New material breakthrough could accelerate energy storage and green hydrogen push
A team of Indian scientists has developed next-generation polymeric materials that could significantly enhance energy storage and green hydrogen production, offering a promising pathway towards cleaner and more accessible energy solutions.
Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), under the Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, have synthesised coordination polymers—Zn(DAB) and Cd(DAB)—using a simple, room-temperature process. Built from zinc or cadmium ions and organic molecules of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine, these materials form stable layered structures and can be produced at scale without complex equipment, making them highly practical for real-world applications.
In laboratory tests, the materials demonstrated exceptional energy storage performance. Zn(DAB) achieved a capacitance of 2091.4 F/g, while Cd(DAB) recorded 1341.6 F/g in a standard three-electrode setup. Even under more practical conditions using asymmetric supercapacitors, Zn(DAB) delivered 785.3 F/g and Cd(DAB) 428.5 F/g. Notably, both materials retained strong performance after 5,000 charge-discharge cycles, highlighting their durability.
Beyond storage, the materials also showed strong potential in green hydrogen production through electrocatalytic water splitting. They required relatively low overpotential—263 mV for Zn(DAB) and 209 mV for Cd(DAB)—making them competitive with some of the best existing materials and potentially lowering the cost of hydrogen generation.
The study, authored by Samika Anand, Abhishek Kumar, Dr C.V. Yelamaggad and Dr Sunaja Devi K.R., has been published in ACS Omega and Catalysis Science and Technology. The findings underline the growing role of advanced coordination polymers in bridging the gap between laboratory research and scalable clean energy technologies.
