Liquid-Based Multijunction Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Collection Device

Zhihang Wang; Henry Moïse; Martina Cacciarini; Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen; Masa-Aki Morikawa; Nobuo Kimizuka; Kasper Moth-Poulsen

doi:10.1002/advs.202103060

Liquid-Based Multijunction Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Collection Device

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2021 Nov;8(21):e2103060. doi: 10.1002/advs.202103060. Epub 2021 Sep 28.

Authors

Zhihang Wang¹, Henry Moïse², Martina Cacciarini³, Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen⁴, Masa-Aki Morikawa^{5

6}, Nobuo Kimizuka^{5

6}, Kasper Moth-Poulsen¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemigården 10, Gothenburg, 41296, Sweden.
² Department Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
³ Department of Chemistry "U. Schiff,", University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), 50019, Italy.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, Copenhagen Ø, 2100, Denmark.
⁵ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Moto-oka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
⁶ Center for Molecular Systems (CMS), Kyushu University, 744 Moto-oka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.

Abstract

Photoswitchable molecules-based solar thermal energy storage system (MOST) can potentially be a route to store solar energy for future use. Herein, the use of a multijunction MOST device that combines various photoswitches with different onsets of absorption to push the efficiency limit on solar energy collection and storage is explored. With a parametric model calculation, it is shown that the efficiency limit of MOST concept can be improved from 13.0% to 18.2% with a double-junction system and to 20.5% with a triple-junction system containing ideal, red-shifted MOST candidates. As a proof-of-concept, the use of a three-layered MOST device is experimentally demonstrated. The device uses different photoswitches including a norbornadiene derivative, a dihydroazulene derivative, and an azobenzene derivative in liquid state with different MOSTproperties, to increase the energy capture and storage behavior. This conceptional device introduces a new way of thinking and designing optimal molecular candidates for MOST, as much improvement can be made by tailoring molecules to efficiently store solar energy at specific wavelengths.

Keywords: molecular solar thermal energy storage efficiency; multijunction solar collector; organic photoswitches; solar energy storage.

Abstract

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