DST: Cholesterol-Based Spintronic Nanomaterials Offer a Path to Greener Quantum Technologies

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure | SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production
Institution: Ministry of Science & Technology

A team at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed novel cholesterol-based nanomaterials capable of controlling the quantum spin of electrons (spintronics), a foundational element for next-generation, energy-efficient memory chips and bio-electronic devices. By leveraging cholesterol’s chiral structure fused with metal ion frameworks, researchers achieved highly precise and tunable control over spin orientation through simple chemical modulation. This achievement opens a biomaterial-driven avenue for designing more sustainable quantum technologies.

Relevant question for policy stakeholders:
How can India’s innovation policy integrate biomaterials like cholesterol as sustainable enablers for quantum technologies through R&D funding, public–private collaboration, and manufacturing incentives, to build a globally competitive, eco-conscious tech ecosystem?

Follow the full news here:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2164715

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