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: An oriented photopolymer is a polymer where photomodification is initiated by irradiation with plane-polarized light and where the molecular configuration has a preferred orientation as a result of linear polarization. These polymers have optically anisotropic and other novel properties.

Abstract: A solid catalyst composition which has undergone a partial loss of catalytic activity due to the accumulation of reaction product residue is treated in a chemical conversion process reaction zone in the presence of feedstock(s) with ultrasonic energy of a magnitude and a duration sufficient to restore at least a significant percentage of the lost activity.

Abstract: This invention relates to an efficient cis-to-trans isomerization of 1,4-dihalobutene-2 by means of a thiol or hydrogen bromide or hydrogen chloride catalyzed reaction.

Abstract: Photochemical reactions are conducted using polymer beads arranged as a monolayer, e.g. floating on the surface of a moving body of water. The polymer bead is impregnated with a reactant, floated on the water or otherwise exposed as a monolayer in direct sunlight so as to expose the reactant to solar radiation, collected at a downstream location, treated to remove product from the polymer, and then the bead can be recycled. The process can be used to collect and store solar energy in chemical form, or for conducting photochemical synthesis to produce useful chemical products.