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New Solar Tech Stores Energy Without Toxic Solvents

2/27/2026

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Story summary
  • Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara developed Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST), a system using the synthetic molecule 2-pyrimidone to absorb sunlight and store energy by twisting into a high-energy shape.
  • The system operates without toxic solvents and remains liquid at room temperature.
  • Its energy density is 1.65 MJ/kg, comparable to lithium-ion batteries.
  • However, limited light absorption and low conversion efficiency remain barriers.