Efficient photocatalysis through conductive polymer coated FTO counter electrode in platinum free dye sensitized solar cells

Antibiotics oxytetracycline removal by photocatalyst titanium dioxide and graphitic carbon nitride in aquaculture wastewater

The surge in the use of antibiotics, especially in aquaculture, has led to development of antibiotic resistance genes, which will harm environmental and public health. One of the most commonly used antibiotics in aquaculture is oxytetracycline (OTC). Employing photocatalysis, this study compared OTC degradation efficiency of two different types of common photocatalysts, TiO₂ and graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) in terms of their photochemical properties and underlying photocatalytic mechanism. For reference purpose, self-synthesized GCN from urea precursor (GCN-Urea) and commercial GCN (GCN-Commercial) were both examined. OTC adsorption-photocatalysis removal rates in pure OTC solution by TiO₂, GCN-Urea and GCN-Commercial were attained at 95%, 60% and 40% respectively. Photochemical properties evaluated included light absorption, band gap, valence and conduction band positions, photoluminescence, cyclic voltammetry, BET surface area and adsorption capability of the photocatalysts. Through the evaluations, this study provides novel insights towards current state-of-the-art heterogeneous photocatalytic processes. The electron-hole recombination examined by photoluminescence is not the key factor influencing the photocatalytic efficacies as commonly discussed. On the contrary, the dominating factors governing the higher OTC degradation efficiency of TiO₂ compared to GCN are the high mobility of electrons that leads to high redox capability and the high pollutant-photocatalyst affinity. These claims are proven by 86% and 40% more intense anodic and cathodic cyclic voltammetry curve peaks of TiO₂ as compared to both GCNs. OTC also demonstrated 1.7 and 2.3 times higher affinity towards TiO₂ than GCN-Urea and GCN-Commercial. OTC removal by TiO₂ in real aquaculture wastewater only achieved 50%, due to significant inhibition effect by dissolved solids, dissolved organic matters and high ionic contents in the wastewater.

Combined RIS and EBG Surfaces Inspired Meta-Wearable Textile MIMO Antenna Using Viscose-Wool Felt

In this paper, we present a textile multiple-input−multiple-output (MIMO) antenna designed with a metamaterial inspired reactive impedance surface (RIS) and electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) using viscose-wool felt. Rectangular RIS was used as a reflector to improve the antenna gain and bandwidth to address well known crucial challenges—maintaining gain while reducing mutual coupling in MIMO antennas. The RIS unit cell was designed to achieve inductive impedance at the center frequency of 2.45 GHz with a reflection phase of 177.6°. The improved bandwidth of 170 MHz was achieved by using a square shaped RIS under a rectangular patch antenna, and this also helped to attain an additional gain of 1.29 dBi. When the antenna was implemented as MIMO, a split ring resonator backed by strip line type EBG was used to minimize the mutual coupling between the antenna elements. The EBG offered a sufficient band gap region from 2.37 GHz to 2.63 GHz. Prior to fabrication, bending analysis was carried out to validate the performance of the reflection coefficient (S11) and transmission coefficient (S21). The results of the analysis show that bending conditions have very little impact on antenna performance in terms of S-parameters. The effect of strip line supported SRR-based EBG was further analyzed with the fabricated prototype to clearly show the advantage of the designed EBG towards the mutual coupling reduction. The designed MIMO-RIS-EBG array-based antenna revealed an S21 reduction of −9.8 dB at 2.45 GHz frequency with overall S21 of <−40 dB. The results also indicated that the proposed SRR-EBG minimized the mutual coupling while keeping the mean effective gain (MEG) variations of <3 dB at the desired operating band. The specific absorption rate (SAR) analysis showed that the proposed design is not harmful to human body as the values are less than the regulated SAR. Overall, the findings in this study indicate the potential of the proposed MIMO antenna for microwave applications in a wearable format.

Polymers in High-Efficiency Solar Cells: The Latest Reports

Third-generation solar cells, including dye-sensitized solar cells, bulk-heterojunction solar cells, and perovskite solar cells, are being intensively researched to obtain high efficiencies in converting solar energy into electricity. However, it is also important to note their stability over time and the devices' thermal or operating temperature range. Today's widely used polymeric materials are also used at various stages of the preparation of the complete device-it is worth mentioning that in dye-sensitized solar cells, suitable polymers can be used as flexible substrates counter-electrodes, gel electrolytes, and even dyes. In the case of bulk-heterojunction solar cells, they are used primarily as donor materials; however, there are reports in the literature of their use as acceptors. In perovskite devices, they are used as additives to improve the morphology of the perovskite, mainly as hole transport materials and also as additives to electron transport layers. Polymers, thanks to their numerous advantages, such as the possibility of practically any modification of their chemical structure and thus their physical and chemical properties, are increasingly used in devices that convert solar radiation into electrical energy, which is presented in this paper.

Boosting the Electrochemical Performance of Polyaniline by One-Step Electrochemical Deposition on Nickel Foam for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor

Energy generation can be clean and sustainable if it is dependent on renewable resources and it can be prominently utilized if stored efficiently. Recently, biomass-derived carbon and polymers have been focused on developing less hazardous eco-friendly electrodes for energy storage devices. We have focused on boosting the supercapacitor's energy storage ability by engineering efficient electrodes in this context. The well-known conductive polymer, polyaniline (PANI), deposited on nickel foam (NF) is used as a positive electrode, while the activated carbon derived from jute sticks (JAC) deposited on NF is used as a negative electrode. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is fabricated for the electrochemical studies and found that the device has exhibited an energy density of 24 µWh/cm² at a power density of 3571 µW/cm². Furthermore, the ASC PANI/NF//KOH//JAC/NF has exhibited good stability with ~86% capacitance retention even after 1000 cycles. Thus, the enhanced electrochemical performances of ASC are congregated by depositing PANI on NF that boosts the electrode's conductivity. Such deposition patterns are assured by faster ions diffusion, higher surface area, and ample electroactive sites for better electrolyte interaction. Besides advancing technology, such work also encourages sustainability.

Potentiodynamic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Polyaniline-Modified Pencil Graphite Electrodes for Selective Detection of Biochemical Trace Elements

In this study, we analyzed the application of potentiodynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PDEIS) for a selective in situ recognition of biological trace elements, i.e., Cr (III), Cu (II), and Fe (III). The electrochemical sensor was developed using the electropolymerization of aniline (Ani) on the surface of the homemade pencil graphite electrodes (PGE) using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The film was overoxidized to diminish the background current. A wide range of potential (V = −0.2 V to 1.0 V) was investigated to study the impedimetric and capacitive behaviour of the PAni/modified PGE. The impedance behaviors of the films were recorded at optimum potentials through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scrutinized by means of an appropriate equivalent circuit at different voltages and at their corresponding oxidative potentials. The values of the equivalent circuit were used to identify features (charge transfer-resistant and double layer capacitance) that can selectivity distinguish different trace elements with the concentration of 10 μM. The PDEIS spectra represented the highest electron transfer for Cu (II) and Cr (III) in a broad potential range between +0.1 and +0.4 V while the potential V = +0.2 V showed the lowest charge transfer resistance for Fe (III). The results of this paper showed the capability of PDEIS as a complementary tool for conventional CV and EIS measurement for metallic ion sensing.

Improved Sheet Resistance of Nanofiber-Based Transparent Conducting Electrodes Using Silver Nanowires

There is an increased need for research on flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) because they are critical to next-generation electronic devices, such as wearable computers. In this study, highly conductive transparent conducting electrodes, based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber webs treated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and silver nanowires (AgNWs), were successfully fabricated. Transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) were obtained by a brush-painting process using different weight ratios of a AgNWs to PEDOT:PSS solution, and the surface, electrical, optical, and chemical properties, as well as the tensile strength of the samples, were determined. It was found that the electrical conductivity of the samples improved as the AgNW content increased, but the light transmittance decreased. In this work, there was a slight decrease in the optical properties and a considerable increase in the electrical properties due to the hybridization of AgNWs and PEDOT:PSS, compared to using only PEDOT:PSS. When considering both transparency and electrical conductivity, which are essential parameters of TCEs, sample PA2, which was treated by mixing AgNWs and PEDOT:PSS/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in a ratio of 1:5 (16.67 wt% of AgNWs), was found to be the best sample, with a sheet resistance of 905 Ω/cm² and light transmittance of 79%.

Development, Investigation, and Comparative Study of the Effects of Various Metal Oxides on Optical Electrochemical Properties Using a Doped PANI Matrix

A comparative study was performed in order to analyze the effect of metal oxide (MO) on the properties of a polymeric matrix. In this study, polyaniline (PANI)@Al₂O₃, PANI@TiC, and PANI@TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized using in situ polymerization with ammonium persulfate as an oxidant. The prepared materials were characterized by various analytical methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the conductive properties of the materials were tested using the four-point probe method. The presence of MO in the final product was confirmed by XPS, XRD, FTIR, and TEM, while spectroscopic characterization revealed interactions between the MOs and PANI. The results showed that the thermal stability was improved when the MO was incorporated into the polymeric matrix. Moreover, the results revealed that incorporating TiO₂ into the PANI matrix improves the optical bandgap of the nanocomposite and decreases electrical conductivity compared to other conducting materials. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties of the hybrid nanocomposites were tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD). The obtained results suggest that the PANI@TiO₂ nanocomposite could be a promising electrode material candidate for high-performance supercapacitor applications.

Predicting the trend and utility of different photocatalysts for degradation of pharmaceutically active compounds: A special emphasis on photocatalytic materials, modifications, and performance comparison

The rapid rise in the healthcare sector has led to an increase in pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in different aqueous bodies. The toxicity of the PhACs and their ability to persist after conventional treatment processes have escalated research in the field of photocatalytic treatment. Although different photocatalysts have been successful in degrading PhACs, their inherent drawbacks have severely limited their application on a large scale. A substantial amount of research has been aimed at overcoming the high cost of the photocatalytic material, low quantum yield, the formation of toxic end products, etc. Hence, to further research in this field, researchers must have a fair idea of the current trends in the application of different photocatalysts. In this article, the trends in the use of various photocatalysts for the removal of different PhACs have been circumscribed. The performance of different groups of photocatalysts to degrade PhACs from synthetic and real wastewater has been addressed. The drawbacks and advantages of these materials have been compared, and their future in the field of PhACs removal has been predicted using S-curve analysis. Zinc and titanium-based photocatalysts were efficient under UV irradiation, while bismuth and graphene-based materials exhibited exemplary performance in visible light. However, iron-based compounds were found to have the most promising future, which may be because of their magnetic properties, easy availability, low bandgap, etc. Different modification techniques, such as morphology modification, doping, heterojunction formation, etc., have also been discussed. This study may help researchers to clarify the current research status in the field of photocatalytic treatment of PhACs and provide valuable information for future research.

A Negative Index Nonagonal CSRR Metamaterial-Based Compact Flexible Planar Monopole Antenna for Ultrawideband Applications Using Viscose-Wool Felt

In this paper, a compact textile ultrawideband (UWB) planar monopole antenna loaded with a metamaterial unit cell array (MTMUCA) structure with epsilon-negative (ENG) and near-zero refractive index (NZRI) properties is proposed. The proposed MTMUCA was constructed based on a combination of a rectangular- and a nonagonal-shaped unit cell. The size of the antenna was 0.825 λ₀ × 0.75 λ₀ × 0.075 λ₀, whereas each MTMUCA was sized at 0.312 λ₀ × 0.312 λ₀, with respect to a free space wavelength of 7.5 GHz. The antenna was fabricated using viscose-wool felt due to its strong metal–polymer adhesion. A naturally available polymer, wool, and a human-made polymer, viscose, that was derived from regenerated cellulose fiber were used in the manufacturing of the adopted viscose-wool felt. The MTMUCA exhibits the characteristics of ENG, with a bandwidth (BW) of 11.68 GHz and an NZRI BW of 8.5 GHz. The MTMUCA was incorporated on the planar monopole to behave as a shunt LC resonator, and its working principles were described using an equivalent circuit. The results indicate a 10 dB impedance fractional bandwidth of 142% (from 2.55 to 15 GHz) in simulations, and 138.84% (from 2.63 to 14.57 GHz) in measurements obtained by the textile UWB antenna. A peak realized gain of 4.84 dBi and 4.4 dBi was achieved in simulations and measurements, respectively. A satisfactory agreement between simulations and experiments was achieved, indicating the potential of the proposed negative index metamaterial-based antenna for microwave applications.

Ultraflexible and Mechanically Strong Polymer/Polyaniline Conductive Interpenetrating Nanocomposite via In Situ Polymerization of Vinyl Monomer

Simultaneous enhancement of conductivity and mechanical properties for polyaniline/polymer nanocomposite still remains a big challenge. Here, a reverse approach via in situ polymerization (RIP) of vinyl monomers in waterborne polyaniline dispersion was raised to prepare conductive polyaniline (GPANI)/polyacrylate (PMB) interpenetrating polymer (GPANI-PMB) nanocomposite. GPANI/PMB physical blend was simultaneously prepared as reference. The conductive GPANI-PMB nanocomposite film with compact pomegranate-shape morphology is homogeneous, ultraflexible and mechanically strong. With incorporating a considerable amount of PMB into GPANI via the RIP method, only a slight decrease from 3.21 to 2.80 S/cm was detected for the conductivity of GPANI-PMB, while the tensile strength significantly increased from 25 to 43.5 MPa, and the elongation at break increased from 40% to 234%. The water absorption of GPANI-PMB3 after 72 h immersion decreased from 24.68% to 10.35% in comparison with GPANI, which is also higher than that of GPANI/PMB. The conductivity and tensile strength of GPANI-PMB were also much higher than that of GPANI/PMB (0.006 S/cm vs. 5.59 MPa). Moreover, the conductivity of GPANI-PMB remained almost invariable after folding 200 times, while that of GPANI/PMB decreased by almost half. This RIP approach should be applicable for preparing conventional conductive polymer nanocomposite with high conductivity, high strength and high flexibility.

High-Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Kesterite Cu2ZnSnSe4 Inlaid on a Flexible Carbon Fabric Composite Counter Electrode

Composite counter electrodes have been shown to be a practical and effective strategy in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application. In this work, we designed and prepared a single-crystal Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ (CZTSe) plate structure on flexible carbon fabric as a DSSC cathode, which combines the best of the two worlds, namely, the superior catalytic activity and hierarchical microstructure of kesterite CZTSe and the high conductivity and expanded framework of carbon fabric. The composite counter electrode presented a power conversion efficiency of 8.45% and a long-term bending reservation. The remarkable device property is due to the high catalytic activity, good adherence to conductive matrix grains, effective electron migration, and quick iodide species diffusion of the novel cathode. Our results suggest that the CZTSe@carbon fabric composite could be a high-efficiency Pt-free cathode in DSSCs.

An Amazingly Simple, Fast and Green Synthesis Route to Polyaniline Nanofibers for Efficient Energy Storage

The major drawbacks of the conventional methods for preparing polyaniline (PANI) are the large consumptions of toxic chemicals and long process durations. This paper presents a remarkably simple and green route for the chemical oxidative synthesis of PANI nanofibers, utilizing sodium phytate as a novel and environmentally friendly plant derived dopant. The process shows a remarkable reduction in the synthesis time and usage of toxic chemicals with good dispersibility and exceedingly high conductivity up to 10 S cm⁻¹ of the resulting PANI at the same time. A detailed characterization of the PANI samples has been made showing excellent relationships between their structure and properties. Particularly, the electrochemical properties of the synthesized PANI as electrode material for supercapacitors were analyzed. The PANI sample, synthesized at pre-optimized conditions, exhibited impressive supercapacitor performance having a high specific capacitance (C_sp) (832.5 Fg⁻¹ and 528 Fg⁻¹ at 1 Ag⁻¹ and 40 Ag⁻¹, respectively) as calculated from galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) curves. A good rate capability with a capacitance retention of 67.6% of its initial value was observed. The quite low solution resistance (R_s) value of 281.0 × 10⁻³ Ohm and charge transfer resistance value (R_ct) of 7.44 Ohm represents the excellence of the material. Further, a retention of 95.3% in coulombic efficiency after 1000 charge discharge cycles, without showing any significant degradation of the material, was also exhibited.

Preparation and Characterization of Novel Polymer-Based Gel Electrolyte for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene) or poly(dimethylsiloxane) bis(3-aminopropyl) Copolymers

Polymer gel electrolytes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene) (PAB) or poly(dimethylsiloxane) bis(3-aminopropyl)-terminated (PDES-bAP) copolymers were prepared and investigated in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Selected optical and electrochemical properties of all compositions with various ratio from 9:1 to 6:4 were investigated towards DSSC applications. The highest value of power conversion efficiency equal to 5.07% was found for DSSCs containing a PVDF-HPF:PAB (9:1) gel electrolyte. Compositions of electrolytes were additionally tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The influence of the ratio and type of polymers used as an additive to PVDF-HPF on absorption wavelengths, energy gap, and Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) levels were investigated. Individual components of DSSCs, such as the TiO₂ layer and platinum nanoparticles, were imaged by scanning electron microscope. Finally, a DSSC module with six electrically separated solar cells with a 7 × 80 mm² active area was constructed based on gel electrolytes and tested.

Comparative Study of the Adsorption of Acid Blue 40 on Polyaniline, Magnetic Oxide and Their Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Application

Conducting polymers (CPs), especially polyaniline (PANI) based hybrid materials have emerged as very interesting materials for the adsorption of heavy metals and dyes from an aqueous environment due to their electrical transport properties, fascinating doping/de-doping chemistry and porous surface texture. Acid Blue 40 (AB40) is one of the common dyes present in the industrial effluents. We have performed a comparative study on the removal of AB40 from water through the application of PANI, magnetic oxide (Fe₃O₄) and their composites. Prior to this study, PANI and its composites with magnetic oxide were synthesized through our previously reported chemical oxidative synthesis route. The adsorption of AB40 on the synthesized materials was investigated with UV-Vis spectroscopy and resulting data were analyzed by fitting into Tempkin, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) and Langmuir isotherm models. The Freundlich isotherm model fits more closely to the adsorptions data with R² values of 0.933, 0.971 and 0.941 for Fe₃O₄, PANI and composites, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of Fe₃O₄, PANI and composites was, respectively, 130.5, 264.9 and 216.9 mg g^-1. Comparatively good adsorption capability of PANI in the present case is attributed to electrostatic interactions and a greater number of H-bonding. Effect of pH of solution, temperature, initial concentration of AB40, contact time, ionic strength and dose of adsorbent were also investigated. Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The activation energy of adsorption of AB40 on Fe₃O₄, PANI and composites were 30.12, 22.09 and 26.13 kJmol^-1 respectively. Enthalpy change, entropy change and Gibbs free energy changes are -6.077, -0.026 and -11.93 kJ mol^-1 for adsorption of AB40 on Fe₃O₄. These values are -8.993, -0.032 and -19.87 kJ mol^-1 for PANI and -10.62, -0.054 and -19.75 kJ mol^-1 for adsorption of AB40 on PANI/Fe₃O₄ composites. The negative sign of entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy changes indicate spontaneous and exothermic nature of adsorption.