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Abstract In recent decades, poorly insulated windows have increased the energy consumption of heating and cooling systems, thus contributing to excessive carbon dioxide emissions and other related pollution issues. From this perspective, the electrochromic (EC) windows could be a tangible solution as the indoor conditions are highly controllable by these smart devices even at a low applied voltage. Literally, vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is a renowned candidate for the EC application due to its multicolor appearance and substantial lithium insertion capacity. Despite the growing interest in V2O5 thin films, only limited literature study is available for V2O5 films specifically the annealing effects of these films at lower temperatures (

Abstract Electrochromic (EC) smart windows are highly efficient in preventing solar irradiation. Nevertheless, an insufficient automated monitoring and control system for EC windows has been observed. This study outlined the framework for designing a control system that effectively regulated the voltage polarity of an EC smart window. Integrating Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities and environmental sensors enhanced the smart window control system. This integration allowed for automated monitoring and adjustment of light intensity (below and above 30,000 lx), temperature (below and above 32 °C), and UV index (below 3 and above 7) for the smart window. The magnitude of the current supplied from the output load of the operational circuit module was directly correlated with the switching time of the electrochromic window. Moreover, voltage fluctuation was observed during the evaluation testing of the control system, which was ascribed to the reliability of the breadboard platform. This study also provided a functional design analysis for a Wi-Fi-enabled control system, presented insights into manual and automatic control modes under diverse environmental conditions, and improved user interaction through real-time data visualization using the IoT Blynk platform. Overall, this study presented a range of cost-effective approaches for managing the dynamic EC window using Wi-Fi and sensor-enabled technology.

The significance of maintaining food security is particularly emphasized in regions such as Malaysia, where there is a substantial reliance on imports of fruits and vegetables. The local farming industry requires advancements in technology to address the complexities of food production. This motivates the exploration of implementing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to reduce reliance on manpower and enhance farming efficiency. However, the current integrated IoT solutions for smart farms can be expensive and complicated, rendering them redundant for small-area farms that do not require advanced technologies or machine learning. This study aims to optimize IoT LoRa parameter settings, focusing on providing affordable solutions tailored for fruit and vegetable farms. The main goal is to address the common issue faced by farmers—investing in expensive IoT-enabled wireless sensors without realizing a return on investment. To overcome this challenge, a simple and cost-effective IoT solution is proposed, utilising sensors and readily available applications to achieve efficient farming practises. The main objective is to develop an integrated IoT solution tailored for fruit and vegetable farms, facilitating improved productivity and growth. The solution incorporates sensors to monitor and control various aspects of crop cultivation, collecting essential data. The research development here also aims to inspire low-cost IoT solutions suitable for small-scale food plantation farms by using the long-range physical communication technique (LoRa) protocol. Leveraging IoT technologies in a simplified manner allows local farming industries to boost productivity, lower operational costs, and effectively address food security concerns. In addition to the IoT technology development for smart farms, the research here also investigates the various factors affecting the performance of LoRa-enabled IoT solutions for smart farms, including LoRa frequency, distance, environment, and the performance of the IoT system under different weather conditions, showed a significant effect on system performance (p ≤ 0.05). This comprehensive approach aims to contribute valuable insights for the development and implementation of cost-effective IoT solutions tailored for small-scale agricultural practices. In conclusion, this project demonstrates the efficiency of LoRa-based IoT in agriculture and highlights areas for improvement. Future directions involve improving scalability, streamlining the user interface, and adding sophisticated features to support the development of productive, networked, and environmentally friendly farming methods.

Halide perovskites (HPs) are gaining traction as effective photoactive materials due to their unique properties in numerous applications, which have significantly demonstrated several methods in improving HPs. Nonetheless, the role of active polymers in HPs as significant photoactive materials is still poorly investigated. Thus, this review comprehensively studied the current state-of-the-art active polymer-based HP photoactive materials. The potential benefits of polymer-based HPs were highlighted in multiple applications, including environmental remediation, water splitting, and energy conversion. This outcome addressed the research gap concerning the role of active polymers that substantially improved the performance of these applications. Since polymers remained a key addition to improving HPs, further investigation and research could lead to significant advancements in these areas.

The electronics industry has witnessed a surge in demand for semiconductor materials, prompting researchers to explore active semiconductors that can effectively meet the growing needs of this sector. Among these materials, indium oxide (In2O3) is a potential candidate for developing thin-film transistors (TFTs) in organic light-emitting diodes. This emergence is due to the favourable characteristics of In2O3, such as high carrier mobility, low processing temperature, strong electrical uniformity, transparency to visible light, and low cost. Currently, In2O3-based TFTs are fabricated with excellent properties, including electron mobility up to 400 cm2 / V s, subthreshold swing as low as 0.13 V/decade, on/off current ratio up to 108, a threshold voltage of approximately 1 to 3 V, and transparency up to 90% in the visible range. Hence, this review aims to provide an overview of the carrier transport mechanism of metal oxide semiconductor materials, specifically focusing on In2O3-based TFTs (amorphous and crystalline). Furthermore, this study discusses the structural properties of pure, doped, homojunction, heterojunction, and other In2O3-based TFTs before demonstrating the recent advancements in the field. Lastly, this review presents potential outcomes and future perspectives of In2O3-based TFTs in developing semiconductor technology. Based on this review, In2O3-based TFTs are effectively explored regarding their future integration into modern technologies.

Solar cells are pivotal in harnessing renewable energy for a greener and more sustainable energy landscape. Nonetheless, eco-friendly materials for solar cells have not been as extensive as conventional counterparts, highlighting a significant area for further investigation in advancing sustainable energy technologies. This study investigated natural dyes from cost-effective and environmentally friendly blueberries and mulberries. These dyes were utilized as alternative sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Alongside the natural dyes, a green approach was adopted for the DSSC design, encompassing TiO2 photoanodes, eco-friendly electrolytes, and green counter-electrodes created from graphite pencils and candle soot. Consequently, the best-optimized dye sensitizer was mulberry, with an output power of 13.79 µW and 0.122 µW for outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. This study underscored the feasibility of integrating DSSCs with sensitizers derived from readily available food ingredients, potentially expanding their applications in educational kits and technology development initiatives.

Background: In the last decade, there has been much interest in the area of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) to address the issues of electrolyte leakage and evaporation in electrochromic devices (ECD). ECD is a state-of-the-art technology having the ability to change from transparent state to opaque state under the influence of a small applied voltage for energy saving applications. Methods: In this work, tungsten oxide (WO3) films were fabricated via the sol-gel spin-coating method. Subsequently, ECDs were assembled based on SPE and liquid polymer electrolyte (LPE), respectively using indium doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass as conducting electrodes and WO3 films as working electrode. Results: Cyclic voltammetry (CV) results revealed reduced ionic conductivity of conducting ions in SPE based ECD (SECD) owing to increased viscosity by addition of PMMA. However, lesser time was required for the colouration process. LPE based ECD (LECD) showed higher colouration efficiency (CE) compared to its SECD counterpart. This is attributed to its larger optical modulation. Conclusions: This work presents a comparison between the performance of LECD and SECD in terms of electrochromic (EC) and optical properties. They were analysed through CV, chronoamperometry (CA) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. Furthermore, this work provides an insight on the employment of solid-state electrolytes in ECDs in view of the persistent leakage and evaporation problems in ECD implementation.

In this twenty-first century, energy shortages have become a global issue as energy demand is growing at an astounding rate while the energy supply from fossil fuels is depleting. Thus, the urge to develop sustainable renewable energy to replace fossil fuels is significant to prevent energy shortages. Solar energy is the most promising, accessible, renewable, clean, and sustainable substitute for fossil fuels. Third-generation (3G) emerging solar cell technologies have been popular in the research field as there are many possibilities to be explored. Among the 3G solar cell technologies, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are the most rapidly developing technology, making them suitable for generating electricity efficiently with low production costs. However, the toxicity of Pb in organic–inorganic metal halide PSCs has inherent shortcomings, which will lead to environmental contamination and public health problems. Therefore, developing a lead-free perovskite solar cell is necessary to ensure human health and a pollution-free environment. This review paper summarized numerous types of Sn-based perovskites with important achievements in experimental-based studies to date.

Magnetically separable lanthanum modified Ni-Zn spinel ferrite nanoparticles (Ni _0.75 Zn _0.25 La _0.06 Fe _1.94 O _4 ) and Ni _0.75 Zn _0.25 La _0.06 Fe _1.94 O _4 @rGO nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by the sol-gel auto-combustion and sonication methods respectively, for the degradation of binary organic pollutants. The results of x-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of the face centered cubic (FCC) ferrites with the crystallite sizes ranging between 29.74 and 44.94 nm. The optical bandgap of the nano-composite was found to be 1.691 eV as revealed by the diffused reflectance spectral (DRS) study. The formation of the desired composition nanoparticles with a nearly spherical shape and their homogeneous distribution on sheets of rGO were verified by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray (EDAX) instrument. The HR-TEM/SEAD analysis also revealed the formation of spherical polycrystalline nanoparticles and their uniform dispensability with a little agglomeration on the sheet of rGO. The degradation studies were conducted using binary dyes (MB and MO) under the irradiation of visible light in the presence of peroxide. The effects of catalyst dose, irradiation time, initial dye concentration, pH value, and recyclability of nanocomposites have been systematically studied. The findings showed that as compared to La ^3+ substituted Ni-Zn ferrite nanoparticles (78% for MB and 85 % for MO), the magnetic Ni _0.75 Zn _0. 25 La _0.06 Fe _1.94 O _4 @rGO nanocomposite exhibited as a potential photocatalyst towards the simultaneous degradation of both dyes (95% for MB and 98% MO) within 40 min under the optimized conditions. The hydroxyl radical (·OH) play a key role for Ni _0.75 Zn _0.25 La _0.06 Fe _1.94 O _4 @rGO nanocomposite photocatalyst for photocatalytical degradation of the binary dyes (methyl orange and methylene blue).

Graphene is a single atomic plane of sp2-bound carbon that has attracted considerable interest in various technologies. On the basis of its unique physical, mechanical, and chemical properties, graphene is a potentially strong candidate as a lubricant additive in its liquid-based form to reduce friction and protect surfaces from degrading. Furthermore, graphene on wear performance acts as a heat dissipation source for liquid lubricants. This review explores and addresses the fundamental mechanisms illuminating the exceptional tribological behaviours of graphene family materials and their limitations. Although graphene additives were reported to improve friction coefficients and wear properties, several challenges remain a hindrance, such as production costs, dispersion stability, and lack of information regarding graphene optimisation. Thus, this review can provide a standard methodological framework for graphene additives in improving tribological performance. Moreover, this review provides an up-to-date review of current tribological experiments based on ultrafine particles incorporated with graphene as an additive for lubricating liquids.

We report the synthesis of medicinal plant, Vernonia amygdalina Del. mediated green copper oxide nanoparticles (VeA-CuO NPs). The presence of two absorbance maxima, λmax 1 and λmax 2 at 436 nm and 452 nm, respectively confirms a mixture of biomolecules surface amalgamated CuO NPs with different morphological features. The FT-IR spectra of the plant leaf extract and VeA-CuO confirmed the efficient role of biomolecules as capping and stabilising agents. The XRD patterns of NPs approved high crystallinity of CuO. The purity of the NPs was corroborated by SEM-EDAX analysis. The average particle size of the NPs was found to be 19.68 nm. In addition, the combined TEM, HRTEM and SAED analysis substantiated the presence of CuO with a d-spacing value of 0.2854 nm, which conformed to CuO (111). The antibacterial assay revealed that VeA-CuO NPs were synergistic in their influence versus bacterial strains, S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and E. aerogenes. The uppermost zone of inhibition of 15 mm was observed for E. aerogenes. The bioactive compounds capped around the CuO NPs served the effective role in disrupting the cell wall of bacterial strains. The degradation efficiencies for Indigo carmine (IC) and Malachite green (MG) dyes by NPs were found to be 95% and 91%, respectively. The lowest degradation half-life was recorded to be 16.55 min for MG dye. In addition, the better electrode stability revealed by CV and EIS studies, confirms the multi-functional nature of VeA-CuO NPs, these CuO NPs exhibited multifunctional applications.

The increase in global temperature has led to a significant surge in energy consumption within the air conditioning industry, resulting in environmental deterioration. Electrochromic (EC) windows have emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges. Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) stands out among all metal oxide materials due to its remarkable EC properties, including substantial Li+ ion insertion capacity and multicolor capabilities. Despite the potential of V2O5, there remains a lack of comprehensive research on the structural and optical properties of V2O5 films with varying thicknesses. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the structural and optical properties of V2O5 thin films with thicknesses ranging from 46 to 344 nm. By employing the sol-gel spin coating method, V2O5 thin films were fabricated and analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry. The fabricated V2O5 thin films with thicknesses of 46-274 nm demonstrated an average film transparency of 83%. XRD analysis further revealed that the V2O5 thin films reached their peak crystallinity at a thickness of 344 nm. Moreover, CV analysis revealed that the V2O5 device, with a thickness of 274 nm, exhibited a cathodic peak current of -1.63 mA, indicating its excellent ability to facilitate Li+ ion diffusion. Additionally, CA measurements displayed a high optical modulation of 37.78%. Ultimately, this research contributes to the development of energy-efficient solutions for sustainable environmental practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the last decade, there has been much interest in the area of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) to address the issues of electrolyte leakage and evaporation in electrochromic devices (ECD). ECD is a state-of-the-art technology having the ability to change from transparent state to opaque state under the influence of a small applied voltage for energy saving applications. Methods: In this work, tungsten oxide (WO 3) films were fabricated via the sol-gel spin-coating method. Subsequently, ECDs were assembled based on SPE and liquid polymer electrolyte (LPE), respectively using indium doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass as conducting electrodes and WO 3 films as working electrode. Results: Cyclic voltammetry (CV) results revealed reduced ionic conductivity of conducting ions in SPE based ECD (SECD) owing to increased viscosity by addition of PMMA. However, lesser time was required for the colouration process. LPE based ECD (LECD) showed higher colouration efficiency (CE) compared to its SECD counterpart. This is attributed to its larger optical modulation. Conclusions: This work presents a comparison between the performance of LECD and SECD in terms of electrochromic (EC) and optical properties. They were analysed through CV, chronoamperometry (CA) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. Furthermore, this work provides an insight on the employment of solid-state electrolytes in ECDs in view of the persistent leakage and evaporation problems in ECD implementation.

Vertical farming, including hydroponics, is a growing trend in the agricultural sector due to the increasing demand for food and urbanisation. Thus, hydroponics can save space and achieve faster plant growth compared to traditional farming methods. The concept of smart farming has been applied in this study to improve the ease of control and monitoring of hydroponic systems. The effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), light distance, and colour (purple and white) on water spinach growth in a hydroponic system were investigated. Additionally, an Internet of Things (IoT) controller was developed and implemented to facilitate the use of the system in an indoor hydroponic-based environment system. Based on the results, the distance between the LED light of15 cm and the plants and the colour of the LED light (white) can positively impact plant growth in a hydroponic system. Using an IoT controller also allows for continuous monitoring and control of factors that influence plant growth. Hence, this research would catalyse the local smart hydroponic farming system for improved deliverables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a low-power operational amplifier (op-amp) circuit design which optimized and tailored specifically for biomedical circuit application in low power environment. The proposed op-amp design incorporates the folded cascode differential amplifier technique with a low voltage supply 1.2 V, utilizing current biasing, current mirrors, and adopted low-power circuit topologies. AC and DC analysis are carried out to analyse the performance of the proposed design. Extensive simulations executed using industrial standard EDA tool have validated the circuit design, and demonstrated a gain of 70.94 dB, UGBW of 4.90 MHz, GM of 52.70 dB, PM of 82.02 degrees, PSRR of 82.77 dB, CMRR of 100.78 dB, and total power dissipation of only 28.07 mW. Low power consumption is essential for biomedical circuit applications, and the result shows a significant power reduction without compromising other performance parameters. The proposed op-amp circuit design is suitable to be implemented in low-power and high-performance biomedical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology with the Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture plays a pivotal role in addressing a range of challenges and constraints faced by the sector, encompassing issues such as labour shortages, suboptimal farm management practises, and unpredictable weather conditions. In response to these pressing concerns, this study focuses on the development of WSN with IoT for agriculture, employing a spread spectrum modulation technique named the Long Range (LoRa) module. By leveraging LoRa devices and wireless radio frequencies, this technology serves as a versatile platform for delivering wireless, long-range, and energyefficient communication to support small and mediumsized agricultural operations. These operations often lack adequate technological assistance due to factors such as limited expertise and the high costs associated with cutting-edge agricultural technology. The research undertakes a comprehensive exploration, involving LoRa parameter testing, Line-of-Sight evaluations, Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) simulations, and sensor calibration, to assess the efficacy of LoRa-based IoTenabled sensor networks within plantation environments. The overarching objective of this research endeavour is to provide valuable insights that contribute to the optimisation of agricultural practises through streamlined IoT solutions. By implementing practical and cost-effective strategies, the local agricultural sector stands poised to achieve seamless strides in both sustainable and efficient food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2017, up to 41% of Malaysia's land has been cultivated for durian, making it the most widely planted crop. The rapid increase in demand urges the authorities to search for a more systematic way to control durian cultivation and manage the productivity and quality of the fruit. This research paper proposes a deep-learning approach for detecting and sizing durian fruit in any given image. The aim is to develop zero-shot learning models that can accurately identify and measure the size of durian fruits in images, regardless of the image's background. The proposed methodology leverages two cutting-edge models: Grounding DINO and Segment Anything (SAM), which are trained using a limited number of samples to learn the essential features of the fruit. The dataset used for training and testing the model includes various images of durian fruits captured from different sources. The effectiveness of the proposed model is evaluated by comparing it with the Segmentation Generative Pre-trained Transformers (SegGPT) model. The results show that the Grounding DINO model, which has a 92.5% detection accuracy, outperforms the SegGPT in terms of accuracy and efficiency. This research has significant implications for computer vision and agriculture, as it can facilitate automated detection and sizing of durian fruits, leading to improved yield estimation, quality control, and overall productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus 2019, more commonly known as COVID-19, was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. The ß coronavirus culpable for the disease, SARS CoV-2, is known to be highly contagious with a relatively long incubation period of up to 14 days and is transmittable through small droplets, especially among people who are in close face-toface contact. The Ministry of Health of Malaysia has recommended five days of quarantine for people who are positive for COVID-19 to avoid further disease transmission. Many resources are used to monitor patients throughout the quarantine period. Therefore, this project would like to present an IoT-enabled wearable device capable of monitoring COVID-19 quarantine patients by utilizing sensors to monitor the necessary health parameters and facilitate home quarantine. The low-cost ESP32 and Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense microcontrollers are used in this device. They are connected to various IoT sensors to collect temperature, humidity, and sound data. The data obtained will then be uploaded to an IoT platform for doctors to analyze and monitor remotely via the health log throughout the 5-day quarantine period. An alert system is also devised to inform the medical staff if the patient is experiencing abnormal symptoms. The medical staff can then bring their attention to the patient and take the necessary actions to combat COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolvement of smart glass technology has gained a lot of interest through its energy-saving potential as one of the heating, ventilating, and airconditioning (HVAC) system. This paper focuses on polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film, a smart glazing film that changes its opacity in response to an electrical impulse. The power consumption of the smart film is considerably small. However, improper handling of the smart film such as not turning off the film after usage can lead to energy wastage. Hence, connecting the smart film to an internet of things (IoT) controller would be one of the possible solutions to ensure that the film is maintained properly. The objective of the work here is to develop a smart, low cost and efficient IoT-enabled smart controller for PDLC films with energy-saving features. In pursuance of materializing this concept, this paper delineates the design of a smart controller for the PDLC films. The implementation of the IoT features, NodeMCU, and environmental sensors enabled the smart film to be capable of switching automatically. In addition, voice-command features were also incorporated into the controller. With the successful development of the IoT smart controller, the PDLC films can operate autonomously and wirelessly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies the relationship amongst the structural properties of microcrystalline silicon and the performance of high-mobility microcrystalline-silicon thin-film transistors (TFTs). Findings suggest that the microcrystalline-silicon-TFT-based complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor inverters with high voltage gains will be exceeding 22.

A study determines the effect of postfabrication low temperature thermal annealing on the device properties of top-gate staggered [mu]c-Si: H thin-film transistors ([mu]-Si: H TFTs). A reduction in the device threshold voltage and subthreshold slope along with a rise of the effective mobility for long channel transistors and lower effective mobility for short channel transistors is observed.