In a breakthrough for sustainable energy, scientists in Bengaluru, India, have created a groundbreaking material for supercapacitors. This innovation promises to revolutionize energy storage, offering a cleaner and more efficient alternative to traditional batteries. The research, led by Dr. Kavita Pandey, was published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds.
The team focused on silver niobate, an environmentally friendly compound. By adding lanthanum, a rare-earth element, they significantly boosted the material's performance. This doping strategy increased the surface area for energy storage and improved electrical conductivity.
The new supercapacitor material showed remarkable results, retaining 118% of its initial energy capacity after extensive use. It also achieved 100% coulombic efficiency, meaning almost no energy was lost during charging and discharging. A prototype successfully powered an LCD display, demonstrating its potential for portable electronics and renewable energy systems. "This is a significant step towards more efficient and sustainable energy storage," Dr. Pandey stated.