showed an excellent phase-change reliability with a very small fluctuation
in phase-change temperatures and enthalpies after 500 thermal cycles.
Moreover, the MIMs also presented a high thermal stability over 200
°C and good shape stability up to 120 °C. Most of all, an
effective specific recognition capability and high recognition efficiency
were achieved for the MIMs due to the formation of BPA-molecular imprinting
sites on their surface. As a result, the MIMs exhibited good adsorption
selectivity toward the BPA molecules and satisfactory reusability
for targeted removal of BPA with a removal efficiency of 61.7% after
10 cycles of the rebinding–elution procedure. In view of a
smart combination of thermal energy-storage and selective adsorption
functions, the MIMs developed in this study demonstrate a great potential
in applications for waste heat recovery and targeted pollutant removal
of industrial and domestic wastewaters.
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