One material, two solutions: IIT Bhilai’s smart polymer cuts cooling needs & generates power

Raipur: A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhilai, developed a single smart polymer material that can both reduce energy use in buildings and generate clean power. The innovation directly addresses two critical priorities for India's push towards energy sustainability: lowering the growing demand for electricity in urban areas and finding new green power solutions.The material, a smart polymer gel, is led by Dr Sanjib Banerjee and a team comprising Nishikanta Singh, Durgesh Kumar Sinha, Koushik Mahata, Dillip Bhoi, Tejram Dewangan, and Katchala Nanaji.The gel is multifunctional, serving two distinct energy-related roles. The material functions like a smart window coating. It automatically adjusts its transparency based on changes in temperature. This reduces the heat entering buildings, lowering the need for air conditioning and cutting down on cooling costs, which account for a large share of urban energy consumption.The same gel also serves as an electrolyte in small power-generating devices, showing its potential for eco-friendly power applications beyond building efficiency.Dr Banerjee said, "This breakthrough shows how one material can serve two critical roles in energy sustainability—helping us save energy and also create it. Such multifunctional solutions are essential if India is to meet its clean energy goals in a cost-effective and scalable way."The innovation offers a way to simplify technology, potentially reducing the cost and complexity associated with using multiple different systems for energy efficiency and green power generation. By combining these functions, the material offers a pathway toward smarter, greener cities and aligns with the goals of India's National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency and National Solar Mission.The team published this pioneering research in the globally respected journal Advanced Functional Materials (Wiley-VCH). This publication solidifies IIT Bhilai's contribution to India's clean energy future.