Indian scientists develop cathode material to make sodium batteries more efficient

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The Ministry of Science and Technology has said Indian scientists have developed high-performance cathode materials that can improve the efficiency of sodium-ion batteries, according to a statement in the Press Information Bureau website.

The newly developed materials exhibit high electrochemical cyclicality and stability upon exposure to air and water, facilitating the development of systems that are expected to serve as cost-effective and sustainable energy storage systems for a range of applications. These include consumer electronic devices, grid energy storage, storage of energy harvested from renewables and, eventually, electric vehicles.

This development is important as India has an abundance of sodium reserves, which render the upcoming sodium-ion battery system extremely important in the Indian context.

Professor Amartya Mukhopadhyay’s research group at IIT Bombay exploited materials science and electrochemical principles to reveal the dominant factors and controlling parameters that can help develop high-performance Na-ion batteries. In their research supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), they have evolved a universal design criterion, paving the way towards successful design and widespread development of environmentally stable and high-performance cathodes for the sustainable sodium-ion battery system and beyond.

As India moves towards more sustainable source of energy, this development is crucial towards the country's goal of reducing particulate matter pollution by 30 percent by 2024.