Dimapur: Nagaland University researchers have developed a sustainable and robust hydrogel membrane electrolyte using the natural biopolymer chitosan, offering a safer and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional liquid electrolytes used in supercapacitors.
Supercapacitors are advanced energy storage devices that can charge and discharge rapidly and operate for thousands of cycles. They are widely used in applications such as renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and portable electronic devices.
However, conventional liquid electrolytes used in these systems often suffer from leakage, volatility, and safety concerns.
To address these challenges, the Nagaland University research team has developed an innovative quasi-solid hydrogel electrolyte based on chitosan, a biodegradable natural polymer.
In this system, potassium oxalate acts as an ionic crosslinker, with oxalate anions interacting with the protonated amino groups of chitosan to create a stable three-dimensional network capable of efficient ion transport.
The result is a hydrogel membrane that combines the high ionic conductivity of liquid electrolytes with the mechanical stability of solid materials, making it suitable for durable solid-state electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs).
The research findings were published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
The paper was co-authored by Nagaland University research scholar Dipankar Hazarika, with Nuphizo Shijoh and Marjo A. Kichu as co-researchers, under the supervision ofNurul Alam Choudhury.
The supercapacitor built using this electrolyte showed excellent durability, maintaining stable performance for up to 46,000 charge-discharge cycles, indicating that the technology can support long-lasting and reliable energy storage devices.
Elaborating on the research, Nurul Alam Choudhury, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Nagaland University, said, “The hydrogel electrolyte demonstrated excellent performance when tested in supercapacitor devices. It enabled efficient ion movement and stable energy storage, allowing the device to deliver reliable energy output. The system also showed good energy storage capacity, highlighting its potential for next-generation supercapacitors.”
Lead researcher Dipankar Hazarika, research scholar at Nagaland University, added, “At present, our technology has reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL-3), meaning that experimental proof-of-concept has been successfully demonstrated under laboratory conditions.”
The team further demonstrated the practical applicability of the technology by developing a prototype supercapacitor capable of powering a red LED indicator.