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Green
energy Materials 
for Sustainibility

Solar battery                              Organic semiconductors

                   Li battery              Membranes         Thin film membrane

    Carbon materials                    Porous polymers         

CO2 capture and conversion                           Heterogenous catalysis

Desalination            Osmotic energy                  Bio gas           H2 generation

                                            Perovskite                      Metal-organic Frameworks                 2D material   
                                                  
                                Defect engineered materials 
       
   NMR spectroscopy
                                                                                         Surface chemistry                                Machine learned material design
                            

 

About the Cluster

An initiative by TIFR Hyderabad (TIFRH) aimed at addressing critical challenges in renewable energy harvesting and storage. With a unique blend of in-house expertise in materials science, engineering, and experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics, GEMS cluster provides an ideal platform for advancing cutting-edge materials research

Associated Members of TIFR Hyderabad

Prof. T. N. Narayanan 

Prof. P. K. Madhu

Dr. P. K. Nayak

Dr. S. Ghosh

Dr. G. Rajalakshmi

Dr. R. Haldar

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Research Highlights

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National missions and external funding

DST H2 valley

​DST Solar challenge

​SERB, Govt of India

​CSIR, Govt. of India

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National and International cooperation

Will be updated soon

  • Initiating cutting edge research programs in the thematic areas mentioned

  •  Conducting international workshops and hands-on training programs for young researchers

  • Thematic summer schools on specialized areas

  • Organizing invited lecture series and training programs of world leading scientists.

  • Platform for bringing international research grants and exchange programs

Tax benefit for supporting our research program: 

1. Contributions made towards scientific research to the TIFR are exempted under Section 35(1)(ii) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Section 35: Notified Scientific Research Association
2. Contributors in India can avail 100% tax exemption under Section 80G (2) (a) (iiif) of the Income Tax Act, 1961
3. Corporate may avail the provisions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR Rules, 2014).
Corporate Social Responsibility under Companies Act

We need your support

Research direction 

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Osmotic Energy Harvesting: Among the various renewable energy sources, osmotic energy, also known as blue energy, offers significant potential. By leveraging the natural salinity gradient between seawater and freshwater, it is possible to generate continuous power, especially given the vast availability of ocean and river water bodies. In the Indian context, the abundance of these resources makes osmotic energy as a promising option. However, this field has received little attention or investment in India. Globally, there have been some advances, such as a prototype osmotic energy plant in Norway with a capacity of 2-4 kilowatts. The success of osmotic energy conversion largely depends on the development of advanced membranes capable of selectively facilitating the transport of either cations or anions. Faster and more selective ion transport enhances power output, while the ability to withstand exposure to high-salinity water is a critical factor in membrane durability. At TIFRH, ongoing efforts are focused on developing innovative, sustainable membranes tailored for osmotic energy generation. This represents an entirely new direction for Indian science, with no previous precedent in the country. By pioneering membrane technology for blue energy, India has the potential to establish a novel and sustainable renewable energy resource.

Photo Batteries: For the last three years, we are developing a concept called photo or solar battery where charging of a battery can be by sunlight. This concept can address several issues with the coupling of different energy harvesting and storage systems by integrating both the concept in one system, hence reducing the energy loses. The working of such a proof-of-concept battery was shown by the TIFRH researchers but there are several challenges in its practical implementation. Identification of an ideal cathode material is one of the issues along with the understanding of the photocharging process by operando techniques. Such a light rechargeable battery will be highly useful from portable devices to solar powered space shuttles hence this novel renewable energy system needs to be optimized for further development.

Battery Recycling: Moving towards renewable energy storage systems such as batteries also bring another major concern regarding their disposal. The used battery parts can bring several types of safety concerns, ranging from explosion to water contamination. Critical minerals used in a typical battery ssystem -say lithium ion battery, contains various types of metals, and successful recovery of them can lead to value addition. A systematic scientific method/practice for the used battery disposal or unused metal/mineral extraction for further usage has still not happened. This will be another active research program of GEMS cluster.

Membrane technology for Bio Gas: Compressed biogas (CBG) is an eco-friendly and renewable energy source that has the potential to substantially lower carbon emissions. With a calorific value comparable to that of compressed natural gas (CNG), biogas emerges as a promising alternative renewable fuel, particularly for automotive applications. The primary component of biogas is methane (CH4), which typically constitutes 50-70% of the gas, alongside variable amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). To improve the energy efficiency of biogas (calorific value), it is essential to purify the raw gas to achieve a methane content exceeding 90%. Current purification methods include pressure swing adsorption, vacuum swing adsorption, water scrubbing, and chemical scrubbing. Among these, membrane-based purification stands out as the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly option in terms of energy consumption and carbon footprint. However, its adoption remains limited. In particular, research and development towards new generation membranes, made of polymer and porous materials, is lacking in India. Currently, there is no active research focusing on making of novel membranes.   To achieve highly efficient gas separation, it is crucial to gain a deep understanding of the underlying gas diffusion mechanisms in porous materials. Additionally, the design and development of membranes must be thoroughly characterized, with a focus on deducing the relationship between structure and properties. The proposed energy center will prioritize research in these areas, with the primary goal of conducting fundamental studies on gas diffusion and advancing the creation of high-performance membranes. These focused efforts will position the center as a distinctive leader in the field (globally), driving innovation in membrane technology for energy applications.

Stable Soft Semiconductors: Soft semiconductor materials are poised to play a pivotal role in advancing a variety of critical technologies, including energy conversion, energy storage, optoelectronics, and bio-integrated electronics. These materials offer unique mechanical and electronic properties that make them ideal for applications requiring flexibility, stretchability, or integration with biological systems—traits that conventional rigid semiconductors cannot easily provide. The design, synthesis, and development of these next-generation soft semiconductors require a deep and comprehensive understanding of both the physics that governs their functionality and the underlying chemistry of the materials. Unlike traditional semiconductors such as silicon or gallium arsenide, soft semiconductors behave differently under operational conditions, and their charge transport, band structure, and interactions with other materials may not conform to established models. We are working on the development of next generation of soft semiconductors by uncovering the fundamental science that underpins this class of materials. Through detailed experimental and theoretical investigations, we are exploring the unique properties of these materials at the atomic and molecular levels. Our approach will focus on areas where the classical models developed for traditional semiconductors are insufficient or entirely inapplicable. This involves creating new models and frameworks to describe charge carrier dynamics, mechanical flexibility, and material-environment interactions specific to soft semiconductors. This research will not only lead to the discovery of new material properties but also inform the development of innovative applications in areas like flexible solar cells, wearable electronics, and implantable biomedical devices. Ultimately, our work will contribute to shaping the future landscape of energy and electronics, where soft semiconductors will play an increasingly dominant role.

Studies on Defect: Defects are inherent to any material and these sites show properties that are significantly different from the pristine material. Recently, we introduced a new metric to gauge defect densities in functionalized graphitic materials like graphene oxide (GO), which can be employed in both low and high defect density regimes. We are also developing methods to identify sites where charges are localized in GO to model charge transport in these materials. Fairly recently, an important experimental study suggested that defects in gold surfaces might be able to selectively reduce CO2 to CO over reduction of protons to hydrogen. We are currently developing a correlation between structures of different grain boundaries in gold and their propensity towards CO2 activation. In near future, we will also compare these results with proton reduction activity. Ultimately, based on our simulations, we aim to develop physical principles that will enable people to design defects to target a particular mechanical or electronic property.

Building Energy Diagnostic Devices: TIFR is known for its capability of building state of the art devices and equipment using in house engineering facilities and expertise. Development of state of the art deposition systems and diagnostic tools for next generation energy systems is the need of the hour. GEMS cluster is actively involved in the development of such devices. For example, recently we have developed a magnetometer for ultra-low magnetic field sensing useful for the operando studies of electrochemical systems. This has the capability of sensing field as low as ~1.88 pT leading to the tracking of lithium deposition in a conventional battery. Similarly, we are working on the development of photonic spin Hall effect-based scanning systems capable of deciphering local dielectric and magnetic information of solids in devices. This technique once developed will be a unique method for the diagnostics of solar cells, semiconductor devices, display systems etc. This will be another unique program GEMS cluster is interested to pursue in the coming years.

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