In a major scientific breakthrough, Indian researchers have developed a new green energy material that could revolutionize energy storage technology. Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, in collaboration with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), have engineered a lanthanum-doped silver niobate (AgNbO₃) compound that significantly enhances supercapacitor performance.
Supercapacitors, known for their rapid charging and discharging abilities, often fall short in energy storage capacity. The new material overcomes this limitation by increasing energy density without sacrificing speed or stability.
Led by Dr. Kavita Pandey, the team introduced lanthanum—a rare-earth element—into silver niobate nanoparticles, improving their electrical conductivity and shrinking particle size to increase surface area. This led to a remarkable 118% energy retention after repeated use and an unprecedented 100% coulombic efficiency, meaning no energy was lost during charging cycles.
A prototype asymmetric supercapacitor using the new material successfully powered an LCD display, pointing to potential real-world applications in everything from portable electronics to renewable energy systems.
Published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds, the study positions lanthanum-doped AgNbO₃ as a leading candidate for high-performance, eco-friendly energy storage. Researchers now aim to explore similar doping strategies in other materials and scale up production to enable commercial use.
This innovation marks a significant step in India’s contribution to sustainable energy solutions amid the global push for cleaner and more efficient technologies.
