An autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, Bengaluru based Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) has developed a flexible aqueous aluminium-ion battery.

Bengaluru based Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) has developed a flexible aqueous aluminium-ion battery as a safe and sustainable alternative to commonly used lithium-ion batteries in phones, laptops, electric vehicles etc.
It is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
This new battery uses aluminium, one of the most abundant metals on Earth, and a water-based solution. This combination makes it safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
This innovative battery stores energy efficiently and reliably, retaining 96.77% of its power after 150 charge-discharge cycles, limiting battery life in long daily use.

Aluminium-ion battery

Material used: This battery uses aluminium, the most abundant and environment-friendly metal, with a water-based electrolyte, making it cheap, explosion-free and eco-friendly.
Components: It has a copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCFe) cathode (positive electrode) preloaded with aluminium ions and a molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) anode (negative electrode).
Performance: Can continuously power devices even when folded. Made flexible enough to be folded or bent like paper without any performance loss.
This development places India at the forefront of sustainable and next-generation energy storage solutions in line with global climate and environmental goals.

Challenges:

Slow diffusion of Al3⁺ ions and potential structural collapse of graphite-like materials limit cycle stability.
Aluminium anodes suffer from corrosion, which can affect the long life of the battery.

Lithium-ion battery

It is a rechargeable battery in which lithium ions travel through a non-aqueous electrolyte between a negative electrode (graphite) and a positive electrode (Li transition metal oxide) during charging and discharging.
It stores more energy in a dense form and provides longer cycles between charges. Unlike old lead-acid batteries, it is lighter and uses less toxic Li and carbon electrodes.