A team of scientists has developed Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) technology that can turn solar energy into liquid and store it for up to 18 years. A compact thermoelectric generator was also created, which converts the heat generated in a special liquid with the help of a catalyst into electricity.

“We can use sunlight to generate electricity regardless of the weather, time of day, season or geographic location. It is a closed system that can operate without carbon emissions,” said study leader Kasper Mot-Poulsen, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers.

The principle of operation of the technology is based on a specially designed molecule of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. When it comes into contact with sunlight, the atoms change the configuration of the molecule, turning it into an energy-rich isomer that can be stored in liquid form. By combining this system with a compact thermoelectric generator, scientists have achieved the conversion of the resulting energy into electricity. The generator itself is an ultra-thin chip that can be embedded in electronic devices such as headphones, smart watches and phones.

Swedish scientists see great promise in their MOST system, which will lead to the creation of self-charging electronics using canned solar energy. At this stage, the team has focused on improving the performance of their technology (current output power is up to 0.1 nW), working on an affordable commercial solution for recharging gadgets and heating houses.