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Metal-free electrocatalysts for Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are highly desirable alternatives to expensive metal electrocatalysts. Herein, two metal-free heteroatom doped electro catalysts PCF-800 (carbon doped with fluorine) and PCFN-800 (carbon co-doped with nitrogen and fluorine) have been derived from the pyrolysis of ZnTFBDC and ZnTFBDC(1,10phen) accordingly. Both showed stunning performance for HER and OER in comparison with commercially available multiwall Nano carbon tubes. The graphitic and pyridinic carbon sites are generated in PCF-800 and PCFN-800 during the thermal polymerization process. These catalytic sites are responsible for excellent activity in terms of overpotential and Tafel slopes for HER process. Synthesized catalysts showed HER activities that are comparable to commercially available 20%Pt/C. PCFN-800 showed stability for about 30 h with a little decrease in current. Moreover, the mechanistic approach for HER and OER theoretical work was done and it has been found that the ΔG *H value for PCFN-800 is 0.51 eV that is less than 0.71 eV for N-doped carbon material for HER process. [Display omitted] • Fluorine and Nitrogen doped nanostructured hierarchical carbon is derived from Zn polymer. • High surface area with a wide range of porosity and catalytic active sites are found in derived carbon. • N and F co-doping of carbon produced excellent HER/OER catalytic activity. • Good Stability of electrode is found in alkaline media. • Mechanistic studies by DFT validate the contribution of F-coordination toward improved bifunctional catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, single-doped (cobalt (Co), neodymium (Nd)), and co-doped (Co/Nd) ZnO thin films were fabricated through the hydrothermal method on a silicon substrate (100) and investigated structural, morphological, and optical characteristics. In this work, tunable bandgap engineering of single-phase Co/Nd co-doped ZnO nanorods was reported to be controlled through variation of dopant concentrations. The concentration of neodymium varies as 4, 8, and 12 % by weight, while cobalt is fixed up to 4 %. XRD confirms the phase purity and high crystalline nature of the prepared nanorods. The physical structural parameters such as-fabricated nanorods were investigated in detail. Furthermore, Scherrer, Williamson-Hall (W–H), and size-strain plot (SSP) methods were used to investigate the crystallite size and lattice strain. The optical parameters like absorbance (A), transmittance (%T), energy bandgap (E g), skin depth (δ), optical density (D opt), optical conductivity (σ opt), Urbach energy (Eu), and extinction coefficient (k), were investigated by UV–vis spectra. This study shows that grown films are suitable for modern optoelectronic applications. • Development of Co/Nd co-doped ZnO thin film on silicon (100) substrate. • Nanorods grown on the surface of the substrate. • Significant effect of Co and Nd concentration on ZnO optical properties. • Redshift in energy bandgap occurs at 12 % Nd doping. • The grown films are suitable for optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, marine hydrocolloids have gained interest as a potential future food additive in baking and other food industries. Studies have shown the potential of marine hydrocolloids as functional ingredients to improve the bread quality. In this regard, the review summarizes the applications of marine hydrocolloids (carrageenan, agar, alginate) in improving bread's rheology and overall functionality. The review also provides an overview of marine hydrocolloids' physicochemical and functional characteristics, focusing on their usage as thickening agents, stabilizers, emulsifying agents, and viscosity modifiers. Additionally, the applications of marine hydrocolloids in improving the bread dough quality, texture, stability, and nutritional value are also discussed. Moreover, marine hydrocolloids' role in lowering the glucose digestion rate, resulting in a low glycemic index, has been described. Marine hydrocolloids can be a safe and healthy option for developing novel bakeries and other food products. Therefore, future research should be directed to characterize and explore the key applications and digestion mechanisms of marine hydrocolloids to meet the demand of the food sector for novel functional food products. [Display omitted] • Marine HCs have gained interest as a potential future food additive in baking. • Marine HCs significantly improved the bread's health benefits and overall functionality. • κ-Carrageenan improves the stability of dough and the overall characteristics of dough. • Marine HCs improve the glucose release in the blood resulting in a low glycemic index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, spray drying independent operating conditions such as the inlet air temperature (A-IAT 130, 150 and 170 °C), outlet air temperature (B-OAT 60, 70 and 80 °C), needle speed (C-NS 3S, 4S, 5S), maltodextrin concentration (D-MD 10, 15, 20 %), pump speed (E-PS 5, 10, 15 mL/min) and water/grape pomace ratio (F-W/GP ratio 10, 15, 20) were optimized to develop the spray-dried grape pomace powder (SDGPP) with maximum yield. The impact of these conditions on total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH· values) of SDGPP samples were analyzed. The independent spray drying factors (IAT, OAT, NS, MD, PS, and W/GP ratio) impart a strong direct effect (p ≤ 0.05) on powder yield, TPC, TFC, and DPPH· values. The interaction effects (A × B, A × C, A × D, A × E, A × F, B × C, B × D, B × E, B × F, C × D, C × E, C × F, D × E, D × F, and E × F) of independent variables were noted non-significant (p ≥ 0.05) for response values. After validation of the model and verification of results, the independents' variables were found in the range of 170 °C (IAT), 80 °C (OAT), 4S (NS), 15 % (MD), 10 mL/min (PS) and 15 (W/GP ratio) for yield (64.7 ± 1.18 %), TPC (7.66 ± 0.53 mg GAE/g), TFC (3.19 ± 0.30 mg CE/g) and DPPH· 140.3 ± 1.59 (100 µL/mL), respectively. The decrease in TPC, TFC, and DPPH· values of SDGPP samples was noted during 60 days of storage at 25 ± 2 °C and 65 ± 5 % RH (p ≤ 0.05) but not greater than unprocessed samples. It could be concluded that the protection of phenolic contents and retention of antioxidant activity of dried powders can be achieved at optimized spray drying conditions for discerning food and byproduct processing industries. [Display omitted] • Spray drying of phenolics rich grape pomace is a promising method for encapsulation. • Interaction for spray drying independent factors was optimized for pomace powder. • The quality of raw and spray-dried grape pomace was evaluated during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient electron transport and minimizing recombination losses are crucial for optimizing DSSC performance, necessitating strategies to improve electron diffusion and reduce charge recombination. Two new eco-friendly polyimides based on χ -type polyoxometalates namely Tris@ZnPOM, and Tris@NiPOM, one with the Zn-containing Anderson-type POM(ADP), and the other with the Ni-containing Anderson-type POM, respectively have been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, UV–vis. spectral analysis, TGA,1H NMR, fluorescence and cyclic voltametric analysis. The fluorescence quenching in Tris@ZnPOM, and Tris@NiPOM was observed as98% and 99.7% as compared to Tris@anhydride, referring the photo-induced transfer of electrons between POM and Tris@anhydrides. The dielectric loss is found to be higher in Tris@anhydride as compared to the Tris@NiPOM, and Tris@ZnPOM. From the MEP analysis it has been seen that POM act as an electron with drawing subunit when conjugated with the anhydride. Different global reactivity parameters (μ, η and ω) were estimated from the frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) analysis, and the order of reactivity for Tris@anhydride, Tris@NiPOM, and Tris@ZnPOM is determined to be in accordance with their increasing band gap i.e., Tris@anhydride > Tris@NiPOM > Tris@ZnPOM. The increase in efficiency (η) of photovoltaics response for Tris@ZnPOM (2.35) is found to be higher as compared to Tris@NiPOM (1.25) and Tris@anhydride(0.62). The presence of Zn in ADP is responsible for increasing the efficiency of Tris@ZnPOM due to its low band gap that causes the easiest transfer of electron. [Display omitted] • Two new eco-friendly polyimides based on χ -type polyoxometalates have been synthesized and characterized. • The fluorescence quenching in Tris@ZnPOM, and Tris@NiPOM was observed as 98% and 99.7% as compared to Tris@anhydride. • The dielectric loss is found to be higher in Tris@anhydride as compared to the Tris@NiPOM, and Tris@ZnPOM. From the MEP analysis it has been seen that POMs act as an electron with drawing subunit when conjugated with the anhydride. • Different global reactivity parameters (μ, η and ω) were estimated from the frontier molecular orbitals(FMO) analysis. • The increase in efficiency (η) of photovoltaics response for Tris@ZnPOM is found to be higher as compared to Tris@NiPOM and Tris@Anhydride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fabrication of MOF-derived Nd 2 O 3 @C and V 2 O 5 @C electrocatalysts. • V 2 O 5 @C exhibits low overpotential 282 mV and smaller Tafel slope of 60 mVdec-1@10 mAcm−2. • Chronoamperometric study revealed outstanding stability for 110 h. • Efficient and durable electrocatalyst for industrial-scale water electrolysis. Craving to search for renewable energy reservoirs for the development of green and robust electrocatalysts, now become essential for catalytic performance by using energy conversion devices. Herein, we fabricated a metal–organic framework (MOF) derived transition metal and rare earth metal oxides-based materials for water electrocatalysis. MOF is regarded as the potential hotspot to increase catalytic activity through fascinating chemical and structural traits. This study summarizes the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of MOF-derived Nd 2 O 3 @C and V 2 O 5 @C by depositing them on stainless steel substrate (SS) in an alkaline medium. The grown electrocatalysts Nd 2 O 3 , V 2 O 5 , Nd-MOF, V-MOF, and MOF-derived Nd 2 O 3 @C and V 2 O 5 @C probed by various useful techniques to confirm oxidation states, phase-changing, structural, morphological, and compositional properties. The MOF-derived Nd 2 O 3 @C and V 2 O 5 @C formed irregular spherical shaped and nanorod-like morphology, respectively, which proved helpful for the easy transfer of electrons to enhance OER. The electrochemical study indicates that among all electrocatalysts, the V 2 O 5 @C electrode exhibits remarkable electrochemical results having low overpotential (282 mV), and smaller Tafel slope of 60 mVdec-1 at a current density of 10 mAcm−2, exhibiting that the transition metal based MOF has good efficiency as compared to the rare earth metal MOF. The grown catalysts enable additional reaction sites and open up new channels, besides it approaches quick electron transfer in V 2 O 5 @C through a carbon bridge. Thus, the porous skeleton of the resulting hybrid catalyst showed superior electrical conductivity, boosting electrochemical properties and making it an efficient and durable electrocatalyst for industrial-scale water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a highly efficient Pd catalyst containing gallium oxides supported on reduced graphene oxides has been synthesized by sodium borohydride reduction method for the electro-oxidation of formic acid. The synthesized Pd x Ga y /rGOs display outstanding electrocatalytic activity with considerably higher surface area and improved electrical conductivity during formic acid oxidation as compared to Pd/C. According to the electrochemical results the Pd 6 Ga 4 /rGO showed significantly higher electrochemical surface area (102.4 m2/g), improved catalytic activity (86 mA/cm2), smaller Tafel slope value (121 mV dec−1) and excellent durability during the electrocatalytic formic acid oxidation. Th higher turnover frequency of Pd 6 Ga 4 /rGO (4.2 × 10−1) further validates its better electrocatalytic activity. This work proves that adding gallium oxides to palladium-based electrocatalysts increases electrical conductivity and causes the uniform dispersion of palladium nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide surface. • Gallium oxide promoted Pd electrocatalysts (Pd x Ga y /rGO) are synthesized. • Pd x Ga y /rGO electrocatalysts are investigated for formic acid oxidation reaction. • Adding gallium oxide to the Pd/rGO electrocatalyst boosts the electrochemical activity. • Pd 6 Ga 4 /rGO shows catalytic activity of 86 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope value of 121 mV dec−1. • Pd 6 Ga 4 /rGO demonstrates high CO tolerance and great stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synthesis of rGO-supported La 2 Cu 0.90 Mo 0.1 O 4 photocatalyst by Pechini route. • The 98.8, 99.35, 98.7, 99.6 % removal of MO, MR, RhB, and SO dyes. • Practical reusability of the catalyst up to 6th cycles. • Boosted charge carriers transfer/separation by rGO sheet. • Efficient photocatalyst for water purification and environmental remediation. The pristine La 2 CuO 4 , Mo-doped, and rGO-supported nanocomposites were fabricated by a simple Pechini route. FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed the fabrication of the perovskite structure. The XRD results exhibit that the prepared products have no impurities and the dopant element is successfully incorporated into the perovskite material. FESEM images exhibit the morphology of synthesized perovskite material. EDX data showed the existence of lanthanum, copper, molybdenum, carbon, and oxygen in grown material. The energy band gap of the rGO-based composite was narrow compared with other samples. The photodegradation capability of the rGO-base catalyst was achieved 99.4 % (MB), 98.8 % (MO), 99.35 % (MR), 98.7 % (RhB), and 99.6 % (SO) in 75 min under natural sunlight illumination. The scavenger experiment revealed that superoxide and hydroxyl radicals are active species during the decolorization reaction. Moreover, this catalyst is stable for six cycles. The synthesized perovskite is an effective material for water purification and environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GCE-AuNPs biosensor is fabricated for the detection of CBG. • The developed GCE-AuNPs biosensor exhibits high specificity with CBG-antigen. • The linear dynamic range (0.01–100 μg/mL) covers physiological to inflammation levels of CBG in human body. • The biosensor has LOD of 0.012 μg/mL and good repeatability with a RSD with 2.6 %. • This method provides a new idea for early detection of septic shock. Herein, we fabricated an ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor for the quantitative detection of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). CBG is a protein that regulates glucocorticoid levels and is an important biomarker for inflammation. A decrease in CBG levels is a key biomarker for inflammatory diseases, such as septic shock. To enhance the electrochemical performance and provide a large surface area for anti-CBG immobilization, we functionalized the glassy carbon electrode surface with AuNPs. Electrochemical characterization methods including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to examine the construction of the fabricated immunosensor. The electrochemical signal demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity to the CBG antigen, with a detection range from 0.01 to 100 μg/mL and a limit of detection of 0.012 μg/mL, making it suitable for both clinical and research applications. This label-free immunosensor offers significant advantages, including high sensitivity, low detection limits and excellent selectivity, making it a promising tool for detecting CBG in complex biological samples. Its potential applications include early disease diagnosis, treatment monitoring and studying CBG-related physiological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current review highlights the complex behavior of thallium (Tl) in soil and plant systems, offering insight into its hazardous characteristics and far-reaching implications. The research investigates the many sources of Tl, from its natural existence in the earth crust to its increased release through anthropogenic activities such as industrial operations and mining. Soil emerges as a significant reservoir of Tl, with diverse physicochemical variables influencing bioavailability and entrance into the food chain, notably in Brassicaceae family members. Additionally, the study highlights a critical knowledge gap concerning Tl influence on legumes (e.g., soybean), underlining the pressing demand for additional studies in this crucial sector. Despite the importance of leguminous crops in the world food supply and soil fertility, the possible impacts of Tl on these crops have received little attention. As we traverse the ecological complexity of Tl, this review advocates the collaborative research efforts to eliminate crucial gaps and provide solutions for reducing Tl detrimental impacts on soil and plant systems. This effort intends to pave the path for sustainable agricultural practices by emphasizing the creation of Tl-tolerant legume varieties and revealing the complicated dynamics of Tl-plant interactions, assuring the long-term durability of our food systems against the danger of Tl toxicity. [Display omitted] • Thallium enhancement in the environment is increasing via industrialization. • Thallium is highly bioaccumulated in edible parts of plant. • Tl(III) are more toxic than Tl(I) for living biota. • Detrimental consequences of Tl on living biota remain elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw incorporation has been widely recommended as an effective management practice to increase soil nitrogen stocks in agroecosystems worldwide. However, the overall trend and magnitude of changes in various soil organic nitrogen fractions in response to crop residue return and their contribution to soil nitrogen sequestration remain uncertain. Here, we show through a long-term experiment (12 years) that straw return increased soil total nitrogen and soil nitrogen sequestration rate by 20.01% and 120.95%, respectively. Ammonia nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, and amino sugar nitrogen were affected by straw and its interaction with year, and increased by 43.08%, 27.70%, and 46.56%, respectively, with the highest growth rate in amino acid nitrogen (10.51 mg kg−1 yr−1). Furthermore, redundancy analyses showed that soil total organic carbon and C:N ratio were the major factors explaining the variations in soil organic nitrogen fractions, which increased by 46.22% and 21.75%, respectively. The structural equation model further revealed that amino acid nitrogen was a pivotal driver of soil nitrogen sequestration, because the soil C:N ratio indirectly influenced soil nitrogen sequestration via affecting the accumulation of amino acid nitrogen. Our results suggest that long-term straw return can improve nitrogen sequestration by accelerating the accumulation of amino acid nitrogen and that soil nitrogen storage and supply capacity may be improved by adopting straw incorporation and other appropriate management practices to regulate soil stoichiometry. • Straw return promoted soil nitrogen sequestration. • Straw return increased soil organic nitrogen fractions. • Straw return increased the soil TOC and C:N ratio. • TOC and C:N ratio explained the variations of soil organic nitrogen fractions. • Amino acid nitrogen was a pivotal driver of soil nitrogen sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic wastage and liquid discharge from industries cause serious water pollution and severely damage the life cycle of living species. Therefore, it is necessary to construct efficient photocatalysts for the removal of toxic pollutants from water. Herein, a novel heterostructure ZnWO–ZnCeS nanocomposite was prepared by the sol-gel route and studied its physical and photocatalytic properties using various analytical techniques. Under sunlight irradiation, the ZnWO–ZnCeS photocatalyst eliminated 99.7, 99.1, 99.0 % rhodamine-B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), and safranin-O (SO) dyes within 70 min with excellent performance higher than individual ZnWO and ZnCeS catalysts. The optimization tests exhibit the catalyst loading = 30 mg, dye content = 25 ppm, solution pH = 8 of ZnWO–ZnCeS against MB dye for practical application. The heterojunction of coupled ZnWO and ZnCeS leads to a synergistic effect that facilitates the charge transport and hampers the recombination of photo-induced charge carriers thereby leading to boosted photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, based on the scavenging test, the hydroxyl and superoxide radicals were the reactive species during the photodegradation reaction. The designed photodegradation reaction mechanism has proposed the formation of an S-scheme in ZnWO–ZnCeS that led to the accumulation of electrons at ZnCeS and holes at ZnWO, favoring the formation of reactive species for dye degradation. Moreover, this work provides a novel direction to synthesize S-scheme heterostructure photocatalysts for application in wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] • Construction of novel S-scheme ZnCeS–ZnWO heterostructure photocatalyst. • The effect of catalyst dose, pH, dye concentration, and reusability were studied. • Enhanced electron transfer/separation was achieved via direct contact S-scheme. • •O 2 − and •OH dominated for MB, SO, and RhB dyes degradation under direct sunlight. • Robust and durable photocatalyst designed for application in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]