A Comparative Study of Cellulose Ethers as Thermotropic Materials for Self-Tracking Solar Concentrators

The continuous growth in energy demand requires researchers to find new solutions to enlarge and diversify the possible ways of exploiting renewable energy sources. Our idea is the development of a solar concentrator based on trapping the luminous radiation with a smart window. This system is able to direct light towards the photovoltaic cells placed on window borders and produce electricity, without any movable part and without changing its transparency. Herein, we report a detailed study of cellulose ethers, a class of materials of natural origin capable of changing their state, from transparent aqueous solution to scattering hydrogel, in response to a temperature change. Cellulose thermotropism can be used to produce a scattering spot in a window filled with the thermotropic fluid to create a new kind of self-tracking solar concentrator. We demonstrate that the properties of the thermotropic fluid can be finely tuned by selecting the cellulose functionalization, the co-dissolved salt, and by regulating their dosage. Lastly, the results of our investigation are tested in a proof-of-concept demonstration of solar concentration achieved by thermotropism-based light trapping.