Renewable and eco-friendly ZnO immobilized onto dead sea sponge floating materials with dual practical aspects for enhanced photocatalysis and disinfection applications.

In this study, we have investigated the role of natural dead sea sponge (DSS, Porifera) as a three-dimensional (3D) porous host substrate for the immobilization of nanostructured ZnO material towards the development of ZnO based floating photocatalysts for efficient removal of methylene blue (MB) dye under the illumination of sunlight. After photodegradation, the treated water after dye degradation contains several pathogens, different disinfectants or chemical reagents that are essentially used. This is not the case for DSS as it can naturally kill any pathogens during the wastewater treatment process. To explore these functions, ZnO nanosheets were incorporated onto DSS via hydrothermal protocol and the as prepared ZnO/DSS hybrid material exhibited approximately âˆ¼100% degradation efficiency for the removal of MB. Importantly, the degradation kinetics associated with the fabricated ZnO/DSS was remarkably accelerated as evidenced by the high values of degradation reaction rate constants (3.35 × 10-2min-1). The outperformance of ZnO/DSS could be attributed to the adsorption caused by its 3D porous structure together with the high rapid oxidation of MB. Furthermore, the high charge separation of electron-hole pairs, natural porosity, and abundant catalytic sites offered by the hybrid ZnO/DSS floating photocatalyst have enabled quantitative (∼100%) degradation efficiency for MB. Finally, the excellent reusability results confirm the feasibility of using natural ZnO/DSS-based photocatalyst for practical solution of wastewater treatment and other environmental problems.

Facile deposition of palladium oxide (PdO) nanoparticles on CoNi2S4microstructures towards enhanced oxygen evolution reaction.

Strong demand for renewable energy resources and clean environments have inspired scientists and researchers across the globe to carry out research activities on energy provision, conversion, and storage devices. In this context, development of outperform, stable, and durable electrocatalysts has been identified as one of the major objectives for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we offer facile approach for the deposition of few palladium oxide (PdO) nanoparticles on the cobalt-nickel bi-metallic sulphide (CoNi2S4) microstructures represented as PdO@ CoNi2S4using ultraviolet light (UV) reduction method. The morphology, crystalline structure, and chemical composition of the as-prepared PdO@ CoNi2S4composite were probed through scanning electron microscopy, powder x-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The combined physical characterization results revealed that ultraviolet light (UV) light promoted the facile deposition of PdO nanoparticles of 10 nm size onto the CoNi2S4and the fabricated PdO@ CoNi2S4composite has a remarkable activity towards OER in alkaline media. Significantly, it exhibited a low onset potential of 1.41 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a low overpotential of 230 mV at 10 mA cm-2. Additionally, the fabricated PdO@ CoNi2S4composite has a marked stability of 45 h. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has shown that the PdO@CoNi2S4composite has a low charge transfer resistance of 86.3 Ohms, which favours the OER kinetics. The PdO@ CoNi2S4composite provided the multiple number of active sites, which favoured the enhanced OER activity. Taken together, this new class of material could be utilized in energy conversion and storage as well as sensing applications.

Fabrication and characterization of graphene oxide nanoparticles incorporated in poly (vinyl alcohol) electro-spun nanofibers and its vapor-phase crosslinking.

Electrospun nanofibrous membranes have gained great focused in medical research due to its simplicity, diversity and biodegradability. The challenge to researchers is to make more effective and sustainable by incorporating pristine materials to address adverse health issues of society. In this work, considering the unique characteristics of Graphene and its derivatives, well-dispersed Graphene Oxide (GO) were prepared using Modified Hummer's method. Further, the mixture of solutions, Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) PVA with synthesized GO nano-particles, was successively fabricated into nanofibrous membranes by electrospinning technique. Further, the electrospun membranes were cross-linked through vapours of Glutaraldehyde (GA) in controlled environment to make membranes hydrophobic in nature. In addition, the characterization of synthesized GO and electrospun nanofibers were done using SEM, XRD and FTIR. The results show that GO incorporation decreases the average diameter of nanofibers from 422±133nm to 274.1±93.23nm, whereas crosslinking of nanofibers at various hours (12 to 48h) tends to increase the average diameter from 368.4±130.1nm to 671.41±293nm. In addition to that the 12h crosslinked nanofibers membrane shows better antibacterial activity than without crosslinked PVA/GO membrane against E. coli after 24h of incubation. This primarily work provides a basis for further studies of this novel nanofibrous material.

Transition metal-based electrocatalysts for alkaline overall water splitting: advancements, challenges, and perspectives.

Water electrolysis is a promising method for efficiently producing hydrogen and oxygen, crucial for renewable energy conversion and fuel cell technologies. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are two key electrocatalytic reactions occurring during water splitting, necessitating the development of active, stable, and low-cost electrocatalysts. Transition metal (TM)-based electrocatalysts, spanning noble metals and TM oxides, phosphides, nitrides, carbides, borides, chalcogenides, and dichalcogenides, have garnered significant attention due to their outstanding characteristics, including high electronic conductivity, tunable valence electron configuration, high stability, and cost-effectiveness. This timely review discusses developments in TM-based electrocatalysts for the HER and OER in alkaline media in the last 10 years, revealing that the exposure of more accessible surface-active sites, specific electronic effects, and string effects are essential for the development of efficient electrocatalysts towards electrochemical water splitting application. This comprehensive review serves as a guide for designing and constructing state-of-the-art, high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts based on TMs, particularly for applications in water splitting.

An advanced PdNPs@MoS2 nanocomposite for efficient oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media.

In response to the increasing availability of hydrogen energy and renewable energy sources, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based electrocatalysts are becoming increasingly important for efficient electrochemical water splitting. This study involves the incorporation of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) into hydrothermally grown MoS2via a UV light assisted process to afford PdNPs@MoS2 as an alternative electrocatalyst for efficient energy storage and conversion. Various analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), were used to investigate the morphology, crystal quality, and chemical composition of the samples. Although PdNPs did not alter the MoS2 morphology, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity was driven at considerable overpotential. When electrochemical water splitting was performed in 1.0 M KOH aqueous solution with PdNPs@MoS2 (sample-2), an overpotential of 253 mV was observed. Furthermore, OER performance was highly favorable through rapid reaction kinetics and a low Tafel slope of 59 mV dec-1, as well as high durability and stability. In accordance with the electrochemical results, sample-2 showed also a lower charge transfer resistance, which again provided evidence of OER activity. The enhanced OER activity was attributed to a number of factors, including structural, surface chemical compositions, and synergistic effects between MoS2 and PdNPs.

Facile synthesis of efficient Co3O4 nanostructures using the milky sap of Calotropis procera for oxygen evolution reactions and supercapacitor applications.

The preparation of Co3O4 nanostructures by a green method has been rapidly increasing owing to its promising aspects, such as facileness, atom economy, low cost, scale-up synthesis, environmental friendliness, and minimal use of hazardous chemicals. In this study, we report on the synthesis of Co3O4 nanostructures using the milky sap of Calotropis procera (CP) by a low-temperature aqueous chemical growth method. The milky sap of CP-mediated Co3O4 nanostructures were investigated for oxygen evolution reactions (OERs) and supercapacitor applications. The structure and shape characterizations were done by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The prepared Co3O4 nanostructures showed a heterogeneous morphology consisting of nanoparticles and large micro clusters. A typical cubic phase and a spinel structure of Co3O4 nanostructures were also observed. The OER result was obtained at a low overpotential of 250 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a low Tafel slope of 53 mV dec-1. In addition, the durability of 45 hours was also found at 20 mA cm-2. The newly prepared Co3O4 nanostructures using the milky sap of CP were also used to demonstrate a high specific capacitance of 700 F g-1 at a current density of 0.8 A g-1 and a power density of 30 W h kg-1. The enhanced electrochemical performance of Co3O4 nanostructures prepared using the milky sap of CP could be attributed to the surface oxygen vacancies, a relatively high amount of Co2+, the reduction in the optical band gap and the fast charge transfer rate. These surface, structural, and optical properties were induced by reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents from the milky sap of CP. The obtained results of OERs and supercapacitor applications strongly recommend the use of the milky sap of CP for the synthesis of diverse efficient nanostructured materials in a specific application, particularly in energy conversion and storage devices.

The fast nucleation/growth of Co3O4 nanowires on cotton silk: the facile development of a potentiometric uric acid biosensor.

In this study, we have used cotton silk as a source of abundant hydroxyl groups for the fast nucleation/growth of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanowires via a hydrothermal method. The crystal planes of the Co3O4 nanowires well matched the cubic phase. The as-synthesized Co3O4 nanowires mainly contained cobalt and oxygen elements and were found to be highly sensitive towards uric acid in 0.01 M phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4. Importantly, the Co3O4 nanowires exhibited a large surface area, which was heavily utilized during the immobilization of the enzyme uricase via a physical adsorption method. The potentiometric response of the uricase-immobilizing Co3O4 nanowires was measured in the presence of uric acid (UA) against a silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode. The newly fabricated uric acid biosensor possessed a low limit of detection of 1.0 ± 0.2 nM with a wide linear range of 5 nM to 10 mM and sensitivity of 30.6 mV dec-1. Additionally, several related parameters of the developed uric acid biosensor were investigated, such as the repeatability, reproducibility, storage stability, selectivity, and dynamic response time, and these were found to be satisfactory. The good performance of the Co3O4 nanowires was verified based on the fast charge-transfer kinetics, as confirmed via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The successful practical use of the uric acid biosensor was demonstrated based on the recovery method. The observed performance of the uricase-immobilizing Co3O4 nanowires revealed that they could be considered as a promising and alternative tool for the detection of uric acid under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Also, the use of cotton silk as a source of abundant hydroxyl groups may be considered for the remarkably fast nucleation/growth of other metal-oxide nanostructures, thereby facilitating the fabrication of functional electrochemical devices, such as batteries, water-splitting devices, and supercapacitors.

Facile synthesis of a luminescent carbon material from yogurt for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue.

The present study is focused on yogurt as a simple, inexpensive, abundant, and green source for the preparation of luminescent carbon material for enhancing the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). It introduces an ecological and sustainable approach for the large-scale production of carbon material using the direct thermal annealing of yogurt in a muffle furnace. The size of the as-prepared carbon material is about 200-300 nm, with average particle size distribution of 355 nm. The material exhibits clear luminescence under illumination with ultraviolet light. The synthesized carbon material shows an outstanding degradation functionality of MB under the irradiation of ultraviolet (UV) light in aqueous media. Various dye degradation parameters such as initial dye concentration, catalyst dose, pH of dye solution, and scavenger effects have been investigated. The optimum MB concentration was found to be 2.3 × 10-5 M with a degradation efficiency of 94.8%. The degradation was highly enhanced at pH 11 with a degradation efficiency of 98.11%. The degradation of MB under highly alkaline conditions was mainly governed by the high amount of hydroxyl radicals. Furthermore, the scavenger study confirmed that the hydroxyl radicals were mainly involved in the degradation process. The degradation kinetics of MB followed first order kinetics with large values of rate constant. The reusability was also studied to ensure the stability of the as-prepared carbon material during the degradation of MB. The preparation of carbon materials with efficient photosensitivity for the degradation of organic dyes from yogurt shows a green and innovative methodology. Therefore, it can be of great interest for future studies related to energy and environmental applications.

Mn3O4@ZnO Hybrid Material: An Excellent Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Synthetic Dyes including Methylene Blue, Methyl Orange and Malachite Green.

In this study, we synthesized hybrid systems based on manganese oxide@zinc oxide (Mn3O4@ZnO), using sol gel and hydrothermal methods. The hybrid materials exhibited hierarchical morphologies and structures characterized by the hexagonal phase of ZnO and the tetragonal phase of Mn3O4. The hybrid materials were tested for degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and malachite green (MG) under ultraviolet (UV) light illumination. The aim of this work was to observe the effect of various amounts of Mn3O4 in enhancing the photocatalytic properties of ZnO-based hybrid structures towards the degradation of MB, MO and MG. The ZnO photocatalyst showed better performance with an increasing amount of Mn3O4, and the degradation efficiency for the hybrid material containing the maximum amount of Mn3O4 was found to be 94.59%, 89.99%, and 97.40% for MB, MO and MG, respectively. The improvement in the performance of hybrid materials can be attributed to the high charge separation rate of electron-hole pairs, the co-catalytic role, the large number of catalytic sites, and the synergy for the production of high quantities of oxidizing radicals. The performance obtained from the various Mn3O4@ZnO hybrid materials suggest that Mn3O4 can be considered an effective co-catalyst for a wide range of photocatalytic materials such as titanium dioxide, tin oxide, and carbon-based materials, in developing practical hybrid photocatalysts for the degradation of dyes and for wastewater treatment.

PdO@CoSe2 composites: efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation in alkaline media.

In this study, we have prepared cobalt selenide (CoSe2) due to its useful aspects from a catalysis point of view such as abundant active sites from Se edges, and significant stability in alkaline conditions. CoSe2, however, has yet to prove its functionality, so we doped palladium oxide (PdO) onto CoSe2 nanostructures using ultraviolet (UV) light, resulting in an efficient and stable water oxidation composite. The crystal arrays, morphology, and chemical composition of the surface were studied using a variety of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It was also demonstrated that the composite systems were heterogeneous in their morphology, undergoing a shift in their diffraction patterns, suffering from a variety of metal oxidation states and surface defects. The water oxidation was verified by a low overpotential of 260 mV at a current density of 20 mA cm-2 with a Tafel Slope value of 57 mV dec-1. The presence of multi metal oxidation states, rich surface edges of Se and favorable charge transport played a leading role towards water oxidation with a low energy demand. Furthermore, 48 h of durability is associated with the composite system. With the use of PdO and CoSe2, new, low efficiency, simple electrocatalysts for water catalysis have been developed, enabling the development of practical energy conversion and storage systems. This is an excellent alternative approach for fostering growth in the field.

Mixed MoS2/MoO3 Nanostructures for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The electrolysis of water has paved the way towards a clean, efficient and renewable energy source for the future technologies. Therefore, an efficient electrocatalyst is needed. MoS2 based nonprecious materials are earth-abundant, low cost and promising for the hydrogen evolution reaction. In this study, the effect of sulfur source on the catalytic properties of the MoS2 nanostructures is investigated. Two different sulfur precursors (i.e., thiourea and L-cysteine) were used for the synthesis of MoS2 nanostructures. The optimization of the sulfur precursor content was carried out to report the best for the development of the future generation of HER catalysts. The cysteine assisted synthesis results the mixed MoO3/MoS2 composite structure which has shown significant effect on the catalytic activity. The low concentrations of cysteine and thiourea have shown excellent catalytic activity and stability in 0.5 M H2SO4. TheMoS2 nanostructures with the cysteine as sulfur precursor have shown low Tafel slope of 81 mV dec-1 and a current density of 30 mA cm-2 is obtained at 0.45 V versus RHE. The superior performance of cysteine-based MoS2 sample is due to the rapid charge transfer as confirmed by EIS and excellent conductivity as witnessed by low optical band gap. These findings strengthen the understanding of fundamental science of Mo-based catalysts for the development of the future generation of electrocatalysts and energy conversion technologies.

A Low Charge Transfer Resistance CuO Composite for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media.

An efficient, simple, environment-friendly and inexpensive cupric oxide (CuO) electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is demonstrated. CuO is chemically deposited on the porous carbon material obtained from the dehydration of common sugar. The morphology of CuO on the porous carbon material is plate-like and monoclinic crystalline phase is confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction. The OER activity of CuO nanostructures is investigated in 1 M KOH aqueous solution. To date, the proposed electrocatalyst has the lowest possible potential of 1.49 V versus RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) to achieve a current density of 20 mA/cm2 among the CuO based electrocatalysts and has Tafel slope of 115 mV dec-1. The electrocatalyst exhibits an excellent long-term stability for 6 hours along with significant durability. The enhanced catalytic active centers of CuO on the carbon material are due to the porous structure of carbon as well as strong coupling between CuO-C. The functionalization of metal oxides or other related nanostructured materials on porous carbon obtained from common sugar provides an opportunity for the development of efficient energy conversion and energy storage systems.

An Efficient Nickel Sulfide@NiO Nanocomposite Catalyst with High Density of Active Sites for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media.

Efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts based on the earth-abundant materials are highly vital to design practical and environmentally friendly water splitting devices. In this study, we present an optimized strategy for the development of active catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction HER. The composite catalysts are prepared with the nanosurface of NiO for the deposition of NiS by hydrothermal method. In alkaline electrolyte, the NiS/NiO nanocomposite has shown excellent catalytic HER properties at the low onset potential and small Tafel slope of 72 mVdec-1. A current density of 10 mA/cm² is achieved by the nanocomposite obtained with 0.4 gram of NiO as nanosurface for the deposition of NiS (sample 4) at the cost of 429 mV versus RHE. The sample 4 carries more active sites that allow it to act as excellent HER catalyst. Based on this study, we conclude that increasing the nickel oxide content into composite sample facilitates the HER process. Additionally, a long term HER stability for 10 hours and good durability is also demonstrated by the sample 4. Our findings reveal that the optimization of nickel oxide content in the preparation of catalyst leads to the excellent HER activity for the design of practical water splitting devices and other related applications.

Chemically Coupled Cobalt Oxide Nanosheets Decorated onto the Surface of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes for Favorable Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Cobalt oxide has been widely investigated among potential transition metal oxides for the electrochemical energy conversion, storage, and water splitting. However, they have inherently low electronic conductivity and high corrosive nature in alkaline media. Herein, we propose a promising and facile approach to improve the conductivity and charge transport of cobalt oxide Co3O4 through chemical coupling with well-dispersed multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) during hydrothermal treatment. The morphology of prepared composite material consisting of nanosheets which are anchored on the MWCNTs as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A cubic crystalline system is exhibited by the cobalt oxide as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction study. The Co, O, and C are the only elements present in the composite material. FTIR study has indicated the successful coupling of cobalt oxide with MWCNTs. The chemically coupled cobalt oxide onto the surface of MWCNTs composite is found highly active towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a low onset potential 1.44 V versus RHE, low overpotential 262 mV at 10 mAcm-2 and small Tafel slope 81 mV dec-1. For continuous operation of 40 hours during durability test, no decay in activity was recorded. Electrochemical impedance study further revealed a low charge transfer resistance of 70.64 Ohms for the composite material during the electrochemical reaction and which strongly favored OER kinetics. This work provides a simple, low cost, and smartly designing electrocatalysts via hydrothermal reaction for the catalysis and energy storage applications.

An Efficient and Functional Fe3O4/Co3O4 Composite for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The design of efficient, stable, durable and noble metal free electro catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are of immediate need, but very challenging task. In this study, iron induction into cobalt oxide (Co3O4) has resulted composite structure by wet chemical method. The iron impurity has brought an electronic disorder into Fe3O4/cobalt oxide composite thereby efficient oxygen evolution reaction is demonstrated. An addition of iron content into composite resulted the alternation of morphology from Nano rods to clusters of nanoparticles. The successive addition of iron into composite system reduced the onset potential of OER as compared to the pristine cobalt oxide. A Tafel slope of 80 mVdec-1 indicates the favorable oxygen evolution reaction kinetics on the sample 4. An over-potential of 370 mV is required to reach a 10 mAcm-2 current density which is acceptable for a nonprecious catalyst. The catalyst is highly durable and stable for 30 hours. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further provided a deeper insight on charge transfer resistance and sample 4 has low charge transfer resistance that supported the OER polarization curves. The sample 4 has more electrochemical active surface area of 393.5 cm². These obtained results are exciting and highlighting the importance of composite structure and leave a huge space for the future investigations on composite materials for energy related applications.

Facile doping of nickel into Co3O4 nanostructures to make them efficient for catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction.

Designing a facile and low-cost methodology to fabricate earth-abundant catalysts is very much needed for a wide range of applications. Herein, a simple and straightforward approach was developed to tune the electronic properties of cobalt oxide nanostructures by doping them with nickel and then using them to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an aqueous solution of 1.0 M KOH. The addition of a nickel impurity improved the conductivity of the cobalt oxide, and further increased its activity towards the OER. Analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate, respectively, the morphology, composition and crystalline structure of the materials used. The nickel-doped cobalt oxide material showed randomly oriented nanowires and a high density of nanoparticles, exhibited the cubic phase, and contained cobalt, nickel and oxygen as its main elements. The nickel-doped cobalt oxide also yielded a Tafel slope of 82 mV dec-1 and required an overpotential of 300 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm-2. As an OER catalyst, it was shown to be durable for 40 h. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed a low charge-transfer resistance of 177.5 ohms for the nickel-doped cobalt oxide, which provided a further example of its excellent OER performance. These results taken together indicated that nickel doping of cobalt oxide can be accomplished via a facile approach and that the product of this doping can be used for energy and environmental applications.

Nickel-cobalt bimetallic sulfide NiCo2S4 nanostructures for a robust hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic media.

There are many challenges associated with the fabrication of efficient, inexpensive, durable and very stable nonprecious metal catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, we have designed a facile strategy by tailoring the concentration of precursors to successfully obtain nickel-cobalt bimetallic sulfide (NiCo2S4) using a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology of the newly prepared NiCo2S4 comprised a mixture of microparticles and nanorods, which were few microns in dimension. The crystallinity of the composite sample was found to be excellent with a cubic phase. The sample that contained a higher amount of cobalt compared to nickel and produced single-phase NiCo2S4 exhibited considerably improved HER performance. The variation in the salt precursor concentration during the synthesis of a material is a simple methodology to produce a scalable platinum-free catalyst for HER. The advantageous features of the multiple active sites of cobalt in the CN-21 sample as compared to that for pristine CoS and NiS laid the foundation for the provision of abundant active edges for HER. The composite sample produced a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 345 mV. Also, it exhibited a Tafel value of 60 mV dec-1, which predominantly ensured rapid charge transfer kinetics during HER. CN-21 was highly durable and stable for 30 hours. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the charge transfer resistance was 21.88 ohms, which further validated the HER polarization curves and Tafel results. CN-21 exhibited a double layer capacitance of 4.69 µF cm-2 and a significant electrochemically active surface area of 134.0 cm2, which again supported the robust efficiency for HER. The obtained results reveal that our developed NiCo2S4 catalyst has a high density of active edges, and it is a non-noble metal catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The present findings provide an alternative strategy and an active nonprecious material for the development of energy-related applications.

Facile efficient earth abundant NiO/C composite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Due to the increasing energy consumption, designing efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting is highly demanded. In this study, we provide a facile approach for the design and fabrication of efficient and stable electrocatalysts through wet chemical methods. The carbon material, obtained by the dehydration of sucrose sugar, provides high surface area for the deposition of NiO nanostructures and the resulting NiO/C catalysts show higher activity towards the OER in alkaline media. During the OER, a composite of NiO with 200 mg C can produce current densities of 10 and 20 mA cm-2 at a bias of 1.45 V and 1.47 V vs. RHE, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments showed the lowest charge transfer resistance and the highest double layer capacitance in the case of the NiO/C composite with 200 mg C. The presence of C for the deposition of NiO nanostructures increases the active centers and consequently a robust electrocatalytic activity is achieved. The obtained results in terms of the low overpotential and small Tafel slope of 55 mV dec-1 for non-precious catalysts are clear indications for the significant advancement in the field of electrocatalyst design for water splitting. This composite material based on NiO/C is simple and scalable for widespread use in various applications, especially in supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries.

Green synthesis characterization and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus of silver nanoparticles using extracts of neem, onion and tomato.

Recently, it has been shown that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit great potential for different applications, including food storage, cosmetic products, electronic components, biosensor materials, cryogenics, dental materials and especially for drug-delivery activities. In this study, we synthesized AgNPs with neem extract (NE) alone and mixed plant extracts of neem, onion and tomato (NOT) as a combined reducing and stabilizing agent by a green synthesis method at different pHs. The synthesized products were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial effects of the synthesized products were studied by the Kirby disk diffusion method. It was confirmed that the AgNPs work effectively as a drug material against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in nutrient agar. In addition, it was seen that the reducing and stabilizing agent NOT could work effectively with six medicines with a different nature at the maximum addition of 15 µg. However, the synthesized product with NE alone only worked for four of the medicines. Therefore, it was evident that the AgNPs synthesized with NOT extract were more susceptible to the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. We believe that this new route for synthesizing AgNPs with NOT extract could be more beneficial in comparison to NE alone for improved antibacterial properties in drug-delivery applications.

An advanced and efficient Co3O4/C nanocomposite for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media.

The design of efficient nonprecious catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) or the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a necessary, but very challenging task to uplift the water-based economy. In this study, we developed a facile approach to produce porous carbon from the dehydration of sucrose and use it for the preparation of nanocomposites with cobalt oxide (Co3O4). The nanocomposites were studied by the powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques, and they exhibited the cubic phase of cobalt oxide and porous structure of carbon. The nanocomposites showed significant OER activity in alkaline media, and the current densities of 10 and 20 mA cm-2 could be obtained at 1.49 and 1.51 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), respectively. The impedance study confirms favorable OER activity on the surface of the prepared nanocomposites. The nanocomposite is cost-effective and can be capitalized in various energy storage technologies.