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Conductive agro-industrial wastes as accelerants in the anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic waste is a good technique for developing a rural circular economy, such as producing bioenergy and biofertilizer. This study disclosed the a role of sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) in enhancing the bioenergy (biogas) yield and digestate fertility via anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of buffalo dung (BD) and vegetable residue (VR) under mesophilic conditions (37 ᴼC). Firstly, an optimal BD/VR ratio (1:3) was determined based on biogas yield by introducing five different BD/VR ratios (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 0:1) into AcoD systems. Secondly, the biogas yield was increased further by adding SCBA at five different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt%). Experimental results disclosed that the 1.5 wt% of SCBA gave the highest cumulative biogas yield (153.67 mL/g VS), COD removal rate (31.18%), and fertility (5.08%). Moreover, a framework is suggested to understand the role of SCBA in the enhanced DIET mechanism. This work documents an environmentally friendly and economical technique for developing a rural circular bioeconomy via the AD of organic agro-waste. [Display omitted] • Laterite accelerant can enhance the AD performance of cow-manure. • Laterite (LM 0.3%) increased biogas yield which is comparable BC 0.6 g/L. • Laterite enhanced COD biodegradation of organic-substrate. • Laterite and Biochar increased the nutrient NPK content in digestates. • Direct interspecies elctransfer can be enhanced through Laterite and Biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of strain is an important technique to tune the physical properties of materials and make them promising in renewable energy resources and nanoelectronics. Production of hydrogen from water splitting is a possible solution to the energy crises. Low cost and efficient photocatalyst is highly desired to be explored. Through first principle investigation the electronic properties, band alignment and the photocatalytic response of GaN-MoSSe and GaN-WSSe heterostructures are calculated. Different stacking of the materials are modeled and from relaxation energies the most stable material is investigated. Type-II band alignments are confirmed in these heterostructures. Switching of band alignment from type-II to Type-III is predicted in GaN-MoSSe with compressional strain. The photocatalytic behavior of these systems based on valence and conduction band edge potentials confirms that GaN-WSSe is energetically favorable at pH ​= ​0 for water splitting. [Display omitted] • Theoretical investigation of GaN-MSSe (M ​= ​Mo, W) van der Waals heterostructures is performed by DFT calculations. • These van der Waals heterostructures are found to be energetically stable. • GaN-MSSe (M ​= ​Mo, W) exhibit indirect band gap nature. • Type-II band alignment is observed through PBE calculations in these materials. • GaN-WSSe is energetically favorable for water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To tune the physical properties of a material for promising application in nanoelectronics and renewable energy sources, stacking of two dimensional materials via weak van der Waals interaction and application of strain are important techniques. The electronic properties and the band alignment in Janus transition metal dichalcogenides heterostructures are investigated by performing first principle calculations. Different stacking are modeled and the most stable stacking are confirmed through binding energy. All these heterostructures are confirmed to have type-I band alignment. Switching from type-I to type-II or type-III band alignment is observed with application of strain in these heterostructures. Semi classical Boltzmann transport theory is used to investigate thermoelectric parameters of these heterostructures. The high Seebeck coefficient of these heterostructures confirms that these materials are suitable for thermoelectric devices. We have stacked the layers of Janus transition metal diachalcogenides in different stacking order, and find the most stable stacking. The structure and electronic properties of the most stable heterostructures are then calculated. [Display omitted] • Strain effect on structural and electronic properties of MXY (M=Zr, Hf and Pt; X/Y=S, Se) vdW heterostructures. • These van der Waals heterostructures are found to be energetically stable. • Like their monolayers these heterostructures exhibit the indirect band gap nature. • Switching from type-I to type-II or Type-III band alignment is observed with the application of strain. • The thermoelectric response of these heterostructures is also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]