Researchers from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have created a new material that could make the next generation of energy storage systems safer, more durable, and more affordable.
The team focused on zinc–iodine batteries, a new type of rechargeable battery that can store large amounts of electricity safely and at low cost. These batteries could one day be used to store energy from renewable sources like solar and wind power.
The study, led by the NYUAD Professor of Chemistry and Co-Principal Investigator of the Water Research Center Ali Trabolsi, in collaboration with Professor Manjusha Shelke, Chief Scientist at India’s National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, has been published in the journal Small.
Zinc and iodine are both non-toxic and inexpensive materials that are easy to find, unlike the rare and costly metals used in today’s lithium batteries. But a key challenge has been that iodine tends to dissolve inside the battery during use, causing it to lose energy and wear out quickly.
To solve this problem, Dr Gobinda Das from the Trabolsi group at NYUAD designed a new material with a special sponge-like structure that holds iodine in place. This material, made from organic building blocks known as covalent organic frameworks (COFs), prevents iodine from leaking and keeps the battery stable over thousands of charge and discharge cycles.
“This material helps make energy storage both safer and longer-lasting,” said Trabolsi. “It’s an important step toward sustainable, large-scale batteries that can support renewable energy systems and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.”
The new zinc–iodine design could also be used in other energy applications, such as:
- Home and building energy storage for solar systems
- Backup power for hospitals, schools, or data centers
- Electric vehicles that require safer and longer-lasting power sources
The researchers are now working on scaling up the technology to test how it performs in real-world environments, including extreme weather conditions.
Supported by the NYUAD Research Institute, this research strengthens the UAE’s role in advancing clean energy innovation and developing sustainable technologies for a greener future.
