Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have developed a new molecule capable of storing solar energy and releasing it later as heat, offering an alternative approach to energy storage with higher energy density than typical lithium batteries.
The study, published in Science, introduces a Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) system based on a compound called pyrimidone.
How the Technology Works
Instead of generating electricity like traditional solar panels, the system stores energy in chemical form.
The molecule absorbs sunlight and shifts into a high-energy state, similar to a compressed spring. It remains stable in this state until triggered by heat or a catalyst, which allows it to return to its original form and release stored energy as heat.
Lead author Han Nguyen described the concept as a reusable system that can repeatedly store and release energy.
Bio-Inspired Molecular Design
The research team designed the molecule based on structures found in DNA.
The pyrimidone compound resembles a DNA component that can change form when exposed to ultraviolet light. By creating a synthetic version, the researchers developed a molecule capable of long-term energy storage while remaining stable.
The team worked with Ken Houk at the University of California, Los Angeles, to model how the molecule maintains stability while holding energy.
Performance and Energy Density
The material achieved an energy density exceeding 1.6 megajoules per kilogram.
This is higher than typical lithium-ion batteries, which are around 0.9 MJ/kg, and also exceeds previous optical switching materials used in similar research.
Demonstration and Practical Use
In testing, the stored energy was sufficient to boil water under ambient conditions.
According to the researchers, this demonstrates that the material can deliver usable levels of heat energy, addressing a key limitation in earlier MOST systems.
The material is also soluble in water, which could allow it to be circulated through solar collectors during the day and stored for later use.
Potential Applications
The system could support applications such as off-grid heating and residential water heating.
Co-author Benjamin Baker noted that the material itself acts as both the energy capture and storage system, removing the need for separate batteries.
Research Support
The work was supported by the Moore Inventor Fellowship, which Han Nguyen received in 2025 to further develop this type of solar energy storage technology.
Another claim and 0 proof.
The laws of thermodynamics don’t allow this.
Even human body has a higher energy Then lithium battery (no I am not joking). If you store more energy or increase the energy density without increasing capacity, that’s boom.