New Delhi: In a major scientific advancement with wide-ranging implications for the future of energy storage, Indian scientists have successfully engineered a next-generation material that dramatically boosts the performance of supercapacitors. This innovation, spearheaded by researchers from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, in collaboration with Aligarh Muslim University, is set to accelerate India’s clean energy transition and bolster global efforts in green technology.
Breaking the Storage Barrier
At the center of this breakthrough is silver niobate (AgNbO₃)—a lead-free, eco-friendly material known for its superior electrical properties. The research team, led by Dr. Kavita Pandey, infused lanthanum (La)—a rare-earth element—into silver niobate nanoparticles to overcome two long-standing challenges in supercapacitors:
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Low energy density
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Decline in efficiency over time
Lanthanum doping caused the nanoparticles to shrink, which increased surface area, enabling more energy to be stored. This resulted in:
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118% energy-retention after extensive cycling
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100% coulombic efficiency, i.e., zero energy loss during charge-discharge cycles
“Our approach uses clean, scalable techniques to engineer performance at the nanoscale level. The results speak volumes about the potential of rare-earth doping,” said Dr. Pandey.
From Lab to Reality: Powering Real Devices
The innovation was validated by developing an asymmetric supercapacitor prototype using the La-doped silver niobate. The prototype successfully powered an LCD display, a significant step toward practical deployment in consumer and industrial technologies.
Fig: Crystal structure of Lanthanum-doped silver niobate and prototype powering an LCD display
Why It Matters
Supercapacitors are essential for applications , including:
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Electric vehicles (EVs)
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Portable electronics
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Grid-level renewable energy systems
While faster than batteries, their energy density has remained a bottleneck—until now. This breakthrough provides a sustainable and scalable path forward:
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Environmentally safe (lead-free)
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Efficient and long-lasting
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Scalable for industrial production
Publication and Future Roadmap
The findings have been published in the prestigious journal Journal of Alloys and Compounds, reinforcing India’s leadership in green materials science.
Looking ahead:
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Researchers plan to explore similar doping techniques with other perovskite materials.
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Efforts are underway to scale up production and assess commercial viability of La-doped silver niobate in mass-market energy storage applications.
Conclusion
In the face of a global transformation, this ‘Made in India’ innovation stands out as a powerful symbol of scientific excellence and green ambition. The lanthanum-doped silver niobate could revolutionize how energy is stored and used, helping to bridge the gap between sustainability, performance, and economic feasibility—a key step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and global climate goals.
For more details, check press release on PIB website.
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