Solar thermal fuels: azobenzene as a cyclic photon–heat transduction platform

• Jie Yan,
• Shaodong Sun,
• Minghao Wang and
• Si Wu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2036–2047, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.159

• analysis, we aim to clarify the current state of azobenzene-based solar thermal fuels, while mapping strategic pathways for future technological advancements in this rapidly evolving research field. Keywords: azobenzene; energy; photoresponsive; solar thermal fuels; Introduction Solar energy occupies a

• pivotal position among renewable energy sources. To date, solar energy conversion and storage technologies have experienced considerable progress, including artificial photosynthesis [1], solar thermal collectors [2], photovoltaic cells [3], and solar thermal fuels [4][5]. Among these innovations, solar

• ], norbornadiene–quadricyclane (NBD–QC) complexes [17][18][19][20][21][22][23], dihydroazulene–vinylheptadiene (DHA-VHF) systems [24][25][26][27][28][29][30], and azobenzene derivatives [31][32][33][34] (Figure 2). In addition, other reversible photoisomers exhibit potential for development as solar thermal fuels