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A variety of unique compounds have been examined to accommodate the current demand for useful multi‐functional nanomaterials, copper‐based quaternary CZTS semiconductors are one of them. Due to their special characteristic features like non‐toxicity, cheap, and abundance, they have been recommended in recent literature for various applications. Apart from individual CZTS, different hetero‐structures have also been prepared with different compounds which is well discussed and elaborated in this article. Additionally, their preparation methods, properties, and application viability have also been discussed comprehensively. The application of CZTS such as photocatalytic dye degradation and hydrogen evolution reaction has been elaborated on in this article identifying their benefits and challenges to give readers a thorough visualization. Apart from that, challenges reported in studies, a few approaches are also mentioned to possibly counter them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent times research towards solid state supercapacitors (SSS) have increased drastically due to the promising performance in futuristic technologies particularly in portable and flexible electronics like smart watches, smart fabrics, foldable smartphones and tablets. Also, when compared to supercapacitors using liquid electrolyte, solid electrolyte has several advantages like high energy density, safety, high cycle life, flexible form factor, and less environmental impact. The crucial factor determining the sustainability of a technology is the eco‐friendliness since the natural resources are being exploited in a wide scale. Numerous studies have focused on biodegradable materials for supercapacitor electrodes, electrolytes, and other inactive components. Making use of these biodegradable materials to design a SSS enables the technology to sustain for a very long time since biodegradable materials are not only environment friendly but also, they show relatively high performance. This review focuses on recent progress of different biodegradable electrodes, and electrolytes along with their properties, electrochemical performance and biodegradable capabilities for SSS have been analyzed and provides a concise summary enabling readers to understand the importance of biodegradable materials and to narrow down the research in a more rational way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the synthesis of semiconductor selenium nanoparticles/micro-rods (Se-NP/MRs) using the bio-fabrication approach and studies its photocatalytic activity under natural sunlight irradiation. Cabbage leaf extract was used as a reducing agent to fabricate Se-NP/MRs. X-ray diffraction patterns shown the crystalline structure with a crystallite size of 28.17 nm, conferring to planes of hexagonal structure. A characteristic sharp resonance peak in Raman spectra at 235 cm−1 endorsed to the Se – Se bond of crystalline Se-NP/MRs. The prominent peak in the FTIR spectra at 621 cm−1 supported the formation of Se-NP/MRs. Scanning electron micrograph revealed a nearly spherical shape with irregular layers in the 35‒95 nm size range. In contrast, the dimension of the micro-rods was observed to be ~ 10 µm in length and 2.5 µm in diameter. The bandgap energy of Se-NP/MRs was analysed to be 2.14 eV using the Tauc plot. The exciting photocatalytic performance of the bio-fabricated Se-NP/MRs revealed that the methylene blue degradation was ~ 86% in 40 min and ~ 97% in 140 min. Kinetic analysis shows that the pseudo-second-order correlation coefficient is well fitted compared to the pseudo-first-order. Therefore, this work opens the door to further exploration of nano-materials/composites with mixed nanoparticles/micro-rods morphology for sustainable applications in the removal of various textile and industrial contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of nontoxic bio-waste based catalyst for efficient recycling of textile dye wastewater to potable water is paramount to support a sustainable environment. This research work investigated a crystallographic evolution of CaO from the chicken eggshell wastes via a simple calcination process for the photocatalytic degradation of the methylene blue dye. The physicochemical properties of the activated CaO catalyst were studied using characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crystallite size was estimated as ∼55 nm for the prepared CaO. The sharp bands at 358 cm−1 and the broad band at 675 cm−1 in the Raman spectroscopic analysis have revealed a function attributed to the Ca–O bonds. The energy band gap of prepared CaO was calculated by the Tauc equation using the UV-visible reflectance spectrum. The estimated energy band gap has a maximum value of 5.54 eV. However, a lower bandgap 2.27 eV was also estimated. SEM micrograph revealed the multi-arm/angular and rod-shaped microstructure with a width of 1–2 µm of the arm. The ring-shaped appearance encouraged the porous behavior of the prepared CaO. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared CaO was performed for the degradation of the methylene blue dye in distilled water under natural sunlight in the ambient environment. The maximum photocatalytic degradation efficiency was observed as ∼ 98% in 180 min. The research work incites the possible realistic application of bio-waste based inexpensive photocatalysts for textile/industrial wastewater remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of unique compounds have been examined to accommodate the current demand for useful multi-functional nanomaterials, copper-based quaternary CZTS semiconductors are one of them. Due to their special characteristic features like non-toxicity, cheap, and abundance, they have been recommended in recent literature for various applications. Apart from individual CZTS, different hetero-structures have also been prepared with different compounds which is well discussed and elaborated in this article. Additionally, their preparation methods, properties, and application viability have also been discussed comprehensively. The application of CZTS such as photocatalytic dye degradation and hydrogen evolution reaction has been elaborated on in this article identifying their benefits and challenges to give readers a thorough visualization. Apart from that, challenges reported in studies, a few approaches are also mentioned to possibly counter them., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)