Visible-Light-Sensitive Photoliquefiable Arylazoisoxazoles for the Solar Energy Conversion, Storage and Controlled-Release of Heat at Room Temperature or Lower Temperatures.

The photoswitchable MOlecular Solar Thermal (MOST) energy storage systems that are capable of exhibiting high energy storage densities are found to suffer from the poor cyclability, the use of less abundant UV light of the solar spectrum, or reduced charging/discharging rates and poor photoconversions in solid states. Herein, we have designed and readily synthesized a novel set of para-thioalkyl substituted arylazoisoxazoles, that undergo high trans-cis and cis-trans photoconversions under visible light, and show fast charging/discharging and impressive cyclability. Remarkably, the presence of C6-or C10-thioalkyl chainin photochromes permitted reversible solid-liquid phase transition with the formation of cis-enriched charged states by 400 nm light irradiation and trans-enriched discharged states by 530 nm light at various temperatures (10-35 °C).

Dynamics of a single-phase natural circulation system under harmonic excitation.

A natural circulation system (NCS) has a broad application in the sector of thermal engineering, for example, in nuclear reactors due to its capability in transferring heat without any support of external power or a mechanical device. NCSs, although designed for steady operation, have been found to exhibit dynamical behavior, such as periodic oscillations, depending on the input heater power. The heater power, otherwise assumed to be steady, can be fluctuating in practice.