High-Performance Intermetallic PtCo/C Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction Synthesized by Pre-Lithiation Method.

Fuel cells are recognized as promising alternatives to existing conventional energy systems for a sustainable future. However, the synthesis of efficient and robust platinum (Pt) based catalysts remains a challenge for practical fuel cell applications. Herein, the PtCo/C nanoparticles with about 4.

Correlating Cu dopant concentration, optoelectronic properties, and photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanostructures: experimental and theoretical insights.

The photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts can be enhanced by cation doping, and the dopant concentration plays a key role in achieving high efficiency. This study explores the impact of copper (Cu) doping at concentrations ranging from 0% to 10% on the microstructural, optical, electronic, and photocatalytic properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. The x-ray diffraction analysis shows a non-linear alteration in the lattice parameters with increasing the Cu content and the formation of CuO as a secondary phase at the Cu concentration of >3%.

Two-Dimensional High-Entropy Selenides for Boosting Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Performance.

High-entropy materials (HEMs) have garnered extensive attention owing to their diverse and captivating physicochemical properties. Yet, fine-tuning morphological properties of HEMs remains a formidable challenge, constraining their potential applications. To address this, we present a rapid, low-energy consumption diethylenetriamine (DETA)-assisted microwave hydrothermal method for synthesizing a series of two-dimensional high-entropy selenides (HESes).

A high-performance C@NaVO nanowire electrode derived from the reconstruction of carbon quantum dots.

Vanadate electrodes are potential candidates for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their large theoretical specific capacity. However, their easy dissolution in the electrolyte, large structural changes, low conductivity and capacity decay during cycling hinder their further application. Herein, a lithium-ion battery electrode of NaVO (NVO) nanowires covered with a carbon film and formed by the reconstruction of carbon quantum dots (CDs) was obtained using an capping strategy.

Evaluation of bond strength between zirconia milled ceramic material and veneered dental porcelain.

This study aimed at examining the bond strength between zirconia and ceramic veneer, following the ISO 9693 guidelines. A total of fifty specimens of zirconia/ceramic-veneer system were produced using two commercial zirconias (VITA YZ-HT and Zolid HT+ White, referred to as Group A and Group B, respectively) and a ceramic-veneering material (Zirkonia 750). The microstructure (via x-ray diffraction analysis, XRD and Secondary Electron mode, SEM) and the mechanical properties (via 3-point bending tests) of the two groups were assessed.

Graphene oxide as an emerging sole adsorbent and photocatalyst: Chemistry of synthesis and tailoring properties for removal of emerging contaminants.

Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) contain a wide range of compounds, such as pharmaceutical waste, pesticides, herbicides, industrial chemicals, organic dyes, etc. Their presence in the surrounding has extensive and multifaceted effects on human health as they have the potential to persist in the environment, accumulate in biota, and disrupt ecosystems. In this regard, various remediation methods involving different kind of functional nanomaterials with unique properties have been developed.

Microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of dental polychromic multilayer zirconia of uniform composition.

The present study aimed to compare the microstructure, physical, and mechanical properties of three commercially available dental polychromatic multilayer zirconia materials of uniform composition: Dima Mill Zirconia ML, VITA YZ/ST Multicolor, and VITA YZ/XT Multicolor (with 3, 4, and 5 mol% Y O , respectively); thus, the influence of Y O content on the above properties of the produced materials was experimentally studied. Homogeneous zirconia ceramics with a dense micro- and nanostructure, without pores or defects, were produced after milling the blocks and sintering, which resulted in yttrium-stabilized tetragonal and cubic zirconia. Statistical analysis of the results of measurable magnitudes was performed by the one-way ANOVA test.

Formation of Highly Conductive Interfaces in Crystalline Ionic Liquid-Gated Unipolar MoTe/h-BN Field-Effect Transistor.

2H MoTe (molybdenum ditelluride) has generated significant interest because of its superconducting, nonvolatile memory, and semiconducting of new materials, and it has a large range of electrical properties. The combination of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and two dimensional (2D) materials like hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) in lateral heterostructures offers a unique platform for designing and engineering novel electronic devices. We report the fabrication of highly conductive interfaces in crystalline ionic liquid-gated (ILG) field-effect transistors (FETs) consisting of a few layers of MoTe/h-BN heterojunctions.

Metal halide coordination compounds with quinazolin-4(3)-one.

Three coordination compounds of quinazolin-4(3)-one (; CHNO) with divalent group 12 halides are reported. In all complexes, coordination occurs the nitro-gen atom to the quinazolinone carbonyl group. In the two chain polymers with composition [ ()], .

Aftershocks and Fluctuating Diffusivity.

The Omori-Utsu law shows the temporal power-law-like decrease of the frequency of earthquake aftershocks and, interestingly, is found in a variety of complex systems/phenomena exhibiting catastrophes. Now, it may be interpreted as a characteristic response of such systems to large events. Here, hierarchical dynamics with the fast and slow degrees of freedom is studied on the basis of the Fokker-Planck theory for the load-state distribution to formulate the law as a relaxation process, in which diffusion coefficient in the space of the load state is treated as a fluctuating slow variable.

Metrological Comparison of Available Methods to Correct Edge-Effect Local Plasticity in Instrumented Indentation Test.

The Instrumented Indentation Test (IIT) mechanically characterizes materials from the nano to the macro scale, enabling the evaluation of microstructure and ultra-thin coatings. IIT is a non-conventional technique applied in strategic sectors, e.g.

Tunable Interfacial Charge Transfer in a 2D-2D Composite for Efficient Visible-Light-Driven CO Conversion.

Photocatalytic CO conversion for hydrocarbon fuel production has been known as one of the most promising strategies for achieving carbon neutrality. Yet, its conversion efficiency remains unsatisfactory mainly due to its severe charge-transfer resistance and slow charge kinetics. Herein, a tunable interfacial charge transfer on an oxygen-vacancies-modified bismuth molybdate nanoflower assembled by 2D nanosheets (BMOVs) and 2D bismuthene composite (Bi/BMOVs) is demonstrated for photocatalytic CO conversion.

Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of (1-benzimidazol-2-yl)(morpholin-4-yl)methane-thione.

The title compound, CHNOS, was synthesized the Willgerodt-Kindler method. The benzimidozole moiety is essentially planar (r.m.

Synthesis, Structure-Property Evaluation and Biological Assessment of Supramolecular Assemblies of Bioactive Glass with Glycyrrhizic Acid and Its Monoammonium Salt.

Medical nutrients obtained from plants have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, owning to the protective and therapeutic properties of plant extracts and products. Glycyrrhizic acid is one of those that, apart from its therapeutic effect, may contribute to stronger bones, inhibiting bone resorption and improving the bone structure and biomechanical strength. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a bioactive glass (BG) addition to the structure-property relationships of supramolecular assemblies formed by glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and its monoammonium salt (MSGA).

Pressure-Induced Enhanced Optical Absorption in Sulvanite Compound CuTaX (X = S, Se, and Te): An Study.

study on the family of ternary copper chalcogenides CuTaX (X = S, Se, and Te) is performed to investigate the suitability of these compounds to applications as photovoltaic absorber materials. The density functional theory based full potential linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW method) is employed for computational purposes. The electronic structure and optical properties are determined including electron-electron interaction and spin-orbit coupling (SOC), within the generalized gradient approximation plus Hubbard (GGA+) and GGA++SOC approximation.

Nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation on metric graphs: A model for generation and transport of parity-time-symmetric nonlocal solitons in networks.

We consider the parity-time (PT)-symmetric, nonlocal, nonlinear Schrödinger equation on metric graphs. Vertex boundary conditions are derived from the conservation laws. Soliton solutions are obtained for the simplest graph topologies, such as star and tree graphs.

TiO nanoflower photocatalysts: Synthesis, modifications and applications in wastewater treatment for removal of emerging organic pollutants.

Titanium dioxide (TiO) has been considered as one of the most promising photocatalysts nanomaterials and is being used in a variety of fields of energy and environment under sunlight irradiation via photocatalysis. Highly efficient photocatalytic materials require the design of the proper structure with excellent morphology, interfacial structures, optical and surface properties, etc. Which are the key points to realize effective light-harvesting for photocatalytic applications.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 3-methyl-4-oxo--phenyl-3,4-di-hydro-quinazoline-2-carbo-thio-amide.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, CHNOS, comprises two mol-ecules ( and ) with similar conformations that differ mainly in the orientation of the phenyl group relative to the rest of the mol-ecule, as expressed by the C-N-C-C torsion angle of 49.3 (3)° for mol-ecule and of 5.4 (3)° for mol-ecule .

Crystal structures of 6-nitro-quinazolin-4(3)-one, 6-amino-quinazolin-4(3)-one and 4-amino-quinazoline hemi-hydro-chloride dihydrate.

The title compounds, 6-nitro-quinazolin-4(3)-one (CHNO; ), 6-amino-quinazolin-4(3)-one (CHNO; ) and 4-amino-quinazolin-1-ium chloride-4-amino-quinazoline-water (1/1/2), (CHN ·Cl·CHN·2HO; ) were synthesized and their structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In the crystals of and , the quinazoline mol-ecules form hydrogen-bonded dimers N-H⋯O inter-actions. The dimers are connected by weak inter-molecular C-H⋯N and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a layered structure in the case of .

Biological Evaluation of a New Sodium-Potassium Silico-Phosphate Glass for Bone Regeneration: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

In vitro and in vivo studies are fundamental steps in the characterization of new implantable materials to preliminarily assess their biological response. The present study reports the in vitro and in vivo characterizations of a novel experimental silicate bioactive glass (BG) (47.5B, 47.

Dirac particles on periodic quantum graphs.

We consider the Dirac equation on periodic networks (quantum graphs). The self-adjoint quasiperiodic boundary conditions are derived. The secular equation allowing us to find the energy spectrum of the Dirac particles on periodic quantum graphs is obtained.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of bis-(6,7,8,9-tetra-hydro-11-pyrido[2,1-]quinazolin-5-ium) tetra-chlorido-zincate.

The title compound, (CHN)[ZnCl], is a salt with two symmetrically independent, essentially planar heterocyclic cations and a slightly distorted tetra-hedral chloro-zincate dianion. N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds link these ionic constituents into a discrete aggregate, which comprises one formula unit. The effect of hydrogen bonding is reflected in the minor distortions of the [ZnCl] moiety: distances between the cation and chlorido ligands engaged in classical hydrogen bonds are significantly longer than the others.

Reflectionless propagation of Manakov solitons on a line: A model based on the concept of transparent boundary conditions.

We consider the problem of the absence of backscattering in the transport of Manakov solitons on a line. The concept of transparent boundary conditions is used for modeling the reflectionless propagation of Manakov vector solitons in a one-dimensional domain. Artificial boundary conditions that ensure the absence of backscattering are derived and their numerical implementation is demonstrated.

Quantum Weak Invariants: Dynamical Evolution of Fluctuations and Correlations.

Weak invariants are time-dependent observables with conserved expectation values. Their fluctuations, however, do not remain constant in time. On the assumption that time evolution of the state of an open quantum system is given in terms of a completely positive map, the fluctuations monotonically grow even if the map is not unital, in contrast to the fact that monotonic increases of both the von Neumann entropy and Rényi entropy require the map to be unital.