Tuning the photochemical properties of the fulvalene-tetracarbonyl-diruthenium system.

In a Molecular Solar-Thermal Energy Storage (MOST) system, solar energy is converted to chemical energy using a compound that undergoes reversible endothermic photoisomerization. The high-energy photoisomer can later be converted back to the parent compound and the excess energy is released as heat. One of the most studied MOST systems is based on fulvalene-tetracarbonyl-diruthenium, and this paper demonstrates, for the first time, the possibility to tune the photochemical properties of this system by positive steric hindrance working on the fulvalene unit.