Abstract: A system for converting solar energy to chemical energy, and, subsequently, to thermal energy includes a light-harvesting station, a storage station, and a thermal energy release station. The system may include additional stations for converting the released thermal energy to other energy forms, e.g., to electrical energy and mechanical work. At the light-harvesting station, a photochemically active first organometallic compound, e.g., a fulvalenyl diruthenium complex, is exposed to light and is photochemically converted to a second, higher-energy organometallic compound, which is then transported to a storage station. At the storage station, the high-energy organometallic compound is stored for a desired time and/or is transported to a desired location for thermal energy release.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a metal-molecule heterostructure comprising (a) a plurality of metal, semimetallic or semiconducting nanoparticles, and (b) a plurality of electrically conductive organic molecules interspersed among the nanoparticles. The metal-molecular heterostructure is useful in a device, such as a thermoelectric energy converter, battery or capacitor.