Sodium-ion battery has immense potential in India: Prof Amartya Mukhopadhyay

A recent winner of the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize in the sustainability category, Prof Amartya Mukhopadhyay’s work on sodium-ion battery technology stands out as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future. Mukhopadhyay teaches at IIT Bombay

Mumbai: A recent winner of the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize in the sustainability category, Prof Amartya Mukhopadhyay’s work on sodium-ion battery technology stands out as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future. Selected from 169 entries across 18 states, it strengthens India’s vision of greener energy solutions. Mukhopadhyay, who teaches at IIT Bombay, spoke to Niraj Pandit.

Sodium-ion battery has immense potential in India: Prof Amartya Mukhopadhyay

What does the recognition bestowed by this significant award mean to you?

It is very gratifying to have the potential of our work recognised by experts in sustainability. It gives momentum to academic researchers to address real-world challenges, particularly those faced by India.

What are your goals for sodium-ion battery technologies?

We addressed the water stability issue of electrodes, and developed prototype electrodes in a lab, using water as the medium. Our next step is scaling up production to test these electrodes under varied conditions.

With optimised electrode design, we aim to produce cost-effective, green sodium-ion batteries for applications ranging from grid storage to electric vehicles. The ₹2-crore prize money will play a crucial role in advancing these developments and supporting India’s transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions.

How does your work on sodium-ion batteries address India’s specific challenges with lithium-ion battery resources?

In India, the reliability of the power grid remains a challenge, with rural areas experiencing frequent outages. Efficient grid energy storage is needed but has to be both cost-effective and sustainable. Similarly, air pollution and fossil fuel dependency are pressing issues. Electric vehicles are the solution, but widespread adoption requires affordable battery technology.

Sodium-ion batteries have immense potential here. India has abundant sodium reserves but limited lithium resources, making sodium-ion batteries a more sustainable alternative. Moreover, unlike lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries do not require cobalt, which further benefits India.

Sodium-ion batteries also offer advantages like faster charging, adaptability to tropical climates and cost-effectiveness. However, challenges such as improving energy density and stability have to be addressed. For instance, high-capacity cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries are highly hygroscopic, complicating handling and processing. My research focuses on overcoming these challenges.

What motivated you to specialise in sustainability and battery technologies?

As a young researcher during my Master’s and PhD, I wanted to work in an area that not only involved science but had a tangible societal impact. This led me to start working on energy storage science and technology, in particular, batteries, during my postdoctoral research. Working with General Motors further reinforced my belief in the relevance of this field.

Back in India, collaborating with various industries as a faculty member at IIT Bombay deepened my understanding of the need for sustainability. I then shifted my focus to sodium-ion battery technology from lithium-ion batteries.

Could you elaborate on your innovation with ‘aqueous processing’ and its implications for sustainability?

Layered sodium-transition metal oxide cathodes, essential for high-energy-density sodium-ion batteries, are highly hygroscopic and can be damaged within minutes by exposure to ambient air. By improving the air and water stability of these cathodes, I have enabled the use of water-based electrode processing. This reduces energy consumption, eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals, and lowers fabrication costs by about 15%.

For instance, a 1 GWh sodium-ion battery plant could save approximately 2 million kWh of energy and reduce carbon emissions by 1,000 tons annually.

Could you share some memories from your childhood? Were there any early influences that sparked your interest in science or engineering?

I was interested in studying and pursuing science right from my school days. I am sure the way science was taught, as well as demonstrated, at school and by my parents, and the associated encouragement, had a major influence.

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in the field of materials science?

As a high school student, physics, chemistry, and mathematics were my favourite subjects. Right from that time, I got interested in materials science, where physics and chemistry play an important role. At the same time, studying topics like the mechanics of materials and electrical properties piqued my interest in engineering. Overall, I wanted to pursue something related to materials science and engineering right from high school. I was fortunate enough to follow that path through my Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD.

How did you join IIT Bombay?

Even when I was pursuing my PhD and post-doctoral research abroad, I always wanted to return to India to benefit the nation. IITs and IISc were the best options for aspiring faculty members, and IIT Bombay is unquestionably among the country’s top institutes.

On a different note, Mumbai was always a dream city for me. As a child, I drew immense inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar and admired everything about him, including the fact that he belonged to Mumbai. Lata Mangeshkar, my favourite singer, also hailed from this city. So, IIT Bombay naturally became my dream institution.

How do you hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to tackle sustainability challenges?

Some challenges may seem daunting at first, but one must not hesitate to try. For example, many believed that water-stable, electrochemically stable sodium-ion cathodes were impossible, yet we succeeded in developing them.

Scientific challenges make research beautiful and addressing societal challenges through research makes it worthwhile.