CeNS Develops Color-Changing Energy Storage Material

In April 2026, scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru developed an innovative smart material capable of both storing energy and visually indicating charge levels through colour changes, offering a breakthrough in next-generation energy storage and display technology.

Key Points

Dual-Function Innovation: The newly developed material can simultaneously store energy and display its charge status, overcoming the conventional limitation where devices usually perform only one of these functions.
Material Composition: Researchers created an oxygen-deficient bimetallic oxide made from molybdenum and tungsten.
Colour-Based Charge Indicator: The material turns blue when charged and becomes transparent when discharged, enabling real-time visual monitoring without external sensors or displays.
Scientific Mechanism: Oxygen vacancies in the atomic lattice improve ion mobility, allowing charge-discharge processes to alter the electronic structure and trigger visible colour changes.
Synthesis Method: The material was produced using a solvothermal synthesis process.
Electrochromic Performance: It demonstrated strong optical modulation of 43%, indicating promising applications in smart windows, adaptive displays, and advanced visual technologies.
Supercapacitor Capability: As an energy storage electrode, it showed high storage capacity and retained stable performance over 10,000 charge-discharge cycles.
Durability: The material remained effective under mechanical stress and varying environmental conditions.
Practical Demonstration: Prototype devices successfully powered an LCD timer and illuminated an LED, showcasing real-world functionality.