Themed collection Molecular Photoswitches for Energy storage

We summarize the molecular design of photoresponsive liquid-crystalline polymers, manipulation at multiple scales and various applications based on their intrinsic properties, providing an opportunity for future development in this field.

Machine learning can predict the properties of phase change azobenzene derivatives and guide molecular design to further improve their photothermal conversion performance.

In the context of energy storage, multichromophoric systems may offer additional functionality over monosubstituted analogues due to their potential to access multiple states as well as having more attractive physical properties.

The use of triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) to drive photoswitching of the energy-storing norbornadiene–quadricyclane (NBD–QC) isomers in the solid-state is demonstrated.

Aiming to explore anthracene-based systems for molecular solar thermal energy storage, five ortho-dianthrylbenzenes were designed, demonstrating promising properties for future development of anthracene-based photoswitches for such applications.

The structural basis for solid-state photochromism is uncovered for a model set of N-salicylidenes. Occlusion within a metal–organic frameworks imparts photochromic properties to N-salicylidenes that are non-photochromic in the bulk crystalline state.

We designed a tandem heterojunction with p- and n-type semiconductors to enhance exciton dissociation and transport, offering potential for optoelectronic advancements.

BN–PVA/Azo-OCn composite aerogels achieve relatively constant temperatures with low-temperature heat release and high-temperature heat absorption over an ultra-wide temperature range (−20 °C to 80 °C).

Visible-light responsive liquid crystals based on hexahydroxytriphenylene nano-templates exhibiting efficient sunlight charging of up to 80% and a high heat release of ≈9 °C on discharging.

A mechanistic investigation of molecular solar thermal energy release by solid-state cycloreversion of dianthracenes to anthracenes reveals the integral roles of chemical and physical transformations of molecules towards the total energy release.

Molecular solar thermal (MOST) fuels offer a closed-cycle and renewable energy storage strategy that can harvest photons within the chemical conformations and release heat on demand through reversible isomerization of molecular photoswitches.

Solvophobic engineering strategy promotes the self-assembly of fluorinated cations into micelles, which changes the crystallization mode and thus leads to the formation of phase-pure Ruddlesden–Popper tin halide perovskites.