University of California

K Peter C Vollhardt

Arunava Majumdar

Rachel A Segalman

Vivekanantan S Iyer

Steven Meier

A system for converting solar energy to chemical energy, and, subsequently, to thermal energy includes a light-harvesting station, a storage station, and a thermal energy release station. The system may include additional stations for converting the released thermal energy to other energy forms, e.g., to electrical energy and mechanical work. At the light-harvesting station, a photochemically active first organometallic compound, e.g., a fulvalenyl diruthenium complex, is exposed to light and is photochemically converted to a second, higher-energy organometallic compound, which is then transported to a storage station. At the storage station, the high-energy organometallic compound is stored for a desired time and/or is transported to a desired location for thermal energy release. At the thermal energy release station, the high-energy organometallic compound is catalytically converted back to the photochemically active organometallic compound by an exothermic process, while the released thermal energy is captured for subsequent use.

Systems and methods for solar energy storage, transportation, and conversion utilizing photochemically active organometallic isomeric compounds and solid-state catalysts

A simple method for the production or synthesis of carbon nanotubes as free-standing films or nanotube mats by the thermal decomposition of transition metal complexed alkynes with aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl substituents. In particular, transition metal (e.g. Co, Ni, Fe, Mo) complexes of diarylacetylenes, e.g. diphenylacetylene, and solid mixtures of these complexes with suitable, additional carbon sources are heated in a vessel. More specifically, the heating of the transition metal complex is completed at a temperature between 400-800&#xb0; C. and more particularly 550-700&#xb0; C. for between 0.1 to 24 hours and more particularly 0.5-3 hours in a sealed vessel under a partial pressure of argon or helium.

Growing community of inventors

Oakland, CA, United States of America

K Peter C Vollhardt