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In the present study, the pure ZnS and MgS quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by co-precipitation method and the ZnS:MgS nanocomposites were prepared from these QDs in the ratios, 4:1, 1:1 and 1:4. The synthesized nanocomposite were characterized by structural, morphological, compositional and optical by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDAX), and UV–visible absorption techniques. The ZnS and MgS were in cubic crystalline structure with high phase purity. The average crystallite structure had been calculated as 1.8 and 4.8 nm for ZnS and MgS quantum dots, respectively. The absorption was increasing by the increase of MgS concentration in composite and the band gap is narrowing due to the compositional and size effects. The ZnS:MgS nanocomposites have been used as a photocatalyst for the reduction of methylene blue dye. Though, all the nanocomposites possessed with photocatalytic activity, ZnS:MgS (4:1) showed excellent efficiency and rapid decolourization. Moreover, reusability of these nanocomposite were analysed. The Antioxidant activity of the pure ZnS and MgS and their composites was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging method and vitamin E (Vit. E) was used as a standard drug. • The ZnS:MgS nanocomposite was prepared in the ratios, 4:1,1:1 and 1:4. • Increase in MgS concentration enhance the optical absorption. • Increase in MgS concentration broaden the optical absorption. • The ZnS:MgS (4:1) nanocomposite had excellent photocatalytic activity. • The ZnS:MgS (1:4) nanocomposite had greater antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modified graphene oxide by acetic acid moiety (GO/COOH) was synthesized and employed in the ultrasound-assisted oxidative-adsorptive desulfurization processes. The modified graphene oxide was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The fabricated material was applied to simultaneous oxidation and adsorption of dibenzothiophene (DBT) from model fuel. Adsorption studies were carried out to evaluate its potential for DBT removal. The effects of contact time, initial DBT concentration, and temperature on the removal efficiency of the catalyst-adsorbent were investigated. The equilibrium adsorption results was well-described by the Freundlich isotherm model (at room temperature) and oxidation-adsorption of DBT were achieved by GO/COOH with an outstanding adsorption capacity of 370 mg g −1 . The adsorption process followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the adsorption kinetic data suggests that physical interactions are mainly involved on the entire adsorption process (E a < 40 kJ mol −1 ). The initial sulfur content of 1000 ppm was reduced to <50 ppm within 300 min, achieving a sulfur removal of about 95%. As a whole, a model fuel with ultra-low sulfur content was obtained by the developed procedure and GO/COOH shows a high potential for effective desulfurization of diesel fuel as a catalyst-adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu and Fe/Mn dual doped ZnO magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) had been synthesized by sol-gel method. Characterization of synthesized MNPs showed the fine and significant size of MNPs, it had ferromagnetism property at room temperature, and (Cu, Fe) dual doped MNPs were found to have maximum saturation magnetization with larger hysteresis area. In-vitro cytotoxic assessment of these MNPs revealed that 20 ng of Cu doped ZnO MNPs are nontoxic to human PBMC with 60% viable cell count, whereas Fe dopant increases cell viability by 5% in the same concentration. These MNPs showed a significant (20–25 mm ZOI) antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis bacteria. Particularly Fe dopant showed increased antimicrobial activity against gram-positive (B. subtilis), whereas Mn dopant doesn't have considerable antimicrobial activity. Having known that these MNPs are biocompatible with the ferromagnetic property they may be considered for magnetic guided immunotherapy and hyperthermia applications. • All the NPs had ferromagnetic nature at room temperature. • The hysteresis loss was high for Cu, Fe co-doped magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). • The In-vitro cytotoxicity had been reduced by Fe dopant. • The cytotoxicity of MNPs is Dosage independent. • Suitable candidate materials for magnetic hyperthermia applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr doped Zn 0.96 Cu 0.04 O nanopowders with different Cr concentrations from 0% to 4% were successfully synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all the samples had hexagonal crystal structure and co-doping could not alter its hexagonal structure. The dielectric dispersion and dielectric loss were increased with Cr concentrations due to the increase of charge carrier density, dipoles and vacancies within the grains. At higher frequency, the dielectric loss was found to be low because of the inhibition of domain wall motion. The low dielectric constant and dielectric loss at high frequency region makes it to be a suitable material for high frequency applications. The conductivity was increased by Cr-doping due to the enhanced transition of charge carriers between the grains. The strong suppression of ultraviolet emission at higher Cr revealed the promotion of non-radiative recombination. A broad defect-related visible luminescence band gave evidence for an increase in optically active deep level defects with increased Cr doping level. The combined effect of intrinsic defects and exchange interactions involving Cr ions substituted for Zn in the Zn-Cu-O lattice were responsible for the observed room temperature ferromagnetism. The saturation magnetization of the Cu doped ZnO was decreased by Cr co-doping, which occurred due to the antiferromagnetic coupling of neighboring Cu-Cu ions and Cr-Cr ions. The segregation of spinel ZnCr 2 O 4 phase is responsible for the enhanced coercivity at higher Cr concentration (4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn0.91Cu0.04M0.05O (M=Ni, Co, Cr) nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method and the structural and optical properties have been investigated. X-ray diffraction spectra showed that the hexagonal wurtzite structure was not altered by TM co-doping. Due to the less solubility of Ni in Zn-O, the NiO phase was emerged in Ni, Cu co-doped ZnO nanocrystals. The change in lattice parameters was discussed corresponding to the radii of doping element. The surface morphology of TM co-doped ZnO nanocrystals was studied by scanning electron microscope and the presence of compositional elements such as Ni/Co/Cr, Cu and Zn with their nominal stoichiometry was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectra. The shift in band gap by TM-doping was discussed based on the strength of the sp-d spin-exchange interactions between the band electrons and localized d-electron of the TM dopant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syngas, the main gasification product, is a well-known intermediate for making fuels, chemicals and power. The objective of this study was to develop and validate reaction kinetics-based gasification model using extents of major reactions in a CSTR (continuous stirred-tank reactor) to predict syngas composition and yield. The model was studied by varying biomass and air flowrates from 2.9 to 4.2 dry kg/h and 4.5-10 kg/h, respectively, with temperature from 801 to 907 °C. Results showed significant improvement in the predictions of syngas composition and yield, and gasification efficiency. The extents of gasification reactions indicated that at ERs (equivalence ratios) below 0.32, the water gas reaction contributed the most to the syngas CO and H2 yields. The char oxidation reaction was also the dominating reaction contributing to CO yield at ERs below 0.40. At ERs above 0.29, the Boudouard and methane oxidation reactions were the most dominating reactions contributing to the CO yield while the water gas shift reaction contributed to the H2 yield. The developed model corrected one of the key underlying assumptions that biomass decomposes into elemental forms (C, H, O, N and S), however, gasification temperature, carbon conversion efficiency and tar yield were assumed to be given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zn0.96−xCu0.04CrxO nanoparticles with different Cr concentrations from 0 to 4% were successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method. The X-ray diffraction pattern showed the crystalline nature with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The diminution in activation energy and the enhanced strain by Cr-doping from 0 to 3% reduced the average crystal size from 27 to 23.8nm while the formation of secondary phase such as spinel ZnCr2O4 enhanced it to 25.6nm after Cr=3% via increasing the activation energy. The solubility limit of Cr in the present system is fixed as 3%. The energy dispersive X-ray spectra confirmed the presence of Cu and Cr in Zn-O. The optical absorption spectra showed the three distinct bands corresponding to UV region (305–324nm) due to electronic transition between the bands; blue region (382–386nm) mainly due to the Zn/Cr interstitials and bluish green (481–482nm) region due oxygen vacancies and interstitials. The noticed poor transmittance throughout the region and the broader absorption bands in Cr=1% doped Zn0.96Cu0.04O confirmed that it had more defects such as oxygen vacancies, Zn interstitials and other defects. The blue shift of energy gap from 3.68eV (Cr=0%) to 3.71eV (Cr=1%) was due to the creations of more defects. The red shift of Eg from 3.71eV (Cr=1%) to 3.6eV (Cr=3%) was explained by sp–d exchange interactions between the band electrons and the localized d-electrons of the Cr3+ ions. Presence of chemical bonding was confirmed by FTIR spectra. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Zn0.96−xCu0.04Co x O nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. [•] Co2+ into Cu Zn O lattice was confirmed by EDX, FTIR and optical studies. [•] Above 80% transparency in visible region is useful for optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Studied effects of steam injection location and steam-to-biomass ratio (SBR). [•] A lab-scale autothermal air–steam fluidized-bed gasifier was used for the study. [•] Steam injection location and SBR had significant effects on H2 and CO yields. [•] Steam injection location had significant effects on the gasifier efficiencies. [•] The best syngas yield was at the steam injection location of 254mm and SBR of 0.2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Undoped and Cu doped Cd0.9Zn0.1S thin films have been prepared on glass substrate by chemical bath deposition technique for different Cu concentrations from 0.01 to 0.04 at 80°C. Crystalline phases and optical absorption of the films have been studied by X-ray diffraction and UV–visible spectrophotometer. Elemental composition was studied by the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and the microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscope. The average crystalline size of the films was calculated from X-ray line broadening and it is decreased from 3.2 to 1.6nm for x=0–0.04 which was confirmed by SEM studies. Energy band gap was calculated from optical studies and is varied from 2.41 to 2.45eV where Cu=0.02 has a minimum value as 2.41eV. The observed lower crystalline size (1.6nm) and higher energy gap (2.45eV) in Cd0.86Zn0.1Cu0.04S thin film is useful to design a suitable window material in fabrication for solar cells. The existence of functional groups and chemical bonding were confirmed by FTIR studies. The observed blue shift of both blue band (from 413 to 407nm) and green band (from 538 to 523nm) in photoluminescence spectra with enhanced intensity confirmed the substitution of Cu into Cd–Zn–S lattice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effective fluidization of materials present in the reactor bed is critical for optimizing reaction conditions in a fluidized-bed gasifier. An improper fluidization leads to inefficient conversion due to many reasons such as low heat and mass transfers, ineffective gas–solid phase reactions, and uneven reactor temperature in autothermal gasification. The objective of this study was to investigate effect of reactor bed composition, i.e. a mixture of gasifier solid residues (GSR), switchgrass, and inert material, on fluidization using a 0.25m i.d. transparent column. In this cold-flow study, the amount of inert material, i.e. silica sand, in the bed was held at 20kg. The switchgrass in the mixture ranged from 0.17 to 5% of the sand quantity while the GSR ranged from 5 to 35% of the switchgrass. The particle geometric sizes by mass of sand, GSR and switchgrass were 348±1.6μm, 80±2.6μm, and 10.3±1.7mm, respectively. For all conditions, with an increase in gas superficial velocity, i.e. ratio of volumetric gas flow and bed cross-sectional area, the pressure drop across the bed increased reaching a maximum level at the minimum fluidization condition. Results showed that when the bed consisted of only GSR and sand, with an increase in the GSR from 5% to 35%, the gas superficial velocity at minimum fluidization condition, called minimum fluidization velocity (U mf), decreased significantly (p <0.05); however, corresponding bed pressure drop (dPmf) remained constant. When the bed consisted of GSR, switchgrass and sand, there were significant effects (p <0.001) of GSR, switchgrass and their interaction (GSR*Switchgrass) on U mf and dPmf. Fluidization improved with an increase in GSR up to 35% in the mixture. Overall, both U mf and dPmf increased with an increase in levels of GSR (5 to 35%) and switchgrass (0.17 to 3%) in the mixture. Fluidization characteristics were found to be strongly dependent upon mixture''s effective properties, which were determined using properties of all mixture components. Correlations available in literature were used to predict U mf using effective properties of tertiary mixture with GSR, switchgrass and sand. Prediction of U mf from all selected correlations did not match well with the experimental data for the entire range of tertiary mixture compositions. Fluidization of bed materials sustained up to 3% level of switchgrass. However, segregation of bed materials and in-bed channelization caused ineffective fluidization at 5% level of switchgrass in the mixture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The thickening or gelling of protein-based dairy streams and ingredients upon exposure to heat has been an ongoing problem in dairy processing for many decades. This phenomenon can restrict the range of dairy product options and reduce manufacturing efficiencies by limiting the type and extent of heat treatment that can be used. In this report, we outline a novel approach to overcoming this problem. The use of preheating treatments to induce whey protein aggregate formation in whey products is well known in the field. However, we show that the application of ultrasound for a very short duration after such a heating step breaks down these aggregates and prevents their reformation on subsequent heating, thereby reducing the viscosity increase that is usually associated with this process. This novel technique has the potential to provide significant economic benefit to the dairy manufacturing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn 0.96− x Cu 0.04 Mn x O (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.04) nanoparticles were synthesized by sol–gel method. The X-ray diffraction pattern indicated that doping of Mn and Cu did not change the ZnO hexagonal wurtzite structure. The Mn doped nanoparticles had smaller average crystallite size than un-doped Zn 0.96 Cu 0.04 O nanoparticles due to the distortion in the host ZnO lattice. This distortion prevented the subsequent growth and hence the size reduced by Mn doping. The changes in lattice parameters, average crystallite size, peak position and peak intensity confirmed the Mn substitution in Zn–Cu–O lattice. The Mn and Cu co-doping increased the charge carrier density in ZnO nanoparticles which led to increase the dielectric constant. The dielectric constant also varied by depend the size of the nanoparticles. The change in morphology by Mn-doping was studied by transmission electron microscope. The optical absorption and band gap were changed with respect to both compositional and size effects. The band gap was initially increased from 3.65 to 3.73 eV at 1% of Mn doping, while decreasing trend in band gap was noticed for further increase of Mn. The band gap was decreased from 3.73 to 3.48 eV when Mn concentration was increased from 2% to 4%. Presence of chemical bonding and purity of the nanoparticles were confirmed by FTIR spectra. The antibacterial study revealed that that the antibacterial activity of Zn 0.96 Cu 0.04 O is enhanced by Mn doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Undoped and Al doped CdS thin films were deposited successfully on glass plates using chemical bath deposition method at 80°C with different Al concentrations between 0 and 8%. X-ray diffraction spectra revealed that undoped CdS thin film had cubic structure which was turned to mixed phase of cubic and hexagonal by Al doping. The noticed decrease in d-value, cell parameters, bond length and volume up to 4% of Al is due to the substitution of Al3+ into Cd–S lattice whereas the increase of these parameters beyond 4% is due to the formation of defects. Structural, optical and photoluminescence properties of Al doped CdS thin films were studied using X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray, scanning electron microscopy, UV–Vis absorption, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra. The enhanced crystal size at lower Al concentrations is due to the proper substitution of Al3+ and the reduced crystal size after Al=4% is due the interstitial defects of Al3+ in Cd–S lattice. The continuous red shift of energy gap from 2.18eV (Al=0%) to 1.96eV (Al=8%) is elucidated by increasing amount of sulfur deficiency by Al doping. The presence of functional groups and chemical bonding were confirmed by FTIR spectra. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra showed the two well distinct and strong bands; blue band around 409 to 415nm and green band around 538 to 547nm. The change in intensity and their shift were discussed in detail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Zn0.96 − x Mn0.04Co x O nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. [•] 2Co2+ into Zn–Mn–O lattice was confirmed by EDX, FTIR and optical studies. [•] Tuning of energy gap and transparency in visible region is useful for industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Oil-in-water emulsions are an important vehicles for the delivery of hydrophobic bioactive compounds into a range of food products. The preparation of very fine emulsions is of increasing interest to the beverage industry, as novel ingredients can be added with negligible impact to solution clarity. In the present study, both a batch and focused flow-through ultrasonic cell were utilized for emulsification with ultrasonic power generation at 20–24 kHz. Emulsions with a mean droplet size as low as 135±5 nm were achieved using a mixture of flaxseed oil and water in the presence of Tween 40 surfactant. Results are comparable to those for emulsions prepared with a microfluidizer operated at 100 MPa. The key to efficient ultrasonic emulsification is to determine an optimum ultrasonic energy intensity input for these systems, as excess energy input may lead to an increase in droplet size. Industrial relevance: The preparation of oil-in-water emulsions is a common feature of food processing operations. The use of ultrasound for this purpose can be competitive or even superior in terms of droplet size and energy efficiency when compared to classical rotor­stator dispersion. It may also be more practicable with respect to production cost, equipment contamination and aseptic processing than a microfluidisation approach. The present paper shows that ultrasound can be effective in producing nanoemulsions for use in a range of food ingredients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Diabetes is a highly complex disease that has an adverse impact on the lives of individuals, and the current medicines used to manage diabetes have obvious side effects. Medicinal plants, on the other hand, may serve as an alternate source of anti-diabetic drugs. A polyherbal combination has a higher and more extensive therapeutic potential than a single herb. Yet, due to deterioration during the absorption process, the usage of this drug still yields inadequate results. Encapsulation of polyherbal drug with chitosan nanoparticles is one of the key ways to solve this problem due to its biocombatibilty, slow and targeted drug delivery characteristics. In the present study, the chitosan was derived from prawn shell and the chitosan nanoparticles had been prepared by ionic-gelation method. The anti-diabetic polyherbal drug (Andrographis paniculata, Andrographis alata, Adhatoda zeylanica, Gymnema sylvestre, Syzygium cumini, and Justicia glabra) was encapsulated with a bio-derived chitosan biopolymer. The drug loading efficiency was about 85 %. The chemical and physical properties of the chitosan and drug-loaded chitosan nanoparticles had been analyzed by FT-IR absorption, XRD, SEM, TEM and EDAX analysis. The antidiabetic efficiency, hepatoprotective activity and antihyperlipedimic activity of the chitosan nanoparticles, polyherbal drug and polyherbal drug encapsulated with chitosan nanoparticles were assessed in a group of rats. The polyherbal drug reduced the serum glucose level from 306.4 mg/dL to 134.47 mg/dL, while the polyherbal drug encapsulated with chitosan nanoparticles reduced to 127.017 mg/dL. This was very close to the serum glucose level of non-diabetic rat (124.65 mg/dL). Further, it considerably increased the insulin level close to that of non-diabetic rat. Thus, the polyherbal drug encapsulated with chitosan nanoparticles showed superior efficiency in antidiabetic and also diabetic complications. • Chitosan Nano-biopolymer had been bio-synthesized. • Polyherbal Drug Encapsulated Chitosan Nano-biopolymer had superior efficiency on Diabetes and its Complications. • Reduced the serum glucose level from 306.4 to 127.017 mg/dL. (control - 124.65 mg/dL) • Reduced the diabetic complications to the standard level • Suitable candidate materials for diabetic treatment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn starch pastes (5 or 10 w%) with different amylose content (∼2.7%, ∼5.1%, ∼29.6%, or ∼52.7%) were treated using high-power ultrasound (frequency 20 kHz, power 13.5 or 29.9 W) for up to 20 min. Changes in the physical properties were determined using viscosity measurements and dynamic light scattering. Results show that both the viscosity ( η ) and hydrodynamic radius ( R H ) decreased markedly with the increase in ultrasound treatment time. FT-IR showed that the molecular scission occurred at the C–O–C bond of α-1,6 glycosidic linkage, and that the extent of breakage was inversely correlated with amylose content. Further, high-amylose starch pastes were found to be more resistant to ultrasound treatment due to their aggregation. A master curve for the behaviour of η and R H is proposed, which is also confirmed by a similar study carried out on the ultrasound treatment of rice starch pastes with different amylose contents. The findings of this work can be used to tailor starch solutions with different viscosities using high-power ultrasound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZnO nanomaterials have been synthesized by simple precipitation technique using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as surfactant, followed by calcination. The products were characterized by various techniques such as X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), etc. Effective photosensitizers of porphyrin derivative, meso-tetra (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TSPP) have been encapsulated into the ZnO nanomaterials to increase the generation of singlet oxygen. Efficiency of singlet oxygen (1O2) generation was detected by optical method and EPR–spin trapping technique. Encapsulated TSPP has generated more singlet oxygen compared to that of ZnO nanospheres. Optical spectroscopic studies have indicated that 1O2 generation was involved via fluorescence resonance energy transfer which was responsible for photodynamic action. The antimicrobial activity of the ZnO nanomaterials encapsulated TSPP was also tested against the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli as well as Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the effect was more pronounced with Gram-positive than with Gram-negative bacteria. ZnO-TSPP has low photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of bacteria under dark conditions but high PDI under visible light irradiation. The result has indicated that TSPP loaded ZnO nanomaterials, can be used as a nanocarrier for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Samples of fresh skim milk, reconstituted micellar casein, and casein powder were sonicated at 20 kHz to investigate the effect of ultrasonication. For fresh skim milk, the average size of the remaining fat globules was reduced by approximately 10 nm after 60 min of sonication; however, the size of the casein micelles was determined to be unchanged. A small increase in soluble whey protein and a corresponding decrease in viscosity also occurred within the first few minutes of sonication, which could be attributed to the breakup of casein-whey protein aggregates. No measurable changes in free casein content could be detected in ultracentrifuged skim milk samples sonicated for up to 60 min. A small, temporary decrease in pH resulted from sonication; however, no measurable change in soluble calcium concentration was observed. Therefore, casein micelles in fresh skim milk were stable during the exposure to ultrasonication. Similar results were obtained for reconstituted micellar casein, whereas larger viscosity changes were observed as whey protein content was increased. Controlled application of ultrasound can be usefully applied to reverse process-induced protein aggregation without affecting the native state of casein micelles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Synthesis of poly(acrylic acid)-bentonite-FeCo (PAA-B-FeCo) hydrogel nanocomposite via ultrasound assisted in situ emulsion polymerization was carried out. Addition of exfoliated bentonite clay platelets and Fe–Co increased the strength and stability of hydrogel and assisted the adsorption of an organic pollutant. The response of the nanocomposite hydrogel was evaluated using a cationic dye, crystal violet (CV) under different temperature, pH, and cavitation environment. The optimum temperature was found to be 35°C and basic pH (optimum at 11) was responsible for the higher adsorption of dye due to dissociation of COO− ions at higher pH. Bimetallic components form the metal ions in hydrogel which shows repulsion at low pH resulting to lower response. Thermodynamic parameters for adsorption indicated that the dye adsorption onto PAA-B-FeCo hydrogel was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel method of introducing a synthesized organic nitrogenous compound 2,6 (N-pyrazolyl)isonicotinic acid (BNIN) and its effect on the conduction behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer-blend electrolyte with potassium iodide (KI) and iodine (I2) and the corresponding performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were studied. A systematic investigation of the blends using FTIR provides evidence of interaction of BNIN with the polymer. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study proves the miscibility of these polymers. Due to the coordinating and plasticizing effects of BNIN, the ionic conductivity of polymer blend electrolytes is enhanced. The efficiency of DSSC using BNIN doped polymer blend electrolyte was 7.3% under an illumination of 60mWcm−2 were observed for the best performance of a solar cell in this work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]