Azobenzene-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes As High-Energy Density Solar Thermal Fuels

作者：Kolpak Alexie M^*; Grossman Jeffrey C

来源：Nano Letters, 2011, 11(8): 3156-3162.

DOI：10.1021/nl201357n

• Solar thermal fuel
• renewable energy
• photoswitch
• carbon nanotubes
• density functional theory

Solar thermal fuels, which reversibly store solar energy in molecular bonds, are a tantalizing prospect for clean, renewable, and transportable energy conversion/storage. However, large-scale adoption requires enhanced energy storage capacity and thermal stability. Here we present a novel solar thermal fuel, composed of azobenzene-functionalized carbon nanotubes, with the volumetric energy density of Li-ion batteries. Our work also demonstrates that the inclusion of nanoscale templates is an effective strategy for design of highly cyclable, thermally stable, and energy-dense solar thermal fuels.

• 出版日期2011-8