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Title: Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1169641
; ; ;

A system for converting solar energy to chemical energy, and, subsequently, to thermal energy includes a light-harvesting station, a storage station, and a thermal energy release station. The system may include additional stations for converting the released thermal energy to other energy forms, e.g., to electrical energy and mechanical work. At the light-harvesting station, a photochemically active first organometallic compound, e.g., a fulvalenyl diruthenium complex, is exposed to light and is photochemically converted to a second, higher-energy organometallic compound, which is then transported to a storage station. At the storage station, the high-energy organometallic compound is stored for a desired time and/or is transported to a desired location for thermal energy release. At the thermal energy release station, the high-energy organometallic compound is catalytically converted back to the photochemically active organometallic compound by an exothermic process, while the released thermal energy is captured for subsequent use.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
Assignee:
The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
8,950,392
Application Number:
13/002,645
OSTI ID:
1169641
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (14)

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Ionically polymer-bound transition metal complex for photochemical conversion of light energy patent August 1986
Homogeneous catalytic photochemical functionalization of alkanes by polyoxometalates patent June 1989
Electrically conductive complex patent May 1994
Latent store patent July 1997
Apparatus for low flux photocatalytic pollution control patent October 2001
Photosubstitution of (Fulvalene)tetracarbonyldiruthenium by Alkenes and Alkynes:  First Observation of Alkyne Coupling on Fulvalene Dimetals and Synthesis of a (Fulvalene)dimetallacyclopentadiene(alkene) Complex journal February 2002
Synthesis, structure, and photochemistry of tetracarbonyl(fulvalene)diruthenium. Thermally reversible photoisomerization involving carbon-carbon bond activation at a dimetal center journal March 1983
Synthesis of 2,2′,3,3′-Tetramethyl- and 2,2′,3,3′-Tetra- tert -butylfulvalene: Attractive­ Platforms for Dinuclear Transition Metal Fragments, as Exemplified by ( η 5 : η 5 -2,2′,3,3′- t -Bu 4 C 10 H 4 )M 2 (CO) n (M = Fe, Ru, Os, Mo) and First X-ray Crystal Structures of Fulvalene Diiron and Diosmium Complexes journal January 2005

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14 SOLAR ENERGY