Computational investigation of photoswitch conjugates for molecular solar energy storage

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Solar energy conversion and storage are vital for combating climate change. Molecular solar thermal systems offer a promising solution, where energy is stored in molecular compounds. This study investigates dyad molecular photoswitches by combining bicyclooctadiene/tetracyclooctane and dihydroazulene/vinylheptafulvene systems with phenyl and cyano groups. Density functional theory calculations were employed to determine molecular properties and consider solvation effects in toluene and dichloromethane. The results show that the combined systems have a predicted storage energy of up to 206.14 kJ mol−1 and an absorption peak at 390.26 nm with appreciable intensity. These dyad photoswitches exhibit favorable properties for molecular solar thermal storage and other applications. A comparison with individual photoswitches reveals advantages and disadvantages. The most effective conjugate has a slightly lower storage density than an equal mixture of individual systems, but it demonstrates better absorption characteristics, with improved overlap with the solar spectrum and higher absorption intensity. These findings contribute to the understanding of dyad molecular photoswitches, showcasing their potential for advanced energy storage and conversion technologies.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics
Volume25
Issue number33
Pages (from-to)21964-21969
Number of pages6
ISSN1463-9076
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Financial support is acknowledged from the European Commission (Grant No. 765739), and the Danish Council for Independent Research, DFF-0136-00081B.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

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