Sonochemically synthesized MnO2 nanoparticles as electrode material for supercapacitors.

In this study, manganese oxide (MnO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by sonochemical reduction of KMnO4 using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reducing agent as well as structure directing agent under room temperature in short duration of time and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. A supercapacitor device constructed using the ultrasonically-synthesized MnO2 nanoparticles showed maximum specific capacitance (SC) of 282Fg(-1) in the presence of 1M Ca(NO3)2 as an electrolyte at a current density of 0.5mAcm(-2) in the potential range from 0.

Identification of structural and spectral features of synthesized cyano-stilbene dye derivatives: a comparative experimental and DFT study.

The synthesized three dye derivatives of cyano-stilbene monomer were identified by experimental spectroscopic techniques and density functional approach. The optimized geometrical structure, vibrational and electronic transitions along with the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of those compounds were presented in this study. The vibrational spectra of investigated compounds were recorded in solid state with FT-IR and FT-Raman spectrometry in the range of 4000-400 cm(-1) and 3600-50 cm(-1), respectively.

Ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets: a novel peroxidase mimetic, Fe doping-mediated catalytic performance enhancement and application to rapid, highly sensitive optical detection of glucose.

In this article, we demonstrate for the first time that ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (g-C3N4) possess peroxidase activity. Fe doping of the nanosheets leads to peroxidase mimetics with greatly enhanced catalytic performance and the mechanism involved is proposed. We further demonstrate the novel use of such Fe-g-C3N4 as a cheap nanosensor for simple, rapid, highly selective and sensitive optical detection of glucose with a pretty low detection limit of 0.

Spinel CuCo2O4 nanoparticles supported on N-doped reduced graphene oxide: a highly active and stable hybrid electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

In this Letter, for the first time, we demonstrated the preparation of a highly efficient electrocatalyst, spinel CuCo2O4 nanoparticles supported on N-doped reduced graphene oxide (CuCo2O4/N-rGO), for an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) under alkaline media. The hybrid exhibits higher ORR catalytic activity than CuCo2O4 or N-rGO alone, the physical mixture of CuCo2O4 nanoparticles and N-rGO, and Co3O4/N-rGO. Moreover, such a hybrid affords superior durability to the commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Two-dimensional hybrid mesoporous Fe2O3-graphene nanostructures: a highly active and reusable peroxidase mimetic toward rapid, highly sensitive optical detection of glucose.

In this article, for the first time, two-dimensional hybrid mesoporous Fe2O3-graphene (mFe2O3-G) nanostructures were developed as a peroxidase mimetic with catalytic activities superior to those of mFe2O3, G, and previously reported Fe-based peroxidase mimetics. The high-surface-area mFe2O3 not only offers a large number of catalytically active sites, but also facilitates the diffusion of 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 toward G surface. On the other hand, G is π-rich and thus favors the adsorption and enrichment of TMB within these pores.

A novel pH sensitive water soluble fluorescent nanomicellar sensor for potential biomedical applications.

Herein we report on the synthesis and sensor activity of a novel pH sensitive probe designed as highly water-soluble fluorescent micelles by grafting of 1,8-naphthalimide-rhodamine bichromophoric FRET system (RNI) to the PMMA block of a well-defined amphiphilic diblock copolymer-poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(methacrylic acid) (PMMA48-b-PMAA27). The RNI-PMMA48-b-PMAA27 adduct is capable of self-assembling into micelles with a hydrophobic PMMA core, containing the anchored fluorescent probe, and a hydrophilic shell composed of PMAA block. Novel fluorescent micelles are able to serve as a highly sensitive pH probe in water and to internalize successfully HeLa and HEK cells.

Au-nanoparticle-loaded graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets: green photocatalytic synthesis and application toward the degradation of organic pollutants.

Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) were loaded on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets prepared by ultrasonication-assisted liquid exfoliation of bulk g-C3N4 via green photoreduction of Au(III) under visible light irradiation using g-C3N4 as an effective photocatalyst. The nanohybrids show superior photocatalytic activities for the decomposition of methyl orange under visible-light irradiation to bulk g-C3N4, g-C3N4 nanosheets, and AuNP/bulk g-C3N4 hybrids.