There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds. Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in biological systems and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Understanding self-assembly and the associated noncovalent interactions that connect complementary interacting molecular surfaces in biological aggregates is a central concern in structural biochemistry. Self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis, with the potential of generating nonbiological structures with dimensions of 1 to 10(2) nanometers (with molecular weights of 10(4) to 10(10) daltons). Structures in the upper part of this range of sizes are presently inaccessible through chemical synthesis, and the ability to prepare them would open a route to structures comparable in size (and perhaps complementary in function) to those that can be prepared by microlithography and other techniques of microfabrication.

Molecular self-assembly and nanochemistry: A chemical strategy for the synthesis of nanostructures

5. In Situ Polymerization 3907 5.1. General Polymerization 3907 5.2. Photopolymerization 3910 5.3. Surface-Initiated Polymerization 3912 5.4. Other Methods 3913 6. Colloidal Nanocomposites 3913 6.1. Sol-Gel Process 3914 6.2. In Situ Polymerization 3916 6.2.1. Emulsion Polymerization 3917 6.2.2. Emulsifier-Free Emulsion Polymerization 3919 6.2.3. Miniemulsion Polymerization 3920 6.2.4. Dispersion Polymerization 3921 6.2.5. Other Polymerization Methods 3923 6.2.6. Conducting Nanocomposites 3924 6.3. Self Assembly 3926 7. Other Preparative Methods 3926 8. Characterization and Properties 3928 8.1. Chemical Structure 3928 8.2. Microstructure and Morphology 3929 8.3. Mechanical Properties 3933 8.3.1. Tensile, Impact, and Flexural Properties 3933 8.3.2. Hardness 3936 8.3.3. Fracture Toughness 3937 8.3.4. Friction and Wear Properties 3937 8.4. Thermal Properties 3938 8.5. Flame-Retardant Properties 3941 8.6. Optical Properties 3942 8.7. Gas Transport Properties 3943 8.8. Rheological Properties 3945 8.9. Electrical Properties 3945 8.10. Other Characterization Techniques 3946 9. Applications 3947 9.1. Coatings 3947 9.2. Proton Exchange Membranes 3948 9.3. Pervaporation Membranes 3948 9.4. Encapsulation of Organic Light-Emitting Devices 3948

Polymer/Silica Nanocomposites: Preparation, Characterization, Properties, and Applications

Surface modification of inorganic nanoparticles for development of organic–inorganic nanocomposites—A review

Phase change materials for thermal energy storage

Silica encapsulation of n-octadecane via sol–gel process: A novel microencapsulated phase-change material with enhanced thermal conductivity and performance

Microencapsulation of n-octadecane phase change material with calcium carbonate shell for enhancement of thermal conductivity and serving durability: Synthesis, microstructure, and performance evaluation

New approach for sol–gel synthesis of microencapsulated n-octadecane phase change material with silica wall using sodium silicate precursor

Development of bifunctional microencapsulated phase change materials with crystalline titanium dioxide shell for latent-heat storage and photocatalytic effectiveness

As a class of thermal energy-storage materials, phase change materials (PCMs) play an important role in sustainable development of economy and society with a rapid increase in energy demand. Microencapsulation of solid–liquid PCMs has been recognized as a vital technology to protect them from leakage and running off and to give them a shape stability in the liquid state to offer the ease of handling and thus received tremendous attention from fundamental studies to industrial development in recent decades. Aiming to provide the most complete and reliable source of information on recent progress and current development in microencapsulated PCMs, this review focuses on methodologies and technologies for the encapsulation of PCMs with a variety of wall materials from traditional organic polymers to novel inorganic materials to pursue high encapsulation efficiency, excellent thermal energy-storage performance and long-term operation durability. We attempt to clearly summarize the selection of core and wall materials, synthetic methods, formation mechanisms and characteristic performance of microencapsulated PCMs to help scientists better understand their design principles and synthetic mechanisms. This review also highlights the diverse design of bi- and multi-functional PCM-based microcapsules by fabricating various functional shells in a multilayered or hierarchical structure to provide a great potential to meet the growing demand for versatile applications. We also provide insights on the future research and development direction of microencapsulated PCMs with multifunctional applications in energy efficiency, sustainable processes, high-tech energy management and specific physicochemical effectiveness.

Dezhen Wu

Papers

Silica encapsulation of n-octadecane via sol–gel process: A novel microencapsulated phase-change material with enhanced thermal conductivity and performance

Microencapsulation of n-octadecane phase change material with calcium carbonate shell for enhancement of thermal conductivity and serving durability: Synthesis, microstructure, and performance evaluation

New approach for sol–gel synthesis of microencapsulated n-octadecane phase change material with silica wall using sodium silicate precursor

Development of bifunctional microencapsulated phase change materials with crystalline titanium dioxide shell for latent-heat storage and photocatalytic effectiveness

Innovative design of microencapsulated phase change materials for thermal energy storage and versatile applications: a review