Barocaloric response of plastic crystal 2-methyl-2-nitro-1-propanol across and far from the solid-solid phase transition

Plastic crystals have emerged as benchmark barocaloric (BC) materials for potential solid-state cooling and heating applications due to huge isothermal entropy changes and adiabatic temperature changes driven by pressure. In this work we investigate the BC response of the neopentane derivative 2-methyl-2-nitro-1-propanol (NO2C(CH3)2CH2OH) in a wide temperature range using x-ray diffraction, dilatometry and pressure-dependent differential thermal analysis. Near the ordered-to-plastic transition, we find colossal BC effects of similar or equal to 400 J K-1 kg-1 and similar or equal to 5 K upon pressure changes of 100 MPa. Although reversible effects at the transition are obtained only from higher pressure changes due to hysteretic effects, we do obtain fully reversible BC effects from any pressure change in individual phases, that become giant at moderate pressures due to very large thermal expansion, especially in the plastic phase. From our measurements, we also determine the crystal structure of the low-temperature phase and estimate the contribution of the configurational disorder and the volume change to the total transition entropy change.

Automated summary

In this work, the barocaloric response of 2-methyl-2-nitro-1-propanol in a wide temperature range was investigated using various experimental techniques. Colossal barocaloric effects were observed near the ordered-to-plastic transition, and the crystal structure of the low-temperature phase was determined.