Carbon Nanotube Based New Solar Thermal Fuel Formulated
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of technology have come up with yet another revolutionary discovery. The team of MIT scientists claims that it has devised a new type of solar thermal fuel. The thing that makes this fuel different and better is that it can store 10,000 times more energy than any other existing fuel or system. Once again, nanotechnology has found its application in this fuel in the form of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that have been altered a little by azobenzene. This new material can be used as a substitute for the lithium ion batteries since it possesses the same energy per unit volume. It can be charged by exposing it to the sun and can be used for a long period.
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Molecular structure of CNT-azobenzene
The solar thermal fuels capture the sun’s energy in the chemical bonds between the molecules. This energy can be stored indefinitely forever in the fuel. To better understand the charging and discharging phenomenon, consider this example. Suppose that a normal uncharged fuel molecule is in a ground state A initially. As this molecule absorbs the solar thermal energy, the molecule goes from state A to excited state B. This results in a minor change in the geometry of the molecular structure but no chemical reaction occurs. Such molecules are called “photo-switchableâ€.
As per the thermodynamics, the greater the energy the lesser is the stability. So the molecule in state B is not as stable as the ground state molecule. The difference between the two energy levels is the amount of energy stored in the bond. The molecule remains in state B until a trigger is provided to bring it back to state A. The trigger can be in the form of light, heat, or voltage. As soon as the trigger is applied, the molecule comes down to the ground state releasing the excess energy in the form of heat. This heat can be directly used or can be converted into electricity, etc. So the energy can be used as and when required by simply providing a trigger signal. Also, once the energy is used the molecules get discharged and can be charged back using solar energy. Thus this process can be repeated infinite number of times without compromising the efficiency.
The new CNT-azobenzene system under research at MIT is a notch better than the previous versions. In this hybrid fuel, the azobenzene molecules store the energy while the nanotubes act to bring these molecules closer. The closely spaced molecules interact better to provide additional degrees of freedom and open up entirely new chemical phase space for tuning the relative energies of states A and B as well as the reaction barrier between them. These features enable this novel fuel to have better storage and longer life.
The scientists have already begun synthesizing the compound for lab testing. They are planning to design viable and eco friendly prototype devices for using these fuels. A lot of hurdles are still there before this technology can be launched for industrial or domestic use. One of them is the need to develop a fundamental knowledge of the relationship between the geometry of the hybrid nanostructure-based fuels and their solubility in water and other solvents, and accordingly design and maximize highly soluble structures that possess high energy density, thermal stability and good cycling capacity. Another thing is that they must make this technology compatible with the existing gadgets and devices.
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Molecular structure of CNT-azobenzene
The solar thermal fuels capture the sun’s energy in the chemical bonds between the molecules. This energy can be stored indefinitely forever in the fuel. To better understand the charging and discharging phenomenon, consider this example. Suppose that a normal uncharged fuel molecule is in a ground state A initially. As this molecule absorbs the solar thermal energy, the molecule goes from state A to excited state B. This results in a minor change in the geometry of the molecular structure but no chemical reaction occurs. Such molecules are called “photo-switchableâ€.
As per the thermodynamics, the greater the energy the lesser is the stability. So the molecule in state B is not as stable as the ground state molecule. The difference between the two energy levels is the amount of energy stored in the bond. The molecule remains in state B until a trigger is provided to bring it back to state A. The trigger can be in the form of light, heat, or voltage. As soon as the trigger is applied, the molecule comes down to the ground state releasing the excess energy in the form of heat. This heat can be directly used or can be converted into electricity, etc. So the energy can be used as and when required by simply providing a trigger signal. Also, once the energy is used the molecules get discharged and can be charged back using solar energy. Thus this process can be repeated infinite number of times without compromising the efficiency.
The new CNT-azobenzene system under research at MIT is a notch better than the previous versions. In this hybrid fuel, the azobenzene molecules store the energy while the nanotubes act to bring these molecules closer. The closely spaced molecules interact better to provide additional degrees of freedom and open up entirely new chemical phase space for tuning the relative energies of states A and B as well as the reaction barrier between them. These features enable this novel fuel to have better storage and longer life.
The scientists have already begun synthesizing the compound for lab testing. They are planning to design viable and eco friendly prototype devices for using these fuels. A lot of hurdles are still there before this technology can be launched for industrial or domestic use. One of them is the need to develop a fundamental knowledge of the relationship between the geometry of the hybrid nanostructure-based fuels and their solubility in water and other solvents, and accordingly design and maximize highly soluble structures that possess high energy density, thermal stability and good cycling capacity. Another thing is that they must make this technology compatible with the existing gadgets and devices.
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