paper

Colossal barocaloric effects near room temperature in plastic crystals of neopentylglycol

arXiv:1903.12010 · doi:10.1038/s41467-019-09730-9

Abstract

There is currently great interest in replacing the harmful volatile hydrofluorocarbon fluids used in refrigeration and air-conditioning with solid materials that display magnetocaloric, electrocaloric or mechanocaloric effects. However, the field-driven thermal changes in all of these caloric materials fall short with respect to their fluid counterparts. Here we show that plastic crystals of neopentylglycol (CH3)2C(CH2OH)2 display unprecedentedly large pressure-driven thermal changes near room temperature due to molecular reconfiguration, and that these changes are comparable with those exploited commercially in hydrofluorocarbons. Our discovery of colossal barocaloric effects in a plastic crystal should bring barocaloric materials to the forefront of research and development in order to achieve safe environmentally friendly cooling without compromising performance.

4 figures, 1 table, 11 supplementary figures, 3 supplementary tables

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