Abstract: Multifunctional phase change composites are in great demand for all kinds of industrial technologies and applications, which 
have both superior latent heat capacity and excellent solar-thermal conversion capability. In this research, biomimetic phase 
change composites are made by inspired by natural systems, successfully getting the high thermal conductivity of carbon 
foam and magnetism of composites together, to establish a novel solar-thermal energy storage method. The morphology 
and the thermal characteristics of biomimetic phase change composites have been characterized. The results showed that 
the maximum storage effi ciency of the biomimetic phase change materials increased by 56.3% compared to that of the based 
materials, and it can further be improved by the application of magnetic fi eld. Meanwhile the heat transfer process of solarthermal conversion and energy storage in biomimetic porous structure under the external physical fi elds has been explained 
by simulation. Thus, the magnetic fi eld-induced method applied in this research has better solar-thermal energy storage 
characteristics within a porous structure by dynamically controlling the magnetism, which has potential uses for various 
sustainable applications, including waste-heat recovery, energy conservation in building, and solar-thermal energy storage.

Key words: Bionic porous structure, Solar-thermal conversion, Thermal energy storage, Phase change materials, Magnetic nanoparticles