Azobenzene-based solar thermal fuels: design, properties, and applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Renewable energy technologies are crucial for a sustainable society.
• Solar thermal fuels offer a method to capture, convert, store, and release solar energy as heat.
• Azobenzene derivatives are key molecular photoswitches enabling this energy storage via photoisomerization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a state-of-the-art review on recent advancements in solar thermal fuels based on azobenzene photoswitches.
• To highlight diverse azobenzene materials and their design concepts for solar energy storage.
• To discuss future perspectives, opportunities, and challenges in this interdisciplinary field.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on azobenzene-based solar thermal fuels.
• Analysis of advancements in pure azobenzene derivatives, nanocarbon-templated azobenzene, and polymer-templated azobenzene.
• Discussion of molecular design strategies for enhanced solar thermal fuel efficiency.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in developing diverse azobenzene materials for solar thermal fuels.
• Azobenzene derivatives, nanocarbon-templated, and polymer-templated azobenzenes show promise for solar energy storage.
• Molecular design advancements are crucial for improving the efficiency of these energy storage materials.

Conclusions:

• Azobenzene-based solar thermal fuels represent a promising renewable energy technology.
• Continued interdisciplinary research is essential for rapid advancement in this field.
• Future opportunities lie in optimizing molecular design and exploring diverse applications.