The rights will be shared by the Indian Institute of Science and a Hyderabad-based battery firm called Ned Energy, which funded the research. Hariprakash didn't know batteries were in his future when he left his home town of Ooty in the state of Tamil Nadu. He was quite sure, however, that he wanted to be a scientist. After earning a B.Sc., he went on to complete a master's degree in chemistry, in which he received the highest marks of any student in his department. Then came the selection process for the prestigious IIS, where Hariprakash is now working toward his doctorate.
Chemistry can do anything.
The basics of battery chemistry have remained unchanged for more than 100 years. Improving efficiency was thus a major problem. The chemical reaction doesn't increase the temperature or pressure in the battery, so there's no chance of an explosion. It's common for battery makers to use platinum rods as catalysts, says Hariprakash, though using a precious metal is an expensive way to solve the problem. Hariprakash's goal in the near term is to complete his doctorate.