Eco-friendly synthesis of a porous reduced graphene oxide-polypyrrole-gold nanoparticle hybrid nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of methotrexate using a strip sensor.

Chemotherapy is a crucial cancer treatment, but its effectiveness requires precise monitoring of drug concentrations in patients. This study introduces an innovative electrochemical strip sensor design to detect and continuously monitor methotrexate (MTX), a key chemotherapeutic drug. The sensor is crafted through an eco-friendly synthesis process that produces porous reduced graphene oxide (PrGO), which is then integrated with gold nanocomposites and polypyrrole (PPy) to boost the performance of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE).

Optical Phonon Decay and Improved Thermoelectric Efficiency in p-Type MgSb.

The MgSb-based layered compounds exhibit exceptional thermoelectric properties over a wide temperature range and possess the potential to supplant traditional BiTe modules with reliable and economical MgSb-based thermoelectric devices, contingent upon the availability of a complementary p-type MgSb material with high thermoelectric efficiency comparable to that of n-type MgSb. We provide a simpler method involving the codoping of monovalent atoms (K and Na) at the Mg site of the MgSb lattice to improve the thermoelectric performance of p-type MgSb. K-Na codoping results in a peak power factor of around 0.

Synthesis of Tin Oxide Nanoparticles from E-Waste for Photocatalytic Mixed-Dye Degradation under Sunlight.

Electronic waste (e-waste) has become a significant environmental concern worldwide due to the rapid advancement of technology and short product lifecycles. Waste-printed electronic boards (WPCBs) contain valuable metals and semiconductors; among them, tin can be recycled and repurposed for sustainable material production. This study presents a potential ecofriendly methodology for the recovery of tin from WPCBs in the form of tin oxide nanostructured powders.

Quasi-Gel Polymer Electrolyte Interfaced with Electrodes through Solvent-Swollen Poly(ethylene oxide) for High-Performance Lithium/Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are regarded as a superior alternative to traditional liquid electrolytes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their improved safety features. The practical implementation of SPEs faces challenges, such as low ionic conductivity at room temperature (RT) and inadequate interfacial contact, leading to high interfacial resistance across the electrode and electrolyte interfaces. In this study, we addressed these issues by designing a quasi-gel polymer electrolyte (QGPE), a blend of poly(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and succinonitrile (SN), with the desired mechanical strength, ionic conductivity, and interfacial stability through a simple solution casting technique.

Photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics and antimicrobial and anticancer activities of two-dimensional ZnO nanosheets.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients have emerged as an environmentally undesirable element because of their widespread exploitation and consequent pollution, which has deleterious effects on living things. In the pursuit of sustainable environmental remediation, biomedical applications, and energy production, there has been a significant focus on two-dimensional materials (2D materials) owing to their unique electrical, optical, and structural properties. Herein, we have synthesized 2D zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO NSs) using a facile and practicable hydrothermal method and characterized them thoroughly using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.

Effectiveness of Thymol Blue and Phenolphthalein in Sol-Gel Coatings for Sensing and Inhibiting Corrosion on Mild Steel.

Development of smart coatings incorporated with corrosion indicators that can warn of corrosion through signaling the alteration of pH or metal-ion concentration at the corrosion site, and simultaneously mitigate further corrosion, stands out as a highly efficient and economical approach to address corrosion issues. In this context, the present work provides a comprehensive comparison on the effectiveness of thymol blue (TB) and phenolphthalein (PhPh) in both sensing and inhibiting corrosion on mild steel. While most of the works primarily focused on independently investigating the corrosion indication behavior of different active agents, our study intends to offer valuable insights through the comparative analysis of TB and PhPh in making well-informed decisions when selecting the most effective indicator for a given set of application scenarios.

Hierarchically porous closed-pore hard carbon as a plateau-dominated high-performance anode for sodium-ion batteries.

Micro-spherical hard carbons (MSHCs) with distinct porosity features have been synthesized from an easy microwave-assisted solvothermal pre-treatment of sucrose, followed by carbonization, as anodes for sodium-ion batteries. The MSHC exhibits large interlayer spacing of turbostratic graphene nanosheets with more defective graphene planes, hierarchical pore structures, and closed pores. The MSHC anode delivered a high reversible capacity of 422 mA h g at 0.

3D kaolinite/g-CN-alginate beads as an affordable and sustainable photocatalyst for wastewater remediation.

Graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) is an efficient visible-light-driven metal-free semiconductor with superior photocatalytic activity. However, the main drawbacks of GCN include lower adsorption capacity, poor reusability and recoverability. To address these drawbacks, kaolinite/g-CN-alginate beads were fabricated using a cross-linking method to remove brilliant green dye from wastewater via photocatalysis.

Highly Stable Metal─NaPbTe Contacts for Medium Temperature Thermoelectric Devices.

In the medium temperature (600-850 K) range, NaPbTe is a highly efficient p-type thermoelectric compound. Device fabrication utilizing this compound for power generation demands highly stable low-contact resistance contacts with metal electrodes. This work investigates the microstructural, electrical, mechanical, and thermochemical stability of NaPbTe-metal (Ni, Fe, and Co) contacts made by a one-step vacuum hot pressing process.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Efficiency in P-Type MgSb: Role of Monovalent Atoms Codoping at Mg sites.

Due to natural abundance, low cost, and compatibility with sustainable green technology, MgSb-based Zintl compounds are comprehensively explored as potential thermoelectric materials for near-room temperature applications. The effective use of these materials in thermoelectric devices requires both p and n-type MgSb having comparable thermoelectric efficiency. However, p-type MgSb has inferior thermoelectric efficiency efficiency compared to its n-type counterpart due to low electrical conductivity .

Crystal Chemistry and Ionic Conductivity of the NASICON-Related Phases in the LiNaV(PO) System.

In the present work, we studied crystal phases in the LiNaV(PO) system over a wide range of prepared by four synthesis methods: mechanochemically assisted solid-state synthesis, 'soft chemistry' sol-gel approach, chemical (CIE) and electrochemical (EIE) ion exchange starting from LiV(PO) (anti-NASICON, 2/ S.G.), and NaV(PO) (NASICON, 2/ S.

Effective band gap engineering in multi-principal oxides (CeGdLa-Zr/Hf)O by temperature-induced oxygen vacancies.

Oxygen vacancy control has been one of the most efficient methods to tune the physicochemical properties of conventional oxide materials. A new conceptual multi-principal oxide (MPO) is still lacking a control approach to introduce oxygen vacancies for tuning its inherent properties. Taking multi-principal rare earth-transition metal (CeGdLa-Zr/Hf) oxides as model systems, here we report temperature induced oxygen vacancy generation (OVG) phenomenon in MPOs.

3D Printing of MgAlO Spinel Mesh and Densification Through Pressure-Less Sintering and Hot Isostatic Pressing.

MgAlO spinel mesh with micro-features of 410 and 250 μm unit cell length and rib thickness, respectively, was three-dimensional (3D) printed and sintered followed by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIPing). A stable colloidal dispersion of spinel in polymer-water solution was prepared and 3D-printed using a 30-gauge needle (∼100 μm inner diameter) on a regenHU 3D-Discovery bioprinter. Samples were characterized for their density and microstructure.

Giant Thermoelectric Efficiency of Single-Filled Skutterudite Nanocomposites: Role of Interface Carrier Filtering.

The advantage of secondary-phase induced carrier filtering on the thermoelectric properties has paved the way for developing cost-effective, highly efficient thermoelectric materials. Here, we report a very high thermoelectric figure-of-merit of skutterudite nanocomposites achieved by tailoring interface carrier filtering. The single-filled skutterudite nanocomposites are prepared by dispersing rare-earth oxides nanoparticles (YbO, SmO, LaO) in the skutterudite (DyCoNiSb) matrix.

A High-Energy Density Li-Ion Hybrid Capacitor Fabricated from Bio-Waste Derived Carbon Nanosheets Cathode and Graphite Anode.

The Li-ion hybrid capacitor (LIHC) system explores the possibility of achieving both high energy and power density in a single energy storage system with an intercalation anode and capacitive cathode. However, to achieve a high power and energy-based system, the properties of the cathode electrode material are vital. Here, bio-waste plant stem-derived activated porous carbon is explored as a cathode for LIHC application.

Performance analysis of a contactless nanostructure in solar-powered desalination system.

To address the water scarcity problem, solar desalination by using solar still can be one feasible solution to purify the water. Researchers recently developed thermal absorption materials fully and partially submerged in water and floating. These thermal absorption materials transfer their absorbed solar energy to water through thermal conduction.

Enhancing cycle life and usable energy density of fast charging LiFePO-graphite cell by regulating electrodes' lithium level.

Range anxiety is a primary concern among present-day electric vehicle (EV) owners, which could be curtailed by maximizing the driving range per charge or reducing the charging time of the lithium-ion battery (LIB) pack. Maximizing the driving range is a multifaceted task as charging-discharging the LIB up to 100% of its nominal capacity is limited by the cell chemistry (voltage window) and cell operating conditions. Our studies on commercial LiFePO/graphite cells show that a cycle life of 4320 is achieved at 4C rate with 80% SOC-100% DOD combination (12 min charging time), which is the highest among the works reported with this cell chemistry.

Room Temperature Sputtered Aluminum-Doped ZnO Thin Film Transparent Electrode for Application in Solar Cells and for Low-Band-Gap Optoelectronic Devices.

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) is a popular, low-cost, nontoxic material that finds application as a transparent conducting electrode in photonic, sensing, and photovoltaic devices. We report the AZO thin films with a high figure of merit on large-area glass substrates by direct current magnetron sputtering without any intentional substrate heating. Furthermore, a simple thermal post-treatment to improve the transmittance of AZO thin film in the infrared region for its application in low-band-gap devices is presented.

Micro-ring based manipulation of magnetized particles.

The micromanipulation of untethered magnetic particles facilitates actuation, assembly, and characterization of samples for micro- and nanotechnology applications. Conventionally, macro-scale electromagnets combined with visual servo control are employed to manipulate untethered particles. Here, we propose to employ a micro-ring actuator and a strategy based on parametric excitation for manipulation of magnetized particles against a surface in a liquid medium, which does not require visual feedback.

Novel Insight into the Concept of Favorable Combination of Electrodes in High Voltage Supercapacitors: Toward Ultrahigh Volumetric Energy Density and Outstanding Rate Capability.

Most of the biomass-derived carbon-based supercapacitors using organic electrolytes exhibit very low energy density due to their low operating potential range between 2.7 and 3.0 V.

Microarray illustrates enhanced mechanistic action towards osteogenesis for magnesium aluminate spinel ceramic-based polyphasic composite scaffold with mesenchymal stem cells and bone morphogenetic protein 2.

Spinel (magnesium aluminate MgAl O ) ceramic-based polyphasic composite scaffold has been recently reported for craniofacial bone tissue engineering. Improving the osteogenic effects of such composite scaffolds with bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP2) is an intensely researched area. This study investigated the gene interactions of this scaffold with BMP2 and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Magnetic and optical properties of green synthesized nickel ferrite nanoparticles and its application into photocatalysis.

Spinel NiFeOnanoparticles have been synthesized via hydrothermal route usingflower extract (MIFE) as a green surfactant and reducing agent. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques have been used to determine the structure and morphology. The formation of single-phase, monodispersed NiFeOwith mixed morphology, the predominant shape being of equi-axed nanoparticles having an average particle size ≲45 nm, is observed.

Cryo-milled nano-DAP for enhanced growth of monocot and dicot plants.

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting macronutrient that regulates plant growth and development based on the bioavailability of its inorganic form, , orthophosphate (Pi). P plays a critical role in cell development, and it is a key component of ATP, DNA, lipids, and cell signaling machinery. Without the exogenous application of P fertilizers, the yield of crops will not meet the ever-growing demand in today's world.

An advancement in the synthesis of unique soft magnetic CoCuFeNiZn high entropy alloy thin films.

Discovery of advanced soft-magnetic high entropy alloy (HEA) thin films are highly pursued to obtain unidentified functional materials. The figure of merit in current nanocrystalline HEA thin films relies in integration of a simple single-step electrochemical approach with a complex HEA system containing multiple elements with dissimilar crystal structures and large variation of melting points. A new family of Cobalt-Copper-Iron-Nickel-Zinc (Co-Cu-Fe-Ni-Zn) HEA thin films are prepared through pulse electrodeposition in aqueous medium, hosts nanocrystalline features in the range of ~ 5-20 nm having FCC and BCC dual phases.

Length-scale-dependent stress relief mechanisms in indium at high homologous temperatures.

Nanoindentation and electron microscopy have been used to examine the length-scale-dependent stress relaxation mechanisms in well-annealed, high-purity indium at a homologous temperature of 0.69. The experimental methods, analysis, and observations serve as a stepping stone in identifying the stress relaxation mechanisms enabling the formation and growth of metallic dendrites originating at the buried interface between a metallic anode and a solid electrolyte separator.