Novel Gas Sensing Approach: ReS2/Ti3C2Tx Heterostructures for NH3 Detection in Humid Environments.

Continuous monitoring of ammonia (NH3) in humid environments poses a notable challenge for gas sensing applications because of its effect on sensor sensitivity. The present work investigates the detection of NH3 in a natural humid environment utilizing ReS2/Ti3C2Tx heterostructures as a sensing platform. ReS2 nanosheets were vertically grown on the surface of Ti3C2Tx sheets through a hydrothermal synthetic approach, resulting in the formation of ReS2/Ti3C2Tx heterostructures. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of ReS2/Ti3C2Tx were investigated using various state-of-the-art techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta potential, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller technique, and Raman spectroscopy. The heterostructures exhibited 1.3- and 8-fold increases in specific surface area compared with ReS2 and Ti3C2Tx, respectively, potentially enhancing the active gas adsorption sites. The electrical investigations of the ReS2/Ti3C2Tx-based sensor demonstrated enhanced selectivity and superior sensing response ranging from 7.8 to 12.4% toward 10 ppm of NH3 within a relative humidity range of 15-85% at room temperature. These findings highlight the synergistic effect of ReS2 and Ti3C2Tx, offering valuable insights for NH3 sensing in environments with high humidity, and are explained in the gas sensing mechanism.

Bakuchiol nanoemulsion loaded electrospun nanofibers for the treatment of burn wounds.

The present work aims to develop and evaluate the wound healing potential of bakuchiol nanoemulsion loaded electrospun scaffolds. Since oxidative stress and microbial burden leads the burn wounds to become chronic and fatal to patients, a phytoconstituent, bakuchiol (BAK), was screened on the basis of antioxidant and antimicrobial potential which also defined its dose. Furthermore, BAK was incorporated into a nanoemulsion to enhance its therapeutic efficacy, reduce its dosage frequency, and maximize its stability. The present study is inclined towards the collaborative interaction of natural products and novel drug delivery systems to develop safe and therapeutically efficient systems for burn wound healing. The optimized nanoemulsion showed excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial potential against wound susceptible pathogens, i.e., Candida albicans and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus which was further loaded into gelatin based hydrogel and nanofibrous scaffold system. The mesh structure of scaffolds was chosen as a suitable carrier system for wound healing process not only because it offers resemblance to skin's anatomy but is also capable of providing uniform distribution of wound biomarkers across the skin. The prepared nanofibers were assessed for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing potential which was observed to be significantly better than its gel formulation.

Development of Highly Sensitive and Humidity Independent Room Temeprature NO2 Gas Sensor Using Two Dimensional Ti3C2Tx Nanosheets and One Dimensional WO3 Nanorods Nanocomposite.

Room temperature gas sensors have been widely explored in gas sensor technology for real-time applications. However, humidity has found to affect the room temperature sensing and the sensor life, necessitating the development of novel sensing materials with high sensitivity and stability under humid conditions at room temperature. In this work, the room temperature sensing performance of a Ti3C2Tx decorated, WO3 nanorods based nanocomposite has been investigated. The hydrothermally synthesized WO3/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposite has been investigated for structural, morphological, and electrical studies using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunanuer-Emmett-Teller techniques. The WO3/Ti3C2Tx sensors have been found to be highly selective to NO2 at room temperature and exhibit much higher sensitivity in comparison to pristine WO3 nanorods. Furthermore, sodium l-ascorbate treated Ti3C2Tx sheets in WO3/Ti3C2Tx enhanced the stability and reversibility of the sensor toward NO2 even under variable humidity conditions (0-99% relative humidity). This study shows the potential room temperature sensing application of a WO3/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposite-based sensor for detecting NO2 at sub-ppb level. Further, a plausible sensing mechanism based on WO3/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposite has been proposed to explain the improved sensing characteristics.