DST institutes develop metal-free porous catalyst TTT-DHTD that nearly matches platinum in zinc–air batteries
Scientists from DST's S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (Kolkata) and INST (Mohali), with SRM University-AP, developed a metal-free organic porous catalyst, TTT-DHTD, that achieved about 96% of commercial platinum's performance as the air-electrode catalyst in zinc–air batteries, as per a DST release of 7 October 2026.
Summary
Researchers from the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata, and the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, both under the Department of Science and Technology, along with SRM University, Amaravati, have developed a metal-free organic porous material named TTT-DHTD, DST said on 7 October 2026. Used as the air-electrode catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction in zinc–air batteries, the honeycomb-like material made of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen and hydrogen achieved about 96% of the performance of commercial platinum catalysts and stayed stable for 120 hours of continuous operation. The work, published in Science Advances, could cut the cost of clean-energy technologies that now depend on scarce and expensive platinum.
Key facts
- Material
- TTT-DHTD, metal-free organic porous catalyst
- Institutes
- SNBNCBS Kolkata, INST Mohali (DST) and SRM University, Amaravati
- Use
- Air-electrode catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in zinc–air batteries
- Performance
- About 96% of commercial platinum catalysts
- Stability
- 120 hours of continuous operation
- Elements
- Carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Lead researchers
- Dr. Pradip Pachfule, Prof. Ramendra Sundar Dey, Prof. Ranjit Thapa
Practice MCQs 1 questions
The metal-free porous catalyst TTT-DHTD, developed by DST institutes (October 2026), was tested as the air-electrode catalyst in which type of battery?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — Zinc–air batteries