As the whole world celebrates the Nobel Prize winners of Chemistry this year for their contributions in the development of lithium-ion batteries, scientists at IIT Madras have moved one step ahead by registering their success in developing rechargeable iron ion batteries which are both affordable and safer than the existing lithium-ion batteries.

Electricity, which is essentially the flow of electrons, is initiated by a chemical reaction in a battery. In non-rechargeable batteries, the battery becomes dead when the anode is no longer able to produce electrons and the flow of electrons stops. In rechargeable battery, electricity is produced with the movement of electrons from cathode to anode, leading to the building of electrons at the anode which in turn is again used for generating electricity.

Scientists from IIT-Madras led by Prof. Ramaprabhu Sundara have made a rechargeable iron-ion battery using similar chemistry. Although lithium-ion batteries are currently being used extensively for portable needs, the high cost, low availability and safety of lithium remains a major setback for its widespread use. These drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries have propelled scientists to search for a low-cost material for making batteries.