A rapid supercritical water approach for one-pot synthesis of a branched BiVO4/RGO composite as a Li-ion battery anode

The application of novel one-dimensional (1D) architectures in the field of energy storage has fascinated researchers for a long time. The fast-paced technological advancements require reliable rapid synthesis techniques for the development of various Multi-metal oxide (MMO) nanostructures. For the first time, we report the synthesis of a single-phase hierarchical one-dimensional (1D) branched BiVO4-Reduced Graphene Oxide (BVONB/RGO) nanocomposite with different weight percent variations of RGO starting from 6, 12, 24, and 26 wt% using the supercritical water method (SCW). The affirmation of the sample characteristics is done through various nano-characterization tools that help in establishing the monoclinic crystal structure, and nano branch morphology along with its physical, and thermal characteristics. Further, the electrochemical behavior evaluations of the fabricated coin cells provide insights into the well-known superior initial cycle capacity of around 810 mA h g−1, showing the superior ability of BVONB structures in storing lithium-ions (Li-ions). Meanwhile, an improved cyclic performance of the pure BVONB/RGO with 260 mA h g−1 is evident after 50 cycles. Finally, the reported rapid single-pot SCW approach has delivered promising results in establishing a material process technique for multimetal oxides and their RGO nanocomposites successfully

Corporate social responsibilities of Indian public sector enterprises-a case study of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

The high level of public accountability attached to Public Sector Enterprises as a result of public ownership makes them socially responsible. The Committee of Public Undertakings in 1992 examined the issue relating to social obligations of Central Public Sector Enterprises and observed that ``being part of the `State', every Public Sector enterprise has a moral responsibility to play an active role in discharging the social obligations endowed on a welfare state, subject to the financial health of the enterprise''. It issued the Corporate Social Responsibility Guidelines in 2010 where all Central Public Enterprises, through a Board Resolution, are mandated to create a CSR budget as a specified percentage of net profit of the previous year. This paper examines the CSR activities of the biggest engineering public sector organization in India, Bharath Heavy Electricals Limited. The objectives are twofold, one, to develop a case study of the organization about the funds allocated and utilized for various CSR activities, and two, to examine its status with regard to other organizations, the 2010 guidelines, and the local socio-economic development. Secondary data analysis results show three interesting trends. One, it reveals increasing organizational social orientation with the formal guidelines in place. Two, Firms can no longer continue to exploit environmental resources and escape from their responsibilities by acting separate entities regardless of the interest of the society and Three the thrust of CSR in public sector is on inclusive growth, sustainable development and capacity building with due attention to the socio-economic needs of the neglected and marginalized sections of the society

Electrochemical sensor of carboxymethyl cellulose and photocatalytic degradation of Navy Blue dye by sonochemically synthesized Titanium oxide nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) were synthesized by using a low-cost sonochemical method. TiO2 NPs exhibited anatase phase and an average crystallite size of 40.64 ​nm, according to a powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) investigation. SEM and TEM images revealed spherical shape, with asymmetric geometries for TiO2 NPs. The micrographs thoroughly corroborated the plate-like structure for the NPs. In order to confirm the average energy gap of TiO2 NPs, diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) via Kubelka-Monk function was applied (3.66 ​eV). Navy blue dye was used to study the photocatalytic properties of NPs and discovered to be triggered at 590.9 ​nm. The photodegradation rate of NB dye decolorized up to 74.04% after 120 ​min of UV light exposure. The first order kinetics was indicated by a linear relationship between log C/Co and k. The demonstrated rates of photodecoloration for NB under UV light in the presence of scavengers AgNO3, ethanol, and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), were found to be 65.50%, 61.46%, and 57.33%, respectively. Using the carbon paste electrodes and cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 0.1 ​N HCl solution, the electrochemical characteristics of the obtained sample were studied. The carboxymethyl cellulose sensor made from TiO2 NPs demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity of 0.08 A. The results showed a high recovery for lead with low% of RSD values. The TiO2 electrode is a promising electrode material for sensing applications due to its outstanding electrochemical performance