**Executive Summary**
Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) and CHRIST University have developed novel coordination polymers, Zn(DAB) and Cd(DAB), to advance energy storage and green hydrogen production. Announced on March 27, 2026, these materials offer a scalable, room-temperature synthesis method that facilitates more affordable clean energy solutions. The research, published in *ACS Omega* and *Catalysis Science and Technology*, highlights significant breakthroughs in supercapacitor efficiency and electrocatalytic water splitting.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Material Composition and Synthesis**
* **Structure:** The materials are coordination polymers consisting of Zinc ($Zn^{2+}$) or Cadmium ($Cd^{2+}$) metal ions and organic 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) molecules.
* **Simple Production:** Synthesis occurs via a room-temperature process that requires no complex equipment, high temperatures, or toxic solvents.
* **Scalability:** The "smartly designed" layered frameworks are high-yielding and suitable for large-scale industrial usage.
**Energy Storage Performance**
* **High Capacitance:** Lab-scale tests showed energy storage of $2091.4\ F\ g^{-1}$ for Zn(DAB) and $1341.6\ F\ g^{-1}$ for Cd(DAB).
* **Practical Application:** In asymmetric supercapacitors, Zn(DAB) reached $785.3\ F\ g^{-1}$ and Cd(DAB) achieved $428.5\ F\ g^{-1}$.
* **Durability:** The polymers retained significant energy capacity after 5,000 continuous charge-discharge cycles.
**Green Hydrogen Generation**
* **Water Splitting:** The materials act as efficient electrocatalysts for splitting water to produce clean hydrogen fuel.
* **Low Energy Requirement:** They operate at low overpotentials—$263\ mV$ for Zn(DAB) and $209\ mV$ for Cd(DAB)—making them highly competitive with current state-of-the-art materials.
**Impact Analysis**
**Research Community (CeNS, CHRIST University, and DST)**
**Impact:** The successful development and publication of these findings validate the potential of coordination polymers as next-generation clean energy materials.
**Action Required:** Authors and affiliated institutions must continue efforts to bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world impact.
**Clean Energy Manufacturers and Industry**
**Impact:** Industry players now have access to a dual-functional material that is both durable and easy to mass-produce for supercapacitors and hydrogen fuel cells.
**Action Required:** Evaluate the integration of Zn(DAB) and Cd(DAB) into commercial device-like conditions to replace less efficient or more expensive components.
**Policy Makers and Environmental Stakeholders**
**Impact:** These innovations support the transition toward sustainable energy and help make green hydrogen production more affordable.
**Action Required:** Support the scaling of these technologies to facilitate broader accessibility to clean fuel and efficient energy storage systems.
Key Entities Referenced
Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS): An autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology that led the synthesis and testing of coordination polymers for clean energy storage and green hydrogen production.
Department of Science and Technology (DST): The primary government department that oversees the autonomous research institutes and provides the framework for scientific innovations in clean energy.
CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru: The collaborating academic institution involved in the research and testing of the energy storage and hydrogen generation capabilities of the developed materials.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Next-Gen material paves way for efficient energy
storage and green hydrogen
Posted On: 27 MAR 2026 3:06PM by PIB Delhi
Novel, easy to synthesize, highly efficient, polymeric materials could transform energy storage and
production of clean fuel like hydrogen, facilitating accessibility of clean energy.
Zn(DAB) and Cd(DAB), are coordination polymers with smartly designed structures where zinc (Zn2+) or
cadmium (Cd2+) metal ions and organic molecules of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) naturally assemble to
form layered frameworks with strong structures. They can be synthesized in large quantities through a
simple, room-temperature process, without the need for complex equipment or high temperatures making
them highly suitable for large scale usage.
A team of scientists from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of
Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with CHRIST (Deemed to be University),
Bengaluru tested, Zn(DAB) and Cd(DAB) to find outstanding results in two of the most important areas of
clean energy - storing energy and producing hydrogen.
In lab-scale tests, they were able to store a remarkable amount of energy, 2091.4 F g-1 for Zn(DAB) and
1341.6 F g-1 for Cd(DAB), in a standard three electrode setup used to evaluate materials individually. Even
when tested in more practical, device-like conditions, typically asymmetric supercapacitors, they
continued to perform impressively, with Zn(DAB) reaching 785.3 F g-1 and Cd(DAB) achieving 428.5 F g-
1. The coordination polymers synthesised by the team also retained a significant amount of their energy
capacity after 5000 continuous charge-discharge cycles, proving their durability.
These materials can also help produce clean hydrogen fuel by efficiently splitting water
electrocatalytically. They required only a small amount of energy as overpotential; 263 mV for Zn(DAB)
and 209 mV for Cd(DAB), which makes them highly competitive compared to some of the best materials
known today. Hence, they could play a key role in making green hydrogen production more affordable and
efficient in the future.
This dual-functionality viz., excellent energy storage and hydrogen generation makes Zn(DAB) and
Cd(DAB), standout in the quest for cleaner energy solutions. As the world moves towards sustainable
energy, innovations like this may hold the key to bridging the gap between research and real-world impact.
These findings, authored by Samika Anand, Abhishek Kumar, Dr. C. V. Yelamaggad, and Dr. Sunaja Devi
K. R., were recently published in ACS Omega and Catalysis Science and Technology, highlighting the
potential of coordination polymers as next-generation materials for clean energy.*****
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