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In this research, we report an innovative sonochemical technique for synthesizing cerium oxide (CeO 2) nanoparticles utilizing glucose as a capping agent, significantly boosting their photocatalytic performance under visible light. Through meticulous optimization, our CeO 2 nanoparticles demonstrated exceptional degradation efficiencies: 97.2 % for Acid Red 14, 99.1 % for Captopril, 98.7 % for Malachite Green, and 98.3 % for Amlodipine, substantially outstripping performance metrics of commercial TiO 2 and untreated samples. Our kinetic analyses, based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model, indicated a superior rate constant of 0.0701 min⁻1 for Acid Red 14 degradation—reflecting a stark enhancement over other catalysts tested. Furthermore, mechanistic insights revealed that the significant improvement in photocatalytic activity was predominantly due to the generation of hydroxyl radicals and effective utilization of electron vacancies, with the role of these reactive species validated by detailed scavenger tests. This enhancement in photocatalytic efficiency is attributed to the sonochemical synthesis paired with glucose modification, which optimizes the nanoparticles' surface characteristics crucial for reactivity. Moreover, the nanoparticles showcased remarkable stability and reusability, maintaining an 87.8 % degradation rate after 11 cycles, evidencing minimal loss in activity and underscoring their potential for long-term applications in environmental remediation. This study not only paves the way for the practical application of CeO 2 nanoparticles in pollutant degradation but also illustrates the broader applicability of sonochemically synthesized nanomaterials in sustainable environmental management, offering a promising solution to the challenge of complex organic pollutants in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoride ion batteries (FIBs) are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, primarily because of their high theoretical energy density and environmentally sustainable characteristics. For the development of a high-performance solid-state fluoride ion battery, an engineered electrolyte is crucial. As the synthesis technique impacts the phase, microstructure, and morphology of the materials, a unique and facile sonochemical route is employed for the first time herein for synthesizing Tin (II) fluoride as a solid electrolyte. The XRD investigations have indicated the formation of the α-SnF 2 phase with a monoclinic structure, and space group C 2/c. The particle size of SnF 2 synthesized using 225 W and 325 W power of probe sonicator is found to be 2 μm and 0.8 μm respectively, as revealed by Scanning Electron Micrographs. SnF 2 prepared with 325 W ultrasonic power has exhibited the maximum ionic conductivity of value 3.4 × 10−4 S/cm at room temperature, with a significant enhancement regarding the values reported so far. The anionic transport number of the electrolyte estimated at room temperature using the combined AC-DC technique is found to be 0.96, indicating fluoride ion conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of ultrasound in the presence of semiconductor materials is considered a novel technique for the degradation of hazardous organic pollutants in water. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (g), graphene oxide (GO), and Cobalt ferrite, CoFe 2 O 4 (CF) nanoparticles were synthesized via soft-template-assisted synthesis, Hummer's, and hydrothermal methods, respectively. Subsequently, the hybrid magnetic g-C 3 N 4 /CoFe 2 O 4 /GO (g-CF1@GO, g-CF2@GO, g-CF3@GO, and g-CF4@GO) nanocomposites were prepared via a simple hydrothermal route at 180 °C. The crystallite structure, functional groups, morphology, and energy band gaps were characterized by XRD diffraction, FT-IR, TEM, and UV–vis DRS. The heterostructure nanocomposites were formed, as evidenced by the TEM data, with an average crystallite size of 13.4 nm and band gap energies of 2.19–1.80 eV, suggesting their suitability for sono/photo degradation processes. Pyrene, a tetracyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) was chosen as a model pollutant to evaluate the performance of the prepared nanocomposites toward sonocatalytic degradation. The nanocomposites exhibited higher degradation performances than individual materials. The sonocatalytic degradation of pyrene revealed that the g-CF4@GO nanocomposite exhibited the highest sonocatalytic activity and achieved 86.7 and 92.3 % degradation efficiency for 10 and 5 mg/L of pyrene under ultrasonic irradiation (40 mg/L, 50 W and 20 kHz) in 120 min. In addition, the sonocatalytic degradation of pyrene is performed in the absence of any oxidant and follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Trapping experiments were carried out to investigate the sonocatalytic degradation mechanism, and the results showed that ●O 2 − was the major reactive species. The easily recoverable magnetic nanocomposite via a simple magnet was tested for its recyclability and reusability, and it was observed that it could degrade up to 78 % of pyrene in four cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of high‐power bath and horn ultrasound at different powers on specific surface area (SBET), total pore volume (Vtotal), and average pore volume (Dave) of bleaching clay was examined. After subjecting the bleaching clay to ultrasonication treatment, the SBET values demonstrated an escalation from 31.4 ± 2.7 m2 g−1 to 59.8 ± 3.1 m2 g−1 for HU200BC, 143.8 ± 3.9 m2 g−1 for HU400BC, 54.4 ± 3.6 m2 g−1 for BU400BC, and 137.5 ± 2.8 m2 g−1 for BU800BC. The mean pore diameter (Dave) declined from 29.7 ± 0.14 nm in bleaching clay to 11.3 ± 0.13 nm in HU200BC, 8.3 ± 0.12 nm in HU400BC, 16.7 ± 0.14 nm in BU400BC, and 9.6 ± 0.12 nm in BU800BC. Therefore, horn ultrasound‐treated bleaching clay significantly increased SBET and Vtotal, indicating improved adsorption capacity. Moreover, to establish the relationship between bleaching parameters, seven multi‐output ML regression models of Feedforward Neural Network (FNN), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Multi‐Task Lasso, Ridge regression, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Gradient Boosting are used, and compared with response surface methodology (RSM). ML has revolutionized the understanding of complex relationships between ultrasonic parameters, oil color, and pigment degradation, providing insights into how various factors such as temperature, ultrasonic power, and time can influence the bleaching process, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and precision of the treatment. The XGBoost model showed outstanding performance in predicting the target variables with a high R2‐train up to 1, R2‐test up to.983, and a minimum mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.498. The lower error between the predicted and experimental values implies the superiority of the XGBoost model to predict outcomes rather than RSM. It represents the suitability of bath ultrasound as a mild condition for low‐pigmented oil bleaching. Finally, the Bayesian optimization method in conjunction with XGBoost was used to optimize the amount of bleaching clay and energy consumption, and its performance was compared with RSM. It was observed that the consumption of bleaching clay was reduced by approximately 60% for sunflower oil and 30%–35% for soybean oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The facile sonochemical synthesis is reported of zinc cobalt oxide (ZnCo2O4) composited with carbon nanofiber (CNF). Structural, chemical, and morphological were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoluminescent spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmittance electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. ZnCo2O4/CNF-modified GCE was applied to the detection of bisphenol A (BPA). The modified GCE shows enhanced sensing performance towards BPA, which includes a linear range (0.2 to 120 μM L−1) alongside a low limit of detection (38.2 nM L−1), low interference, and good stability. Detection of lower concentrations of BPA enables real sample analysis in the food industries (milk, orange juice, yogurt, tap water, and baby feeding bottles). Surprisingly, the BPA was detected in milk 510 nM L−1, orange juice 340 nM L−1, yogurt 1050 nM L−1, and tap water 140 nM L−1. Moreover, an interaction mechanism between the BPA analyte and ZnCo2O4 was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orange juice shows browning issue during storage which seriously affects its quality. Based on our previous study demonstrating the inhibition of browning of concentrated orange juice (COJ) by epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and L-cysteine (L-cys), this study evaluated the effect of ultrasonic-vacuum combined with high-pressure CO2 on browning. Ultrasonic-vacuum can reduce the dissolved oxygen content in COJ more effectively than ultrasonic and also minimize the loss of ascorbic acid. The lowest dissolved oxygen content and ascorbic acid loss in COJ were achieved by ultrasonic-vacuum at 900 W and 15.6 min for COJ sample of 50.0 g. Ultrasonic-vacuum effectively removes most of the dissolved oxygen from COJ, and high-pressure CO2 reduces oxygen in the headspace of the container. This reduction in oxygen content effectively reduces aerobic acid degradation and inhibits browning caused by ascorbic acid degradation. In addition, the results showed that although ultrasonic-vacuum combined with high-pressure CO2 had a significant effect on delaying ascorbic acid degradation and reduced the loss by 35.01%, it has little effect on browning caused by Maillard reaction. Finally, it is concluded that ultrasonic-vacuum combined with high-pressure CO2 based on EGCG and L-cys has the best inhibitory effect on browning of COJ during storage, inhibiting 69.8% of the increase in BI values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology of ultrasound has been found to be suitable for water and wastewater remediation as one of the advanced oxidation process. Power ultrasound, as an emerging green technology has received increasing attention of the petroleum industry. The physical and chemical effects of the periodic oscillation and implosion of acoustic cavitation bubbles can be employed to perform a variety of functions. This knowledge has been utilized in the degradation of organic constituents during the cavitation procedure of ultrasound waves. The occurrence of cavitation would give upsurge to a number of interesting physical and chemical special effects to segregate and oxidize pollutants in water/wastewater. Ultrasounds pledge scattering and emulsification of matters giving to the effect of coagulation and degassing, impacting the crystallization and dissolution processes. It has been well-known that ultrasound could cause a diversity of chemical changes of the constituents, this comprises of oxidation, reduction, dissolution, polymerization etc. The elucidation of these behavior is realized in a range of effects such as cavitation, micro-flows, shock waves, acoustic wind etc. In this reviewing paper, previous research concerning the optimization of ultrasonic decomposition of water/wastewater remediation systems in particular for oily wastewater are wisely reviewed. The basic principles of ultrasound and cavitation are presented, and the consequence of influencing parameters on the decay reactions comprising the ultrasonic power, frequency, dissolved gases, and targeted constituents are revised and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide nanosheet (GO) is a multifunctional platform for binding with nanoparticles and stacking with two dimensional substrates. In this study, GO nanosheets were sonochemically decorated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) and self-assembled into a hydrogel of GO–ZnO nanocomposite. The GO–ZnO hydrogel structure is a bioinspired approach for preserving graphene-based nanosheets from van der Waals stacking. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) showed that the sonochemical synthesis led to the formation of ZnO crystals on GO platforms. High water content (97.2%) of GO–ZnO hydrogel provided good property of ultrasonic dispersibility in water. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic analysis (UV–vis) revealed that optical band gap energy of ZnO nanoparticles (∼3.2 eV) GO–ZnO nanosheets (∼2.83 eV). Agar well diffusion tests presented effective antibacterial activities of GO–ZnO hydrogel against gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) and gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). Especially, GO–ZnO hydrogel was directly used for brush painting on biodegradable polylactide (PLA) thin films. Graphene-based nanosheets with large surface area are key to van der Waals stacking and adhesion of GO–ZnO coating to the PLA substrate. The GO–ZnO/PLA films were characterized using photography, light transmittance spectroscopy, coating stability, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopic mapping (EDS), antibacterial test and mechanical tensile measurement. Specifically, GO–ZnO coating on PLA substrate exhibited stability in aqueous food simulants for packaging application. GO–ZnO coating inhibited the infectious growth of E. coli biofilm. GO–ZnO/PLA films had strong tensile strength and elastic modulus. As a result, the investigation of antibacterial GO–ZnO hydrogel and GO–ZnO coating on PLA film is fundamental for sustainable development of packaging and biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cesium lead halide (CsPbX3) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have attracted attention for use as absorber materials in photovoltaics as they show tuneable bandgap energy and high photoluminescence quantum yields together with the potential to demonstrate long-term stability and simple solution processability. Currently, the colloidal synthesis of PQDs relies to a large extent on the use of toxic and fossil derived solvents as the reaction medium. Alternative methods that partially or completely replace such solvents are anticipated as a step forward in meeting the sustainability criteria for the large-scale synthesis of PQDs. Herein, we report an eco-friendly sonochemical-assisted synthesis of CsPbBr3 PQDs using commercial vegetable oil solvents as the reaction medium. The effect of different vegetable oils on the synthesis and properties of PQDs was investigated in detail. The as-prepared CsPbBr3 colloids show similar photoluminescence (PL) spectra and crystalline structure to colloids obtained in mineral oil, which was used here for comparative purposes. Furthermore, a smaller amount of the optically inactive Cs4PbBr6 hexagonal crystalline phase was detected in the green synthesis compared to mineral oil-based synthesis. Finally, spin-coated thin films were produced, demonstrating the processability of the colloidal PQDs obtained via the green synthesis described here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article summarises decades of research on nickel hydroxide. Nickel hydroxide is an important material in both physics and chemistry, especially in technical applications such as batteries. First, the structures of two known polymorphs, α-Ni(OH)2 and β-Ni(OH)2, are described. The article also examines common types of disorder in nickel hydroxide, such as hydration, stacking faults, mechanical stresses and the presence of ionic impurities. Related materials such as intercalated α-derivatives and basic nickel salts are also discussed. Various synthetic methods of nickel hydroxide synthesis are reviewed, including chemical and electrochemical precipitation, sol-gel synthesis, chemical ageing, hydrothermal and solvothermal processes, electrochemical oxidation, microwave-assisted techniques and sonochemical methods. The article discusses the physical properties of nickel hydroxide, including its magnetic, vibrational, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. Finally, the article highlights the promising properties of these materials and approaches for the identification and characterization of unknown nickel hydroxide-based samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decrease in noble metal content presents an efficient approach to attain commercial, effective, and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at a low fabrication cost. Nonetheless, achieving a proper balance between bimetallic loading ratios and HER performance remains challenging. In this study, a simple and environmentally friendly sonochemical method is employed to successfully synthesize bimetallic palladium–rhodium nanoparticles (Pd‐Rh) with varying ratios, confined within molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets. Bimetallic Pd‐Rh/MoS2 composite with different ratios of Pd:Rh is synthesized by adjusting the feed ratio of Pd and Rh precursors (1:4, 1:1, and 4:1). The HER electrocatalytic activity of the bimetallic Pd1‐Rh1/MoS2 composite exhibits the lowest overpotential and a superior Tafel slope, closely rivaling the electrocatalytic activity of the commercial 20 wt% Pt/C. Furthermore, the bimetallic Pd1‐Rh1/MoS2 composite exhibits remarkable stability and durability, with almost negligible performance decay after 2000 cycles. These outstanding HER electrocatalytic properties of the bimetallic composite result from a higher number of active sites, a significantly larger electrochemically active surface area, reduced charge‐transfer resistance, and a larger double‐layer capacitance. These factors collectively facilitate faster adsorption and desorption of hydron on the surface of electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing novel multifunctional materials is a promising approach to boost the catalytic activity and electrochemical performance simultaneously. Herein, hydrothermal synthesized FeVO4 nanosized particles dispersed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through cost‐effective simple sonochemical assisted route are developed as an efficient material for photocatalysis activity and high‐value‐added supercapacitor applications. The synthesized materials were characterized for structural and morphological purity and found to be in single phase and nanostructured. rGO‐FeVO4 composite shows excellent photodegradation of Levofloxacin (LVO) drug (100 % over 80 min) compared with FeVO4 owing to the bandgap in visible region and larger surface area. Further, the optimized rGO‐FeVO4 composite was employed into supercapacitors and it showed 3 times higher capacitance (211.4 F/g at 0.5 A/g) compared with FeVO4 (70.4 F/g) using half‐cell measurements. Moreover, the developed symmetric supercapacitors (full cell; SSCs) using rGO‐FeVO4 composite device showed 109 F/g capacitance at 0.5 A/g current density having high energy density of 13.6 Wh/kg at the power density of 450 W/kg. The proposed rGO‐FeVO4 composite proved its multifunctional outcomes, which can open new opportunities to develop such materials for numerous future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, machine learning (ML) algorithms were employed to predict the pseudo-1st-order reaction rate constants for the sonochemical degradation of aqueous organic pollutants under various conditions. A total of 618 sets of data, including ultrasonic, solution, and pollutant characteristics, were collected from 89 previous studies. Considering the difference between the electrical power (Pele) and calorimetric power (Pcal), the collected data were divided into two groups: data with Pele and data with Pcal. Eight input variables, including frequency, power density, pH, temperature, initial concentration, solubility, vapor pressure, and octanol–water partition coefficient (Kow), and one target variable of the degradation rate constant, were selected for ML. Statistical analysis was conducted, and outliers were determined separately for the two groups. ML models, including random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and light gradient boosting machine (LGB), were used to predict the pseudo-1st-order reaction rate constants for the removal of aqueous pollutants. The prediction performance of the ML models was evaluated using different metrics, including the root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and R squared (R2). A significantly higher prediction performance was obtained using data without outliers and augmented data. Consequently, all the applied ML models could be used to predict the sonochemical degradation of aqueous pollutants, and the XGB model showed the highest accuracy in predicting the rate constants. In addition, the power density and frequency were the most influential factors among the eight input variables in prediction with the Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) values method. The degradation rate constants of the two pollutants over a wide frequency range (20–1,000 kHz) were predicted using the trained ML model (XGB) and the prediction results were analyzed.

Organometallic lead halide perovskite powders have gained widespread attention for their intriguing properties, showcasing remarkable performance in the optoelectronic applications. In this study, formamidinium lead iodide (α‐FAPbI3) microcrystals (MCs) is synthesized using retrograde solubility‐driven crystallization. Additionally, methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) and cesium lead iodide (δ‐CsPbI3) MCs are prepared through a sonochemical process, employing low‐grade PbX2 (X = I & Br) precursors and an eco‐friendly green solvent (γ‐Valerolactone). The study encompasses an analysis of the structural, optical, thermal, elemental, and morphological characteristics of FAPbI3, MAPbBr3, and CsPbI3 MCs. Upon analysing phase stability, a phase transition in FAPbI3 MCs is observed after 2 weeks. To address this issue, a powder‐based mechanochemical method is employed to synthesize stable mixed cation perovskite powders (MCPs) by subjecting FAPbI3 and MAPbBr3 MCs with varying concentrations of CsPbI3. Furthermore, the performance of mixed cation perovskites are examined using the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS‐1D) software. The impact of cesium incorporation in the photovoltaic characteristics is elucidated. All mixed cation absorbers exhibited optimal device performance with a thickness ranging between 0.6–1.5 µm. It's worth noting that the MCPs exhibit impressive ambient stability, remaining structurally intact and retaining their properties without significant degradation for 70 days of ambient exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoNi LDH nanostructures with large specific surface areas were prepared through a facile sonochemical approach in the solutions with different pH values. The CoNi LDH exhibited battery-type electrochemical response with the highest capacity of 740.8C/g at 1 A/g in 2 M of KOH electrolyte. The assembled CoNi LDH//AC hybrid supercapacitor delivered the highest energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at the power density of 781.1 W kg−1. [Display omitted] • CoNi LDH nanostructures with large surface area were sonochemically prepared. • A high specific capacity of 740.8C/g at 1 A/g was delivered. • Just a little capacity decay over 5000 cycles at a high current density of 8 A/g. • The HSC device delivered an energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at 781.1 W kg−1. Fabricating battery-type electrode materials with large specific surface area and mesopores is an efficient method for enhancing the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. This method may provide more active sites for Faradic reactions and shorten the ion-diffusion paths. In this study, the CoNi layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the morphology of nanoflowers and nanoflakes were prepared in solutions with pH values of 7.5 (CoNi LDH-7.5) and 8.5 (CoNi LDH-8.5) via a simple sonochemical approach. These CoNi LDHs possessed large specific surface areas and favourable electrochemical properties. The CoNi LDH-7.5 delivered a specific capacity of 740.8C/g at a current density of 1 A/g, surpassing CoNi LDH-8.5 with 668.1C/g. The hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) was assembled with activated carbon as the anode and CoNi LDH as the cathode to assess its practical application potential in the field of electrochemical energy storage. The CoNi LDH-7.5//AC HSC achieved the highest energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at a power density of 781.1 W kg−1. In addition, both HSCs exhibited little capacity decay over 5,000 cycles at a high current load of 8 A/g. These electrochemical properties of CoNi LDHs make them promising candidates for battery-type electrode materials. The current sonochemical method is simple and can be applied to the preparation of other LDHs-based electrode materials with favourable electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nanostructures palladium was synthesized using an ultrasonic wave which is innovative, expeditious, and ecologically benign protocol. In the procedure, ultrasonic probe with 150 W was applied to an aqueous solution of Na2PdCl4 containing sodium citrate for 1 h at room temperature. The as‐prepared palladium nanoparticles were characterized through deployment of XRD, TEM, EDX, and UV‐Vis techniques. Moreover, the study extends to take the benefits from palladium nanoparticles to produce a novel carbon‐based composite using graphene oxide (Pd‐GO) which was characterized by XRD, TEM, EDX, and UV‐Vis. The organic‐inorganic nanohybrid (Pd‐GO) was then applied in a systematic investigation aimed at assessing its ability to enhance the hydrogen storage properties of GO as nano‐palladium was incorporated at a ratio of 1 Pd: 100 GO, yielding a significant enhancement (48%) in the storage capabilities of pure GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of physicochemical processes in the sonochemical reactor chamber is widely used in problems of synthesis, extraction and separation. One of the most important mechanisms at play in such processes is the acoustic cavitation due to the non-uniform distribution of acoustic pressure in the chamber. Cavitation has a strong impact on the surface degradation mechanisms. In this work, a numerical calculation of the acoustic pressure distribution inside the reactor chamber was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics. The numerical results have revealed the dependence of the structure of the acoustic pressure field on the boundary conditions for various thicknesses of the piezoelectric transducer. In particular, the amplitude of the acoustic pressure is minimal in the case of absorbing boundaries, and the attenuation becomes more significant as the thickness of the piezoelectric transducer increases. In addition, reflective boundaries play a significant role in the formation and distribution of zones of maximum cavitation activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium nitride is an excellent semiconductor that belongs to the group of III nitride materials. Due to its unique properties, it is applied to various optoelectronic applications. However, its low thermal stability makes it difficult to synthesize. The present study introduces the synthesis of indium nitride nanoparticles, using ultrasound power (sonochemistry). The sonochemical method provides a low-cost and rapid technique for nanomaterial synthesis. InN nanoparticles were produced in only 3 h through the sonochemical reaction of InCl3 and LiN3. Xylene was used as a reaction solvent. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) as well as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were adopted for the characterization of the obtained powder. According to our results, ultrasound contributed to the synthesis of InN nanocrystals in a cubic and a hexagonal phase. The obtained InN nanoparticles were further used to decorate titanium dioxide (TiO2) by means of ultrasound. The contribution of InN nanoparticles on the processes of photocatalysis was investigated through the degradation of methylene blue (MB), a typical organic substance acting in place of an environment pollutant. According to the obtained results, InN nanoparticles improved the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 by 41.8% compared with commercial micrometric titania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to present a sonochemical synthesis method for high-purity willemite nanopowders. Initially, zinc silicate hydrate nanoparticles were created using a modified sonochemistry method in which zinc salts and waterglass were used as starting materials to obtain zinc silicate precipitate under pH-controlled conditions (11–11.5) and Argon gas flux. Following that, the precipitate was heat treated at various temperatures. TGA/DSC, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), and N2 gas adsorption characterizations were also used to assess phase changes, morphological properties, microstructures, and chemical composition. The formation temperature of a well-crystalline willemite monophase was determined to be 890 °C, and this was supported by XRD analysis. The synthetized material had high homogeneity and excellent purity, according to EDX elemental mapping. Its nanometric nature was further confirmed by microscopic observations (SEM, TEM). Notably, compared to previously reported methods, the aforementioned technique uses a moderate synthesizing temperature, making it economical for mass production and potentially useful in a variety of industrial fields, including ceramics, paints, plastics, biomaterials, and composites, among others. EDX elemental mapping demonstrated high homogeneity and excellent purity of the material. Microscopic observations (SEM, TEM) further confirmed its nanometric character. Notably, the aforementioned method employs a moderate synthesizing temperature compared to previously reported methods, making it cost-effective for mass production with potential applications in various industrial fields, such as ceramics, paints, plastics, biomaterials, and composites, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating photocatalytic technology with building materials is an imperative new trend in the green building field. Here, a novel Pd/ZnO nanorod array‐decorated ceramic tile has been designed for the first time, aiming to purify the surrounding environment. Because of the piezoelectric characteristics of ZnO nanorods, the environmental degradation efficiency of this tile‐based structure under light irradiation could be improved through injecting mechanical vibration stress. The unique piezo‐photocatalytic synergistic effect, due to the piezoelectric field created by bent ZnO nanorods and the Schottky junction formed by the noble metal Pd/ZnO heterostructures, could effectively separate the photoinduced carriers and reduce the rate of recombination, boosting the degradation efficiency. The tile‐based Pd/ZnO reaches the greatest catalytic efficiency of 75% for dye degradation in 30 min when ultrasonic and solar irradiation are applied simultaneously. Present results offer a fresh idea for creating novel piezo‐photocatalytic materials applied in eco‐friendly green buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructures of a cobalt(II) metal–organic framework (MOF), denoted as 4,4′,4″-s-triazin-1,3,5-triyltri-p-aminobenzoate (TATAB) [[Co2(TATAB)(OH)(H2O)2].H2O.0.6O]n {1}, were successfully synthesized using two different experimental techniques: solvothermal and sonochemical strategies. Remarkably, both methods yielded an identical crystal structure. Various characterization techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), were employed to analyze all the compounds. Compound contains cobalt ions (Co2+) that were determined to be six-coordinated through the analysis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). The effect of various factors such as temperature, reaction time, reactant concentration, and ultrasonic energy on the synthesis and final morphology of the compounds obtained by sonochemical method was investigated. Finally, Hirshfeld surface analysis (HAS) of compound was conducted. The molecular descriptors obtained at the BLYP/6–311 + + g (d, p) level of theory framework indicate a unique electronic structure for this complex, characterized by low chemical hardness (η = 1.702 eV), high electrophilicity (ω = 3.637 eV), and a narrow HOMO–LUMO gap (1.55 eV). These descriptors suggest that this complex can be considered a favorable nucleophile in interactions with proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effluent containing tartrazine can affect the environment and human health significantly prompting the current study into degradation using a sonochemical reactor operated individually and combined with advanced oxidation processes. The optimum conditions for ultrasound treatment were established as dye concentration of 10 ppm, pH of 3, temperature as 35 °C, and power as 90 W. The combination approach of H2O2/UV, H2O2/US, and H2O2/UV/US resulted in higher degradation of 25.44%, 57.4%, and 74.36% respectively. Use of ZnO/UV/US approach increased the degradation significantly to 85.31% whereas maximum degradation as 93.11% was obtained for the US/UV/Fenton combination. COD reduction was found maximum as 83.78% for the US/UV/Fenton combination. The kinetic analysis showed that tartrazine dye degradation follows pseudo first-order kinetics for all the studied processes. Combination of Fenton with UV and US was elucidated as the best approach for degradation of tartrazine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeNbO4 sonocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route at pH values of 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM, SEM, N2 adsorption and DRS to analyse the effect of pH parameters on the physicochemical properties of the materials during hydrothermal synthesis. The sonocatalytic activity of FeNbO4 microspheres was evaluated by using acid orange 7 (AO7) as the simulated contaminant. The experimental results showed that the best sonocatalytic degradation ratio (97.45%) of organic dyes could be obtained under the conditions of an initial AO7 concentration of 10 mg L−1, an ultrasonic power of 200 W, a catalyst dosage of 1.0 g L−1, and a pH of 3. Moreover, the sonocatalysts demonstrated consistent durability and stability across multiple test cycles. After active species capture experiments and calculation of the energy band, a possible mechanism was proposed based on the special Fenton-like mechanism and the dissociation of H2O2. This research shows that FeNbO4 microspheres can be used as sonocatalysts for the purification of organic wastewater, which has a promising application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drawbacks inherent to traditional antibacterial therapies, coupled with the escalating prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) microorganisms, have prompted the imperative need for novel antibacterial strategies. Accordingly, the emerging field of piezocatalysis in semiconductors harnesses mechanical stress to drive chemical reactions by utilizing piezo-generated free charge carriers, presenting a promising technology. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the eradication of pathogenic S. aureus bacteria using few-layer black phosphorus (SCBP) piezo catalyst under mechanical stimuli, along with the exploration of temperature dependent dielectric properties. The synthesis of the piezo catalysts involved a one-step cost-effective sonochemical method, and its structural, morphological, elemental, optical, and overall polarization properties were thoroughly characterized and compared with the traditional method-derived product (TABP). The synthesis-introduced defects, reduced crystalline diameters, modified bandgap (1.76 eV), nanoparticle aggregation, photoluminescence quenching, along with interfacial polarization, synergistically contribute to SCBP's exceptional dielectric response (4.596 × 107 @40 Hz), which in turn enhanced the piezocatalytic activity. When subjected to soft ultrasound stimulation at 15 kHz, the piezo catalyst SCBP demonstrated significant ROS-mediated antibacterial activity, resulting in a ∼94.7% mortality rate within 40 minutes. The impact of this study extends to cost-effective energy storage devices and advances in antibacterial therapy, opening new dimensions in both fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective oxidation, which is crucial in diverse chemical industries, transforms harmful chemicals into valuable compounds. Heterogeneous sonocatalysis, an emerging sustainable approach, urges in-depth exploration. In this work, we investigated N-doped or non-doped carbonaceous materials as alternatives to scarce, economically sensitive metal-based catalysts. Having synthesized diverse carbons using a hard-template technique, we subjected them to sonication at frequencies of 22, 100, 500, and 800 kHz with a 50% amplitude. Sonochemical reaction catalytic tests considerably increased the catalytic activity of C-meso (non-doped mesoporous carbon material). The scavenger test showed a radical formation when this catalyst was used. N-doped carbons did not show adequate and consistent sonoactivity for the selective oxidation of 4-Hydroxy-3,5 dimethoxybenzyl alcohol in comparison with control conditions without sonication, which might be associated with an acid–base interaction between the catalysts and the substrate and sonoactivity prohibition by piridinic nitrogen in N-doped catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to build electrochemical energy storage electrodes, carbon composite materials containing nanosized metal oxides might be desirable. This article describes the designing of TiO2 aerogel/graphene oxide (TiO2-A/GO) composites for electrochemical supercapacitors. TiO2-A was synthesized by a simple sol-gel process followed by annealing at 250°C and thereafter, different concentrations of GO were mixed to prepare TiO2-A/GO composites via sonochemical method. The intermixing of GO and TiO2-A in composite was confirmed by observing the structural and crystalline characterizations. Two electrode electrochemical system was used to elucidate the capacitive characteristics of TiO2-A/GO composite electrode by cyclic voltammetry analysis. In comparison with TiO2-A electrode, high specific capacitances (Cs) were recorded for TiO2-A/GO composite electrode. TiO2-A/2GO composite electrode attained the highest Cs value of ~338.2 Fg−1 at 10 mVs−1 with excellent cycle stability after 2000 cycles. Thus, the prepared TiO2-A/GO composites-based electrode can be a promising material to achieve good capacitive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanum is the first element of the lanthanide series, which has varieties of applications in different fields like material science, security, biomedical and industrial fields, mainly due to their unique electronic configuration as the incompletely filled 4f subshell. The main purpose of this review is to different types of nanomaterials such as oxide, hydroxide, oxycarbonate, fluoride, perovskite and pyrochlore prepared through sol-gel, hydrothermal, microwave-assisted, chemical precipitation, sonochemical method and green methods. In this review, we have focused on the Lanthanum-based and doped lanthanum-based nanomaterials that have a wide range of applications, including antibacterial and antioxidant photoluminescence properties in bioimaging and wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MnO2/AgNP nanocomposite was synthesized using a sonochemical method and investigated as an electrode material in a solid-state hybrid supercapacitor. Aquivion's sodium and lithium electrolyte membrane serves as an electrolyte and separator. For comparison, MnO2 was used as the active material. The developed supercapacitor containing a carbon xerogel as a negative electrode, the MnO2/AgNP composite as a positive electrode and a Na+-exchange membrane demonstrated the highest performance characteristics. These results indicate that the incorporation of silver nanoparticles into the MnO2 structure is a prospect for obtaining an active composite electrode material for solid-state supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, diamondoid metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were efficiently prepared by sonochemical synthesis and grown on polyimide (PI), aiming to improve the anti-wear performance of the PI matrix. By introducing MOFs into the PI matrix, the free movement of PI molecular chains were restricted, and its hardness and elastic modulus were improved. It was found that the wear rate of the 3 wt.% MOFs/PI composites was reduced by 72.6% compared to pure PI at a load of 4 N after tribological testing by using a ball-on-disk tribometer. This can be attributed to the excellent load-bearing and shear resistance of the fourfold-interpenetrated diamondoid networks, in which the transition metal elements can favor the formation of transfer films. It is worth noting that the 3 wt.% MOFs/PI composites still exhibited great tribological properties under high loads or high speeds. The findings of the present study indicate that diamondoid metal-organic frameworks can be used as efficient modifiers to enhance the tribological properties of PI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of ultrasound and microreactors for the synthesis of nanomaterials is becoming increasingly popular, but effectively altering the ultrasonic field at the microscale to control the crystallization process remains a challenge. Herein, we investigated numerically and experimentally the effects of the ultrasonic field on the synthesis of boron-doped carbon nitride supported silver nanoparticles based on our homemade ultrasound-assisted coiled flow inverter microreactor (UCFIR). Specifically, the ultrasound promotes the radial mixing in the coiled flow inverter microreactor, even under low Reynolds number 10, resulting in better control over the crystallization process. The effects of key parameters, such as ultrasonic field distribution and ultrasonic power, on the particle size and size distribution of Ag/B-g-C3N4 have been demonstrated. The results show that when the ultrasound transducer is positioned on the 'abc' sides, the Ag/B-g-C3N4 with small and uniform Ag particles (4.12 ± 1.12 nm) can be obtained. As ultrasound power increased (0–176 W) and residence time decreased (17.5–140 s), the size of silver nanoparticles decreased, and their distribution narrowed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a one-pot synthesis route to prepare a new composite materials of iron (α-Fe) and a metal–organic framework (MOF) of iron, the MIL-100(Fe), using the sonochemical process. The experimental setup consists of applying high-power ultrasonic pulses to a water-dimethylformamide (H2O-DMF) (1:1) solution containing iron powder, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3BTC), and nitrate (NO3−). X-ray diffractions and the FT-IR measurements confirm that MIL-100(Fe) was obtained and the difference parameter Δ between the asymmetric and symmetric infrared mode of the order of 250 cm−1 is an indication that the carboxyl oxygen is coordinated through an unidentate interaction with iron Fe(III) in the MOF structure, also the presence of α-iron(Fe0) in the composite was confirmed by the appearance of the diffraction peak at 44.7°. Scanning electron microscopy showed a rod-like morphology for the MIL-100(Fe) and the magnetization measurements suggest a ferromagnetic behavior with maximum magnetization (MS) varying as a function of synthesis parameter Fe0, H3BTC, and nitrate ratio. Higher and lower MS, of 12.52 emu.g−1 and 0.34 emu.g−1, were obtained for Fe0:H3BTC:HNO3 ratio of 3:1:3.5 and 1:1:3.5, respectively. The largest and smallest Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface areas of 1490.2 m2.g−1 and 666.4 m2.g−1 were obtained for the Fe0:H3BTC:HNO3 ratio of 1:1:3.5 and Fe0:H3BTC:NaNO3of 1:1:20, respectively. Decomposition of nitrate anion, NO 3 - and DMF, under ultrasound producing perhydroxyl radicals, HO2•, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydrogen (H2) has been used to explain the mechanism for the α-Fe@MOF-100(Fe) magnetic composites preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlN thin film ultrasonic transducers with dual mode wave (transverse and longitudinal) excitation were deposited by reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique. The transducers deposited at radial distances of 0 and 50 mm in the sample plane exhibited well-developed straight and inclined columnar structures with dominating (002) and (103) X-ray diffraction peaks, respectively. The transducers deposited at radial distances of 0, 30, and 50 mm demonstrated excitation of longitudinal, transverse, and longitudinal-transverse waves, respectively. Short term heat treatment was conducted in air within a temperature range of 20–900 °C to investigate the high temperature ultrasonic response. Temperature dependencies of the time-of-flight and pulse-echo amplitude were analyzed. Long term heat treatment in air at 700 °C for 192 h revealed a degradation of ultrasonic response due to the oxidation of the AlN layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) have gathered extensive attention due to their properties – chemical stability, good conductivity, catalytic activity, and antimicrobial activity. This makes NPs suitable for potential applications in the development of new technologies in the field of photonics, electronics, medicine, biochemical sensing, and imaging. Nanoprisms have local surface plasmon resonance starting from visible to near infra-red spectrum, broadening the possibilities of their applications. Ag NPs typically are synthesized in aqueous solution but the handling of NPs often requires their dispersion into nonpolar solvents and their mixing with organic compounds. Thus, nanoparticle transfer to organic media is essential for application in the field of emission enhancement due to NPs – organic semiconductor interaction. A shell changing method for NP tranfer was successfully used with a high transfer rate, but rather low stability. The previously proposed sonochemical method for NP transfer from aqueous to organic polymeric media is extended to different organic solvents. The ultrasonic method is suitable to obtain stable NPs in both organic solvent and organic solvent/organic compound solutions, and it can be stored at ambient conditions for at least several months. Transfer efficiency is suficient and NPs remain stable in an organic solvent like chlorobenzene, anisole, dichloromethane. The method has potential in NPs containing thin film preparation because sonication prevents the agglomeration of clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

δ‐Manganese dioxide (δ‐MnO2) is a 2D material which possesses distinct properties and features due to its unique atomic structure and has already been utilized in numerous disciplines recently, especially in the field of magnetism, energy storage, magnetic resonance imaging, biocatalysts, and fluorescence sensing. Keeping an eye on the huge potential of this 2D material, we report our recent discovery of single‐step synthesis of MnO2 nanosheets via bottom‐up laser crystallization (of aqueous KMnO4 solution) and top‐down sonochemical exfoliation of bulk MnO2 powder. The successful synthesis of δ‐MnO2 nanosheets has been proved through the observation of characteristic Raman peaks at 173 and 634 cm−1 and characteristic X‐ray diffraction peaks. The optical band gap was found to be 1.64 and 1.45 eV for both methods. We also demonstrated that 2D‐MnO2 is a prominent candidate material for ammonia sensing and strain sensing. δ‐MnO2 powder, when employed as cathode material in Li‐ion batteries, results in a stable voltage of ˜0.5 V and in contrast, gives ˜1 V when used in Li‐S batteries and the attained voltage is stable even for >5 h. New methods of synthesis of δ‐MnO2 and its hybrids with graphene will lead to future generation devices, it is expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and rapid method for synthesizing new ternary nanocomposites based on Mg, Zn, and Co has been developed using ultrasound technology. The nanocomposites were characterized using structural, optical, and thermal methods. XRD diffraction confirmed the formation of different crystalline nanocomposite phases (MgO, ZnO, and Co3O4) and binary phase (Mg–Zn), while Raman spectroscopy and FTIR, identified the vibration modes and provided information on functional groups and chemical bands present in samples. SEM showed the octahedron-shaped nanoparticles morphology with different averages size for the nanocomposites oxide prepared. Photoluminescence analysis showed the presence of green, blue, and ultraviolet emissions, with green luminescence bands being most often observed. Heat capacity and thermal diffusivity measurements were used to study thermal properties. • New ternary nanocomposites based on Mg, Zn, and Co were synthesized using sonochimical method. • Thermo-structural characterization showed favorable properties for hydrogen storage. • Higher thermal diffusivity and heat capacity were noticed for samples with high Mg and Co content. • Nanocomposites with balanced Mg and Co content are very promising for solid-state hydrogen storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the common aspects and challenges of photocatalysis and sonocatalysis for the degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solutions. While these techniques are sometimes seen as competitors, their fundamental mechanisms for pollutant degradation are different. Photocatalysis involves the photoexcitation of semiconducting particles, while sonocatalysis involves the simultaneous action of heterogeneous catalysts and sonochemistry. The editorial highlights the major trends in both photocatalysis and sonocatalysis for environmental applications, including the development of photocatalyst morphology, the utilization of thermal effects, and the combination of sonochemistry with other methods. The editorial concludes that sonophotocatalysis shows promise for environmental applications but faces technical challenges for large-scale implementation. [Extracted from the article]

The efficiency of biogas formation from low-rank coal was improved through ultrasonic-assisted hydrogen peroxide degradation. We investigated various aspects of this process, including the mass of the small-molecule organic matter, changes in the composition of biogas components in three systems, and alterations in the microscopic morphology of coal before and after biogas formation. Our analytical methods included UV-vis spectrophotometry, drainage gas collection method, gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Optimal pretreatment conditions were identified with an ultrasonic power of 400 W, a reaction time of 90 min, and a reaction temperature of 60°C. The biogenic methanogenic cycle was delineated into three stages, with the raw coal and filtrate systems exhibiting fast and slow gas production stages during the first and second stages, respectively. In contrast, the residual coal system displayed slow and fast gas production stages during these stages. Methane yields were measured at 270.72 μmol g−1 (raw coal), 303.50 μmol g−1 (residual coal), and 293.43 μmol g−1 (filtrate). Pretreated coal exhibited biomethane yields (residual coal and filtrate) approximately 120% higher than untreated raw coal. Notably, the gas-forming potential of the filtrate should not be underestimated. Ultrasonic-assisted hydrogen peroxide pretreatment disrupted the macromolecular reticulation structure within the raw coal, resulting in the opening of a portion of the aromatic ring structure. This innovative approach offers a novel strategy for augmenting biomethane production from low-rank coal and furnishes a scientific foundation for advancing industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new nanocomposite consisting of lanthanum ferrite nanoparticles (LaFeO3 NPs) integrated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was fabricated via facile sonochemical approach. The engineered nanocomposite was applied to simultaneously determine acetaminophen (ACP) and dopamine (DA) in a binary mixture. The LaFeO3 NPs@CNT probe possesses several advantages such as superior conductivity, large surface area, and more active sites, improving its electrocatalytic activity towards ACP and DA. Under optimized conditions, the anodic peak currents (Ipa) linearly increased with increasing concentration of ACP and DA in the range 0.069–210 µM and 0.15–210 µM, respectively. The sensitivity of LaFeO3 NPs@CNTs/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for detecting ACP and DA is 7.456 and 5.980 μA·μM−1·cm−2, respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for ACP and DA are 0.02 μM and 0.05 μM, respectively. Advantages of LaFeO3 NPs@CNTs/GCE for the detection of ACP and DA include wide linear ranges, low-detection limits, good selectivity, and long-term stability. The as-fabricated electrode was applied to determine ACP and DA in pharmaceutical formulations and human serum samples with recoveries ranging from 97.7 to 103.3% and an RSD that did not exceed 3.7%, confirming the suitability of the proposed sensor for the determination of ACP and DA in real samples. This study not only presents promising opportunities for enhancing the sensitivity and stability of electrochemical sensors used in the detection of bioanalytes but also significantly contributes to the progress of unique and comprehensive biochemical detection methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the majority of valuable components in spent lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium, exists in the electrode materials, common studies focused on the treatment of the cathode materials, which ignored the harm of residual electrolyte. The cavitation and thermal effects produced by ultrasonic can not only be used for the separation of electrode materials, but also have a wide range of applications in the field of sewage pollutant degradation. This work used ultrasonic to treat simulated electrolyte (propylene carbonate (PC)) solution of spent lithium-ion batteries, explored the effect of ultrasonic power, the addition amount of H2O2 solution (30 wt%) and reaction temperature on the degradation of electrolyte, and analysed the ultrasonic degradation reaction from the perspective of reaction kinetics. And the synchronous experiment of cathode material separation and electrolyte degradation was conducted under the optimal conditions. The results showed that the highest degradation efficiency of PC in the electrolyte was 83.08% under the condition of ultrasonic power of 900 W, the addition of H2O2 solution (30 wt%) of 10.2 mL, reaction temperature of 120°C and reaction time of 120 minutes, and the separation efficiency was 100%. This work reduced the environmental and health risks in the cathode material separation process and was conducive to the green development of spent lithium-ion battery recycling technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic nanoparticle–incorporated metal organic frameworks (MOF) are potential composites for various applications such as catalysis, water treatment, drug delivery, gas storage, chemical sensing, and heavy metal ion removal. MOFs exhibits high porosity and flexibility enabling guest species like heavy metal ions to diffuse into bulk structure. Additionally, shape and size of the pores contribute to selectivity of the guest materials. Incorporation of magnetic materials allows easy collection of adsorbent materials from solution system making the process simple and cost-effective. In view of the above advantages in the present review article, we are discussing recent advances of different magnetic material–incorporated MOF (Mg-MOF) composite for application in photocatalytic degradation of dyes and toxic chemicals, adsorption of organic compounds, adsorption of heavy metal ions, and adsorption of dyes. The review initially discusses on properties of Mg-MOF, different synthesis techniques such as mechanochemical, sonochemical (ultrasound) synthesis, slow evaporation and diffusion methods, solvo(hydro)-thermal and iono-thermal method, microwave-assisted method, microemulsion method post-synthetic modification template strategies and followed by application in waste water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and magnetite nanoparticles (MNP-Fe3O4) show promise for applications in biomedical treatments. One key challenge is to improve the stabilization and dispersion of MNP-Fe3O4. To address this, we synthesized MNP-Fe3O4/PLA nanocomposites using ultrasound mediation and a single iron(II) precursor, eliminating the need for surfactants or organic solvents, and conducted the process under ambient conditions. The resulting materials, containing 18 and 33 wt.% Fe3O4, exhibited unique thermal behavior characterized by two mass losses: one at a lower degradation temperature (Td) and another at a higher Td compared to pure PLA. This suggests that the interaction between PLA and MNP-Fe3O4 occurs through hydrogen bonds, enhancing the thermal stability of a portion of the polymer. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) analysis supported this finding, revealing shifts in bands related to the terminal –OH groups of the polymer and the Fe–O bonds, thereby confirming the interaction between the groups. Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the PLA serves as a protective layer against the oxidation of MNP-Fe3O4 in the 18% MNP-Fe3O4/PLA nanocomposite when exposed to a high-power laser (90 mW). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed that the synthetic procedure yields materials with dispersed nanoparticles within the PLA matrix without the need for additional reactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon, glass, and other hard and brittle materials exhibit strong inertness and chemical stability and are ideal substrates for preparing macrochannels. To prepare microchannels with hard and brittle material through high-precision and high-efficiency machining, the author innovatively proposed a new technology called template-based electrophoretically assisted micro-ultrasonic machining (TBEPAMUSM). The microchannel shape punch-pin was transferred to a workpiece by micro-ultrasonic machining (MUSM). Due to the electrophoretic characteristics of ultrafine abrasive particles, applying a DC field can ensure that ultrafine abrasive particles are present in the machining area. Four process parameter (average particle size, particle concentration, ultrasonic power, and electrophoretic DC voltage) single-factor experiments and orthogonal experiments were carried out for TBEPAMUSM. The single-factor experimental study indicated that (1) an increase in the average particle size and ultrasonic power can effectively improve the material removal rate (MRR), but the surface roughness (SR) also decreases. (2) An increase in the abrasive concentration reduces the SR, but a suitable concentration can maximize the MRR. (3) When a suitable DC voltage is introduced, the MRR and SR can be effectively improved. The orthogonal experiment results show that the average particle size exerts the greatest effect on the SR and MRR. Considering the balance between machining quality and machining efficiency, the optimal parameters were as follows: ultrasonic power 70%, average abrasive particle size 18 μm, abrasive concentration 18%, and DC voltage 40 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a perfluoro compound that contains an eight-carbon perfluoroalkyl chain followed by a carboxylic acid function group. The C-F bound possesses a strong bond energy of approximately 485 kJ/mol, rendering PFOA thermally and chemically stable. It has found applications in water-resistant coating and is produced either by degrading other long-chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids or fluorotelomer alcohol. PFOA is challenging to further degrade during water treatment processes, leading to its accumulation in natural systems and causing contamination. Research has been conducted to develop several methods for its removal from the water system, but only a few of these methods effectively degrade PFOA. This review compares the most common chemical degradation methods such as photochemical, electrochemical, and sonochemical methods, to the cutting-edge biodegradation method. The chemical degradation and biodegradation methods both involve the stepwise degradation of PFOA, with the latter capable of occurring both aerobically and anaerobically. However, the degradation efficiency of the biological process is lower when compared to the chemical process, and further research is needed to explore the biological degradation aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the impact of thulium oxide on the structural and elastic characteristics of magnesium borotellurite glass systems produced through the melt-quenching technique is examined. The findings reveal a direct relationship between the thulium concentration and several elastic parameters in the glass sample, such as ultrasonic velocity and elastic modulus. The sample's density increased from 4.12 to 4.30 g/cm3, and its molar volume increased from 29.29 to 29.62 cm3/mol as Tm3+ concentration progressed. The XRD study confirmed that the samples were amorphous. The incorporation of Tm2O3 into the glass acts as a network modifier and leads to an increase in NBO content. Moreover, the shear and longitudinal velocities range within the respective ranges of 1966.02 to 2495.90 m/s and 3474.78 m/s to 4085.13 m/s. Young's modulus, bulk, shear, and longitudinal elastic moduli fall between 40.28 and 64.45 GPa, 28.51 and 36.07 GPa, 15.92 and 26.81 GPa, and 49.75 and 71.81 GPa, respectively. Moreover, the sample's Poisson ratio decreases from 0.26 to 0.20 with an increase in Tm3+ concentration. The experimental results are compared to the theoretically calculated results. By comparing to experimental data, the Mackenzie Makishima and Rocherulle models demonstrate a high level of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compensate for the influence of temperature on the efficiency of an ultrasonic motor (USM), this paper proposed a maximum efficiency point tracking control method for temperature drift by analysing the relationships between the maximum efficiency point and the voltage and frequency of the driving circuit. The method first calculates the frequency update step of the driving circuit by the polynomial surface fitting method, considers the influence of temperature rise on the voltage‐efficiency‐frequency characteristics, and then adjusts the frequency in real time to compensate for temperature effects. Simulation and experimental results show that our method can improve the USM performance at the maximum efficiency point under changing temperature. Maximum efficiency point tracking algorithm with temperature compensation algorithm achieves maximum efficiency in experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A barium titanium oxide/silver (BaTiO3/Ag) nanocomposite powder was synthesized using a sonochemical process. By irradiating an ethanol solution of BaTiO3 and silver oxide (Ag2O), Ag2O thermally decomposed at 40°C and Ag-loaded BaTiO3 nanocomposites powder was obtained. Nanocomposites containing 30 vol% Ag sintered at 1000°C showed near densities and higher dielectric constants compared to those of BaTiO3 sintered at 1300°C. Moreover, percolation did not occur because the Ag nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed and loaded onto the surface of BaTiO3. This sonochemical method is expected to be a new process for obtaining uniformly dispersed and loaded nanocomposite powders without percolation, even in large amounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive release of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, has resulted in significant environmental problems all over the world. CO2 capture technologies offer a very effective means of combating global warming, climate change, and promoting sustainable economic growth. In this work, UiO-66-NH2 was synthesized by the novel sonochemical method in only one hour. This material was characterized through PXRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, BET, and TGA methods. The CO2 capture potential of the presented material was investigated through the analysis of gas isotherms under varying pressure conditions, encompassing both low and high-pressure regions. Remarkably, this adsorbent manifested a notable augmentation in CO2 adsorption capacity (3.2 mmol/g), achieving an approximate enhancement of 0.9 mmol/g, when compared to conventional solvothermal techniques (2.3 mmol/g) at 25 °C and 1 bar. To accurately represent the experimental findings, three isotherm, and kinetic models were used to fit the experimental data in which the Langmuir model and the Elovich model exhibited the best fit with R2 values of 0.999 and 0.981, respectively. Isosteric heat evaluation showed values higher than 80 kJ/mol which indicates chemisorption between the adsorbent surface and the adsorbate. Furthermore, the selectivity of the adsorbent was examined using the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST), which showed a high value of 202 towards CO2 adsorption under simulated flue gas conditions. To evaluate the durability and performance of the material over consecutive adsorption–desorption processes, cyclic tests were conducted. Interestingly, these tests demonstrated only 0.6 mmol/g capacity decrease for sonochemical UiO-66-NH2 throughout 8 consecutive cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological risks and environmental contamination from misuse of novel contaminant PDE-5i-like compounds still persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, MoS 2 /NaBi(MoO 4) 2 piezoelectric composites were utilized to piezocatalytic degradation of the PDE-5i-like novel contaminant Sildenafil by ultrasound-driven piezoelectric process. Among them, 1T-2H MoS 2 /NaBi(MoO 4) 2 achieving a piezoelectric catalytic degradation of sildenafil of 99.8% within 60 min by ultrasound-drived, ecotoxicity of Sildenafil also can be effectively reduced. Experimental and DFT calculations proved that the differential enhanced piezoelectric properties were attributed to the loading of different phases (1T, 1T-2H, 2H) of MoS 2 on NaBi(MoO 4) 2. 1T-2H MoS 2 /NaBi(MoO 4) 2 material possessed the best piezoelectricity with a piezoelectric response amplitude of 233.3 pm/V, 8.1 times higher than that of NaBi(MoO 4) 2 (28.89 pm/V). Characterization and calculation reveals alternating changes in the phase state of 1T-2H MoS 2 provide an alternating polarization piezoelectric field to optimize the piezoelectric properties of 1T-2H MoS 2 /NaBi(MoO 4) 2. This work provides new insights into the application of piezoelectric materials for environmental clean-up. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO Nps), sonochemical synthesized and characterized in our laboratory, are proposed as fluorescent sensor for selenium (Se) determination. The new methodology has been developed based on the enhancing effect of the Se(IV) on fluorescent emission of MnO Nps. Experimental variables that influence on fluorimetric sensitivity were optimized. The calibration graph using zeroth order regression was linear from 0.189 ng L−1 to 8.00 × 103 µg L−1, with correlation coefficient better than 0.99. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection and quantification were of 0.062 ng L−1 and 0.189 ng L−1, respectively. The trueness of the methodology was assessed through standard addition method obtaining recovery near to 100%. This method showed good tolerance to foreign ions, particularly to Se(VI), and was applied to determination of Se(IV) trace in food and drink samples with satisfactory results. With the intention of preserving the environment from harmful effects, a degradation study of the used nanomaterials has been included for their subsequent disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]