Polymer based solid-state solar thermal fuels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar thermal fuel (STF) materials are largely unavailable in the solid-state form, which limits their integration into devices for energy storage and heat release applications due to issues with film uniformity, high-temperature resilience, energy density, and cyclability.
Innovation Solution
Development of a polymer-based solar thermal fuel platform that includes photoswitchable moieties covalently linked to a first polymer, which can be deposited as solid-state films using techniques like spin-coating and electrodeposition, enabling controllable thickness, high-temperature stability, and efficient energy storage and release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solar thermal fuel materials are used in solution state, then energy storage properties are retained, but film uniformity and solid-state integration are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of solar thermal fuel materials from solution to solid-state by incorporating them into polymer matrices. This transformation maintains the energy storage functionality while achieving uniform film formation and solid-state integration, directly resolving the contradiction between film uniformity and solid-state availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite materials by combining solar thermal fuel molecules with polymer matrices. This composite approach allows the system to exhibit both the energy storage properties of the STF materials and the film-forming capabilities of polymers, simultaneously achieving uniform films and solid-state integration.
2Manufacturing precision
If polymer-based STF is deposited as solid-state films, then film uniformity and high-temperature stability improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs electrodeposition, a technique that uses electrical fields to deposit polymer-based STF materials uniformly onto substrates. This method achieves high film uniformity and controlled thickness while streamlining the manufacturing process, counteracting the expected increase in complexity through automated electrochemical control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes UV curing, which involves optical energy absorption and chemical transformation, to solidify deposited polymer layers. This process enables precise control over film formation and crosslinking, achieving uniform solid-state films while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing steps through light-induced polymerization.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If photoswitchable moieties are covalently linked to polymer, then cyclability and energy storage properties are enhanced, but synthesis difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the synthesis process into modular steps: first synthesizing the polymer backbone, then incorporating photoswitchable moieties through functional group reactions. This segmented approach enhances cyclability through covalent bonding while managing synthesis complexity through stepwise, controlled reactions rather than attempting to synthesize the complete complex molecule in one step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses functional groups on the polymer backbone as intermediary sites for attaching photoswitchable moieties. These functional groups serve as mediators that facilitate the incorporation of STF molecules through controlled chemical reactions, enhancing cyclability while keeping the synthesis process manageable through targeted functional group chemistry.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The polymer-based STF platform achieves uniform film deposition, retains energy storage properties, and demonstrates appreciable heat storage and release capabilities, suitable for various solid-state applications, including macroscopic heat release with temperature differences up to 10°C.
Implementation Method 1
Upon absorption of light energy, a photoactive molecule adopts a higher-energy metastable state
Implementation Method 2
To release the energy stored in the higher-energy state, an external trigger (such as heat, light, voltage, or a chemical reaction) is applied
Implementation Method 3
depositing a layer of a first polymer solution on the substrate
Implementation Method 4
solidifying can include UV curing
Data Source
AI summary
A polymer consisting of small functional molecules can be integrated into solar thermal fuels in the solid-state for solar energy harvesting and storage. In certain embodiments, a solar energy storage device can include one or more layers of photoswitchable moieties associated with a polymer. Such solar thermal fuel polymers can be used to enable deposition from low concentration solutions, resulting in uniform and large-area thin-films. This approach enables conformal deposition on a variety of conducting substrates that can be either flat or structured and control over film growth via electrodeposition conditions and results in highly uniform and large-area thin films.