N, S-codoped carbon dots for antioxidants and their nanovehicle potential as molecular cargoes.

This work demonstrates the facile one step hydrothermal synthesis of carbon dots doped with nitrogen and sulfur (SCDs). The carbon dots have various uses, including their use as molecular payloads for antioxidant and drug delivery purposes. The sizes of the CDs were determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed an average size of 4.

Sequential effects of two cations on the fluorescence emission of a coordination polymer with ZnO core in node.

Distinct changes in the fluorescence emissions of free ligand 5-(1,3-dioxo-1-benzo[de]isoquinolin-2(3)-yl)isophthalic acid (HNAPHISO) than a 2D-zinc-coordination polymer of it, caused by sequential interactions with different sets of binary cations were observed. The coordination polymer having unsymmetrical ZnO core of tetranuclear zinc-node could be dispersed in dimethylformamide without its degradation. The coordination polymer had an emission peak at 435 nm (quantum yield = 0.

Surface energy and stress driven growth of extremely long and high-density ZnO nanowires using a thermal step-oxidation process.

Formation of highly crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires with an extremely high aspect ratio (length = 60 μm, diameter = 50 nm) is routinely achieved by introducing an intermediate step-oxidation method during the thermal oxidation process of thin zinc (Zn) films. High-purity Zn was deposited onto clean glass substrates at room temperature using a vacuum-assisted thermal evaporation technique. Afterwards, the as-deposited Zn layers were thermally oxidized under a closed air ambient condition at different temperatures and durations.

Bi-component sensing platform for the detection of Cd, Feand Fe ions.

The ability of -(1,3-dioxo-1-benzo[de]isoquinolin-2(3)-yl)isonicotinamide (naphydrazide) or 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,6-Hpdc) individually or as a bi-component system in distinguishing and detecting Fe or Fe and Cd ions was investigated. The use of these molecules as single or bi-component analytes in absorption or emission spectroscopy studies showed that under specific conditions each had their own merits for specific purposes. UV-visible spectroscopic studies of 2,6-Hpdc for assessing the interactions with ferrous and ferric ions showed characteristic distinctions.

Sulphur-atom positional engineering in perylenimide: structure-property relationships and H-aggregation directed type-I photodynamic therapy.

An innovative design strategy of placing sulfur (S)-atoms within the pendant functional groups and at carbonyl positions in conventional perylenimide (PNI-O) has been demonstrated to investigate the condensed state structure-property relationship and potential photodynamic therapy (PDT) application. Incorporation of simply S-atoms at the -functionalized perylenimide (RPNI-O) leads to an aggregation-induced enhanced emission luminogen (AIEEgen), 2-hexyl-8-(thianthren-1-yl)-1-benzo[5,10]anthra[2,1,9-def]isoquinoline-1,3(2)-dione (API), which achieves a remarkable photoluminescence quantum yield ( ) of 0.85 in aqueous environments and established novel AIE mechanisms.

Role of oxygen functional groups and attachment of Au nanoparticles on graphene oxide sheets for improved photodetection performance.

Integrating low-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) with conventional Si technology offers innovative strategies for developing ultrafast wideband photodetectors. In this study, we synthesized GO and explored its potential application in broadband photodetection alongside silicon heterostructures. The as-synthesized GO contains various oxygen functional groups, as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Precise and rapid point-of-care quantification of albumin levels in unspiked blood using organic field-effect transistors.

Nanowire-based field-effect transistors (FETs) are widely used to detect biomolecules precisely. However, the fabrication of such devices involves complex integration procedures of nanowires into the device and most are not easily scalable. In this work, we report a straightforward fabrication approach that utilizes the grain boundaries of the semiconducting film of organic FETs to fabricate biosensors for the detection of human serum albumin (HSA) with an enhanced sensitivity and detection range.

Designing an efficient lead-free perovskite solar cell with green-synthesized CuCrO and CeO as carrier transport materials.

With increased efficiency, simplicity in manufacturing, adaptability, and flexibility, solar cells constructed from organic metal halide perovskite (PVK) have recently attained great eminence. Lead, a poisonous substance, present in a conventional PVK impacts the environment and prevents commercialization. To deal with this issue, a number of toxicity-free PVK-constructed solar cells have been suggested.

Boosting efficiency above 28% using effective charge transport layer with SrSbI based novel inorganic perovskite.

Strontium antimony iodide (SrSbI) is one of the emerging absorbers materials owing to its intriguing structural, electronic, and optical properties for efficient and cost-effective solar cell applications. A comprehensive investigation on the structural, optical, and electronic characterization of SrSbI and its subsequent applications in heterostructure solar cells have been studied theoretically. Initially, the optoelectronic parameters of the novel SrSbI absorber, and the possible electron transport layer (ETL) of tin sulfide (SnS), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and indium sulfide (InS) including various interface layers were obtained by DFT study.

Comparative study of distinct halide composites for highly efficient perovskite solar cells using a SCAPS-1D simulator.

This research investigates the influence of halide-based methylammonium-based perovskites as the active absorber layer (PAL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Using SCAPS-1D simulation software, the study optimizes PSC performance by analyzing PAL thickness, temperature, and defect density impact on output parameters. PAL thickness analysis reveals that increasing thickness enhances for MAPbI and MAPbIBr, while that of MAPbBr remains steady.

Achieving above 24% efficiency with non-toxic CsSnI perovskite solar cells by harnessing the potential of the absorber and charge transport layers.

Lead toxicity is a barrier to the widespread commercial manufacture of lead halide perovskites and their use in solar photovoltaic (PV) devices. Eco-friendly lead-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been developed using certain unique non- or low-toxic perovskite materials. In this context, Sn-based perovskites have been identified as promising substitutes for Pb-based perovskites due to their similar characteristics.

Higher order topology in a Creutz ladder.

A Creutz ladder, is a quasi one dimensional system hosting robust topological phases with localized edge modes protected by different symmetries such as inversion, chiral and particle-hole symmetries. Non-trivial topology is observed in a large region of the parameter space defined by the horizontal, diagonal and vertical hopping amplitudes and a transverse magnetic flux that threads through the ladder. In this work, we investigate higher order topology in a two dimensional extrapolated version of the Creutz ladder.

fruit waste management by liquefaction using hydrogen-donor solvent.

The liquefaction of fruit waste (both pulp and peel) in a hydrogen-donor solvent has not been reported in the literature and authors considered the same as the objective of this work. Thus, results on waste management of this potential fruit wastes by liquefaction in hydrogen-donor methanol solvent at 260 °C temperature, residence time of 30 min, and 1 : 2, 1 : 3 and 1 : 4 biomass-to-solvent ratios were reported in this work. The aim was to achieve biofuels of high quantity and quality from this waste, which would otherwise be disposed of without any value addition.

Cold atmospheric plasma driven self-assembly in serum proteins: insights into the protein aggregation to biomaterials.

The self-assembly of proteins is crucial in many biomedical applications. This work deals with understanding the role of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on the self-assembly of two different proteins present in the serum - BSA and hemoglobin and to elucidate the process associated with the direct application of physical plasma on or in the human (or animal) body, which has implications in therapeutics. The work has been corroborated by several spectroscopic studies such as fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and SEM analysis.

Emerging doping strategies in two-dimensional hybrid perovskite semiconductors for cutting edge optoelectronics applications.

The past decade has witnessed tremendous progress in metal halide perovskites, particularly in lead (Pb) halide perovskites, because of their extraordinary performance in cutting-edge optoelectronic devices. However, the toxicity of Pb and the environmental stability of the perovskites are two major issues that this field is currently facing. In recent years, 2D layered perovskites have emerged as a promising alternative to the traditional 3D perovskites due to their structural flexibility and higher environmental stability, though they lack the desired level of device efficiency.

Hot-exciton harvesting through-space single-molecule based white-light emission and optical waveguides.

Through-space donor-alkyl bridge-acceptor (D-σ-A) luminogens are developed as new organic single-molecule white light emitters (OSMWLEs) involving multiple higher lying singlet (S ) and triplet (T ) states (hot-excitons). Experimental and theoretical results confirm the origin of white light emission due to the co-existence of prompt fluorescence from locally excited states, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), and fast/slow dual phosphorescence color mixing simultaneously. Notably, the fast phosphorescence was observed due to trace amounts of isomeric impurities from commercial carbazole, while H-/J-aggregation resulted in slow phosphorescence.

Effect of monovalent salt concentration and peptide secondary structure in peptide-micelle binding.

Recently, we reported a cationic 14 residue peptide LL-14 (LKWLKKLLKWLKKL) with salt-sensitive broad-spectrum antimicrobial potency. However, the mechanism of its salt (NaCl) sensitivity remained unclear. In this study, we have reported computational (∼14.

A temperature-dependent switching of the exchange bias effect from negative to positive under a fixed intermediate cooling field.

An interfacial coupling origin of the exchange bias effect (EBE) is a novel phenomenon due to its technological and fundamental importance. We have carefully synthesized an FeO@NiO (FO@N) core@shell (CS) nanostructure using a co-precipitation method, and the CS nanostructure formation was evident from the HRTEM analysis. The magnetic measurement study endorses unique characteristics on the temperature-dependent EBE switching from negative to the positive axis under a fixed cooling field.

Facile synthetic route to exfoliate high quality and super-large lateral size graphene-based sheets and their applications in SERS and CO gas sensing.

A combination of low-cost synthetic route and simplified exfoliation technique to develop high-quality graphene-based sheets with very large lateral dimensions, which are viable to scale up, remains a challenging problem. Herein, super-large graphene oxide (GO) sheets with lateral size up to 104 μm with a surface area of 6831 μm have been developed based on a simple approach using mild heating conditions, and subsequent deoxygenation yields reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. With the decrease in number of layers (<10, <5, bi-layer and mono-layer) in GO, the Raman intensity ratio, / value increases systematically from 0.

Predicting the Distribution of Arsenic in Groundwater by a Geospatial Machine Learning Technique in the Two Most Affected Districts of Assam, India: The Public Health Implications.

Arsenic (As) is a well-known carcinogen and chemical contaminant in groundwater. The spatial heterogeneity in As distribution in groundwater makes it difficult to predict the location of safe areas for tube well installations, consumption, and agriculture. Geospatial machine learning techniques have been used to predict the location of safe and unsafe areas of groundwater As.

Peptide-based delivery vectors with pre-defined geometrical locks.

Design of peptide-based targeted delivery vectors with attributes of specificity and selective cellular targeting by fixing their topology and resulting electrostatic fingerprint is the objective of this study. We formulated our peptide design platform by utilizing the possibilities of side-chain induced geometric restrictions in a typical peptide molecule. Conceptually, we locked the conformation of the RGD/NGR motif of tumor homing peptides (THPs) by mutating glycine in these motifs with d-proline and tailed the peptides with a syndiotactic amphipathic segment for cellular penetration.

An ambient complexation reaction of zinc acetate and ascorbic acid leads to a new form of nanoscale particles with emergent optical properties.

We report the formation of nanoscale particles from the complexation reaction between zinc acetate and ascorbic acid under ambient conditions and in an aqueous medium. The reaction led to the formation of a molecular complex with the formula Zn (AA) (OAc) (, , and = possible smallest positive integer) with AA meaning ascorbate, based on the mass spectrometry results. Following this, the formation of luminescent nanoscale particles - the size of which increased with time - was observed.

Reentrant Localization Transition in a Quasiperiodic Chain.

Systems with quasiperiodic disorder are known to exhibit a localization transition in low dimensions. After a critical strength of disorder, all the states of the system become localized, thereby ceasing the particle motion in the system. However, in our analysis, we show that in a one-dimensional dimerized lattice with staggered quasiperiodic disorder, after the localization transition, some of the localized eigenstates become extended for a range of intermediate disorder strengths.

Co-assembly of charge complementary peptides and their applications as organic dye/heavy metal ion (Pb, Hg) absorbents and arsenic(iii/v) detectors.

Learning from nature, molecular self-assembly has been used extensively to generate interesting materials using a bottom up approach. The enthusiasm in this field of research stems from the unique properties of these materials and their diverse applications. The field has not been limited to studying assembly of similar types of molecules but extended to multi component systems the co-assembly phenomenon.