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The conversion of nitrogen to ammonia offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach for producing precursors for fertilizers and efficient energy carriers. Owing to the large energy density and significant gravimetric hydrogen content, NH

Research and technology development of lithium ion battery is very important nowadays because of its high energy and power density, low self discharge, no/less memory effect, comparatively high current output. It has been largely used in various fields like hybrid electric vehicles (EV's), portable devices, digital cameras and many more. As per our knowledge this is the first report on the synthesis of KTaO3 and examination of electrochemical performance on lithium ion batteries (LIB). The flower like nanostructured KTaO3 exhibits high interfacial area and less path length for charge transfer, which was the main reason to exhibit good electrochemical properties. The average crystallite size of material was confirmed by XRD analysis and found to be ~26 nm. The high irreversible capacity was recorded at 1307 mAh g−1 with high Columbic efficiency (~99%) at potential window of 0.01–3.00 V. Moreover, reversible first discharge capacity was measured at 432 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C current rates with exemplary cyclic stability. The capacity fade was negligible for consecutive cycles. Even at very high current rate (3C) also it presents good capacity of 74 m Ahg−1 with excellent reversibility. In addition, electrochemical impedance spectra prove the less conductive resistance at higher frequency region. Finally the present work explains the excellent electrochemical performance of nanostructured flower like KTaO3 for Li-ion battery as anode material.

Lightweight computing technologies such as the Internet of Things and flexible wearable systems have penetrated our everyday lives exponentially in recent years. Without a question, the running of such electronic devices is a major energy problem. Generally, these devices need power within the range of microwatts and operate mostly indoors. Thus, it is appropriate to have a self-sustainable power source, such as the photovoltaic (PV) cell, which can harvest indoor light. Among other PV cells, the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has immense capacity to satisfy the energy demands of most indoor electronics, making it a very attractive power candidates because of its many benefits such as readily available materials, relatively cheap manufacturing methods, roll-to-roll compatibility, easy processing capabilities on flexible substrates and exceptional diffuse/low-light performance. This review discusses the recent developments in DSSC materials for its indoor applications. Ultimately, the perspective on this topic is presented after summing up the current progress of the research. Graphic abstract

3D chitosan scaffolds treated with alkali showed enhanced mechanical properties and stability in aqueous conditions. Chitosan is a preferred polymer for biomedical applications due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant and wound healing properties. Chitosan has been made into films, fibers, micro and nanoparticles and electrospun membranes for tissue engineering, drug delivery and other medical applications. However, materials made from chitosan have poor strength and stability. Compared to other forms, 3D scaffolds are more suitable for tissue engineering and other applications but are relatively easily susceptible to moisture and have poor strength due to their porous structure. Several physical and chemical approaches have been used to increase the strength and stability of chitosan biomaterials. In this study, we demonstrate that a simple treatment with alkali will substantially improve the strength and stability of freeze-dried 3D chitosan scaffolds. Three different concentrations of chitosan were lyophilized and made into scaffolds with varying properties. These scaffolds were alkali treated and tested for their increase in strength, resistance to water and other properties. Up to 50% increase in strength was possible when higher concentrations of chitosan and alkali treatment were used. The scaffolds have good activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria with the highest percentage of inhibition being 97%. Scaffolds also showed the ability to generate hydroxyapatite when incubated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 7 days. This study provides a novel approach to obtain 3D chitosan scaffolds with properties suitable for medical, food and other applications.

Metal/metal oxide nanocomposites (NCs) have been attracting significant attention in recent times because of their applications in the fields of energy and environment. In the present work, we investigate the photocatalytic and electrochemical performances of Ni/NiO NCs synthesized by a facile and cost-effective reduction method using lithium salt as the dopant. Lithium influences the size, morphology and structural constitution of the final product. A variation in the lithium percentage was seen to have a direct effect on the Ni content. The structural conformation of the samples has been analyzed by XRD and further confirmed by XPS. A low optical energy bandgap (∼3.7 eV) and a mesoporous structure of the as-prepared samples were seen to play a crucial role in achieving the photocatalytic degradation of the cationic organic dyes concomitant to its electrochemical activity. On illumination with UV light, the Li-doped Ni/NiO NCs demonstrated rapid degradation of crystal violet and methyl violet 2B dyes. The synergism arising due to the substitutional doping of lithium and the presence of metallic nickel leads to efficient photodegradation of the dye pollutants by the catalysts. Further, the Li-doped Ni/NiO NCs displayed a better electrochemical performance than the undoped samples. The NC with 1 wt% Li exhibited the best values of specific capacitance (276.2 F g−1 at 5 A g−1) with an excellent cycling ability (

Textiles are known to be the best substrates for growing a variety of microorganisms efficiently at appropriate temperatures and humidity in contact with the human body. Currently, increasing public concern about hygiene has been driving many investigations about antimicrobial surface modification of textiles. The present research reports on the synthesis and characterization of nanosized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) and their application on cotton fabric to increase the bactericidal and hydrophobic properties. The synthesized materials have been subjected to spectroscopic and microscopic characterizations to help in understanding their structure, morphology, size, and composition. Further, upon dispersion of the nanoparticles onto the fabric, its hydrophobicity and mechanical properties were evaluated using electron microscopy and universal testing machine. Treated cotton fabric exhibits higher tensile strength (32 MPa) than the untreated one (27 MPa), whereas copper nanoparticle-coated cotton fabric shows a fair hydrophobicity. Moreover, CuONPs-treated and untreated cotton fabrics have been analyzed for bactericidal activity against various gram-negative and gram-positive strains. Finally, the CuONPs-coated cotton fabric displays greater antibacterial activity against E. coli and exhibits superior antimicrobial activity even after 30 cycles of washing, indicating that the CuONPs-coated cotton fabric has a higher potential to be employed as a medical textile to avoid cross-infection within a clinical environment.

A green combustion method using Aloe vera latex as a fuel was employed to synthesize nanocrystalline cupric oxide (CuO). The nanocrystalline nature and phase of CuO was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction. Applying the Kubelka–Monk function to diffuse reflectance spectra showed the band gap of CuO to be 1.632 eV. Paracetamol and d -glucose in 1 M KOH solution were sensed using a carbon paste electrode modified using CuO nanoparticles (NPs). The cyclic voltammetry results suggest that CuO NPs possess superior electrochemical properties due to a lower value of the difference between oxidation and reduction potential (EO-ER). The proton diffusion coefficient for CuO electrode material was1.5047 × 10−5cm2s−1. Electrochemical impedance and Bode studies confirmed that the charge-transfer resistance value of CuO NPs was on the lower side due to the phase angle (55°) being near to ф = ᴨ/2. The electrochemical behavior indicates that CuO is a promising electrode material for sensing molecules such as paracetamol and glucose.

Atmospheric gravity waves over the Polar Regions are found to have myriad effects on the dynamics and chemistry of the middle atmosphere. Data collected from high vertical resolution radiosonde measurements carried out in campaign mode from the Indian research base in Antarctica, Bharati (69.4°S, 76.2°E) during the austral summer seasons of 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 were used to characterize inertia gravity waves (IGWs). Wavelet analysis technique is employed to identify and isolate individual IGW packets. IGWs in the lower stratosphere region are characterized in terms of their vertical and horizontal wavelengths, intrinsic frequencies, directions of propagation, momentum fluxes, energy densities and ground based phase speeds. The observed gravity waves have short vertical wavelengths (~ 2 km) and low intrinsic frequencies (1f–2f). Zonal and meridional components of momentum fluxes are found to have comparable magnitudes. From the direction of propagation estimates, it is observed that the IGWs have a marginal predisposition towards eastward propagation during austral summers. It is found that the lower stratospheric region over Bharati during summertime is dominated by IGWs from non-orographic sources. Evidences for generation of IGWs from an upper tropospheric jet streak observed over Bharati station are provided. The jet streak is found to be associated with the intrusion of low potential vorticity air from middle latitudes and the accompanied development of an anti-cyclonic circulation. The observations suggest that low potential vorticity intrusion happened as a result of breaking of poleward propagating Rossby wave. Spontaneous adjustment of the unstable jet could be responsible for the IGW generation. The significance of the present results lie in characterizing the summer time IGW over the Bharati station for the first time using wavelet based approach and identifying the possible source mechanism.

A new nanocomposite has been prepared embedding CuO nanoparticles as an additive into grafted β-nickel hydroxide electrode and their electrochemical performance in KOH electrolyte have been investigated. β-nickel hydroxide (β-Ni(OH)2) has been prepared by a simple precipitation method. Ni(OH)2/NiOOH, the main active materials in the pasted nickel electrode have been prepared using nickel mesh in the form of current collector. A study on the electrochemical performances of the pure β-Ni(OH)2 and CuO added β-Ni(OH)2 electrodes in 6.0 M KOH electrolyte has revealed that CuO embedded β-Ni(OH)2 displays much higher specific capacitance and better cyclability than pure β-Ni(OH)2. In fact, the addition of CuO improves the reversibility of the electrode by reducing the anodic (Epa) and cathodic (Epc) peak potential difference and also increases the separation of the oxygen evolution (EOE) and anodic (Epa) peak potential. Further, CuO nanoparticles grafted β-Ni(OH)2 electrode displays elevated proton diffusion co-efficient (D) and inferior charge transfer resistance. Specifically, CuO embedded β-Ni(OH)2 exhibits 855 F g−1 at 5 Ag-1 and good cycling stability as it maintains more than 90% of its original capacitance even after 3000 cycles. The enhancement may be attributed to the nanosize of CuO and chemical interaction between CuO and β-Ni(OH)2. These results are expected to offer new insight to future researchers who wish to work on the development of novel electrode materials for energy storage applications.

The development of cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives of energy storage systems is needed to solve the actual energy crisis. Although technologies such as flywheels, supercapacitors, pumped hydropower and compressed air are efficient, they have shortcomings because they require long planning horizons to be cost-effective. Renewable energy storage systems such as redox flow batteries are actually of high interest for grid-level energy storage, in particular iron-based flow batteries. Here we review all-iron redox flow battery alternatives for storing renewable energies. The role of components such as electrolyte, electrode and membranes in the overall functioning of all-iron redox flow batteries is discussed. The effect of iron–ligand chemistry on the performance of battery is highlighted. Additionally, a brief contextual background and fundamentals of redox flow batteries are provided. The design aspects, progress in research, mathematical modeling, cost estimations and future prospects of using all-iron energy systems are discussed in the context of future grid-level energy storage.

The persistence of hollow centre in the carbon obtained from milkweed floss provides exceptional sorption characteristics, not seen in common biomasses or their derivatives. A considerably high sorption of 320mg of lead per gram of milkweed carbon was achieved without any chemical modification to the biomass. In this research, we have carbonized milkweed floss and used the carbon as a sorbent for lead in waste water. A high surface area of 170m2g-1 and pore volume of 1.07cm3g-1 was seen in the carbon. Almost complete removal (>99% efficiency) of lead could be achieved within 5min when the concentration of lead in the solution was 100ppm, close to that prevailing in industrial waste water. SEM images showed that the carbon was hollow and confocal images confirmed that the sorbate could penetrate inside the hollow tube.

In this paper, the performance of Fe based redox flow batteries (IRFBs) was dramatically improved by coating N-doped carbon spheres (NDCS) on the graphite felt electrodes. NDCS was synthesized by the single-step hydrothermal method using dextrose and ammonia as a precursor and coated over a graphite felt electrode by electrostatic spraying. The weight of NDCS required for the modification of the electrode to achieve the effective performance of the battery was studied using electrochemical techniques. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and potentiodynamic polarization study was used to evaluate the kinetic reversibility and linear polarization resistance offered by the electrode towards electrolyte. The characterizing features of the NDCS, untreated graphite felt (UGF) electrode, and optimized modified graphite felt (MGF) electrode were analyzed using SEM, EDAX, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. The charge-discharge studies were performed for the 132 cm2 IRFB using a 2 mg/cm2 MGF electrode as a positive electrode by varying the current densities from 20 to 60 mA/cm2. The cell resulted in an average coulombic efficiency (CE) of 93%, voltaic efficiency (VE) of 72%, and energy efficiency (EE) of 68% for 15 cycles at the current density of 30 mA/cm2. The improvement in the performance of the IRFB is due to the presence of electrochemically active nitrogen-bearing carbon catalysts. In this paper, the pioneering effort has been made to improve the efficiency of the IRFB with an active area of 132 cm2 using glycine as the ligand.

Diabetes is a major chronic metabolic disorder globally and around of 285 million people are affected by the disease and the number is expected to double in the next two decades. The major focus of anti-diabetic therapies is to enhance insulin production, sensitivity and/or reduce the blood glucose level. Although several synthetic drugs have been developed as antidiabetic agents but their utility has been hampered due to their side effects and poor efficacy. In this scenario, research on natural products has been gained importance due their safety profile in toxicity studies. Terpenoids belong to an important class of natural products and several terpenoids have been reported as antidiabetic agents. Some of them are under various stages of pre-clinical and clinical evaluation to develop them as antidiabetic agents. These agents can inhibit enzymes responsible for the development of insulin resistance, normalization of plasma glucose and insulin levels and glucose metabolism. Triterpenes can act as promising agents in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy or in impaired wound healing by inhibiting several pathways involved in the diabetes and associated complications. However, efforts in understanding the biological actions and clinical studies involving the applications of triterpenes in treating diabetes are very limited. Hence, special attention is imperative to explore the therapeutic potential of these compounds and provide new information to the scientific community. This review aims to provide the recent advances in triterpenes chemistry, its derivatives, biological interventions and its therapeutic applications with special emphasis on diabetes and its associated disorders.

A custom designed DNA probe against cry1 gene of Bacillus thuringiensis has been used to fabricate a DNA biosensor by self-assembled monolayers of mercaptohexanol (MCH) and thiol-linked custom designed probe (ssDNA-thiol), immobilized on a screen printed gold nanostructured electrode. DNA immobilization and hybridization have been characterized by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using methylene blue as an electrochemical hybridization indicator. With this approach, the target DNA could be quantified in the range of 1.0 × 10−6 M to 1.0 × 10−12 M, with a detection limit of 0.997 × 10−12 M by 3σ. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) have been performed to characterize the sequentially modified electrode. In addition, a non-complementary DNA sequence of Bacillus cereus has been tested as a non-target, that hardly causes any variation in the reduction current of MB reaffirming that the DNA-based biosensor is high selective to Bacillus thuringiensis. The electrochemical detection methods employed in this work can be extended further to develop DNA-based biosensors for the detection of other microorganisms having applications in agriculture, food industries and medical applications.

For large-scale energy storage, iron-based flow batteries (IRFBs) have been considered as a better choice because of their low-cost and use of environmentally friendly iron-based salts. The development of a IRFBs has been limited by the sluggish kinetics of the reaction, especially at the positive electrode during charging. Therefore, it is very important to look for stable electrolytes and superior electrode materials along with their modifications. Carbon-based electrodes are majorly used in IRFBs and these electrodes are feasible to modify using electrocatalysts. In the current study, nitrogen-doped carbon particles (NICaps) derived from Bermuda grass were used to modify graphite felt electrode. SEM, EDAX, Raman, and XPS analysis were used to characterize the modified graphite felt (MGF) electrode. It was observed that the NICaps MGF electrode had a significant improvement in electrochemical properties. The cathodic and anodic peak currents for the MGF electrode (1.55 and 1.63 mA/cm2 respectively) had a remarkable increase in comparison with the untreated graphite felt electrode (UGF) (0.48 and 0.88 mA/cm2 respectively). The Nyquist plot and the data derived from the equivalent circuit indicated lower charge transfer resistance for MGF. The charge-discharge studies carried out using 132 cm2 cell reveals that the modified electrodes result in higher current uptake of 50 mA/cm2 whereas the current uptake from the UGF electrode was limited to 20 mA/cm2. The battery resulted in an average coulombic efficiency of 95%, the peak power density of 60 mW/cm2, and better stability during multiple cycling.

Andrographis paniculata Nees is an important medicinal plant found in the tropical regions of the world, which has been traditionally used in Indian and Chinese medicinal systems. It is also used as medicinal food. A. paniculata is found to exhibit anti-inflammatory activities; however, its inhibitory potential on inflammatory Group IIA phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2 ) and its associated inflammatory reactions are not clearly understood. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the inhibitory/neutralizing potential of ethanolic extract of A. paniculata on the isolated inflammatory PLA 2 (VRV-PL-VIIIa) from Daboii rusellii pulchella (belonging to Group IIA inflammatory secretory PLA 2 [sPLA 2 ]) and its associated edema-induced activities in Swiss albino mice. A. paniculata extract dose dependently inhibited the Group IIA sPLA 2 enzymatic activity with an IC 50 value of 10.3 ± 0.5 μg/ml. Further, the extract dose dependently inhibited the edema formation, when co-injected with enzyme indicating that a strong correlation exists between lipolytic and pro-inflammatory activities of the enzyme. In conclusion, results of this study shows that the ethanolic extract of A. paniculata effectively inhibits Group IIA sPLA 2 and its associated inflammatory activities, which substantiate its anti-inflammatory properties. The results of the present study warranted further studies to develop bioactive compound (s) in ethanolic extract of A. paniculata as potent therapeutic agent (s) for inflammatory diseases. SUMMARY This study emphasis the anti-inflammatory effect of A. paniculata by inhibiting the inflammatory Group IIA sPLA2 and its associated inflammatory activities such as edema. It was found that there is a strong correlation between lipolytic activity and pro-inflammatory activity inhibition. Therefore, the study suggests that the extract processes potent anti-inflammatory agents, which could be developed as a potential therapeutic agent against inflammatory and related diseases.

The excess molar volumes ( V E ), viscosity deviations (Δ η ), deviations in isentropic compressibility (Δ κ S ) and excess molar refractivity (Δ R m E ) for {(glycylglycine + ZnCl 2 ) in aqueous methanol} mixture have been calculated from the experimental values. The bridging water molecules bend the chains into stable open ring structures together with intermolecular hydrogen bonding and interstitial accommodation leading to negative V E values. The positive Δ η values indicate a structure breaking effect of aqueous glycylglycine–ZnCl 2 upon contact with methanol molecules. It is also noted that chelation of zinc to glycylglycinate is through carboxylic group and not the amino group. The negative Δ κ S values suggest the formation of an open ring structure lowering the entropy of the solution. Due to weak interaction between solute and solvent, the molecular structure of individual molecule does not change significantly and leads to negative Δ R m E values. Finally, the results have lead to a good understanding of the thermodynamics properties of the studied liquid mixture.

An efficient microwave-assisted route has been used to synthesize nanoparticles of cobalt oxide. The particles were well characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which showed that the average diameter of the particles is around 6 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies further confirmed the formation of the spinel Co3O4. Purity of the products was detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with thermal gravimetric analysis (TG/DTG). The magnetic measurements revealed a small hysteresis loop at room temperature indicating a weak ferromagnetic nature of the synthesized Co3O4 nanoparticles. The magnetic moment of the particles was measured to be 4.27 μeff.

Volumetric and acoustical parameters are reported for glycylglycine in aqueous NiCl2 solution at T = (288.15–318.15) K. The apparent molar volumes and isentropic compressibilities were calculated from the experimental data of ultrasonic velocity and density. Together with these, excess isentropic compressibility ( κ S E ), excess free volume ( V f E ), excess intermolecular free length ( L f E ) and deviations of ultrasonic velocity (Δu) were obtained. The results are interpreted in terms of molecular interactions. The results show that the cation and anion play a significant role in influencing the behavior of glycylglycine in aqueous solutions. These effects were also attributed to the doubly charged behavior of glycylglycine and to the formation of physically bonded ion-pairs between charged groups of glycylglycine and cation and anion of the electrolyte.

The densities, viscosities and ultrasonic velocities for glycylglycine–NiCl 2 in aqueous ethanol mixtures have been studied in the temperature range 288.15–318.15 K. The excess molar volumes, viscosity deviations and changes in isentropic compressibility for the binary mixtures have been calculated and discussed in terms of hydrogen bonding and structure-breaking effect. The computed results are fitted to the Redlich–Kister polynomial. The results clearly indicate that there is a strong association in the mixtures studied.

Viscosity, ultrasonic velocity and density measurements have been carried out for glycylglycine in aqueous FeCl3 solution as a function of molality at T=288.15 K, 298.15 K and 308.15 K. The experimental data have been used to derive properties such as isentropic compressibility (κ S ), change in isentropic compressibility (Δκ S ), relative change in isentropic compressibility (Δκ S /κ 0), apparent molar compressibility, volume and their limiting apparent molar quantities along with the constants S K , S V and viscosity B-coefficient. The obtained thermodynamic properties have been discussed in terms of molecular interactions.

The formation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by hydrothermal process has been studied. X-ray Diffraction measurements were carried out to distinguish between the phases formed during the synthesis. Using the synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles, poly(vinyledene fluoride)-Fe3O4 composite films were prepared by spin coating method. Scanning electron microscopy of the composite films showed the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the form of aggregates on the surface and inside of the porous polymer matrix. Differential Scanning calorimetry revealed that the crystallinity of PVDF decreased with the addition of Fe3O4. The conductitivity of the composite films was strongly influenced by the Fe3O4 content; conductivity increased with increase in Fe3O4 content. Vibration sample magnetometry results revealed the ferromagnetic behavior of the synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles with a Ms value of 74.50 emu/g. Also the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles rendered the composite films magnetic. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011