Objectives

The overarching scientific goal of MolCal is the preparation of new molecular assemblies with outstanding potential as caloric materials for refrigeration and heat pump applications at near-ambient and very-low temperature, and their exploitation in prototype devices. Besides, MolCal offers Doctoral Candidates the unique opportunity to boost their personal and career prospects by joining a cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and training programme. The individual research projects will encompass chemistry, materials science, physics, and device fabrication.

The scientific achievements proceed through the following three work packages, which share with one another not only some target materials but also the preparation methods and tools employed to study their properties.

Molecule-based magnetocalorics

  • Molecular and metal-organic framework (MOF)-based magnetocaloric materials in the forms of bulk and thin-film cryogenic refrigerants.
  • Magnetocaloric hybrid composites with high thermal conductivity.
  • On-chip magnetic microrefrigerators.

Molecule-based electrocalorics

  • Organic-inorganic hybrid ferroelectrics, such as halide perovskites and certain MOF architectures, for electrocaloric effect at near-ambient temperature.
  • Frustrated molecular quantum magnets for cryogenic electrocaloric effect driven by magnetoelectric coupling.

Molecule-based mechanocalorics

  • Barocaloric materials in the form of halide perovskites, MOF and spin-crossover compounds, in addition to organic ionic plastic crystals and their potential use in devices. 
  • Liquid crystalline elastomers for elastocaloric and barocaloric effects at near-ambient temperature. 
  • Barocaloric hybrid composites with high thermal conductivity.
  • Molecular magnets close to quantum criticality for cryogenic barocaloric effect.