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Developing affordable and high‐performance catalysts for water electrolyzers and fuel cell devices is an emerging field of research aiming for their feasible implementation and thus addressing sustainable global energy demands. Accordingly, several catalytic systems have been developed for anodic oxidation reactions and cathodic reduction reactions. Specifically, more research attention has been focused on viable catalyst synthesis processes including design, choice of precursors, reaction conditions, and regulation steps for achieving desirable properties and performances. Intriguingly, biomass has been demonstrated as a promising precursor for the potential design of different carbon‐based catalysts for electrocatalytic oxidation/reduction reactions. In this review, the recent developments in using biomass precursors to derive different nanostructures are systematically discussed. The biomass‐derived catalysts especially applied for reduction reactions (hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions) are summarized, and the impact of various catalysts' engineering routes (incorporation of metals and nonmetals into the carbon structures) on the resulting structure–performance relationship is critically discussed. Further, this review highlights the performance of various biomass‐derived catalysts toward electrocatalytic reduction reactions that unveil the catalyst's intrinsic features such as selectivity, activity, and durability. The summarized results and the critical discussion will facilitate screening of the best biomass precursor, identifying suitable regulation strategies for accomplishing desirable properties, and thus advancing the next‐generation catalysts' developments. Further, the significance, challenges, and perspectives on biomass‐derived catalysts for electrocatalysis are comprehensively discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we demonstrate an interface on porous nickel foam (NN) between crystalline nickel sulfide and amorphous nickel sulfide (NNS/NNSx) adapting simple hydrothermal and facile electrodeposition processes, respectively. The developed electrocatalyst required a low overpotential of 15 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and the interface intrinsically activates the electrocatalyst with an onset overpotential comparable to that of Pt in an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drastic climate change imposing adverse environmental effects receives serious research attention for finding a suitable solution. The replacement of conventional fossil energy sources with renewable and sustainable energy sources is the potential route; and thus, manifests as a viable solution. Accordingly, the electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction process coupled with the renewable energy source is an emerging strategy for adopting a sustainable approach. However, the existing challenges in designing suitable catalyst, support material, electrolyte, inadequate selectivity, and intermediate reactions of CO2 reduction demand substantial research advancement. Numerous studies reported for the CO2 reduction process highlight the importance of catalyst design and product selectivity. Importantly, the copper‐based catalysts, capable in the output of multi‐carbon products, are reported as a "star" material. This review; therefore, focuses on catalyst design strategies, unique structural/morphological features, and product selectivity of diverse copper‐based catalysts. The outstanding findings of copper‐based catalysts and the corresponding products are critically discussed with adequate figures of merits. The impact of structural/morphological features on product selectivity is discussed in detail. The future scope and author perspectives on copper‐based catalysts for the feasible electrocatalytic CO2 reduction application are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a p-n heterojunction is one of the efficient methods to increase charge transfer in photocatalysis applications. So, herein, p-type UiO-66 (NH2) and n-type CuFe2O4 (CFO) are used to form an effective p-n heterojunction. Due to their poor charge separation in their pristine form, both UiO-66 (NH2) and CFO materials cannot produce hydrogen; however, the composite p-n heterojunction formed between these materials makes fast charge separation and so hydrogen is efficiently produced. The optimized catalyst UCFO 25% produces a maximum of 62.5 µmol/g/h hydrogen in an aqueous methanol solution. The formation of a p-n heterojunction is confirmed by Mott–Schottky analysis and optical properties, crystallinity and the local atomic environment of the material was analyzed by various analytical tools like UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, and XANES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prime complications namely hyperandrogenism and hyperinsulinemia, observed in PCOS condition is due to the abnormal signalling pathways triggered by insulin as well as insulin-like growth factor family of genes and proteins. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the downregulating effect of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella (ESECB) on the genes like IGF-1, IGF-2 and PTEN and proteins IRS1 and IRS2 in mifepristone induced PCOS rats. The level expression pattern of genes were studied using in vivo methods and the in silico method is used to study the proteins. Mifepristone induced PCOS rats were treated with 200 mg and 400 mg/kg b.w. p.o of ESECB extract for 28 days. The ovaries were collected for gene expression study using semi quantitative real time PCR analysis. Molecular docking analysis was performed from the GC-MS phyto-constituents for a antagonistic ligand which can halt the reactions of IRS1 and IRS2 proteins. The fold change of the mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-2 and PTEN genes were found to be 1.4, 0.34 and 0.36 respectively in the mifepristone induced PCOS rat ovaries. ESECB treatment decreased the fold change to 0.44, 0.13 and 0, 20 respectively. In docking studies, eight ligands namely, dioxan, propyl acetate, acetic anhydride, methyl butenoic acid, methyl isopropyl carbonate, glycerine, diethanolamine and 2,2, dimethyl propanoic anhydride inhibted the IRS1 and IRS2 proteins by interacting with their amino acid residues. It can be concluded that ESECB extract can be used as a potential drug for the treatment of PCOS as it acts at the molecular level to correct the complications of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Cu(OH)2 with various morphology has been synthesized within 200 s by employing an anodization technique. The formation of Cu(OH)2 was confirmed using XPS, XANES and EXAFS techniques. Copper ions in Cu(OH)2 possess good charge transfer abilities that are capable of evolving oxygen molecules more potent than CuO. Unlike CuO, Cu(OH)2 gets oxidised easily and thus can give good stability for up to 72 h. The prepared catalyst exhibited bifunctional activity with an overpotential of 400 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the OER and 315 mV for the MOR, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]