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The C3-symmetry ionic polymer PPyTri has been designed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and studied as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for trace Hg(II) detection. The synthesis approach incorporated attaching three pyridinium cationic components with chloride anions to the triazine core. The precursors, BPy, were synthesized using a condensation process involving 4-pyridine carboxaldehyde and focused nicotinic hydrazide. The polymer PPyTri was further modified with either MWCNTs or GNPs. The resulting ionic polymer PPyTri and its fabricated nanocomposites were characterized using infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analysis revealed that both the polymer and its nanocomposites have semi-crystalline structures. The electroactivity of the designed nanocomposites toward Hg + 2 ions revealed that among the nanocomposites and bare copolymer, the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) adapted with the PPyTri GNPs-5% exhibited the greatest current response over a wide range of Hg + 2 concentrations. The nanocomposite-modified electrode presented an excellent sensitivity of 83.33 µAµM − 1 cm − 2, a low detection limit of 0.033 nM, and a linear dynamic range of 0.1 nM to 0.01 mM (R2 = 0.9945).

IntroductionMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has emerged as a deadly pathogen with a mortality rate of up to 36.2%. MERS-CoV can cause severe respiratory tract disease and multiorgan failure. Therefore, therapeutic vaccines are urgently needed. This intensive review explores the human immune responses and their immunological mechanisms during MERS-CoV infection in the mucosa of the upper and lower respiratory tracts (URT and LRT, respectively).ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to provide a valuable, informative, and critical summary of the protective immune mechanisms against MERS-CoV infection in the URT/LRT for the purpose of preventing and controlling MERS-CoV disease and designing effective therapeutic vaccines.MethodsIn this review, we focus on the immune potential of the respiratory tract following MERS-CoV infection. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the following terms: “MERS-CoV”, “B cells”, “T cells”, “cytokines”, “chemokines”, “cytotoxic”, and “upper and lower respiratory tracts”.ResultsWe found and included 152 studies in this review. We report that the cellular innate immune response, including macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, produces antiviral substances such as interferons and interleukins to prevent the virus from spreading. In the adaptive and humoral immune responses, CD4+ helper T cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, B cells, and plasma cells protect against MERS-CoV infection in URT and LRT.ConclusionThe human nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) could successfully limit the spread of several respiratory pathogens. However, in the case of MERS-CoV infection, limited research has been conducted in humans with regard to immunopathogenesis and mucosal immune responses due to the lack of relevant tissues. A better understanding of the immune mechanisms of the URT and LRT is vital for the design and development of effective MERS-CoV vaccines.

An electrochemical nitrite sensor probe is introduced herein using a modified flat glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and SrTiO3 material doped with spherical-shaped gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) and polypyrrole carbon (PPyC) at a pH of 7.0 in a phosphate buffer solution. The nanocomposites (NCs) containing Au-NPs, PPyC, and SrTiO3 were synthesized by ultrasonication, and their properties were thoroughly characterized through structural, elemental, optical, and morphological analyses with various conventional spectroscopic methods, such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. The peak currents due to nitrite oxidation were characterized in detail and analyzed using conventional cyclic voltammetry (CV) as well as differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) under ambient conditions. The sensor response increased significantly from 0.15 to 1.5 mM of nitrite ions, and the sensor was fabricated by coating a conducting agent (PEDOT:PSS) on the GCE to obtain the Au-NPs/PPyC/SrTiO3 NCs/PEDOT:PSS/GCE probe. The sensor’s sensitivity was determined as 0.5 μA/μM∙cm2 from the ratio of the slope of the linear detection range by considering the active surface area (0.0316 cm2) of the flat GCE. In addition, the limit of detection was determined as 20.00 ± 1.00 µM, which was found to be satisfactory. The sensor’s stability, pH optimization, and reliability were also evaluated in these analyses. Overall, the sensor results were found to be satisfactory. Real environmental samples were then analyzed to evaluate the sensor’s reliability through DPV, and the results showed that the proposed novel electrochemical sensor holds great promise for mitigating water contamination in the real samples with the lab-made Au-NPs/PPyC/SrTiO3 NC. Thus, this study provides valuable insights for improving sensors for broad environmental monitoring applications using the electrochemical approach.

Five 2-phenylacetohydrazide derivatives (BPAH = N′-benzylidene-2-phenylacetohydrazide, HBPAH = N’-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-2-phenylacetohydrazide), PPAH = 2-phenyl-N′-3-phenylallylideneacetohydrazide, FMPAH = N’-(furan-2-ylmethylene)-2-phenylaceto hydrazide and EPAH = N′-ethylidene-2-phenylacetohydrazide were synthesized by the condensation of 2-phenylacetohydrazide with the corresponding aldehyde. The synthesized compounds were characterized by FTIR, 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the BPAH and PPAH were analyzed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and in both crystallized compounds, the molecules adopted trans geometry around the –CN- (imine) functional group. To explore the pharmacological significance of these compounds, the binding ability of these compounds with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. BPAH and PPAH showed the highest binding ability while EPAH, HBPAH, and FMPAH had lower binding ability to BSA molecules. Thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH°, and ΔS° demonstrated that interactions of BSA with compounds BPAH, EPAH, FMAH, and HBPAH were exothermic while for PPAH it was endothermic. The negative enthalpy and entropy of the compounds BPAH, EPAH, FMAH, and HBPAH indicated that van der Waals' forces and hydrogen bonding played a major role in stabilizing the BSA binding with the molecules. Hydrophobic interactions were predominant in the binding of PPAH with BSA tends to interact with two sets of BSA binding sites with an increase in temperature.

Quinolines have become essential to many drugs, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, antivirus, antitubercular, and antimalarial agents. Owing to their importance in medicinal and pharmaceutic industries, several studies have been conducted to synthesize new and novel quinoline derivatives and their hybrid compounds with potent biological applications. In this review, we report the recent research involved in the search for biologically active molecules containing quinoline moiety, including their hybrids. The review provides information on advancements in the last ten years in the chemistry of hybrids and derivatives of quinolines. Also, the medicinal impact of some potent patents based on quinoline derivatives is discussed.

Green corrosion inhibitors are of recent interest because of their cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, and eco-friendly characteristics. Plant extracts have been recognized as valuable resources for the corrosion inhibition of metallic alloys. Out of those, one of the most important properties is to exhibit excellent corrosion inhibition on metal surfaces. In the present paper, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of Citrus limetta, commonly known as Mosambi peel extract on mild steel surfaces in an acidic environment has been reported through investigation by some electrochemical methods such as weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance. The investigated green inhibitor was found to exhibit corrosion inhibition efficiency of 93% on the mild steel surfaces in hydrochloric acid media. The adsorption mechanism of the peel extract on a mild steel surface was interpreted and it confirms there is a combination of both physisorption and chemisorption associated with the interaction between the Citrus limetta peel extract and mild steel surface. The extract was characterized using fourier infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

The widespread utilization of plant cellulose fiber-inorganic fillers-synthetic fabric-reinforced laminates is the current trend in the research field. This investigation studies the effect of chemically treated and untreated water hyacinth/pineapple leaf, titanium carbide nanoparticles, Innegra, and carbon fabric reinforcement on the physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of ultra-violet resistant polyester hybrid composites. The chemically treated and untreated water hyacinth/pineapple leaf fibers were examined from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and found that chemically treated fibers have an excellent interlocking bond with TiC nanoparticles, Innegra, carbon fabric, and polyester matrix. The maximum tensile, flexural, interlaminar shear, impact strength, and shore hardness also affirmed good interfacial bonding of fillers and textiles within the matrix as examined from SEM micrographs. The present investigation also determines the forecasting of the approaches and performance of artificial neural network (ANN) to model the material characteristics of fabricated polyester hybrid composite. Furthermore, the ANN model was more accurate and a valuable technique to optimize the material characteristics of the developed polyester hybrid composite.

The present work utilizes waste black cardamom (BC) as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly adsorbent for sequestering the Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous media for the first time. Following a carbonization process at 600 °C, chemical activation with KOH was carried out for waste BC and subsequent black cardamom activated carbon (BCAC) was employed as an absorbent for CR eradication. The effect of experimental factors, including pH, adsorption time, dose and CR initial concentration, was investigated. 96.21 % of CR dye removal was achieved at pH 6 for 100 mg/L of CR concentration having 0.1 g dose at 30 °C. Maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of BCAC was found to be 69.93 mg/g at 30 °C. The kinetic analyses showed that the CR adsorption over BCAC behaved in accordance with a pseudo-second order kinetic model as high R2 values (0.997–1) were obtained. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG°) demonstrated that the CR adsorption over BCAC was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic in nature. In addition, the state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) approaches namely, support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural network (ANN) were employed for modeling the BCAC adsorbent for CR removal. The statistical analysis revealed high prediction performance of SVR model with AARE value of 0.0491 and RMSE value of 0.4635 while the corresponding values for the ANN model were 0.0781 and 0.5395, respectively. Furthermore, the plots between experimental CR data and ML forecasted data were closely matched (R2 > 0.99). Thus, it can be concluded that BC, an agro waste could be utilized for CR removal and that the adoption of ML approaches can benefit users by providing them with a tool to enhance the design and performance of wastewater treatment operations.

The hybridization of plant cellulose fillers in polymeric laminates is applied in different applications because of several benefits. The present investigation deals with the fabrication of four other eight-layer laminates by reinforcing bio fillers (coir, sisal, and hemp), Titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticles, and ranging the stacking sequence of synthetic fabrics (carbon, Kevlar, Basalt, and Innegra) with bio/synthetic epoxy from wet layup technique. The fabricated laminate's characteristics were appraised by examining density, porosity, water absorption, flexural, impact strength, shore hardness, and thermal stability. It was observed from the experimental outcomes that the 3F8LTSE (Sisal, hemp, coir fillers, 2 layers of Carbon, Kevlar, Basalt, Innegra fabrics, and Titanium carbide reinforced synthetic epoxy) composite exhibited higher mechanical characteristics with a higher flexural strength (312.58 MPa), impact strength (35.13 kJ/m2), and shore D hardness (84.95), and decreased water absorption capacity by justifying its adequate for lightweight structures. The scanning electron microscope displayed the fiber pull out, debonding, and dispersion of fillers within the matrix of the composite. The current study also evaluates the prediction and performance of the artificial neural network (ANN) to model the physical, mechanical and thermal characteristics of bio/synthetic epoxy hybrid composites. However, the ANN model was more precise and proved that it is a primary method to optimize the properties of the fabricated bio/synthetic epoxy laminate.

The synthesis of Polypyrrole (PPy)/TiO2/ZnO composites involved a chemical oxidative polymerization process, wherein the addition of TiO2/ZnO was varied from 1 to 10 wt%. The composites' photocatalytic capabilities, supercapacitor performance, and potential use as a nitrite sensor were thoroughly assessed, alongside investigations into their photoluminescence (PL) and morphological characteristics. The strong interaction between TiO2/ZnO and PPy was confirmed using FTIR, UV–Vis, and PL spectroscopy techniques. The composites demonstrated aggregated and spherical-shaped morphological features investigated by FESEM. Such morphological structures of the composites were distinct from the TiO2/ZnO (rod-like) and similar to PPy structure (spherical). However, such composites showed dominating spherical-shaped morphology ensuring a diameter in the range of 50–200 nm. The PPy/TiO2/ZnO composites exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in methylene blue (MB) removal, achieving a range of 88–93% compared to PPy alone, which only achieved 77.2% MB removal. The Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) data exhibited a promising hybrid supercapacitor performance of the composites with a high capacitance value, good energy density, as well as an excellent power density. The fabricated supercapacitor was capable of lightened up a single red 5 mm LED for a few minutes, indicating the commendable energy storage capacity. A newly developed PPy/TiO2/ZnO composite is potentially used to develop as a sensor probe for the detection of nitrite chemicals using the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) technique in three electrodes system in room conditions. It is found an excellent sensor results in terms of sensitivity as well as detection limit and satisfactory results when validated with the real samples. These results offer novel insights into the fabrication of PPy/TiO2/ZnO photocatalysts for addressing organic waste treatment, while also presenting promising prospects for potential applications in supercapacitors and sensors.

Bio-composites have lately established wide applicability in various industrial sectors such as automobile, construction, packaging, and coatings. Due to their global abundance, natural fibers and starch have been one of the most tested raw materials to be utilized as bio-composite reinforcements. This investigation aims to fabricate corn starch (CS) reinforced vetiver cellulose fibers (VCF) composites using the solution casting method. For the VCF reinforcement, alpha (α)-cellulose was synthesized from the vetiver roots and post-converted into nano-cellulose using the ball milling technique. Various compositions comprising 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% (by weight) of this α-cellulose were inserted as reinforcement to commercially available CS matrix. The fabricated composite specimens were put to tensile, water absorption capacity, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle determination tests to evaluate the film properties. Crystallinity and failure morphology analysis of the composites was captured using the X-Ray Diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques, respectively. Results reveal that the incorporation of VCF in the CS matrix domain enhances the mechanical properties of bio-composites. Furthermore, the water absorption capacity decreased, and the contact angle increased; thereby predicting the composite’s potential application as a lightweight food packaging material.

A new type of nickel doped titanium oxide (Ni-TiO2) coated natural cotton fibers (CF) and Ni-TiO2 wrapped sodium alginate (Alg) hydrogel was developed for the efficient reduction of different contaminants. Ni-TiO2 was prepared by low-temperature method and coated on CF using Alg as a binder and entrapped inside Alg hydrogel. Ni-TiO2 coated CF (Ni-TiO2/CF) and Ni-TiO2 wrapped Alg (Ni-TiO2/Alg) were utilized for catalytic elimination of wastewater pollutants. Ni-TiO2/CF and Ni-TiO2/Alg were initially tested as nanocatalysts for reduction of potassium ferricyanide, 4-nitrophenol, congo red, and methylene blue (MB), and exhibited superior catalytic performance toward MB reduction. Different parameters such as catalyst amount, MB concentration, reducing agent amount, and recyclability were optimized. Comparatively, Ni-TiO2/CF revealed the best catalytic performance for MB reduction having the highest reaction rate constant (2.1564 min−1). Ultimately, the catalyst preserved superior activity in recyclability evaluation, confirming that Ni-TiO2/CF is a good catalyst for the efficient removal of MB up to four cycles. Ni-TiO2/CF can more easily be recovered compared to Ni-TiO2/Alg by easily pulling out the fibers from reaction medium, which is the main advantage of Ni-TiO2/CF. Moreover, Ni-TiO2/CF and Ni-TiO2/Alg were examined in real samples, providing the effective reduction of MB. The developed nanocatalyst offers a cost- and time-effective material for environmental safety purpose.

Cellulose is the main component of natural fibers whose content varies greatly depending on the type of plant and its treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the effect of chemical treatment on natural fiber properties. This study successfully extracted the content from Pandan duri (Pandanus tectorius) fiber through alkalization, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The effect of these chemical treatments on the characteristics of fiber surface, shape, chemical composition, crystallinity, and thermal properties was examined and analyzed. Subsequently, the cellulose components in the structure and the removal of lignin groups were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy spectrum analysis. The surface morphology analysis was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that showed the raw fiber surface was still in the structure of bundles. However, it was decomposed into cellulose fibrils after chemical treatment with a diameter of about 2 µm – 20 µm. The chemical composition for cellulose content increased by 90.5%, while hemicellulose decreased by 89.6% after acid hydrolysis treatment. Also, X-ray (XRD) analysis showed crystallinity increased from 39.5% for raw fibers to 67.7% after the hydrolysis. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed higher degradation temperature of micro cellulose offered better thermal stability compared to raw fibers. In conclusion, the cellulose from Pandanus tectorius fiber can be used to reinforce biocomposites as an alternative to synthetic fibers for sustainability of environment.

Untreated and alkali-treated (5% NaOH) Chloris barbata flower fibers (CBFFs) were used to fabricate the composites by hand lay-up method. Novel composite plates were manufactured by changing fiber weight fraction (5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, 20 wt.%, and 25 wt.%), raw and 5% NaOH treated fibers. The impact of NaOH treatment and fiber weight fraction on tensile, flexural, impact, morphological, and thermal properties of CBFF reinforced epoxy composites were examined and reported for the first time in this article. The tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the composites were increased up to 20 wt. % fiber additions and after that dropped. After the tensile testing, broken cross-sections of the composites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed that NaOH treated CBFF reinforced composite has better interfacial bonding and lesser voids. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR), and Atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis of composites also pointed out that alkali-treated CBFF is a suitable material for reinforcement with the epoxy polymer matrix.

Microwave irradiation is used in this study to synthesize poly (acrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)/chitosan (P(AM-co-HEMA)/chitosan) semi-IPN hydrogels, which are synthesized using one-pot polymerization techniques with ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. The first step was to synthesize a (P(AM-co-HEMA) network in a chitosan aqueous solution, which formed a semi-IPN structure. Nanocomposite membranes of P(AM-co-HEMA)/chitosan membranes with varying Zinc oxide concentrations i.e. 2.5, 5, and 10 wt. % gravimetrically were tested for gas permeability measurements of pure oxygen gas at feed pressures ranging from 1 to 20 kg/cm2. The permeability of the membranes to oxygen ranged from 0.0963 to 0.2634 Barrer for the pristine Poly (Acrylamide-co-2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate)/Chitosan Semi-IPN membrane, and 5 and 10 wt. % ZnO loaded blend membranes showed good resistance and zero permeability at feed pressures of 1–5 kg/cm2 and 0.0341 to 0.0364 Barrer for 10 wt. % ZnO loaded blend membranes by increasing the feed pressures at the feed chamber. The nanocomposite membranes were tested for antimicrobial properties and found to be a more effective antimicrobial material. The results of the soil burial tests show that the prepared membranes are biodegradable. Mechanical strength is exceptional under normal conditions.

In order to prepare fiber-type nanohybrid composites for electrochemical and antimicrobial applications, polypyrrole was combined with carboxymethylcellulose and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PPy/CMC/MWCNTS). These composite materials were synthesized using ultrasonication and in situ polymerization. By using analytical methods, the structure and morphology of the synthesized nanohybrid composite material were confirmed. Slurry of fiber-type PPY/CMC/MWCNT composites synthesized in ethanol was deposited as a thin-uniform layer with conductive nafion (5% ethanolic solution of nafion) binder. Based on electrochemical measurements in a phosphate buffer medium, Sb3+ ions have linear responses between 0.1 nM and 0.01 mM, which is known as linear dynamic range (LDR). A sensor’s sensitivity (22.4304 µAµM−1cm−2) is calculated using the LDR slope by considering the GCE surface area (0.0316 cm2). A signal-to-noise ratio of 3 is used to estimate the lower limit of detection which is equal to 96.82 ± 4.84 pM. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the obtained polypyrrole/carboxymethylcellulose/MWCNT composite has also been evaluated “against Gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis along with S. aureus, as well as Gram-negative bacteria, P. aeruginosa along with Escherichia coli by utilizing” autoclave of agar media. In electrochemical analysis, the proposed Sb3+ cationic sensor exhibits appreciable reproducibility, response time, stability, and outstanding outcome in analysis of real samples. In the field of metal ion sensor, this reliable method might be prospective in the recent future.

S-scheme-based hydrothermal synthesis of SiO2@CuFe2O4-AgI composites was effectively described in this work. The photo-degradation of hazardous dyes like methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) was utilized to test nanocomposites with variable weight percent of AgI for photocatalytic activity in the visible range. In terms of photocatalytic activity, SiO2@CuFe2O4-AgI with a 15% AgI loading beat both pure and hybrid composites. In terms of MO degradation, the hybrid composite with 15% AgI loading degrades 16 times and 8 times faster than pristine CuFe2O4 and AgI samples, respectively, while in terms of MB degradation, it degrades 18.67 times faster and 9.33 times faster than pristine samples. The increased surface area decreased the recombination rate of photogenerated e− -h+ pairs, quicker separation of photogenerated carriers, and high redox capacity of SiO2@CuFe2O4-AgI (15%) all contribute to improved photocatalytic performance. The hybrid composite is chemically stable and reusable even after 10 cycles. Because of the coordinated Fermi level between CuFe2O4 and AgI, SiO2 acts as a transfer bridge for electrons in a layered structure. Furthermore, the scavenger experiment demonstrates that •O2-, •OH, and h+ are significant reactive species that efficiently aided the photodegradation of dyes. Current research proposes a novel and cost-efficient method for creating a stable semiconductor-based photocatalytic system and a viable strategy for future applications.

Recently, bio-based composites are the prominent material to replace several synthetic fiber-based composites because of their abundant availability, ecological, biodegradable, and sustainable properties. This study aims to examine the use of new natural fibers, which were extracted from the Momordica charantia plant stem as reinforcement in polymer composites. The results showed that the Momordica charantia fibers had cellulose content (61.2 %), density (1339 ± 6.4 kg/m3), fiber diameter (198 ± 3.9 µm). The thermal studies using thermogravimetric analysis revealed the degradation temperature as 339.1°C with a char residue of 21% at 600°C. The results of this work confirmed that the properties of the Momordica charantia plant stem fibers are suitable materials as a reinforcement for the development of the biocomposite for potential applications.

Ni nanoparticles (≈ 8 nm) have been prepared at about 15 wt% loading strongly grafted on N-doped graphitic carbon matrix [Ni@(N)C] by pyrolysis of Ni(OAc)2 adsorbed on chitosan. Ni@(N)C was used as catalyst for H2 storage/release on N-ethylcarbazole (EC). Ni@(N)C exhibits higher H2 storage capacity than analogous Ni nanoparticles (NPs) supported on silica. The addition of minute amounts (18 ppm) of Pt increases significantly the H2 storage/release activity of Ni@(N)C due to effect of Pt promoting H spill over the Ni NPs. There is no linear correlation between Pt concentration and hydrogenation/dehydrogenation activity of Ni@(N)C, the lowest Pt loading (18 ppm) resulting in the most efficient Pt/Ni@(N)C for hydrogenation-dehydrogenation of EC. This fact was attributed to the presence of small Pt clusters or single atoms, while higher concentration would correspond to a less-efficient larger cluster regime. The most efficient Pt/Ni@(N)C-18 catalyst was used for four consecutive hydrogenation/dehydrogenation cycles, exhibiting some fatigue in the H2 storage/release of the same EC batch that was attributed to the increase in the product mixture complexity upon cycling, with the formation of some intermediates that undergo more difficult hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reaction as well as partial catalyst deactivation. After four cycles, (Pt)Ni@(N)C exhibits in the fifth use a H2 storage capacity of 5.2 wt%, somewhat lower than the 5.8 wt% H2 capacity of the fresh sample, while no changes in the XRD, TEM and XPS characterization of the five-times used catalyst compared to the fresh material is observed.

Energy conversion has become an important technology for meeting energy production and consumption in the modern era. Water splitting and solar cell technologies are projected to close the gap between demand and consumption. Therefore, XGaO3 (X = Ba and Cs) compounds having characteristics i.e., electrical, optical, mechanical, and structural are depicted by using a density functional theory (DFT) based CASTEP software with ultrasoft pseudo-potential plane-wave and Generalized Gradient Approximation and Perdew Burke Ernzerhof exchange correlation functional (GGA-PBE). According to the findings, all of these compounds have a cubic “pm3m” structure with space group 221. The CsGaO3 and BaGaO3 have direct and indirect band gaps, with respect to electronic band-structure recreations. Density of states like total density of states (TDOS) and partial density of states (PDOS) commend the extent of localization of electrons in numerous bands. The optical properties of these compounds are explored by adjusting dispersion curve/relation for theoretical dielectric function (DF) scale to the corresponding peaks. As a result, these materials could be used to consume light in the visible zone via photo catalysis. CsGaO3 in combination with BaGaO3 can produce effective results, so these compounds have a remarkable potential application for sensing and water splitting.

Summary: The future of energy generation is well in tune with the critical needs of the global economy, leading to more green innovations and emissions-abatement technologies. Introducing concentrated photovoltaics (CPVs) is one of the most promising technologies owing to its high photo-conversion efficiency. Although most researchers use silicon and cadmium telluride for CPV, we investigate the potential in nascent technologies, such as perovskite solar cell (PSC). This work constitutes a preliminary investigation into a “large-area” PSC module under a Fresnel lens (FL) with a “refractive optical concentrator-silicon-on-glass” base to minimize the PV performance and scalability trade-off concerning the PSCs. The FL-PSC system measured the solar current-voltage characteristics in variable lens-to-cell distances and illuminations. The PSC module temperature was systematically studied using the COMSOL transient heat transfer mechanism. The FL-based technique for “large-area” PSC architectures is a promising technology that further facilitates the potential for commercialization.

Every day, the risk of water pollution grows. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of the population of poor countries suffers from health problems linked to chemically or microbially contaminating drinkable water. Here in the present study, powder of taro-rhizome was used for preparation of supported bimetallic catalyst (Ag-Cu/TP). Characterization techniques used for analysis were XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR and EDS. The prepared catalyst was then used in the catalytic reduction of chemical pollutants, including 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP), 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), methyl orange (MO), Acid Red 27 or amaranth (AM), Congo red (CR), Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl red (MR). Turnover frequency was calculated for nitrophenol reductions, which were 0.98 min−1 for 2-NP and 3.45 min−1 for 4-NP. The Ag-Cu/TP catalyst shows outstanding performance and 99.4% of 4-NP was reduced just in 5 min with pseudo-first order constant of 5.24 × 10−3s−1, while 97% reduction of 2-NP took 17 min with the pseudo-first order constant of 1.01 × 10−3s−1. The prepared Ag-Cu/TP catalyst was packed into a glass column and organic dyes containing water were filtered through it to test the cleaning effectiveness of water from dyes. Excellent dye reduction was achieved. The prepared column reactor works excellent in the remediation of dyes and reduces about 68.7% CR. In addition, stability and reusability study showed exceptional reusability up to 5 times with very small loss of activity and was stable for up to 10 days.

The purpose of this review article is to summarize previous research works done on polymer composites filled with various types of nitride compounds for potential applications, specially for electronic and thermal management applications. It includes the general structure and introduction to nitride compounds, the assessment of nitride compounds filled polymer composites, and their relevant applications. The current industry's heat and electrical equipment requirements are lightweight, low cost, compactness, mechanical properties as well as superior thermal and electrical properties. The aluminum and copper-based materials show an excellent properties, but they are expensive and heavy. Hence, polymers are preferred in place of metals due to their recyclability, low cost, and sufficient mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties suitable for various applications. Further addition of nitride compounds such as boron nitride (BN), silicon nitride (Si3N4), carbon nitride (C3N4), aluminum nitride (AlN), and titanium nitride (TiN) to these polymers boost the overall mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of the resultant composites. These conductive nitride compounds addition gives a major contribution to the thermal conductivity and dielectric properties enhancement in the polymer composites. In this review article, an attempt is made to summarize and explore brief results and key points of previous research works done on the nitride compounds loaded polymer composites. This review will be beneficial and motivate the current, upcoming researchers to conduct innovative works related to nitride compounds filled polymer composites to increase the applicability in various sectors.

Optimized surface-type impedimetric and capacitive proximity sensors have been fabricated on paper substrates by using rubbing-in technology. The orange dye (OD) and silicone glue (SG) composite-gel films were deposited on the zig-zag gap between two aluminum electrodes fixed on a paper (dielectric) substrate. The effect of proximity of various objects (receivers) on the impedance and the capacitance of the sensors was investigated. These objects were semi-cylindrical aluminum (metallic) foil, a cylindrical plastic tube filled with water, a kopeck-shaped plastic tube filled with carbon nanotubes and a human finger. The mechanism of sensing was based on the change in impedance and/or the capacitance of the sensors with variation of proximity between the surfaces of the sensor and the object. On decreasing proximity, the impedance of the sensors increased while the capacitance decreased. The impedimetric proximity sensitivities of CNT, water, metal-based receivers and the finger were up to 60 × 103 Ω/mm, 35 × 103 Ω/mm, 44 × 103 Ω/mm and 6.2 × 103 Ω/mm, respectively, while their capacitive sensitivities were −19.0 × 10−2 pF/mm, −16.0 × 10−2 pF/mm, −16.4 × 10−2 pF/mm and −1.8 × 10−2 pF/mm. If needed for practical application, the sensors can be built in to the Wheatstone bridge, which can also increase the sensitivity of the measurement. Moreover, the sensor’s materials are low cost, while the fabrication technique is easy and ecologically friendly. The sensor can also be used for demonstrative purposes in school and college laboratories.

The growing environmental awareness toward the replacement of non-biodegradable materials with biodegradable materials has led many researchers for looking at many bio-based materials to suit various applications. This study objective to evaluate the morphology and properties of fibers extracted from Citrullus lanatus climber. The physical-chemical, thermal, mechanical, crystalline, morphological characteristics of Citrullus lanatus climber fibers were examined by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), single fiber tension test, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The test results showed cellulose content (53.7 wt. %), density (1227 kg/m3), crystallinity index (33.33%) which prove that Citrullus lanatus climber fibers can be used as reinforcement for light-weight medium load applications.

Synthesis of Y(III) phosphate-functionalized polyaniline nanocomposite (PANI@Y(III)PO4) was achieved through sol–gel method. The synthesized PANI@Y(III)PO4 was characterized by various techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)-Differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) and direct current (DC) electrical conductivity. Efficient employment for the nanocomposite as modifier glassy carbon electrode was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclicvoltametry (CV). The modified electrode showed a powerful enhancing effect and great stability in electrochemical sensing of the heavy metal ion Pb(II), giving an anodic peak current with a formal potential of - 0.195 V in acetic solution. The electrochemical parameters of the proposed sensor such as exchange current density (ⅉ0), active surface area of PANI@Y(III)PO4 modified GCE (A), surface coverage (Γ) of Pb (II) on the surface of PANI@Y(III)PO4, transfer coefficient (α) and number of electrons (n) involved in the electro-reduction, were found to be 92.21 μA cm-2, 0.27 cm2, 3.24×10-7 mol cm-2, 0.26 and 1.6 ≈ 2, respectively. Two voltametric techniques namely CV and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) studies exhibited that the anodic peak current was linearly dependent on the concentration of Pb(II) with a broad dynamic range of 2.85–199.92 μM and 2.85–62.85 μM, respectively. However, the LSV method showed the highest sensitivity (5.58 μA μM-1 Cm-2) and the lowest detection limit (0.04 μM).

Abstract Clean energy is highly needed at this time when the energy requirements are rapidly increasing. The observed increasing energy requirement are largely due to continued industrialization and global population explosion. The current means of energy source is not sustainable because of several reasons, most importantly, environmental pollution and human health deterioration due to burning of fossil fuels. Therefore, this study develops a new catalyst for hydrogen and oxygen evolution by water splitting as a potential energy vector. The binary metal oxide catalyst CdFe2O4 was synthesized by the solventless solid-mechanical alloying method. The as-prepared catalyst was well characterized by several methods including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform infrared red spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS). The as-prepared catalyst, CdFe2O4 was successfully applied for water electrolysis at a moderate overpotential (470 mV). Specifically, the onset potential for the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER) were 1.6 V/RHE and 0.2 V/RHE respectively (vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode). The electrode potential required to reach 10 mA/cm-2 for OER (in alkaline medium) and HER (in acidic medium) was 1.70 V/RHE (corresponding to overpotential η = 0.47 and − 0.30 V/RHE (η = − 0.30 V) respectively. Similarly, the developed OER and HER catalyst displayed high current and potential stability for a period of 12 h. This approach is seen as the right track of making water electrolysis for hydrogen energy feasible through provision of low-energy requirement for the electrolytic process. Therefore, CdFe2O4 is a potential water splitting catalyst for hydrogen evolution which is a clean fuel and an antidote for world dependence on fossil fuel for energy generation.

Due to environmental problems by the use of synthetic fibers in composite materials, researchers are more concerned with searching for eco-friendly materials. Consequently, the use of reinforcing fibers of natural origin is the best option that promotes the obtaining of materials that do not harm the environment. This paper presents characterization of Cortaderia selloana grass (Pampas) fibers by physical-chemical analysis, FTIR, XRD, thermogravimetric analysis, single fiber tensile test and SEM analysis. Diameter (372.6 µm), density (1261 kg/m3), cellulose content (53.7 wt.%), crystallinity index (22%), tensile strength (20 ± 1.0 MPa), Young’s modulus (8.88 GPa), and thermal stability (320°C) properties were identified in the Cortaderia selloana grass (Pampas) fibers. Overall properties of these fibers showed that it could be an alternative source as reinforcement material for the manufacture of composite materials.

Amorphous iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) possess manifold applications in biomedical field owing to their unique physiochemical properties. Herein, a feasible green synthesis of Fe NPs is described employing choline chloride (ChCl) and sucrose (SR) based deep eutectic solvent (DES) as a stabilizing as well as capping agent. Stabilized Fe NPs were attained using precursors like ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3.6H2O) and ferrous chloride tetrahydrate (FeCl2.4H2O) via co-precipitation method with potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a reducing agent. UV–Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) demonstrated characteristic broad absorption around 400–600 nm which illustrates the emergence of nanoparticles. Micrographs of the prepared material examined by electron microscopies (SEM, TEM), depicts spherical with size ranging from 80 to 180 nm. This was further reinforced with dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Low magnetization value demonstrated the superparamagnetic behaviour of the amorphous Iron nanoparticles which is notable for biomedical applications such as magnetic hyperthermia and localized drug delivery. Additionally; the characterized Fe NPs degrades rhodamine B (Rh B), a carcinogenic dye upto 96.06% within 30 min under UV light illumination, thus evidencing its usage by scientific community as suitable nanomaterial for dye removal from contaminated water samples. Antibacterial studies of the amorphous Fe NPs showed maximum zone of inhibition and activity index against waterborne pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli. The obtained results showed that the Fe NPs are capable of inhibiting the growth of both Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, cytotoxic effects of amorphous Fe NPs against HCT 116 and CCL 241 cancer cells exhibit dose dependent antiproliferation. The results proved that the amorphous Fe NPs can endure as a potential entrant for waste water management and treatment of cancer.

Pollution problem increases with the same face as the industrial development. One of the toxic ingredients of these industrial effluents is the organic dyes. Zinc oxide/Graphene oxide nanocomposite (ZnO-GNc) was synthesized in aqueous solution by mixing ultrasonically various compositions. The prepared ZnO-GNc nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX and TEM. XRD of Graphene oxide (GO) showed their crystalline nature and the average size was 3.54, 18.98 and 15.47 nm for GO, ZnO, and ZnO-GNc respectively. An active toxic and stable dye, Methyl red (MR) was employed as the target pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of ZnO-GNc. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO-GNc nanocomposite was compared with that of zinc oxide (ZnO) and GO. The effect of some parameters, dye concentration, pH and temperature of dye solution were studied. The kinetic studies show that the process of MR photocatalytic discoloration by ZnO-GNc followed first-order reaction kinetics under different conditions with the rate constant of 2.2 × 10−2 s−1. The possible reasons for the high values of photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO-GNc may be due to the improved charge passage and separation.

Herein, a newly developed non-noble metal water splitting catalyst based on NiCuCoS3 was reported. Water splitting catalysts are largely developed with noble-based transition metals to lower the energy requirement for the overall water splitting reactions. However, the high cost of precious metal-based catalyst necessitated ongoing search for cheap and efficient oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts. NiCuCoS3 were prepared by solventless solid state method and was well characterized by several techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform infrared red spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS). The as-prepared NiCuCoS3 was applied for water splitting activities with satisfactory performance. The onset for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH was noticed at the electrode potential E = 1.78 V/RHE (vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode corresponding to an overpotential η = 0.55 V, with a current density of 10 mA cm−2 obtained at E = 1.92 V/RHE (η = 0.69 V). Similarly, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occurred at an onset of E = −0.58 V/RHE, with a current density of 10 mA/cm2 obtained at E = 0.60 V/RHE (with η equal to E vs. RHE for the HER). Likewise, OER and HER had Tafel slopes (130 mV/dec and −116 mV/dec respectively). The developed catalyst also showed high stability as established by linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry. This approach is seen as the right track of making water electrolysis for hydrogen energy feasible through provision of low-energy requirement for electrolytic process.

Water serves as a key component in the basis of life to function and evolve unceasingly. Excessive deterioration of fresh water resources through discarding enormous amounts of dye effluents is becoming a problem of concern. In this work we report a conventional solid-state technique improved with choline chloride: urea DES medium in 1:2 ratio for synthesizing pure calcium titanate (CTO) and lanthanum doped calcium titanate (LaxCa1-xTiO3; x = 0.0 and 0.5). Both the materials were subjected to photocatalytically degrade reactive dyes RB5, RR198 and RY145. La-doped calcium titanate showed effective degradation efficiency when compared to the pure calcium titanate. On increasing the concentration of the dye, the efficiency of degradation declined gradually. Also, the efficiency was assessed to be greatest for RY145 followed by RR198 and lastly RB5. Efficiency dependence on different pH exposed the enhanced degradation in acidic medium and comparatively lowered pH in basic medium. Recyclability was highly satisfying and promising to validate the real-time applicability of the catalyst.

Here, we have designed an efficient multipurpose photocatalytic system based on iron-doped tin oxide (Fe-SnO2) which exhibited excellent catalytic activity toward dyes degradation and hydrogen production. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. Fe-SnO2 was tested in degradation of different dyes i.e., congo red (CR), acridine orange (ArO) and methyl orange (MO) and among these dyes, Fe-SnO2 was more efficient and selective toward CR which was degraded more than 95% in 30 min. Further, the catalytic efficiency of Fe-SnO2 was also evaluated toward photocatalytic hydrogen generation from aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol, propanol, potassium hydroxide and Na2S + Na2SO3, where Fe-SnO2 displayed high catalytic activity toward hydrogen generation from methanol solution under sunlight. Moreover, the catalytic activity of Fe-SnO2 toward CR degradation and hydrogen production was optimized by using different combinations of operating conditions and no major loss in activity was observed upon running the same photocatalyst sample in different batches.

Polymeric rubber and organic semiconductor H2Pc-CNT-composite-based surface- and sandwich-type shockproof deformable infrared radiation (IR) sensors were fabricated using a rubbing-in technique. CNT and CNT-H2Pc (30:70 wt.%) composite layers were deposited on a polymeric rubber substrate as electrodes and active layers, respectively. Under the effect of IR irradiation (0 to 3700 W/m2), the resistance and the impedance of the surface-type sensors decreased up to 1.49 and 1.36 times, respectively. In the same conditions, the resistance and the impedance of the sandwich-type sensors decreased up to 1.46 and 1.35 times, respectively. The temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) of the surface- and sandwich-type sensors are 1.2 and 1.1, respectively. The novel ratio of the H2Pc-CNT composite ingredients and comparably high value of the TCR make the devices attractive for bolometric applications meant to measure the intensity of infrared radiation. Moreover, given their easy fabrication and low-cost materials, the fabricated devices have great potential for commercialization.

The objective of the present work deals among synthesis as well as characterization of Ni(II), Cd(II) mixed ligand complex were derived from 2,4 di-nitrophenyl hydrazine and dimethyl glyoxime. The mixed ligand metal complexes were prepared via 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine as well as dimethylglyoxime among Ni(II) and Cd(II) in molar radio (M:L1:L1) 1:1:1. CHNO analysis, conductivity measurement, PXRD, SEM, UV–visible, infrared spectrum, and magnetic susceptibility, thermal analysis were used to characterized the synthesized compounds. According to the study of the results, all of the metal complexes have octahedral geometry. The molar conductance value indicate that non-electrolytic character of compounds Ni(II), Cd(II). According to the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns, all of the compounds are crystalline character. Moreover the Ni(II), Cd(II) complexes were very stable in terms of thermal stability. Metal complexes have been tested against Gram-positive (S. aureus, B. subtilis and A. niger) and Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa, E. coli and C. albicans) pathogenic bacteria as well as fungus. As a result, the metal complexes have reported strong antimicrobial efficiency. Conclusions: Furthermore, applications of metal compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory efficiency utilize egg albumin. Result shows that the activities of metal complexes are good.

Despite metal oxides offer excellent characteristics in the field of photocatalysis, they often suffer from charge carrier recombination as well as limited visible response, which indeed reduce the charge kinetics process and ultimately reduce the photocatalytic output. Defect engineering is a sophisticated technique to manufacture defects and alter the geometric structure and chemical environment of the host. The present study provides an all-inclusive outline of recent developments on the classification of metal oxide defects based on the dimensions of a host crystal lattice. Precisely, surface modification of metal oxides through 0D (point), 1D (line), 2D (planar), and 3D (volume) defects with their subsequent mechanism and impact on photocatalytic performance are presented. By wisely amending the morphology (cores along with the shells) and electronic structure of metal oxide photocatalysts (TiO2, ZnO, Bi2O3, Fe2O4 etc.) through different attuned and veritable approaches, their photocatalytic activity can be substantially improved. Optimal studies on defect engineering not only expose the altered physicochemical features but also modulate the electron-hole pair dynamics, stability, and active radical production for various photoredox reactions. Altered atomic, as well as electronic configuration, facilitated a photocatalyst material to have different optical features, adsorption properties along with improved carrier transfer as well as isolation rate. Thus, the systematic exploration of photocatalytic rudiments of defect rich metal oxide for various applications such as H2 evolution, CO2 reduction, pollutant degradation, and bacterial disinfection could bring significant research advancement in this field.

The natural fiber reinforced polymeric composites have found to be an excellent substitute for synthetic fiber based polymeric composites and are being widely utilized in several advanced engineering applications. The present experimental work deals with randomly oriented Indian mallow fiber/polyester (IMFP) composites which are fabricated by compression moulding method by varying the fiber wt. % from 10 to 50%. The prepared IMFP specimens were evaluated through various mechanical and thermal properties and the results showed that better properties were obtained in specimens with 50 wt. % fiber content. The optimum tensile strength and modulus was about 46 MPa and 3.56 GPa respectively, while the elongation at break was 1.39%. The optimum flexural and impact strength are estimated to be around 111 MPa and 14 kJ/m2 respectively. The heat deflection test (HDT) displayed that temperature withstands up to 84 °C at 50 wt. % of fiber content. The surface morphologies of the fractured composite specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The overall results confirmed the suitability of the present specimens to be employed in various light weight applications.

Generally, our ecosystem is continuously contaminated as a result of anthropogenic activities that form the basis of our comfort in our routine life. Thus, most scientists are engaged in the development of new technologies that can be used in environmental remediation. Herein, highly calcined binary metal oxide (Er2O3@NiO) semiconductor nanocomposite (NC) was synthesized using a classical wet chemical process with the intention to both detect and degrade the toxic chemicals in an aqueous medium using a novel electrochemical current–potential (I–V) approach for the first time. Optical, morphological, and structural properties of the newly synthesized semiconductor NC were also studied in detail using FT-IR, UV/Vis., FESEM-EDS, XPS, BET, EIS, and XRD techniques. Then, a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) based on the newly synthesized semiconductor nanocomposite (Er2O3@NiO-NC/Nafion/GCE) as a selective electrochemical sensor was fabricated with the help of 5% ethanolic-Nafion as the conducting polymer binder in order to both detect and electro-hydrolyze toxic chemicals in an aqueous medium. Comparative study showed that this newly developed Er2O3@NiO-NC/Nafion/GCE was found to be very selective against m-tolyl hydrazine (m-Tolyl HDZN) and to have good affinity in the presence of other interfering toxic chemicals. Analytical parameters were also studied in this approach to optimize the newly designed Er2O3@NiO-NC/Nafion/GCE as an efficient and selective m-Tolyl HDZN sensor. Its limit of detection (LOD) at an SNR of 3 was calculated as 0.066 pM over the linear dynamic range (LDR) of our target analyte concentration (0.1 pM–0.1 mM). The limit of quantification (LOQ) and sensitivity were also calculated as 0.22 pM and 14.50 µAµM−1cm−2, respectively. m-Tolyl HDZN is among the toxic chemicals in our ecosystem that have lethal effects in living beings. Therefore, this newly designed electrochemical sensor based on semiconductor nanostructure material offers, for the first time, a cost-effective technique, in addition to long-term stability, that can be used as an alternative for efficiently probing other toxic chemicals in real samples.

The world is suffering from heavy pollution because of synthetic petrochemical plastic used in our daily activities. A possible solution is the use of bioplastic synthesized from natural renewable resources. The present work investigates the development and characterization of polymer bioplastic using ginger tea and green tea to decrease the adverse effect of petrochemical plastic waste for versatile applications. Two kinds of bioplastic samples were produced with two types of tea, ginger tea and green tea, using glycerol, vinegar, starch, and water. SEM (scanning electron microscopy), FTIR (Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy), mechanical (tensile), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), and time tests of bioplastic degradation analysis were carried out to evaluate the morphological, mechanical, and thermal behaviors of the synthesized tea bioplastics. The research result showed ginger tea bioplastic had a maximum tensile strength of 2.9 MPa and a minimum elongation of 7.46 mm. More than 78% of degradation occurred in ginger bioplastic within 30 days. Compatible thermal and morphological characteristics are also observed in the prepared bioplastic samples.

Currently, polymer organic solar cells (POSCs) are widely utilized due to their significant application, such as low-cost power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). Therefore, we designed a series of photovoltaic materials (D1, D2, D3, D5 and D7) by the incorporation of selenophene units (n = 1–7) as π1-spacers by considering the importance of POSCs. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were accomplished at MPW1PW91/6-311G (d, p) functional to explore the impact of additional selenophene units on the photovoltaic behavior of the above-mentioned compounds. A comparative analysis was conducted for designed compounds and reference compounds (D1). Reduction in energy gaps (∆E = 2.399 − 2.064 eV) with broader absorption wavelength (λmax = 655.480 − 728.376 nm) in chloroform along with larger charge transference rate was studied with the addition of selenophene units as compared to D1. A significantly higher exciton dissociation rate was studied as lower values of binding energy (Eb = 0.508 − 0.362 eV) were noted in derivatives than in the reference (Eb = 0.526 eV). Moreover, transition density matrix (TDM) and density of state (DOS) data also supported the efficient charge transition origination from HOMOs to LUMOs. Open circuit voltage (Voc) was also calculated for all the aforesaid compounds to check the efficiency, and significant results were seen (1.633–1.549 V). All the analyses supported our compounds as efficient POSCs materials with significant efficacy. These compounds might encourage the experimental researchers to synthesize them due to proficient photovoltaic materials.

In this work, we have developed novel beads based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) encapsulated copper oxide-titanium oxide (CuO-TiO2) nanocomposite (CMC/CuO-TiO2) via Al+3 cross-linking agent. The developed CMC/CuO-TiO2 beads were applied as a promising catalyst for the catalytic reduction of organic and inorganic contaminants; nitrophenols (NP), methyl orange (MO), eosin yellow (EY) and potassium hexacyanoferrate (K3[Fe(CN)6]) in the presence of reducing agent (NaBH4). CMC/CuO-TiO2 nanocatalyst beads exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of all selected pollutants (4-NP, 2-NP, 2,6-DNP, MO, EY and K3[Fe(CN)6]). Further, the catalytic activity of beads was optimized toward 4-nitrophenol with varying its concentrations and testing different concentrations of NaBH4. Beads stability, reusability, and loss in catalytic activity were investigated using the recyclability method, in which the CMC/CuO-TiO2 nanocomposite beads were tested several times for the reduction of 4-NP. As a result, the designed CMC/CuO-TiO2 nanocomposite beads are strong, stable, and their catalytic activity has been proven.

Abstract X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a member of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family responsible for neutralizing the caspases-3, caspases-7, and caspases-9. Overexpression of the protein decreased the apoptosis process in the cell and resulting development of cancer. Different types of XIAP antagonists are generally used to repair the defective apoptosis process that can eliminate carcinoma from living bodies. The chemically synthesis compounds discovered till now as XIAP inhibitors exhibiting side effects, which is making difficulties during the treatment of chemotherapy. So, the study has design to identifying new natural compounds that are able to induce apoptosis by freeing up caspases and will be low toxic. To identify natural compound, a structure-based pharmacophore model to the protein active site cavity was generated following by virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Initially, seven hit compounds were retrieved and based on molecular docking approach four compounds has chosen for further evaluation. To confirm stability of the selected drug candidate to the target protein the MD simulation approach were employed, which confirmed stability of the three compounds. Based on the finding, three newly obtained compounds namely Caucasicoside A (ZINC77257307), Polygalaxanthone III (ZINC247950187), and MCULE-9896837409 (ZINC107434573) may serve as lead compounds to fight against the treatment of XIAP related cancer, although further evaluation through wet lab is necessary to measure the efficacy of the compounds.

To improve the application of surfactants and polymers, the knowledge of the interaction of surfactant with polymer is essential. Therefore, the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with a typical cationic surfactant, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) was investigated using the conductivity measurement method in aq. alcohols solutions having numerous alcohols concentrations at definite temperature (310.55 K) and the same alcohols concentration at variable temperatures (300.55–323.55 K). The types and extent of interactions between BSA and TTAB have been detected from the variation of critical micelle concentration (CMC) for the studied system. The CMC has been achieved from the plots of conductivity against TTAB concentration. One CMC was achieved for the TTAB + BSA mixture in all aq. alcohols media. The CMC values experience a change with the variation of alcohol contents and temperature of the study medium. The extent of micelle ionization (α), counter ions binding (β), and thermodynamic variables such as free energy (ΔGm0), enthalpy (ΔHm0) and entropy (ΔSm0) of micellization were computed from the standard thermodynamic formulae and demonstrated in detail. The ΔGm0 values were found negative which pointed out the spontaneous attitude of the aggregation process. Here, the intrinsic enthalpy gain (ΔHm0,∗) and the compensation temperature (Tc) were also evaluated and explained. The estimated parameters reveal the presence of interaction among the studied components which is dependent on solvent composition and temperature.

For the photocatalytic degradation of the organic dyes present in wastewater, the ternary composites of metal-oxides nanopowders of zinc-iron-calcium (Zn-Fe-Ca), zinc-iron-antimony (Zn-Fe-Sb), zinc-iron-titanium (Zn-Fe-Ti) and zinc-iron-cobalt (Zn-Fe-Co) were synthesized and characterized by different instruments. The average particle size of the Zn-Fe-Ca and Zn-Fe-Ti mixed-oxides nanopowders was 10 ± 5 nm and that of Zn-Fe-Sb nanopowder was 20 ± 10 nm. The flakes of Zn-Fe-Co nanopowder were 10 ± 5 nm thick and 100 nm to 300 nm long. All the mixed-oxides were utilized for photocatalytic degradation of acridine orange (AO) where Zn-Fe-Sb degraded the 98 % of acridine orange (AO), within 20 min, while the same level of degradation was attained by Zn-Fe-Ti and Zn-Fe-Ca mixed-oxides in 80 min and 90 min, respectively. The more efficient Zn-Fe-Sb photocatalyst was further utilized for the degradation of malachite green (MG), brilliant green (BG), methyl orange (MO) and congo red (CR). Zn-Fe-Sb was found to be fast and efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of AO and therefore, the effect of various parameters was studied in detail to optimize the reaction conditions. Moreover, the Zn-Fe-Sb mixed-oxides were used to photodegrade the AO dye in four different environmental water samples (sea, tap and sewage). Keeping in view the practical conditions, a tube-type and funnel-type filters were designed for dynamic purification process using Zn-Fe-Sb mixed-oxides as catalyst under sunlight. The synthesized nanomaterials have great potential to contribute in the wastewater treatment technologies.

In this approach, folic acid (FA) sensor was fabricated with wet-chemically prepared Fe2O3/NiO/Mn2O3 nanoparticles (NPs), which was coated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in the form of thin layers to create the desired sensor. The synthesized NPs were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Tunneling Electron Microscopy (TEM), surface area (BET), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) equipped with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The fabricated sensor, Fe2O3/NiO/Mn2O3 NPs/Nafion/GCE is responded linearly in electrochemical method over 0.1 nM to 0.01 mM of folic acid (FA) and denoted as a dynamic range of detection (LDR). The slope of LDR is designated as the sensor sensitivity, which is appreciable (48.588 µA µM-1 cm−2). The lower limit of FA detection is evaluated at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, and it is equal to 96.89 ± 4.85 pM. The sensor analytical parameters such as stability, reproducibility, sensitivity, response time and long-time stability in buffer phase are found as outstanding. The FA sensor was valued to analyze the biological samples and found acceptable and satisfactory results. This prospective sensor might be an efficient probe for diagnosis of bio-samples in field of health career sector.

Engineering visible light active photocatalytic systems for renewable energy production and environmental remediation has always been a promising technology to counter overall energy demands and pollution challenges. As a fascinating conjugated polymer graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been developed as a hotspot in the research field as a metal-free semiconducting material with the appealing band gap of 2.7 eV. Recently, g-C3N4 has gained tremendous interest in photocatalytic wastewater abatement as well as for hydrogen (H2) generation, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, and pollutant degradation, under exposure to visible light. Plasmonic silver halides (AgX) such as AgCl, AgBr, and AgI as plasmonic photocatalyst have received immense research interest owing to their escalating photocatalytic efficacy and strong surface plasmon resonance effect (SPR). AgX is the photosensitive, broad bandgap semiconducting materials with effectual antimicrobial properties. This review summarizes the heterostructure of carbonaceous g-C3N4 with plasmonic AgX, to reduce the recombination of photo-generated charge carriers, thus enhancing the natural light absorption. g-C3N4 grafted AgX nanoarchitectures can be utilized for several potential applications, for instance, overall water splitting (OWS), CO2 conversion to hydrocarbon fuels, pollutant exclusion, and antibacterial disinfection. This review focuses on the evolution of g-C3N4 as well as AgX, facile, and synthetic routes for fabrication of g-C3N4 tailored AgX, construction of nano-junctions (AgX/g-C3N4) with various photocatalytic applications. Finally, we provided a viewpoint of current hassles and some perceptions of novel trends in this exciting as well as developing research arena.

To search a new drug delivery excipient, this effort deals with the effects of cationic (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) and anionic (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, SDBS) surfactants on the physicochemical properties of the anti-allergic drug (diphenhydramine hydrochloride, DPH). The tensiometric study has been done to find the nature of the interaction between drug and ionic surfactants. Numerous micellar, surface and conforming energetic parameters have been intended from this technique. Several physical models (Clint, Rubingh, Rosen, and Motomura) based on pseudo-phase approximation and regular solution theory, have been applied to compute these meaningful physical parameters. The DPH is a positively charged amphiphilic drug, while CTAB and SDBS are positively and negatively charged surfactants. It is experienced stronger attractive interaction of DPH with SDBS as compared to CTAB.