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CuO, MnO and CuMnO nanomaterials have been prepared using the chemical precipitation method. The structure of the nanomaterials has been confirmed using XRD analysis. Metal oxide vibrations have been identified and assigned to the vibrational band. The morphology of the prepared nanomaterials has been investigated in the SEM images. The optical band of the materials has been calculated using Tauc’s relation from the UV-Vis spectrum. The photocatalytic nature of the prepared nanomaterials has been studied against Congo red and Malachite green dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commencement of the cold-chain from the milk production points in smallholder and unorganized dairying in developing nations is still an unmet need. In the present study, an attempt was made to develop nanofluid based phase change materials (n-PCMs), using A12O3, CuO and TiO2 nanoparticles (at 0.00%, 0,50% and 1.00%) for efficient storage of thermal energy and its subsequent utilization in rapid chilling of milk. Thermal conductivity of the n-PCMs was enhanced up to 29.49% as compared to the base fluid (water) and exhibited the supercooling reduction by 53.74%. Slight reductions in the specific and latent heats were observed (maximum at 1.00% level of nanoparticles) in the range of 0.10-0.25 and 0.4-0.8 k#kg, respectively. The n-PCMs capsuled inside a spherical module exhibited energy storage and milk chilling rate augmentations up to 31.97% and 39.11%, respectively. Temperature mapping of n-PCMs along the central vertical points (viz., upper, middle and lower) inside the spherical capsule exhibited the distinct trends during the pre and post phase-transition regimes, which were primarily driven by the buoyancy and natural convections. The study demonstrated the feasibility of developing the energy efficient passive chillers for rapid chilling of milk under the field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the structural, vibrational, morphological, and colloidal properties of commercial 15.1 nm TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and nanowires (NWs, 5.6 thickness, 74.6 nm length) were studied with the purpose of determining their ecotoxicological properties. This was achieved by evaluating acute ecotoxicity experiments carried out in the environmental bioindicator Daphnia magna, where their 24-h lethal concentration (LC50) and morphological changes were evaluated using a TiO2 suspension (pH = 7) with point of zero charge at 6.5 for TiO2 NPs (hydrodynamic diameter of 130 nm) and 5.3 for TiO2 NWs (hydrodynamic diameter of 118 nm). Their LC50 values were 157 and 166 mg L−1 for TiO2 NWs and TiO2 NPs, respectively. The reproduction rate of D. magna after fifteen days of exposure to TiO2 nanomorphologies was delayed (0 pups for TiO2 NWs and 45 neonates for TiO2 NPs) in comparison with the negative control (104 pups). From the morphological experiments, we may conclude that the harmful effects of TiO2 NWs are more severe than those of 100% anatase TiO2 NPs, likely associated with brookite (36.5 wt. %) and protonic trititanate (63.5 wt. %) presented in TiO2 NWs according to Rietveld quantitative phase analysis. Specifically, significant change in the heart morphological parameter was observed. In addition, the structural and morphological properties of TiO2 nanomorphologies were investigated using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy techniques to confirm the physicochemical properties after the ecotoxicological experiments. The results reveal that no alteration in the chemical structure, size (16.5 nm for TiO2 NPs and 6.6 thickness and 79.2 nm length for NWs), and composition occurred. Hence, both TiO2 samples can be stored and reused for future environmental purposes, e.g., water nanoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a cost-effective computational approach for predicting the phase boundary of oxide solid solutions, i.e., melting point, by identifying the point where the free energies of the solid and liquid phases are equivalent. To evaluate the melting point, we computed the temperature-dependent free energies of both phases using the thermodynamic integration (TI) method. This was combined with the reverse-scaling technique, employing the Einstein model for the solid and the scaled Uhlenbeck–Ford model for the liquid as the reference systems. The change in free energy between the real and reference states in the present TI method was calculated as the ensemble average of the configurations sampled from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using neural network potentials (NNPs) trained on first-principles density functional theory (DFT) data. Initially, we benchmarked copper (Cu) as a typical metal. Tungsten (W) and magnesium oxide (MgO) were then tested as typical high melting-point metals and oxides, respectively, achieving good agreement with both ab initio MD (AIMD) results and experimental data. We then applied our established approach to a BaO–CaO oxide solid solution, observing that the computed phase boundary aligns well with Calphad predictions from previous studies. The integration of NNPs into phase boundary prediction is essential for reducing computational costs while ensuring accuracy, compared with AIMD-based approaches. • Neural network-based potentials are proposed for cost-effective and high-accuracy prediction tools of phase diagrams. • The above concepts are validated for solid–liquid phase boundaries of metal-oxides with high melting points. • Accuracies of phase boundaries calculated by molecular dynamics using neural network potentials are comparable to those of the Calphad method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterojunction-based gas sensors are very attractive as they substantially improve the sensing characteristics due to the effective potential barrier present at the interface. Taking the advantages of two excellent semiconducting gas sensing materials i.e., SnO 2 and ZnO, herein, we have constructed ZnO/SnO 2 heterojunction by the combination of vacuum evaporation and r.f. sputtering or atomic layer deposition techniques. The ZnO/SnO 2 heterostructure with optimized thickness of ZnO (∼10 nm) shows a 6-fold enhancement in sensing response compared to bare SnO 2 films against CO gas. The sensing responses of 81 and 85 % have been obtained for ZnO/SnO 2 heterostructures with ZnO deposited by sputtering and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods, respectively, against 91 ppm of CO gas with an estimated limit of detection of 1.67 and 0.37 ppm. The ALD ZnO/SnO 2 sample displays an extremely fast response time of 5 s. The heterostructure sensors are also highly selective towards CO gas in the presence of other interfering toxic agents. The enhanced sensing characteristics of ZnO/SnO 2 are assigned to the formation of n-n heterojunction as depicted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic band alignment study and the strong CO adsorption on ZnO surface as derived from density functional theory calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliovalent-doped metal oxide nanocrystals exhibiting localized surface plasmons (LSPRs) are applied in systems that require reflection/scattering/absorption in infrared and optical transparency in visible. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is currently leading the field, but indium resources are known to be very restricted. Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) is a cheap candidate to substitute the ITO, but it exhibits less advantageous electronic properties and limited control of the LSPRs. To date, LSPR tuning in ATO NCs has been achieved electrochemically and by aliovalent doping, with a significant decrease in doping efficiency with an increasing doping level. Here, we synthesize plasmonic ATO nanocrystals (NCs) via a solvothermal route and demonstrate ligand exchange to tune the LSPR energies. Attachment of ligands acting as Lewis acids and bases results in LSPR peak shifts with a doping efficiency overcoming those by aliovalent doping. Thus, this strategy is of potential interest for plasmon implementations, which are of potential interest for infrared upconversion, smart glazing, heat absorbers, or thermal barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unique classes of active‐site motifs are needed for improved electrocatalysis. Herein, the activity of a new catalyst motif is engineered and isolated for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) created by nickel–iron transition metal electrocatalysts confined within a layered zirconium phosphate matrix. It is found that with optimal intercalation, confined NiFe catalysts have an order of magnitude improved mass activity compared to more conventional surface‐adsorbed systems in 0.1 m KOH. Interestingly, the confined environments within the layered structure also stabilize Fe‐rich compositions (90%) with exceptional mass activity compared to known Fe‐rich OER catalysts. Through controls and by grafting inert molecules to the outer surface, it is evidenced that the intercalated Ni/Fe species stay within the interlayer during catalysis and serve as the active site. After determining a possible structure (wycherproofite), density functional theory is shown to correlate with the observed experimental compositional trends. It is further demonstrated that the improved activity of this motif is correlated to the Fe and water content/composition within the confined space. This work highlights the catalytic enhancement possibilities available through zirconium phosphate and isolates the activity from the intercalated species versus surface/edge ones, thus opening new avenues to develop and understand catalysts within unique nanoscale chemical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin oxide (SnO 2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) coupled metal-oxide nanocomposites or SnO 2 –ZnO were prepared using a sol-gel method. The stretching mode frequencies and crystal structures were examined by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The microscopic analyses by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed a flower-like morphology of the nanocomposites. The analysis of surface chemical and electronic states was conducted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The band gap energies as confirmed from the ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) data were found to be larger than those of the bulk band gaps due to the increase between energy levels associated with smaller particle sizes. The UV (380 nm) and orange (595) photoluminescence (PL) emissions observed from the SnO 2 :ZnO nanocomposites were attributed to a combinatorial contribution from radiative transitions in SnO 2 and ZnO components. The proposed mechanisms of these emissions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The dyes are one of major pollutants discharged to water bodies without any premeditation. Their undesirable detection in aqueous bodies has created a menace as they tend to disturb the complete aquatic ecosystem by directly hindering the photosynthetic process of aquatic flora. Thus pre and post discharge remediation of these dyes are of immense significance. In the present study, novel OG/La 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 nanocomposite having high photocatalytic ability was prepared by co-precipitation method. Visible photocatalytic ability of the nanocomposite was employed for the degradation of fast green dye as a target pollutant. The OG/La 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 nanocomposite was well characterized using various techniques as FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS etc. The nanocomposite also exhibited adsorption capability due to the presence of oxidized graphite (OG) sheets those provided high surface area for the fast green molecules to get adsorb onto them. High degradation efficiency (89%) was obtained within 90 min of visible light irradiation. Effect of pH, photocatalyst amount and light intensity was also studied. Superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were found to be the major reacting species as confirmed by the scavenging studies. Furthermore, OG/La 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 nanocomposite exhibited high reusability interpreting the nanocomposite as a proficient photocatalyst with active utilization for treating industrial waste water. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • OG/La 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 nanocomposite was fabricated by simple co-precipitation method. • OG sheets provided high surface area for attachment of La 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 particles. • Superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were the major reacting species. • Catalytic reduction of fast green dye by OG/La 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 nanocomposite [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The individual components being ample, inexpensive and non-toxic material, TiO 2 -V 2 O 5 has drawn more attention compared to other metal oxides. The cost-effective, non-toxic TiO 2 -V 2 O 5 nanocomposites with various molar ratios of Ti and V have been synthesized through wet chemical method. Microstructure studies have been performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), FESEM, HRTTEM and other spectroscopic (XPS, FTIR) techniques. The synthesized TiO 2 -V 2 O 5 nanocomposite with molar ratio 10:20 exhibits 3D, mesoporous interlinked tube-like structure with excellent electrochemical properties by delivering highest specific capacitance of 310 F g −1 at 2 mV s −1 scan rate compared to individual TiO 2 and V 2 O 5 material. Increase in vanadium ratio plays a leading role to the chemical properties. The synergistic effects between TiO 2 and V 2 O 5 have also been observed in this work. Due to the excellent electrochemical as well as other acceptable performance, the porous interconnected tube like nanocomposite can be used for energy storage application mainly for pseudocapacitor electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a vapor-phase technique capable of producing inorganic thin films with precise control over the thickness of the film. The ALD method offers high precision in the design of advanced 3D nanostructures. In this article, silica and alumina thin films have been grown over fibers of cellulose by the ALD process. The morphology and the chemical composition of the fabricated thin films are characterized, as well as their thermal durability through elevated temperatures. Moreover, XPS is used to confirm the phases of the alumina nanofilms and to further understand the deposition process on the cellulose microfibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• WO x -TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 exhibits a catalytic capacity comparable to HZSM-5. • The Ti3+ in W-O-Ti bond can act as Lewis acid sites to bind to C-O bonds. • The increase in Lewis acid favors the deoxygenation reaction. • The coupling effect of WO x and Al 2 O 3 promotes the alkylation reactions of aromatics. Lignin catalytic pyrolysis for sustainable aromatic production is a promising approach for reducing the overwhelming dependence on fossil resources while mitigating CO 2 emissions. The key to achieving the efficient catalytic pyrolysis of lignin lies in the rational design of advanced catalysts with excellent deoxygenation capacity. In this study, we develop a novel mixed metal oxide (WO x -TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3) as efficient solid Lewis acid catalysts for the catalytic pyrolysis of lignin. We demonstrate that WO x -TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 exhibits the best catalytic ability at a pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C with a catalyst-to-lignin weight ratio of 2. The yields of bio-oil and monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, and xylene) can respectively reach 30.2 wt% and 1.6 wt%, which is slightly lower than those of the commercial HZSM-5 catalyst (31.7 wt% and 1.9 wt%). We also prove that the M−O−M bonds formed between oxygenophilic metals can generate electron holes as the temperature increasing. Those holes may combine with C-O bonds of phenolic compounds to generate metal–oxygen–carbon (M−O−C) bonds, facilitating the deoxygenation of lignin-derived pyrolysis vapours. These findings may provide guidance for the design of novel solid Lewis acid catalysts for the direct deoxygenation of lignin for the preparation of aromatic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal/metal oxide nano systems (M-NSs) of tunable and manipulative properties are emerging suitable for cancer management via immunity development, early-stage diagnosis, nanotherapeutics, and targeted drug delivery systems. However, noticeable toxicity, off-targeted actions, lacking biocompatibility, and being expensive limit their acceptability. Moreover, involving high energy (top-down routes) and hazardous chemicals (bottom-up chemical routes) is altering human cycle. To manage such challenges, biomass (plants, microbes, animals) and green chemistry-based M-NSs due to scalability, affordability, are cellular, tissue, and organ acceptability are emerging as desired biogenic M-NSs for cancer management with enhanced features. The state-of-art and perspective of green metal/metal oxide nano systems (GM-NSs) as an efficient anti-cancer agent including, imaging, immunity building elements, site-specific drug delivery, and therapeutics developments are highlighted in this review critically. It is expected that this report will serve as guideline for design and develop high-performance GM-NSs for establishing them as next-generation anti-cancer agent capable to manage cancer in personalized manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sustainable water etchant-based photopatterning method is proposed for sol–gel oxide films. • Patterning process remarkablely minimize trap states of dielectric and semiconductor oxide films. • Frequency-stable capacitors with low leakage current are fabricated by using low-defect AlO x. • Low-defect InO x based TFTs with exceptional electrical performance and uniformity are fabricated. • 3-V operating high-performance TFTs are fabricated at a low processing temperature of 250 °C. A sustainable water etchant-based photopatterning method is proposed to achieve simultaneous oxide film patterning and remarkably minimize trap states of dielectric and semiconductor oxide films. By exquisitely controlling each processing parameter, well-defined aluminum oxide (AlO x) dielectric and indium oxide (InO x) semiconductor patterns are formed, despite using acid-free pure water etchant. The water etchant not only dissolves the nonultraviolet-irradiated regions but also promotes an effective hydrolysis reaction of irradiated regions, thereby forming low-defect oxide patterns. As a result, frequency-stable AlO x capacitors with low leakage current and high-performance bias-stable InO x TFTs with low activation energy are fabricated. In particular, photopatterned enhancement-mode InO x TFTs exhibit remarkably improved electrical properties, stability, and uniformity—15-fold higher saturation mobility and remarkably low coefficient of variation of 12.04 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 25.26%, respectively— compared with nonpatterned TFTs. With the proposed method, 3-V operating high-performance InO x /AlO x TFTs are successfully fabricated at a low processing temperature of 250 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydropyrolytic method was used to prepare samples of tin dioxide films without the doping additive, and also tin dioxide films with additives containing copper oxides and copper with gold. It was shown that by using doping additives it is possible to effectively control the ratio of the area of the film surface to its volume and, consequently, the adsorption ability of the sensor material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication reports the preparation and characterization of poly(4-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride (PClVBTA)-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (TMPM)-MxOy (M: Al, Ti or Zr) composites using a radical polymerization/sol-gel synthesis route. The results indicate that all of the materials form interpenetrating networks (IPNs) and that TMPM forms a bridge between the organic and inorganic networks. The polymer phase yield, with respect to the oxide, occurred in the following order: Al2O3>TiO2>ZrO2. The physico-chemical properties of the materials were dependent on the nature of the metal oxide that was incorporated in the network. All materials exhibited good thermal stability and morphologies that were typical for non-porous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Introduction to basic photovoltaic and water splitting technologies with nomenclature. • Challenges and relative advantages of integrated PV-PEC over PV-EC for cost effective clean H 2. • Current status of designs and material choices for affordable and scalable devices. • Special emphasis on earth abundant multi-functional metal oxides such as copper oxides. The Sun is an inexhaustible source of renewable energy, although under-utilized due to its intermittent nature. Hydrogen fuel is another clean, storable, and renewable energy as it can be readily produced by electrolysis of water, a naturally abundant resource. However, the necessary voltage for water electrolysis (>1.23 V) is high for the process to be cost effective, and therefore requires photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) cells for lowering the voltage. Powering the PEC cells with solar driven photovoltaic (PV) devices offers an all-clean efficient technology purely relying on renewable sources and therefore warrants large research attention. This review aims to provide an up to date account of the PV-PEC integrated technology for green hydrogen. We begin with the fundamentals of PV and water splitting technologies (electrolysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis (EC), photoelectrocatalysis (PEC)), as well as why and how the unassisted solar water splitting technology gradually progressed from PV with external electrolysers (PV-EC) to integration of PV with EC (IPV-EC) and PEC (PV-PEC). We then discuss the major challenges in PV-PEC integration and outline the major breakthroughs in design and materials development for high Solar to Hydrogen (STH) efficiency and long device lifetime. The importance of material selection and metal-oxide semiconductor nanostructures for PV-PEC integration are also discussed with a special focus on Cu-oxide as an emerging material. An outlook toward commercialization including the major guiding factors and related technologies (for e.g., PV-Thermal integration) that can maximize solar energy utilization to reduce payback time has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CuO nanowires (NWs) were grown by thermal oxidation of metallic Cu thin layer deposited by sputtering on different substrates. Optimal growth parameters were found, studying the influence of the oxidizing temperature and the atmosphere during the oxidation process. A strong relation between oxidation parameters and morphology has been detected. The preliminary response of this sensing material, using nanowire's mat-based device, to various oxidizing and reducing target gases has been evaluated, in order to corroborate the functional properties of the CuO NWs as potential sensing material under certain conditions and to confirm the p-type conductometric response of the material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We have fabricated and tested in long-term field operating conditions a wireless unit for outdoor air quality monitoring. The unit is equipped with two multiparametric sensors, one miniaturized thermo-hygrometer, front-end analogical and digital electronics, and an IEEE 802.15.4 based module for wireless data transmission. Micromachined platforms were functionalized with nanoporous metal-oxides to obtain multiparametric sensors, hosting gas-sensitive, anemometric and temperature transducers. Nanoporous metal-oxide layer was directly deposited on gas sensing regions of micromachined platform batches by hard-mask patterned supersonic cluster beam deposition. An outdoor, roadside experiment was arranged in downtown Milan (Italy), where one wireless sensing unit was continuously operated side by side with standard gas chromatographic instrumentation for air quality measurements. By means of a router PC, data from sensing unit and other instrumentation were collected, merged, and sent to a remote data storage server, through an UMTS device. The whole-system robustness as well as sensor dataset characteristics were continuously characterized over a run-time period of 18 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently one dimensional (1-D) nanostructured metal-oxides have attracted much attention because of their potential applications in gas sensors. 1-D nanostructured metal-oxides provide high surface to volume ratio, while maintaining good chemical and thermal stabilities with minimal power consumption and low weight. In recent years, various processing routes have been developed for the synthesis of 1-D nanostructured metal-oxides such as hydrothermal, ultrasonic irradiation, electrospinning, anodization, sol-gel, molten-salt, carbothermal reduction, solid-state chemical reaction, thermal evaporation, vapor-phase transport, aerosol, RF sputtering, molecular beam epitaxy, chemical vapor deposition, gas-phase assisted nanocarving, UV lithography and dry plasma etching. A variety of sensor fabrication processing routes have also been developed. Depending on the materials, morphology and fabrication process the performance of the sensor towards a specific gas shows a varying degree of success. This article reviews and evaluates the performance of 1-D nanostructured metal-oxide gas sensors based on ZnO, SnO2, TiO2, In2O3, WOx, AgVO3, CdO, MoO3, CuO, TeO2 and Fe2O3. Advantages and disadvantages of each sensor are summarized, along with the associated sensing mechanism. Finally, the article concludes with some future directions of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Meso-macropore adsorbents were prepared from biological sludge, chemical sludge and hybrid sludge of biological and chemical sludges, by chemically activating with 18.0 M H2SO4 in the mass ratio of 1:3, and then pyrolyzing at 550 °C for 1 h in anoxic atmosphere. The physical and chemical characteristics of the sludge-based adsorbents were examined in terms of surface physical morphology, specific surface area and pore size distribution, aluminum and iron contents, surface functional groups and crystal structure. Furthermore, the adsorption effect of these adsorbents on the organic substances in wastewater was also investigated. The results indicated that the adsorption capacities of the sludge-based adsorbents for UV254 were lower than that of commercial activated carbon (AC), whereas the adsorption capacities of the adsorbents prepared from hybrid sludge (HA) and chemical sludge (CA) for soluble CODCr (SCODCr) were comparable or even higher than that of the commercial AC. The reasons might be that the HA and CA possessed well-developed mesopore and macropore structure, as well as abundant acidic surface functional groups. However, the lowest adsorption efficiency was observed for the biological sludge-based adsorbent, which might be due to the lowest metal content and overabundance of surface acidic functional groups in this adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this world, water is considered as the Elixir for all living creatures. Human life rolls with water, and every activity depends upon water. Worldwide water resources are being contaminated due to the elevation in the population count, industrialization and urbanization. Ejection of chemicals by industries and domestic sewages remains the major reason in the destruction of natural water resources. Contaminated water with harmful microbes, chemical dyes, pesticides, and carcinogens are the root cause of many diseases and deaths of living species. In this scenario, researchers engaged in producing ultra components to remove the contaminants. Metal organic frameworks (MOF) are the desired combination of organic and inorganic materials to achieve the required target. MOFs possess unique characteristics like tunable internal structure, porosity, crystallinity and high surface area which enable them for energy and environmental application. For the past years, MOFs are concentrated more as a photocatalyst in the treatment of polluted water. These research studies discuss the improvement of photocatalytic performance of MOF by the incorporation of metals, metal coupled with nanoparticles like polymers, graphene, etc., into it to achieve the enhanced photocatalytic activity by scavenging entire chemicals and harmful microbes to retain the quality of water. The target of this review article is to focus on the state of the art research work on MOFs in photocatalytic water treatment technique. [Display omitted] • Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as a successful photocatalyst. • MOF with metal, metal oxide, metal sulfide, graphene, polymer & carbon nitride. • Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants by MOF in wastewater treatment. • Compile of recent works of MOF in removal of water pollutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylene blue is a dye that is extensively used in the textile industry but it is a hazardous, carcinogenic, and mutagenic pollutant. Therefore, the treatment of wastewater containing methylene blue by photocatalytic degradation under visible light without using any sacrificial agent (H 2 O 2) is an important method towards attaining an eco-friendly environment. Herein, the nanocomposite of Ag-doped TiO 2 on WO 3 nanoparticles (Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3) was prepared by a modified sol-gel precipitation route, and their physicochemical properties were studied. The bandgap of Ag sensitized metal oxide nanocomposite in Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 was slightly reduced compared to the pristine titania due to the creation of interstitial energy states during colligation of titania and tungsten oxide. The ease of charge carrier transfers through the heterojunction of TiO 2 /WO 3 increased the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst. Furthermore, in Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 the plasmonic Ag sensitization to the host semiconductor TiO 2 has further boosted the rate of photocatalytic degradation because of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and hindrance of charge carrier recombination. Due to the synergistic effect of SPR and the presence of heterojunction in Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 , the photocatalytic activity was found to be 25 times higher for Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 than that of commercial DP25 photocatalyst under visible light towards methylene blue degradation. [Display omitted] • Heterojunction Ag@TiO 2 /WO 3 nanocomposite was synthesized. • This novel nanocomposite design resulted in high degradation of MB. • The synergistic effect of SPR and metal-oxide enhanced photocatalytic activity. • A higher degradation rate is achieved compared to the pristine counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of friction and wear is a crucial performance criterion for most technical processes. This is particularly true for the ubiquitous case of oil lubricated machinery made from steel components. Here we introduce a facile laser treatment that significantly enhances the tribological performance of bearing steel 100Cr6, a material widely used for the manufacture of ball and roller bearings. By applying repeated nanosecond-pulses of focussed laser-beam irradiation under ambient air, a surface-protective tribo-layer is generated by a method that exploits self-organization for the formation of conformable metal oxide platelets consisting of vertically aligned transition metal oxides nanorods on the steel substrate. These submicron-sized metal oxide platelets protect the surfaces similar to scale armor and the tribological performance of the bearing steel 100Cr6 was significantly enhanced. Based on laboratory tests using a rotational pin-on-disk tribometer under oil lubricated conditions, close to zero wear with simultaneous reduction of friction by 54% was achieved. Even under the harsh conditions in the pin-on-disk tribometer these metal oxide platelets turn out to be remarkably robust against detachment and crumbling for lasting millions of cycles at a slip rate of 100%. The origin of this resilience is based on a special substructure of the platelets that, counter-intuitively for ceramic material, enables shape adaptations to surface deformations emergent upon high mechanical stress. [Display omitted] • We introduce a facile laser treatment that improves the tribological properties of standard-bearing steel significantly • Laser-stimulated self-organization is applied to generate nanostructured metal oxide platelets that protect steel surfaces • The metal oxide platelets adapt their shape to plastic deformations of the steel substrate without cracking and crumbling • The morphological features of the metal oxide platelets promote the stabilization of lubricant films • In a pin-on-disk tribometer the metal oxide platelets are robust against detachment and crumbling for lasting millions of cycles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe magnetoelectric properties of metal/metal-oxide/metal junctions based on anodized metal oxides. Specifically, we use Ti and Fe metallic layers separated by the porous metal-oxides of iron or titanium formed by the anodization method. Thus, we prepare double junctions with at least one ferromagnetic layer and measure magnetoresistance, as well as their current-voltage and magnetic characteristics. We find that magnetoresistance depends on that junction composition and discuss the nature of differential resistance calculated from I-V characteristics. Our findings show that a top metallic layer and the interface between this layer and anodized oxide, where strong interatomic diffusion is expected, have the strongest influence on this observed behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transparent photovoltaic cell (TPC) is an invisible solar cell by passing the visible range light while absorbing harmful UV light to generate electric power. Different from the conventional opaque colors or shapes of solar cells, TPC is transparent to human eyes and which would serve as an invisible power source for the window frames of mobile electronics, displays, and buildings. To fabricate the TPC, two different metal-oxide species are employed to make a transparent heterojunction. TiO 2 is the n-type semiconductor and serves as the UV light absorber. Above TiO 2 layer, p-type NiO is deposited for a high transmittance (>57%) for the visible light. The TPC is very sensitive to UV signals and thus, TPC can be a high-performing photodetector by self-powered operation due to the photovoltaic effect. The n-TiO 2 /p-NiO photodetector shows high responsivity (0.23 A W−1), detectivity (1.6 × 1010), and fast response time (4.1 ms). The power conversion efficiency of TPC is reached to 2.1% with high open circuit voltage (>0.5 V). A practical demonstration is performed to move a motor (0.2 V and 10 mA), powered by TPC. This clearly suggests the transparent solar cell as the invisible power generator. Image 1 • All transparent photovoltaic cell (TPC) was fabricated. • Solid-state TPC was achieved by metal oxide heterojunctions. • Large-scale photovoltaic cells were fabricated by sputtering method. • Photovoltaic effect is realized for Anatase- and Rutile-TiO2. • Transparent photovoltaic cell moves a motor (0.2 V, 10 mA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of solution-processed organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) is often limited by non-uniform contacts. In this work, we introduce Ni-containing solution-processed metal oxide (MO) interfacial layers inserted between indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) to improve the bottom electrode contact for OLEDs using the poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivative Super-Yellow (SY) as an emission layer. For ITO/Ni-containing MO/PEDOT:PSS bottom electrode structures we show enhanced wetting properties that result in an improved OLED device efficiency. Best performance is achieved using a Cu-Li co-doped spinel nickel cobaltite [(Cu-Li):NiCo2O4], for which the current efficiency and luminous efficacy of SY OLEDs increased, respectively, by 12% and 11% from the values obtained for standard devices without a Ni-containing MO interface modification between ITO and PEDOT:PSS. The enhanced performance was attributed to the improved morphology of PEDOT:PSS, which consequently increased the hole injection capability of the optimized ITO/(Cu-Li):NiCo2O4/PEDOT:PSS electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ab-initio calculations of Ce atoms reduction in 1ML and 2ML thick films on a silver support. • Study of electronic charge transfers between the support and film. • Determination of 2D ordered superstructures of cerium reduced atoms. • Calculation of oxygen vacancy formation energies. • Dependence of the 2D reduced Ce atom structures on O vacancy position. Inverse catalysts consisting of thin layers of a reducible oxide supported on noble metal surfaces have recently attracted much attention and shown to be competitive with the conventional catalysts, where metal nanoparticles are instead deposited on metal-oxide supports, in terms of their catalytic activity. We present here a computational study based on the density functional theory of the reduction geometries induced on ceria layers by a Ag support and by the creation of oxygen vacancies. We find that electrons are transferred from the Ag support to the ceria layers. These electrons localize at some Cerium sites to form 2D long range ordered patterns of Ce3+ and Ce4+ cations. Depending on their location the oxygen vacancies contribute and modify these patterns. The oxidation state of the cerium atoms affects the catalytic activity of the oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]