Optically Controlled Solid-Solid Phase Change Materials for Photon and Thermal Energy Storage

Molecular switches are molecules that reversibly transform between two or more states in

response to external stimuli such as light, heat, electric current, and pH. These molecules have

been studied for a wide range of applications such as drug delivery, sensing, energy storage, and

nanotechnology due to the significant changes in physical and optical properties upon switching.

In this thesis, I have studied the fundamental behavior of a diverse set of molecular switches that

can switch using light (photoswitches) in the solid state. Because the isomerization of

conventional photoswitches is typically studied in dilute solution or condensed liquid phases,

there is an interest in investigating solid-state isomerization, especially for energy storage

applications. By studying solid-state energy storage materials, there is hope to increase the

energy harvesting density while avoiding the potential risk of organic liquid leakage and

combustion. In my thesis, I will cover crystal-to-amorphous photoswitchable phase change

materials as well as crystal-to-crystal photoswitchable phase change materials for energy storage through different types of systems. This thesis will hopefully provide insight helpful for

designing solid-state molecular photoswitches and their application for energy storage.