dapper - 9-10-2007 at 10:46
A while back somebody posted asking for an idea for a topic for a research project or something. It was suggested they look into some compounds that
are not only collect solar energy..but are also energetic and are being looked into for space propulsion. Pretty sure they were inorganic.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Sauron - 9-10-2007 at 15:51
Quadricyclane.
Organic. Hydrocarbon.
A valence isomer that stores solar energy as strain, heat can be released slowly. So perhaps amenable to a day/night cycle.
dapper - 10-10-2007 at 04:46
Do you remember when the guy asked for an interesting synth for a class project and then turned these down because they were too hard? There was
something about them being energetic enough to be considered for duty in space propulsion.. If I'm not mistaken.
Thanks a lot, Sauron.
Sauron - 10-10-2007 at 05:52
IIRC quadricyclane was described as an experimental aerospace fuel.
It is valence isomer of bicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene i believe, and is converted from that Diels-Alder product by UV.
Conversion back to the lower strain compound is catalytic, with release of the stored strain energy as heat.
You can find the prep in Org.Syn.