Field emission performance of graphene-incorporated aluminum-based metal matrix composite.

The 'close proximity' configuration was used for field emission analysis of graphene-incorporated aluminum (Al) composites. The turn-on field was found to be 2 V μm for the AlGr1 (1% graphene (by weight) inside the Al matrix) composite compared to 4.75 V μm for the pristine aluminum sample.

Insights into the Solution Processing of Non-van der Waals Boron Carbide.

Exfoliation of non-layered materials is crucial to unleash their enormous potential in wide range of applications. However, the presence of strong non-van der Waals interactions in all three dimensions makes exfoliation challenging. Boron carbide (BC), known for its high hardness, holds great potential for diverse applications.

Thickness dependence of wavenumbers and optical-activity selection rule of zone-center phonons in two-dimensional gallium sulfide metal monochalcogenide.

Gallium sulfide (GaS) stands out as a versatile nonlinear optical material for green-blue optoelectronic and photocatalytic nano-devices. In addition, the in-plane breaking strain and mechanical strength of layered GaS make it a promising candidate for next-generation flexible nanodevices. The fast and reliable assessment of the number of layers, without sample loss, is key for these applications.

Surface modification of a biomass-derived self-supported carbon nano network as an emerging platform for advanced field emitter devices and supercapacitor applications.

Herein, a self-supported carbon network is designed through the sole pyrolysis of Carica papaya seeds (biomass) without any activation agent, demonstrating their field emission and supercapacitor applications. The pyrolysis of seeds in an argon atmosphere leads to the formation of interconnected, rod-like structures. Furthermore, the hydrofluoric acid treatment not only removed impurities, but also resulted in the formation of CaF nanocrystals with the addition of F-doping.

Synthesis and characterization of micro-/nano-α-FeO for photocatalytic dye degradation.

Photocatalytic activity using micro-/nano-α-FeO on a large scale was carried out using a sol-gel autocombustion method. A degradation time of 60 min was noted for 50 mg of the catalyst. Post characterization, this catalyst system showed a degradation of about 53% (rate = 2.

1D and 2D Boron Nitride Nano Structures: A Critical Analysis for Emerging Applications in the Field of Nanocomposites.

Boron nitride (BN) with its 1D and 2D nano derivatives have gained immense popularity in both the field of research and applications. These nano derivatives have proved to be one of the most promising fillers which can be incorporated in polymers to form nanocomposites with excellent properties. These materials have been around for 25 years whereas significant research has been done in this field for only the past decade.

Enhanced sunlight-driven catalysis for hydrogen generation and dye remediation using synergistic p-CoO/n-TiO nanocomposites.

In this study, p-CoO/n-TiO nanocomposites were synthesized using different ratios of cobalt and titanium precursors through a hydrothermal method. These nanocomposites demonstrated notable potential in photocatalytic applications for hydrogen production and orange-red dye degradation under sunlight. Various techniques, including XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, FESEM, TEM, and BET analysis, were used to comprehensively characterize their structural, morphological, and optical properties.

Solution-based electrostatic self-assembly route for obtaining graphene-transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures.

Heterostructures of 2D materials have provided splendid insights into fundamental phenomena and are also promising for numerous applications. However, the protocols for obtaining them remain highly specific and lack scalability. Herein, the demonstrated protocol employs surfactant-assisted exfoliation and centrifugation-based size-selection of nanosheets for synthesizing heterostructures through electrostatic self-assembly.

MoS nanobelts-carbon hybrid material for supercapacitor applications.

The MoS nanobelts/Carbon hybrid nanostructure was synthesized by the simple hydrothermal method. The MoS nanobelts were distributed in the interlayers of Lemon grass-derived carbon (LG-C), provides the active sites and avoid restacking of the sheets. The structural and morphological characterization of MoS/LG-C and LG-C were performed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Copper(ii) and cobalt(iii) Schiff base complexes with hydroxy anchors as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).

Two Schiff base complexes of copper(ii) and cobalt(iii) having the formulae [CuL] (Cu-Sal) and [CoL] (Co-Sal) (HL = 2-(((2-hydroxyethyl)imino)methyl)phenol) have been synthesized and characterized microanalytically, spectroscopically and in the case of Cu-Sal using single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The single crystal X-ray analysis reveals a square planar geometry around Cu(ii) satisfied by phenoxide oxygen and imine nitrogen of the L ligand to generate a six membered chelate ring. The solid state structure of Cu-Sal is satisfied by varied intermolecular non-covalent interactions.

Room-temperature highly sensitive and selective NHgas sensor using vertically aligned WSnanosheets.

Here, we report the room temperature (35 °C) NHgas sensor device made from WSnanosheets obtained via a facile and low-cost probe sonication method. The gas-sensing properties of devices made from these nanosheets were examined for various analytes such as ammonia, ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, acetone, chloroform, and benzene. The fabricated gas sensor is selective towards NHand exhibits excellent sensitivity, faster response, and recovery time in comparison to previously reported values.

MoS and CdMoS nanostructure-based UV light photodetectors.

We have developed MoS nanosheets and CdMoS hierarchical nanostructures based on a UV light photodetector. The surface morphologies of the as-prepared samples were investigated field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The performance parameters for the present photodetectors are investigated under the illumination of UV light having a wavelength of ∼385 nm.

Enhanced energy storage performance and theoretical studies of 3D cuboidal manganese diselenides embedded with multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

The burst of energy produced from the sustainable energy sources need to be harnessed by energy storage systems. Development of novel and advanced energy storage devices such as supercapacitors discover an enormous future ahead. Recently, hybrid supercapacitors (electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) and pseudocapacitors) trend to be used as energy storage interfaces for their improved efficacy in energy density without altering the power density.

Enhanced Antifungal Activity of WS/ZnO Nanohybrid against .

forms persistent infections through the formation of biofilms that confer resistance to existing antifungal drugs. Biofilm targeting is therefore a promising strategy to combat infections. The WS/ZnO nanohybrids exhibits considerably improved antibiofilm activity and inhibited the biofilm formation by 91%, which is quite better than that for pristine WS, which is only 74%.

Highly sensitive and flexible pressure sensor based on two-dimensional MoSe nanosheets for online wrist pulse monitoring.

The advancement of portable and flexible electronics that is integrated with multiple sensing functions has increasingly drawn considerable interest. The fabricated sensors would have the ability to sense multiple deformations like pressing, twisting and trivial vibrations such as pulses of wrist vibrations to mimic human skin. Presently, we implemented an easy, cost-effective and optimized fabrication technique for production of pressure sensors based on MoSe nanosheets coated on cellulose paper.

Functional Monochalcogenides: Raman Evidence Linking Properties, Structure, and Metavalent Bonding.

Pressure- and temperature-dependent Raman scattering in GeSe, SnSe, and GeTe for pressures beyond 50 GPa and for temperatures ranging from 78 to 800 K allow us to identify structural and electronic phase transitions, similarities between GeSe and SnSe, and differences with GeTe. Calculations help to deduce the propensity of GeTe for defect formation and the doping that results from it, which gives rise to strong Raman damping beyond anomalous anharmonicity. These properties are related to the underlying chemical bonding and consistent with a recent classification of bonding in several chalcogenide materials that puts GeTe in a separate class of "incipient" metals.

TiO nanoflowers based humidity sensor and cytotoxic activity.

We have systematically investigated the humidity sensing performance and cytotoxic activity of TiO nanoflowers synthesized by hydrothermal method. Our result reveals that TiO nanoflower based sensor devices show good performance at room temperature with a maximum sensitivity of ∼815% along with a response time of ∼143 s and a recovery time of ∼33 s. Our findings also evaluate the cytotoxic effect of TiO nanoflowers on human HepG2 cell lines.

Phase transformation in tungsten oxide nanoplates as a function of post-annealing temperature and its electrochemical influence on energy storage.

The morphology and crystal structure of electrode materials have an enormous impact on their electrochemical properties for employment in supercapacitors for various applications. In this study, the transformations of the crystal structure of WO·HO nanoplates were conducted by post-annealing at 200 °C and 400 °C. The morphological and structural evolution of the electrodes was studied FEG-SEM, HRTEM, FTIR, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy.

Synthesis of a 3D free standing crystalline NiSe matrix for electrochemical energy storage applications.

The electrochemical performance for energy storage of three-dimensional (3D) self-supported heterogeneous NiSex cubic-orthorhombic nanocrystals grown by a facile one-step chemical vapour deposition (CVD) approach on Ni foam substrates has been explored. NiSex shows a high specific capacitance of 1333 F g-1 with ultra-high energy (105 W h kg-1) and power (54 kW kg-1) densities. Furthermore, by integrating the as-grown NiSex as the anode and reduced graphene oxide as the cathode, a hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) prototype with a coin cell configuration has been fabricated.

Development of pristine and Au-decorated BiO/BiWO nanocomposites for supercapacitor electrodes.

Pristine and Au-decorated BiO/BiWO nanocomposites were synthesized a facile hydrothermal method. Characterization techniques such as XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and XPS were used to explore the structural, morphological and electronic properties. Furthermore, electrochemical characterizations including cyclic voltammetry (CV), the galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) method, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed to investigate the supercapacitance behaviour of the synthesized materials.

Pressure-Induced Phase Transitions in Germanium Telluride: Raman Signatures of Anharmonicity and Oxidation.

Pressure-induced phase transitions in GeTe, a prototype phase change material, have been studied to date with diffraction which is not sensitive to anharmonicity-induced dynamical effects. GeTe is also prone to surface oxidation which may compromise surface sensitive measurements. These factors could be responsible for the lack of clarity about the phases and transitions intervening in the phase diagram of GeTe.

Freestanding Borophene and Its Hybrids.

Borophene, an elemental metallic Dirac material is predicted to have unprecedented mechanical and electronic character. Need of substrate and ultrahigh vacuum conditions for deposition of borophene restricts its large-scale applications and significantly hampers the advancement of research on borophene. Herein, a facile and large-scale synthesis of freestanding atomic sheets of borophene through a novel liquid-phase exfoliation and the reduction of borophene oxide is demonstrated.

Negative axicon tip-based fiber optic interferometer cavity sensor for volatile gas sensing.

In this research work we demonstrated negative axicon optical fiber tip filled with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a sensor platform for volatile organic gases detection at room temperature. The response of the sensor was measured with various Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as Chloroform, Hexane, Isopropanol, Acetone, Toluene and Methanol in the concentration ranging from 5 to 200 ppm. The corresponding sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) of the developed sensor for the measured VOCs were observed between the order of around 23.

Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy and sensor applications of PtSe nanosheets synthesized by wet chemistry.

We report on a wet chemistry method used to grow PtSe nanosheets followed by thermal annealing. The SEM and TEM analysis confirms the formation of PtSe nanosheets. Furthermore, XRD, Raman, XPS and SAED patterns were used to analyze the crystal structure and to confirm the formation of the PtSe phase.