Evaluating Dihydroazulene/Vinylheptafulvene Photoswitches for Solar Energy Storage Applications
Journal article, 2017

Efficient solar energy storage is a key challenge in striving toward a sustainable future. For this reason, molecules capable of solar energy storage and release through valence isomerization, for so-called molecular solar thermal energy storage (MOST), have been investigated. Energy storage by photo-conversion of the dihydroazulene/vinylheptafulvene (DHA/VHF) photothermal couple has been evaluated. The robust nature of this system is determined through multiple energy storage and release cycles at elevated temperatures in three different solvents. In a nonpolar solvent such as toluene, the DHA/VHF system can be cycled more than 70 times with less than 0.01% degradation per cycle. Moreover, the [Cu(CH(3)CN4] P-6-catalyzed conversion of VHF into DHA was demonstrated in a flow reactor. The performance of the DHA/VHF couple was also evaluated in prototype photoconversion devices, both in the laboratory by using a flow chip under simulated sunlight and under outdoor conditions by using a parabolic mirror. Device experiments demonstrated a solar energy storage efficiency of up to 0.13% in the chip device and up to 0.02% in the parabolic collector. Avenues for future improvements and optimization of the system are also discussed.

flow systems

photolysis

solvent effects

energy conversion

photochromism

Author

Zhihang Wang

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

J. Udmark

University of Copenhagen

Karl Börjesson

University of Gothenburg

Rita Rodrigues

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Anna Roffey

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Maria Abrahamsson

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry

M. B. Nielsen

University of Copenhagen

Kasper Moth-Poulsen

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

ChemSusChem

1864-5631 (ISSN) 1864-564X (eISSN)

Vol. 10 15 3049-3055

Subject Categories

Physical Chemistry

Energy Engineering

Chemical Engineering

DOI

10.1002/cssc.201700679

More information

Latest update

11/7/2022