A rope with liquid crystals twists when exposed to infrared light, enabling it to transport items.
Now a California-based research team knows the ropes when it comes to efficiently storing solar energy thanks to a newly developed molecule.
When hit by sunlight, it contorts itself into a strained shape and can remain that way for years. If acid is added, it relaxes again and releases the energy as heat. A process that can be repeated ad infinitum.
With an energy density of 1.6 megajoules per kilogram, the heat released by one molecule was enough to boil 0.5ml of water. Lithium-ion batteries have around half the energy density.
Sand or carbon blocks are also capable of storing renewable energy.
