Building on their dual functionality for solar photothermal absorption and storage, slurries/dispersions of micro/nano-encapsulated phase-change materials (ePCMs) are capable of revolutionizing the solar-thermal industry. Yet, to facilitate their transition from the research and development stage into market adoption and penetration, there is a dire need for a methodical understanding of the design criteria, fabrication techniques, application areas, and technical challenges of these novel solar concepts in light of state-of-the-art advances. This work thoroughly addresses these needs with a focus on slurries/dispersions with solid-liquid PCM cores for latent heat storage and surface-engineered shells for solar radiation extinction. By dividing this study into four parts, we start with an overview of the material types, desired attributes, and key challenges of PCMs; the different types of PCM systems; and their potential applications in the solar energy industry. We then focus in the second part on ePCMs in indirect (surface-based) and direct (volume-based) solar-absorption systems in terms of their functional requirements, encapsulation methods, stability metrics and assessment, compositional and structural characterization techniques, measurement of thermophysical properties, and key design parameters. The third part of this work is dedicated to the theoretical foundation necessary to model and simulate solar ePCM systems, including continuum, discrete, and multi-scale modeling approaches for flow and heat transfer in ePCM slurries/dispersions; thermophysical property correlations; melting theory in PCM capsules; radiation transfer and optical properties evaluation; and energy performance analysis. In the final part, recent breakthroughs in multi-functional shell engineering, molten-salt encapsulation, multi-scale modeling, contrasting ePCMs and nanofluids, and ePCM-based optical filtration are highlighted. By striking a balance between fundamentals and applications, this work aims to serve as a comprehensive foundation for newcomers into this promising field of research as well as an updated critique for experts looking to identify knowledge gaps, technical bottlenecks, latest advances, and future directions.

基于太阳能光热吸收和存储的双重功能，微/纳米封装相变材料 (ePCM) 的浆料/分散体能够彻底改变太阳能热工业。然而，为了促进它们从研发阶段过渡到市场采用和渗透，迫切需要有条不紊地了解这些新型太阳能概念的设计标准、制造技术、应用领域和技术挑战。最先进的进步。这项工作彻底解决了这些需求，重点是用于潜热存储的固液 PCM 芯的浆料/分散体和用于太阳辐射消光的表面工程外壳。通过将这项研究分为四个部分，我们首先概述了 PCM 的材料类型、所需属性和关键挑战；不同类型的 PCM 系统；及其在太阳能产业中的潜在应用。然后，我们在第二部分关注间接（基于表面）和直接（基于体积）太阳能吸收系统中的 ePCM 的功能要求、封装方法、稳定性度量和评估、成分和结构表征技术、热物理性质的测量和关键设计参数。这项工作的第三部分致力于模拟和模拟太阳能 ePCM 系统所需的理论基础，包括 ePCM 浆液/分散体中流动和传热的连续、离散和多尺度建模方法；热物性相关性；PCM胶囊中的熔化理论；辐射转移和光学特性评估；和能源性能分析。在最后一部分中，重点介绍了多功能壳工程、熔盐封装、多尺度建模、对比 ePCM 和纳米流体以及基于 ePCM 的光学过滤方面的最新突破。通过在基础和应用之间取得平衡，