Hybrid chromophore/template nanostructures: A customizable platform material for solar energy storage and conversion

Journal Article · Mon Jan 21 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Journal of Chemical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4773306· OSTI ID:1211317

Kolpak, AM; Grossman, JC

Challenges with cost, cyclability, and/or low energy density have largely prevented the development of solar thermal fuels, a potentially attractive alternative energy technology based on molecules that can capture and store solar energy as latent heat in a closed cycle. In this paper, we present a set of novel hybrid photoisomer/template solar thermal fuels that can potentially circumvent these challenges. Using first-principles computations, we demonstrate that these fuels, composed of organic photoisomers bound to inexpensive carbon-based templates, can reversibly store solar energy at densities comparable to Li-ion batteries. Furthermore, we show that variation of the template material in combination with the photoisomer can be used to optimize many of the key performance metrics of the fuel-i.e., the energy density, the storage lifetime, the temperature of the output heat, and the efficiency of the solar-to-heat conversion. Our work suggests that the solar thermal fuels concept can be translated into a practical and highly customizable energy storage and conversion technology. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4773306]

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
• OSTI ID: 1211317
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 138, Issue 3; ISSN 0021-9606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English