Deep eutectic solvent coated cerium oxide nanoparticles based polysulfone membrane to mitigate environmental toxicology

In this study, ceria nanoparticles (NPs) and deep eutectic solvent (DES) were synthesized, and the ceria-NP’s surfaces were modified by DES to form DES-ceria NP filler to develop mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). For the sake of interface engineering, MMMs of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% filler loadings were fabricated using solution casting technique. The characterizations of SEM, FTIR and TGA of synthesized membranes were performed. SEM represented the surface and cross-sectional morphology of membranes, which indicated that the filler is uniformly dispersed in the polysulfone. FTIR was used to analyze the interaction between the filler and support, which showed there was no reaction between the polymer and DES-ceria NPs as all the peaks were consistent, and TGA provided the variation in the membrane materials with respect to temperature, which categorized all of the membranes as very stable and showed that the trend of stability increases with respect to DES-ceria NPs filler loading. For the evaluation of efficiency of the MMMs, the gas permeation was tested. The permeability of CO2 was improved in comparison with the pristine Polysulfone (PSF) membrane and enhanced selectivities of 35.43 (αCO2/CH4) and 39.3 (αCO2/N2) were found. Hence, the DES-ceria NP-based MMMs proved useful in mitigating CO2 from a gaseous mixture

The study of new double perovskites K2AgAsX6 (X = Cl, Br) for energy-based applications

Halide double perovskites are the best alternative to Pb-halide perovskites. These materials play an important role in renewable energy generation. Therefore, we explore the physical properties of K2AgAsX6 (X = Cl, Br) double halide perovskites using full potential linearized augmented plane wave method . The structural parameters are calculated by optimization and analytical schemes. The negative values of formation energy confirm the thermodynamic stability, while Goldsmith’s tolerance factor guarantees the structural stability of both the double perovskites. The bandgaps of K2AgAsCl6 and K2AgAsBr6 are calculated as 2.10 and 1.48 eV, respectively by modified Becke and Johnson potential. Optical properties are examined in terms of the dielectric function, refractive index and absorption coefficients. The thermoelectric properties are calculated in terms of the electronic and thermal conductivities, Seebeck coefficients, power factor and figure of merit. Our study suggests the K2AgAsX6 perovskites for energy-related applications

Facile fabrication of platinum loaded poly(2,5-dimethoxy aniline)/activated carbon ternary nanocomposite as an efficient electrode material for high performance supercapacitors

This article details the fabrication of conductive Pt@PDMA/AC nanocomposite via layer by layer electrochemical deposition process on a flexible current collector for highly effective flexible supercapacitor. The unique nanostructure and crystallinity were characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. These suggested electrodes make the most of their incredible electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, electrochemical stability, and adherence to a flexible current collector. They also exhibit great capacitive performance and exceptional cycle life. The Pt@ PDMA/AC electrode has contributed to a good specific capacitance of 348.48 F/g at current density 1 A/g. Further, the nanocomposite shows remarkable stability where 95 % of its capacity retained after 3000 cycles at 10 A/g. due to synergetic effects. The final nanocomposite contributes to a maximum energy density of 108.9 Whkg−1 at the power density of 2840.86 Wkg−1 at 1 A/g current density. The resulting nanocomposite is a strong contender for energy storage and flexible electronic devices due to its outstanding electrochemical characteristics and great cycle stability

Palladium Hydroxide (Pearlman’s Catalyst) Doped MXene (Ti₃C₂Tx) Composite Modified Electrode for Selective Detection of Nicotine in Human Sweat

High concentrations of nicotine (40 to 60 mg) are more dangerous for adults who weigh about 70 kg. Herein, we developed an electrochemical transducer using an MXene (Ti3C2Tx)/palladium hydroxide-supported carbon (Pearlman’s catalyst) composite (MXene/Pd(OH)2/C) for the identification of nicotine levels in human sweat. Firstly, the MXene was doped with Pd(OH)2/C (PHC) by mechanical grinding followed by an ultrasonication process to obtain the MXene/PHC composite. Secondly, XRD, Raman, FE-SEM, EDS and E-mapping analysis were utilized to confirm the successful formation of MXene/PHC composite. Using MXene/PHC composite dispersion, an MXene/PHC composite-modified glassy carbon electrode (MXene/PHC/GCE) was prepared, which showed high sensitivity as well as selectivity towards nicotine (300 µM NIC) oxidation in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4) by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry. The MXene/PHC/GCE had reduced the over potential of nicotine oxidation (about 200 mV) and also enhanced the oxidation peak current (8.9 µA) compared to bare/GCE (2.1 µA) and MXene/GCE (5.5 µA). Moreover, the optimized experimental condition was used for the quantification of NIC from 0.25 µM to 37.5 µM. The limit of detection (LOD) and sensitivity were 27 nM and 0.286 µA µM−1 cm2, respectively. The MXene/PHC/GCE was also tested in the presence of Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, dopamine and glucose. These molecules were not interfered during NIC analysis, which indicated the good selectivity of the MXene/PHC/GCE sensor. In addition, electrochemical determination of NIC was successfully carried out in the human sweat samples collected from a tobacco smoker. The recovery percentage of NIC in the sweat sample was 97%. Finally, we concluded that the MXene/PHC composite-based sensor can be prepared for the accurate determination of NIC with high sensitivity, selectivity and stability in human sweat samples

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Properties of Co₃O₄ Nanocrystals Derived from Hydrolyzed Polyethyleneimines in Water/Ethanol Solvents for Electrochemical Detection of Cholesterol

The present study describes the effect of hydrolysis of polyethyleneimines in water/ethanol mixture on the morphology of the cobalt oxide (Co3O4), used as the main sensor component. The structure of the generated Co3O4 nanocrystals is consistent with a well-defined cubic phase crystallography, having only cobalt and oxygen elements. Developing simple, low-cost, sensitive, and selective cholesterol biosensors is essential for accurate monitoring of cholesterol to avoid cardiovascular diseases. These nanocrystals exhibit large surfaces suitable for facile and high loading of cholesterol oxidase enzyme through the physical adsorption method. Then, the fabricated cholesterol oxidase/ Co3O4 nanocrystals composite was implemented for potentiometric detection of cholesterol in 10 mM phosphate buffer of pH 7.3. Importantly, the presented cholesterol biosensor revealed a wide linear range of 0.005 mM to 3.0 mM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.001 mM. Additionally, the sensitivity of biosensor was estimated around 60 mVdec−1. The selectivity, stability, reproducibility, and repeatability were also observed as satisfactory. The dynamic response of the proposed method demonstrated a fast response time of less than 1 s. Furthermore, the successive addition method confirmed a remarkably stable response towards various cholesterol concentrations. Thus, the developed cholesterol oxidase/ Co3O4 nanocomposite may be used as an efficient alternative method to monitor low cholesterol concentrations form real samples

Optimization of structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of ytterbium substituted W-type hexaferrite for multi-layer chip inductors

The rare earth (Yb3+) substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites with composition CaPb2-xYbxFe16O27 (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) were synthesized by a facile and cost-effective sol-gel auto combustion method with post heat treatment. The synthesized hexagonal ferrites were characterized by a variety of analytical techniques, and an impedance analyzer was used to investigate the effects of Ytterbium on structural, magnetic, spectral and dielectric properties. The relationship between their impedance, structure and dielectric properties was investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns verify the presence of single-phase W-type hexagonal ferrites. Physical properties such as Dbulk (bulk density), Dxrd (X-ray density), and P (porosity) of the CaPb2-xYbxFe16O27 W-type hexagonal ferrites were calculated. The bulk density of all the samples was decreased, and X-ray intensity was increased with the Ytterbium replacement in the W-type hexaferrite. By adding Yb3+ ions, the lattice parameters, cell volume and X-ray density were reduced due to the substitution of ytterbium with smaller ionic radii compared to the lead ion with large ionic radii. The AC-conductivity was increased from (1.523 × 10−5 to 6.699 × 10−5) Ωcm−1. The dielectric constant and tangent loss was found to decrease substantially. The magnetic properties were found to enhance by the substitution of Yb3+. The low coercivity value of Yb3+ substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites are suitable for magnetic recording media operated at a high-frequency regime. The enhancement of electrical, dielectric and magnetic characteristics suggests these materials as promising for multi-layer chip inductors (MLCIs) circuit applications

CO₂ Fixation by Dimeric Tb(III) Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetism

Two dinuclear complexes, [Tb2(L1)2(piv)2(NO3)2]·H2O (1) and [Tb2(L2)2(CF3CO2)2(H2O)4].2NO3 (2), have been prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, where each metal ion is doubly phenoxido-bridged by the two phenolato oxygen atoms of the tetradentate Schiff-base ligand. Previous magnetic studies of 1 show that it is not a single-molecule magnet (SMM), while AC magnetic measurements of 2 show that it relaxes quite fast with μSQUID measurements revealing the presence of an interaction operating between the Tb ions. Through DC, μSQUID, and CASSCF calculations, the strength of the interaction in 2 can be quantified, which is of dipolar origin. Both complexes showed efficient catalytic activity toward the carbon dioxide insertion reaction into epoxides for the formation of organic cyclic carbonates. Catalytic synthesis of organic cyclic carbonates smoothly occurred at 60 °C under1 bar carbon dioxide pressure and neat conditions. Exocyclic as well as endocyclic epoxides produced a respective cyclic carbonate product with moderate to high yield (43–100%). Moreover, a high turnover number (7300–10000) along with a high turnover frequency (537.5–5000 h–1) are found in this catalytic reaction

ZnO Nanostructures Doped with Various Chloride Ion Concentrations for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue in Alkaline and Acidic Media

In this study, chloride (Cl−) ions were successfully doped into ZnO nanostructures by the solvothermal method. The effect of various Cl− concentrations on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO towards the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under the illumination of ultraviolet light was studied. The as-prepared Cl−-doped ZnO nanostructures were analyzed in terms of morphology, structure, composition and optical properties. XRD data revealed an average crystallite size of 23 nm, and the XRD patterns were assigned to the wurtzite structure of ZnO even after doping with Cl−. Importantly, the optical band gap of various Cl ion-doped ZnO nanostructures was successively reduced from 3.42 to 3.16 eV. The photodegradation efficiency of various Cl− ion-doped ZnO nanostructures was studied for MB in aqueous solution, and the relative performance of each Cl ion-doped ZnO sample was as follows: 20% Cl−-doped ZnO > 15% Cl−-doped ZnO > 10% Cl−-doped ZnO > 5% Cl−-doped ZnO > pristine ZnO. Furthermore, the correlation of the pH of the MB solution and each Cl ion dopant concentration was also investigated. The combined results of varying dopant levels and the effect of the pH of the MB solution on the photodegradation process verified the crucial role of Cl− ions in activating the degradation kinetics of MB. Therefore, these newly developed photocatalysts could be considered as alternative materials for practical applications such as wastewater treatment