Researchers build solar battery using abundant 2D carbon nitride

A team from the University of Cordoba and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research has demonstrated a solar battery using a bi-functional carbon nitride photoanode that both absorbs light and stores charge. For Indian manufacturers and energy planners, the work signals a possible path to storage chemistries that avoid scarce, imported lithium and rare metals.

The research team, supervised by Prof. Bettina Lotsch, developed a single device that integrates light-capturing solar cells with energy storage. Their design, published in Energy & Environmental Science, is built on a bi-functional carbon nitride (K-PHI) photoanode capable of both absorbing light and storing electric charge. A thin layer of the material was deposited on a specialised structure to create a photovoltaic device. The 2D carbon nitride material is described as abundant, non-toxic, and easy to synthesise, positioning it as an alternative to conventional lithium-based battery materials.

The development is most relevant to manufacturers of batteries and solar equipment, renewable-energy developers, and energy-storage system integrators who currently depend on lithium and other scarce materials carrying environmental and supply concerns. For Indian firms, which import a large share of lithium-cell inputs, an earth-abundant, non-toxic alternative could ease both cost and supply-chain exposure. The integrated solar-battery concept also matters to grid operators and project developers seeking on-demand storage to address solar power's intermittent generation profile.

The technology remains at the research stage. The team plans to test the solar battery in practical scenarios outside the laboratory and to explore various manufacturing possibilities, adapting it to different needs before real-world deployment. Indian energy-storage stakeholders, materials manufacturers, and policymakers should monitor peer-reviewed performance data, scalability, and any pilot results as the device moves toward commercialisation. No timeline for commercial availability was specified, so the practical impact on procurement decisions is not yet defined.

Key figure — Material used: 2D carbon nitride (K-PHI) photoanode, requiring no rare metals