Unique molecule developed to store solar energy

The Earth receives many times more energy from the Sun than humans can use. This energy is absorbed

solar energy objects, such as panels,but one of the challenges of solar energy is to store it efficiently. It is important that energy is available when the Sun is not shining. This led scientists from Linköping University to explore the possibility of capturing and storing solar energy in a new molecule.

Our molecule can take two different forms: a parental form that can absorb energy from sunlight; and an alternate form in which the structure of the parental form has been changed to become much more energy-intensive while remaining stable. This makes it 'can efficiently store the energy of sunlight in a molecule.

Bo Durbey, Professor of Computational Physics at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University

The molecule belongs to a group known as"Molecular photo switches". They are always available in two different forms, isomers, which differ in their chemical structure. These two forms have different properties, and in the case of the molecule developed by the LiU researchers, the difference lies in the energy content. The chemical structures of all photo switches are influenced by the energy of light. This means that the structure and therefore the properties of the photo switch can be changed by lighting it. One of the possible fields of application for light switches is molecular electronics, in which the two forms of the molecule have different electrical conductivity. Another area is photopharmacology, in which one form of the molecule is pharmacologically active and can bind to a specific target protein in the body, while the other is inactive.

Most chemical reactions begin ina state where the molecule has high energy and then goes into a low energy molecule. In the new study, scientists have done the opposite - a low-energy molecule becomes a high-energy molecule. "We expect it to be difficult, but we have shown that such a reaction can occur both quickly and efficiently," the scientists conclude.

Researchers will now explore how stored energy can be best released from the energy-rich form of the molecule.

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