**Executive Summary**
Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, have developed a novel oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide that simultaneously stores energy and provides a visual charge indicator. Published on April 28, 2026, the research introduces a material that changes color from blue to transparent to signal its state of charge. This development aims to address the limitations of current electronic devices that typically cannot perform storage and display functions within the same material.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Material Composition and Synthesis**
* The material is an oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide composed of molybdenum and tungsten ($Mo_{0.11}W_{0.89}O_{3-x}$).
* It was synthesized by a research team led by Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Singh using a solvothermal method.
* The "oxygen-deficient" nature creates a lattice with missing oxygen atoms, providing extra space and active sites for ions to move freely.
**Multifunctional Capabilities**
* **Dual Functionality:** The oxide serves as both an energy storage medium and a live charge indicator.
* **Visual Indicators:** The material undergoes a visible color change—blue when in a charged state and transparent when in a discharged state.
* **Electrochromic Performance:** It demonstrated a high optical modulation of 43% and a coloration efficiency of $147 \text{ cm}^2 \text{ C}^{-1}$, indicating low power requirements for operation.
**Technical Specifications and Durability**
* **Energy Storage:** As a supercapacitor electrode, it exhibited a specific capacitance of $234 \text{ F g}^{-1}$ and an areal capacitance of $975 \text{ mF cm}^{-2}$.
* **Stability:** The material showed excellent cycling stability, maintaining functionality over 10,000 charge-discharge cycles.
* **Resilience:** It retains its properties under various environmental conditions and mechanical bending.
* **Applications:** The developed device successfully powered an LCD timer and lit up an LED.
**Impact Analysis**
**Research Scientists and Academia**
**Impact**
The discovery provides a new framework for utilizing oxygen-deficient lattices in material science to achieve multifunctional properties in a single compound.
**Action Required**
Interested researchers can review the full technical findings published in the journal *Materials Chemistry A* via the provided DOI (10.1039/D6TA01049K).
**Electronic and Energy Storage Manufacturers**
**Impact**
The material offers a potential solution for developing more efficient batteries and "smart" windows for devices ranging from mobile phones to solar grids.
**Action Required**
Manufacturers may evaluate the material's fast switching times, optical contrast, and mechanical flexibility for integration into next-generation consumer electronics and energy infrastructure.
Key Entities Referenced
Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru: An autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology that developed the novel smart oxide material.
Department of Science and Technology (DST): The primary government department overseeing the research and the autonomous institute (CeNS) responsible for the innovation.
Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Singh: The Principal Researcher who led the team in synthesizing the oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide material.
Materials Chemistry A: The peer-reviewed scientific journal where the research findings regarding the material's properties and applications were published.
Ministry of Science & Technology
A novel smart oxide can store energy and also
indicate the level of charge in it
Posted On: 28 APR 2026 4:33PM by PIB Delhi
Scientists have come up with a new material that does not just store energy but also changes colour to
show that how much charge is there and the change in colour indicates a discharged cell that requires fresh
charging.
Everything from our phones to solar grids relies on stored power on batteries which are faster and
efficient. However, most electronic devices are faced with the limitation that it can either store energy or
display information, but rarely both.
Scientist from Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of Department
of Science and Technology (DST), have developed an oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide based on
molybdenum and tungsten (Mo W O ), a unique compound that addresses this limitation by serving
0.11 0.89 3-x
both purposes. The colour change in a device made with this oxide from blue (charged state) to transparent
(discharged state) shows one whether the device is in charged or discharged state.
The researchers, led by Principal Researcher Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Singh, synthesized the material using a
solvothermal method. The new material combined both these functions.
Fig: Morphology of Bimetalllic oxide and its application demonstration in energy storage and
electrochromic devices
The science behind this unique property lies in the "oxygen-deficient" nature of the oxide. By creating a
lattice where specific oxygen atoms are missing, the researchers generated extra space and active sites
within the material's structure. These gaps allow ions to move freely. As the ions move to store charge,
they trigger a simultaneous shift in the material’s electronic structure, resulting in a visible colour change
that acts as a live charge indicator.The team also explored its use in electrochromic applications and fabricated large-area device (5×5 cm2)
showed a high optical modulation of 43% at 700 nm with a colouration efficiency of 147 cm2 C-1,
indicating a low power requirement to operate the window made from this material. As a supercapacitor
electrode, it exhibited a specific capacitance of 234 F g-1 at a current density of 5 A g-1 and a remarkable
areal capacitance of 975 mF cm-2 at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1.
The new material which resulted in a publication in the journal Materials Chemistry A demonstrated
excellent cycling stability (10000 charge-discharge cycles) and retained functionality under various
mechanical bending and environmental conditions. The developed material showed good optical contrast
and fast switching time. The device was able to power an LCD timer and light up an LED.
Publication details (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1039/D6TA01049K
*****
NKR/FT
(Release ID: 2256264) Visitor Counter : 216
Read this release in: Urdu , ही