Story perspectives

New Pyrimidone Material Doubles Energy Storage Capacity

2/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, developed a new material, pyrimidone, for molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage.
The material captures sunlight and stores energy in chemical bonds, releasing heat on demand.
Pyrimidone stores energy at levels twice that of lithium-ion batteries.
The study, published in Science, addresses previous challenges in MOST energy storage and could pave the way for more effective and sustainable heat storage solutions.

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Story summary

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, developed a new material, pyrimidone, for molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage.
The material captures sunlight and stores energy in chemical bonds, releasing heat on demand.
Pyrimidone stores energy at levels twice that of lithium-ion batteries.
The study, published in Science, addresses previous challenges in MOST energy storage and could pave the way for more effective and sustainable heat storage solutions.