A Hierarchically Ordered Mesoporous-Carbon-Supported Iron Sulfide Anode for High-Rate Na-Ion Storage.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are promising alternatives to lithium-based energy storage devices for large-scale applications, but conventional lithium-ion battery anode materials do not provide adequate reversible Na-ion storage. In contrast, conversion-based transition metal sulfides have high theoretical capacities and are suitable anode materials for SIBs. Iron sulfide (FeS) is environmentally benign and inexpensive but suffers from low conductivity and sluggish Na-ion diffusion kinetics.

Temperature-Controlled Structural Variations of Meticulous Fibrous Networks of NiFe-Polymeric Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks for Enhanced Performance in Electrocatalytic Water-Splitting Reactions.

Developing non-noble, earth-ample, and stable electrocatalysts are highly anticipated in oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) at unique pH conditions. Herein, we have synthesized bimetallic (nickel and iron) zeolite imidazolate framework (ZIF)-based nanofibrous materials via a simple electrospinning (ES) process. The structural stability of the fibrous material is subjected to various calcination conditions.

Chitosan grafted butein: A metal-free transducer for electrochemical genosensing of exosomal CD24.

Metal-free cost-efficient biocompatible molecules are beneficial for opto-electrochemical bioassays. Herein, chitosan (CS) conjugated butein is prepared via graft polymerization. Structural integrity between radical active sites of CS and its probable conjugation routes with reactive OH group of butein during grafting were comprehensively studied using optical absorbance/emission property, NMR, FT-IR and XPS analysis.

Pinhole-Free Shell-Isolated Nanoparticle Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Interference-Free Probing of Electrochemical Reactions.

Investigating the behavior of analytes at the electrode surface is crucial in understanding the electrochemical and electrocatalytic reactions. Although Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is sensitive to minor chemical changes in the analyte, it is not widely used to study the reaction mechanisms on nonplasmonic surfaces because of the interference from plasmonic SERS substrates. In this study, we have investigated the redox reaction of Nile Blue A on a glassy carbon surface using pinhole-free silica-coated silver nanoparticles for Raman signal enhancement.

Cobalt-iron zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) as microfibers for the effective detection of hydroquinone.

The monitoring of pollutants has received significant attention from researchers in recent years owing to their hazardous nature and their toxic effect on the environment. Among them, water pollution plays a major role and results in dominant diseases along with life-long health problems. Hydroquinone (HQ), the major metabolite of benzene, is an industrially used organic compound which causes symptoms associated with nervous related disorders, such as faintness, therefore the research community has been inspired to detect sources of this carcinogenic agent.

Reducing Defects in Organic-Lead Halide Perovskite Film by Delayed Thermal Annealing Combined with KI/I for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

This study improved quality of CHNHPbI (MAPbI) perovskite films by delaying thermal annealing in the spin coating process and introducing KI and I to prepare MAPbI films that were low in defects for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. The influences of delayed thermal annealing time after coating the MAPbI perovskite layer on the crystallized perovskite, the morphology control of MAPbI films, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency of solar cells were investigated. The optimal delayed thermal annealing time was found to be 60 min at room temperature.

Electrochemical mineralization of iron-tannate stain on HAp and bovine enamel-A non-peroxide approach.

Prolonged treatments for the destaining of teeth using high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide may cause secondary unwanted effects such as tooth hypersensitivity and gingival irritation. Hence, it is aimed to develop a non-peroxide-based method to oxidize iron-tannate (Fe-TA) stained hydroxyapatite (HAp) and bovine enamel (BE) samples. Constant current electrolysis (CCE) experiments were carried out on Pt working electrode in aqueous NaCl, KCl and KI solutions at discrete concentrations under continuous experiment and a non-continuous experiment.

Bi-metallic zeolite imidazole framework nanofibers for the selective determination of Cd ions.

Cobalt zinc-zeolite imidazole framework (Co/Zn-ZIF) nanofibers are made via an electrospinning (ES) approach and tested for the detection of heavy metal cadmium ions. Electrostatically attracted cobalt and zinc ions are bound regularly on the surface of the ZIF network. The cobalt and zinc ions are organized with the ZIF network, which provides the sturdily bonded tetrahedral structure of Co/Zn-ZIF, giving essential steadiness to the composite material.

Complex magnetic properties associated with competing local and itinerant magnetism in [Formula: see text].

Ternary intermetallic compound [Formula: see text] has been synthesized in single phase and characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analysis, magnetization, heat capacity, neutron diffraction and muon spin rotation/relaxation ([Formula: see text]SR) measurements. The polycrystalline compound was synthesized in single phase by introducing necessary vacancies in Co/Si sites. Magnetic, heat capacity, and zero-field neutron diffraction studies reveal that the system undergoes magnetic transition below [Formula: see text]4 K.

Interfacial charge dynamics in type-II heterostructured sulfur doped-graphitic carbon nitride/bismuth tungstate as competent photoelectrocatalytic water splitting photoanode.

Sluggish charge transfers at the electrode/electrolyte interface and fast recombination of electron-hole pairs limit the photoelectrocatalytic water-splitting ability of the bismuth tungstate (BiWO). To address these issues, sulfur doped-graphitic carbon nitride/bismuth tungstate (S-g-CN/BiWO) heterostructured hybrid material with different wt% of S-g-CN were constructed via an ultrasonic approach. The formation of heterostructure offers well-separated electron-hole pairs, thereby improving the charge transfer process, and boosting water oxidation kinetics on the surface of modified electrodes.

Electrospun Cobalt-Incorporated MOF-5 Microfibers as a Promising Electrocatalyst for OER in Alkaline Media.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based materials have attracted attention in recent times owing to their remarkable properties such as regulatable pore size, high specific surface area, and elasticity in their network topology, geometry, dimension, and chemical functionality. It is believed that the incorporation of a MOF network into a fibrous matrix results in the improvement of the electrocatalytic properties of the material. Herein, we have synthesized a Co-incorporated MOF-5-based fibrous material by a simple wet-chemical method, followed by an electrospinning (ES) process.

In Situ Decorated Ni Metallic Layer with CoS-Layered Thin Films via a Layer-by-Layer Strategy Using Pulsed Laser Deposition for Enhanced Electrocatalytic OER.

The catalytic activity of 3d-transition-metal-based electrocatalysts has exhibited considerable enhancements in electrocatalytic water splitting via pioneering modulations in the active sites. To overcome the energy loss because of the mechanic steps involved in a complex oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the electrode surface with only a few layers would be an advantage over multilayers for the ease of the electrolyte interaction and gas evolution. Here, for the first time, thin films of CoS are prepared on a carbon cloth via a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique via layer-by-layer deposition of Ni that tend to give Ni-CoS thin films.

MnCoS - MXene: A novel hybrid electrode material for high performance long-life asymmetric supercapattery.

The supercapattery, an ideal electrochemical energy storage device, which can deliver high energy like battery and high power like supercapacitor. Transition metal sulphides' energy storage capabilities have unfurled beyond the realm of ruthenium and manganese-based oxides by the versatile affordable sulphospinel transition metal sulphides such as MnCoS (MCS). The advancement of synergistic nano-architectures of these transition metal sulphides with two-dimensional MXene material adulated the conductivity and highly reversible redox nature.

Electrified liquid-liquid interface as an electrochemical tool for the sensing of putrescine and cadaverine.

Putrescine and cadaverine are biogenic amines that serve as potential biomarkers for several types of cancers and monitoring food quality. Electrochemical sensing of putrescine and cadaverine by non-enzymatic routes remains a challenge because of their inertness at unmodified electrode surfaces and hence a liquid-liquid interface strategy has been employed for their detection. In the present study, electrochemical sensing of cadaverine and putrescine has been demonstrated by simple and facilitated ion-transfer processes using a liquid-liquid microinterface supported by a microcapillary.

Insight towards Nucleation Mechanism and Change in Morphology for Nanostructured Platinum Thin Film Directly Grown on Carbon Substrate via Electrochemical Deposition.

Nanocrystalline platinum with different morphologies is synthesized via electrochemical deposition technique. The nucleation mechanism and its structural effect over the electrodeposited Pt on carbon electrodes have been systematically studied. Powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy are employed to study nucleation, oxidation states, and Pt structure growth on a carbon electrode.

Augmenting the electrochemical performance of NiMnO by doping of transition metal ions and compositing with rGO.

The transition metal ions (TMIs) such as Co and Zn doped NiMnO (NMO)/rGO nanocomposite synthesized by facile sol-gel method was used for the fabrication of supercapacitor. The presence of metal ions in the nanocomposite was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) mapping techniques. The fabricated electrode showed high specific capacitance of 710 F/g which was 3-fold higher than NMO (254 F/g).

Fabrication of highly stable platinum organosols over DNA-scaffolds for enriched catalytic and SERS applications.

The use of nanomaterials (NMs) in various applications via multidisciplinary approaches is highly necessary in this era. In this line, the impact of noble metals in organic media for both catalysis and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) studies is most interesting and also has a wider scope in various fields. Nonetheless, the catalytic reduction of aromatic nitro compounds is difficult with poor solubility in aqueous media, and reduction also is less feasible in the absence of noble metal-based catalysts.

Tuning optical properties of nitrogen-doped carbon dots through fluorescence resonance energy transfer using Rhodamine B for the ratiometric sensing of mercury ions.

Carbon dots (CDs) that exhibit fluorescence properties are generally derived from carbonaceous materials, and possess ultrasmall sizes with various exciting physical, chemical and photo-properties, which have been used in many different fields in recent time. Here, we have focused on the preparation of nitrogen-doped CDs (N-CDs) that emit a bright blue fluorescence upon exposure to UV excitation. Furthermore, by employing Rhodamine B (RhB) as a donor molecule, the emission color of N-CDs is altered from blue to red.

Insights from a Pan India Sero-Epidemiological survey (Phenome-India Cohort) for SARS-CoV2.

To understand the spread of SARS-CoV2, in August and September 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India) conducted a serosurvey across its constituent laboratories and centers across India. Of 10,427 volunteers, 1058 (10.14%) tested positive for SARS-CoV2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) antibodies, 95% of which had surrogate neutralization activity.

Bimodal Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of the Luminol/Dicyclohexylamine (DCHA) System: A Novel and Highly Sensitive Detection of DCHA via ECL-Flow Injection Analysis.

Though luminol is one of the most prominent and extensively studied luminophores in ECL studies, only HO has been widely used as a co-reactant. This limits the variety of applications because of the short-time radical stability and low quantum efficiency. In the present work, we identified dicyclohexylamine (DCHA) as a new and highly efficient anodic co-reactant in ECL for the luminol molecule.

Electron transfer studies of a conventional redox probe in human sweat and saliva bio-mimicking conditions.

Modern day hospital treatments aim at developing electrochemical biosensors for early diagnosis of diseases using unconventional human bio-fluids like sweat and saliva by monitoring the electron transfer reactions of target analytes. Such kinds of health care diagnostics primarily avoid the usage of human blood and urine samples. In this context, here we have investigated the electron transfer reaction of a well-known and commonly used redox probe namely, potassium ferro/ferri cyanide by employing artificially simulated bio-mimics of human sweat and saliva as unconventional electrolytes.

Prospects in interfaces of biomolecule DNA and nanomaterials as an effective way for improvising surface enhanced Raman scattering: A review.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a field of research that has shown promising application in the analysis of various substrate molecules by means of rough metallic surfaces. In directing the enhancement of substrate molecules in micro and nano-molar concentrations, plasmonic coupling of metal nanoparticles (NPs), morphology of metal NPs and the closely arrangement of rough metal surfaces that produces 'hot spots' can effectively increase the so-called enhancement factor (EF) that will be applicable in various fields. As the mechanistic aspects are still not clear, research has been triggered all over the world for the past two decades to have a clear understanding in chemical and electromagnetic effects.

Co-reactant-free self-enhanced solid-state electrochemiluminescence platform based on polyluminol-gold nanocomposite for signal-on detection of mercury ion.

Development of a self-enhanced solid-state ECL platform creates a straightforward experimental design for the fabrication of point-of-care applications. Herein, we develop a promising method for self-enhanced solid-state ECL platform of polyluminol gold nanocomposite on glassy carbon electrode [(PL-Au)/GCE] via simple one-step electrochemical deposition process without involving any additional co-reactants. The presence of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) augments the electron transfer kinetics of PL (polyluminol) and enhances the solid-state ECL intensity and promotes label-free, excellent sensitivity, and selectivity to detect Hg in physiological pH through signal-on mode.

Biological performance of metal metalloid (TiCuZrPd:B) TFMG fabricated by pulsed laser deposition.

The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of boron with different ratios in Ti-Cu-Pd-Zr metallic glass (MG) matrix (Ti-Cu-Pd-Zr:B) fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) for biomedical implants. The Ti based Thin Film Metallic Glasses (TFMGs) in combination with boron (in different atomic %) was assessed in attaining the combined properties, like outstanding corrosion resistant properties and good biocompatibility in this work. The disordered structure and amorphous nature of the Ti-Cu-Pd-Zr:B thin films systems were achieved by the PLD process and affirmed by XRD and transmission electron microscopy.

Green synthesis of nonprecious metal-doped copper hydroxide nanoparticles for construction of a dopamine sensor.

Copper oxide nanoparticles doped with nonprecious metal species (Ni and Mn) were synthesized. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified by drop-casting of nanostructure suspensions, constructing Ni:Cu(OH)/GCE, Mn:Cu(OH)/GCE and Cu(OH)/GCE. The voltammetric oxidation of dopamine (DA) by the constructed electrodes confirmed that the electrocatalytic oxidation of DA is a reversible, pH-dependent, diffusion-controlled process; the best response was obtained by Mn:Cu(OH)/GCE.