Scientists "bottle the sun" with a liquid battery that stores solar energy

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have developed a "rechargeable solar battery" using a modified organic molecule called pyrimidone that can absorb and store sunlight in chemical bonds, then release it as heat on demand—even years later. Inspired by DNA structures and photochromic sunglasses, the material stores more energy per kilogram than lithium-ion batteries and can be reused repeatedly, offering a promising solution for storing solar energy without relying on bulky battery systems or the electrical grid. The breakthrough, published in Science, represents a significant advance in Molecular Solar Thermal (MOST) energy storage technology for addressing the challenge of storing power for use during cloudy weather and nighttime.