CuNi sulphidation maximizes MOR activity by expanding the accessibility of active sites!

Sulphidation of a CuNi alloy of Cu : Ni ratio 81 : 19 led to an exponential activity enhancement in the alkaline methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) by four fold due to an order of magnitude increase in the number of active Cu and Ni sites and improved charge transfer properties.

Sonophotocatalytic water splitting by BaTiO3@SrTiO3 core shell nanowires

Sonophotocatalysis has garnered significant attention due to its potential to enhance advanced oxidation processes, particularly water splitting, by employing materials with combined sonocatalytic and photocatalytic properties. In this study, we synthesized and investigated core-shell BaTiO3@SrTiO3 nanowires (BST NWs) with varying Sr/Ba molar ratios (2.5:7.5, 5.0:5.0, 7.5:2.5 mM, denoted as BST-1, BST-2, and BST-3, respectively) as catalysts for hydrogen production through water splitting. The piezoelectric nanowires demonstrated hydrogen evolution via both sonocatalysis and photocatalysis. In the sonophotocatalysis process, the ultrasonic vibration induced mechanical forces on the BST nanowires, thereby establishing a built-in electric field. This built-in electric field facilitated the effective separation of photo-generated charge carriers and prolonged their lifetimes, leading to a synergistic enhancement of hydrogen evolution. The pristine BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 nanowires exhibited relatively low hydrogen evolution rates (HER) of 7.0 and 6.0 µmol·g-1min-1, respectively. In contrast, the core-shell nanowires exhibited a substantial improvement in the hydrogen evolution rate. The HER increased with the addition of Sr, and BST-1, BST-2, and BST-3 achieved HERs of 12.0, 13.5, and 18.0 µmol·g-1min-1, respectively. The superior performance of BST-3 nanowires can be attributed to their highest piezoelectric potential and largest surface area. Additionally, BST-3 nanowires demonstrated remarkable stability over multiple cycles, validating their practical applicability as efficient photocatalysts.

Nanocubic copper cobaltite for methyl orange degradation through photocatalytic process

In this study, cubic spinel structured CuCo₂O₄ (Copper cobaltite) nanospheres were fabricated by thermal decomposition method. The visible light degradation of organic contaminant methyl orange (MO) was focused in this study using the synthesized pure CuO, Co₃O₄ and CuCo₂O₄ with different weight ratios of raw materials (90:10, 75:25 and 50:50). It could be well realized that after the characterization techniques, the synthesized CuCo₂O₄ materials resembled cubic spinel structure as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigation. Meanwhile, all the synthesized materials through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have showed cubic shaped particles and among the CuCo₂O₄ materials, CuCo₂O₄ (50:50) expressed not as much of crystallinity due to the agglomerated nanospheres. On the other hand, well crystalline CuCo₂O₄ (75:25) displayed higher surface area than the other materials when analysed through Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectrum has evinced the formation of CuCo₂O₄ nanostructures. In addition, the cubic spinel structured CuCo₂O₄ provided positive results over visible light irradiation. Finally, the CuCo₂O₄ (75:25) sample has scored high as much of 85% MO degradation compared with others. This sample was progressed with repetitive recycling tests and presented the best photocatalytic degradation efficiency. The upgraded results of CuCo₂O₄ sample have been linked with the developed synergistic effects during the formation of binary metal oxides. Also, the interfacial electron-hole formation leads to the migration and hindering of charge carriers for visible light activity.

Facile synthesis of broom stick like FeOCl/g-C3N5 nanocomposite as novel Z-scheme photocatalysts for rapid degradation of pollutants

A simple and cost-effective route has been utilized for the preparation of a novel lamellar structured FeOCl/g-C₃N₅ nanocomposite as Z-scheme photocatalyst. The preparation method was performed under the ambient temperature conditions without any hazardous chemicals. Various characterization techniques, namely XRD, FESEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis, DRS, and PL were carried out to analyse the nanocomposite for confirmation of FeOCl/g-C₃N₅ nanocomposite. To evaluate its and visible light degradation performances tetracycline (T-C) was used as target pollutant. Among the optimum loading for the g-C₃N₅ incorporated FeOCl binary nanocomposites, the g-C₃N₅/FeOCl exhibited a superlative degradation performance toward the T-C antibiotic pollutant. The results confirmed that 95% of T-C was degraded within 40 min under photodegradation mechanism. The improved photodegradation performance in degradation of T-C was mainly due to the reduction in electron-hole recombination, broadening in the light absorption by g-C₃N₅ incorporation, which leads to shortening the degradation time. Furthermore, the hydroxyl and superoxide radicals played a major role in the photodegradation process and the possible mechanism was elucidated and proposed. The present work implies a novel, sustainable, and efficient Z-scheme system that may deliver a convenient method for environment remediation.

Novel S-scheme 2D/2D Bi4O5Br2 nanoplatelets/g-C3N5 heterojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic activity towards organic pollutants removal

Removal of organic pollutants and pharma products in waste water using semiconductor photocatalysts has gained huge interest among recent days. However, low visible light absorption, recombination rate of charge carriers and less availability of reaction sites are still major obstacles for the photocatalysis process. Herein, an in situ-forming Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanosheets decorated on the surface g-C₃N₅ were prepared via simple hydrothermal method under ambient temperature. The basic pH condition plays a vital role in growing for Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanosheets. Various characterization studies such as TEM, SEM, PL and UV-DRS studies confirmed the formation of close contact between the Bi₄O₅Br₂ and g-C₃N₅ nanosheets. The construction of Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanoplatelets/g-C₃N₅ nanocomposite increases the surface-active sites and improving the separation efficiencies of excitons, which is greatly influenced in the degradation of ciprofloxacin and bisphenol-A pollutants. Meanwhile, the flow of electrons from the layered structured graphite carbon of g-C₃N₅ which enables excellent electrical contact in the heterojunction. Besides, the main free radicals were determined as e^- and ^•O₂^-, and production level of free radicals were confirmed by radical trapping experiments. The possible degradation mechanism was proposed and discussed. Finally, this work provides a unique approach to in-situ preparation of heterojunction photocatalysts and demonstrates the prepared Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanoplatelets/g-C₃N₅ photocatalysts have great potential in the waste water management.

Heavy metal remediation from wastewater using microalgae: Recent advances and future trends

Microalgae-based wastewater treatment has previously been carried out in huge waste stabilization ponds. Microalgae, which can absorb carbon dioxide while reusing nutrients from sewage, has recently emerged as a new trend in the wastewater treatment business. Microalgae farming is thought to be a potential match for the modern world's energy strategy, which emphasizes low-cost and environmentally benign alternatives. Microalgae are being used to treat wastewater and make useful products. Microalgae, for example, is a promising renewable resource for producing biomass from wastewater nutrients because of its quick growth rate, short life span, and high carbon dioxide utilization efficacy. Microalgae-based bioremediation has grown in importance in the treatment of numerous types of wastewater in recent years. This solar-powered wastewater treatment technology has huge potential. However, there are still issues to be resolved in terms of land requirements, as well as the process's ecological feasibility and long-term viability, before these systems can be widely adopted. Due to cost and the need for a faultless downstream process, it is difficult to deploy this technology on a large scale. Other recent breakthroughs in wastewater microalgae farming have been investigated, such as how varied pressures affect microalgae growth and quality, as well as the number of high-value components produced. In this review, the future of this biotechnology has also been examined.

Improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of Bisphenol A using V2O5/WO3 decorated over Zeolite: Degradation mechanism and toxicity

WO₃/Zeolite/V₂O₅ (TZV) composite synthesized through co-precipitation was used for the degradation of Bisphenol-A (BpA). XRD and Raman spectra were employed to ascertain the crystallinity of the composite. The pristine nature of the compound without any free particles over the zeolite surface was established through FESEM, thus, substantiating the composite character of the material. The enhancement in activity after doping with WO₃ was ascertained by DRS-UV. Photocatalytic degradation studies clearly established the superiority of TZV 10 over bare V₂O₅. Complete BpA degradation (100%) was attained at 50 min of incubation with 0.75 g/L TZV-10 in acidic medium (pH 3) for an initial BpA concentration of 100 mg/L. HPLC-MS/MS analysis was used to decipher the degradation pathway. The catalyst was stable even after 9 cycles. Phytotoxicity studies and lake water treatment results proved the environmental efficiency of the synthesized material.

Removal of harmful algae in natural water by semiconductor photocatalysis- A critical review

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have turned out to be a global occurrence owing to the detrimental phenomenon like eutrophication and global climate change caused by human activities. This newly emergent threat imposes a severe hazardous to public health, ecosystems and fishery-based economies. Rapid and exponential growth of certain delirious and toxic algal species shall be held causative to the formation of HABs. The potential disadvantages they pose, make it necessary the identification of efficient treatment methodologies. Photocatalysis has been identified as the most promising solution amongst all the identified and investigated methods, for the environmental and economic benefits beheld. Different treatment methodologies were evaluated and light has been thrown on the advantages beheld by photocatalysis over the other methods. Focus has been given to the different photocatalysts that have been so far put to use towards photocatalytic disinfection of HABs and algal toxins. This present study provides useful information on the application of the traditional and photocatalysis process for removal of HABs in water bodies. Moreover, the results revealed that photocatalysis method could cause potent inhibitory effect on growth of algae species and disrupted algal cells membranes to some extent. Finally, the conventional treatment techniques have been recognized to be insufficient for removal of HABs. However, the photocatalyst technology have been utilized mostly for the mineralization and neutralization of the algal pollutants without any harmful secondary pollutants.

Highly efficient visible light photocatalysis of Nix Zn1-x Fe2O4 (x= 0, 0.3, 0.7) nanoparticles: Diclofenac degradation mechanism and eco-toxicity

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products occupy a predominant position with respect to both utility and release into the ecosystem, thereby contributing to environmental pollution at alarming rates. Of the several methods identified to minimize the concentration of PPCPs, nanomaterial based photocatalysis seems to be a potential alternative for it being highly economical and eco-friendly. In this study, we synthesized Nickel zinc ferrite (Ni-ZF) [Ni_x Zn_1-x Fe₂O₄ (x = 0, 0.3, 0.7)] nanoparticles with an average diameter of ∼400 nm by a co-precipitation method towards diclofenac degradation. The composite showed greater degrees of crystallinity devoid of any impurities. Nearly complete DCF degradation (∼99%) was achieved after 50 min reaction time with the nanoparticles at pH 7 for an initial DCF concentration of 50 mg/L. The degradation process followed a pseudo first-order rate law with the rate constant of 0.1657 min^{- 1}. Microbial toxicity and phytotoxicity studies demonstrated negligible toxicity imposed by the contaminated water treated with the prepared composite, suggesting it as a promising photocatalyst benefitting in all aspects.

Advances in preparation, mechanism and applications of various carbon materials in environmental applications: A review

Carbon-related materials are now widely investigated in a various industrial field due to their excellent and unique qualities. It must be tailored to the application in such a way that it fits the application. At the same time, it needs to be generated in sufficient quantities for commercial use, and the synthesis method is the major sticking point here. Because most new materials are discovered by chance, the synthesis process described here may not be the most effective way to create them. The research is merely a steppingstone to discovering a different approach, and it will continue until the substance is no longer being used. If you're developing materials for any purpose, synthesis processes are essential. Fullerene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene, and MXene are only a few of the carbon-based compounds discussed in this overview study, which also gives a brief prognosis on the materials future. Furthermore, the environmental application of these carbon materials was discussed and commented.

A review on hypo-cholesterolemic activity of Nigella sativa seeds and its extracts

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) (Family Ranunculaceae) is a popular therapeutic herb in many parts of the world. It is widely used in traditional medical systems such as Unani, Ayurveda and Siddha. Seeds and oil have a long history of folkloric use in many medicinal and culinary systems. The seeds of N. sativa have long been used to treat a variety of illnesses and disorders. Studies on N. sativa and its therapeutic potential have been investigated. This includes anti-diabetic, anticancer, immune-modulatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, bronchodilator, hepato-protective, renal protective, gastro-protective, antioxidant properties, and several others. Nigella sativa contains thymoquinone. This is a bioactive component of the essential oil with medicinal benefits. Therefore, it is of interest to report a comprehensive data on the therapeutic usefulness of N. sativa in hypo-cholesterolemic activity.

Efficient Cr(vi) photoreduction under natural solar irradiation using a novel step-scheme ZnS/SnIn4S8 nanoheterostructured photocatalysts

Removal of heavy metal pollutants from water is a challenge to water security and the environment. Therefore, in this work, multinary chalcogenide based nanoheterostructures such as ZnS/SnIn₄S₈ nanoheterostructure with different loading amounts were prepared. The prepared nanoheterostructures were utilized as photocatalysts for chromium (Cr(vi)) photoreduction. The prepared nanoheterostructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and BET measurements. The absorption spectra of the prepared nanoheterostructures revealed that they are widely absorbed in the visible range with bandgap values 2.4–3.5 eV. The photocatalytic activities of prepared nanoheterostructures were studied toward the photoreduction of heavy metal, chromium (Cr(vi)), under irradiation of natural solar light. The ZnS/SnIn₄S₈ (with ZnS molar ratio 20%) nanoheterostructures results showed a high photocatalytic activity (92.3%) after 120 min which could be attributed to its enhanced charge carrier separation with respect to the bare ZnS and SnIn₄S₈ NPs. Also, the optoelectronic, valence-band XPS and electrochemical properties of the investigated photocatalysts were studied and the results revealed that the photocatalysts behave the step-scheme mechanism. The recyclability tests revealed a beneficial role of the surface charge in efficient regeneration of the photocatalysts for repeated use.

The Cr(vi) photoreduction tests demonstrated an improved photocatalytic activity of SIS and 2Z-SIS to be 61.0% and 92.3% respectively after 120 min. The results indicated the photocatalyst's capability under sun light, allowing for its industrial use.

CuO-ZnO-PANI a lethal p-n-p combination in degradation of 4-chlorophenol under visible light

Recent interest and responsibility to retain the water resources rose among people. Scientists have been engaged to develop the mechanism that involves the freely available sunlight - a sustainable resource - to remove the pollutants from water to make it again suitable for life. Ample research was reported in the removal of dye pollutants present in water. For this they have utilized p type and n type semiconductors or combination of both (p-n type) under the excitation of a wide range of electromagnetic band energy. Most of the interest lies in emerging out of the mechanism with hybrid semiconductors to remove the previously reported flaws. Toward this regard, this manuscript aims to develop unique material using the underlying p-n-p model for harnessing visible light in catalysis. Initially, p-n structure was developed with copper oxide (p-type) and zinc oxide (n-type), then polyaniline (p-type) conjugated at different concentrations (0.5 M, 0.7 M & 1.0 M), to yield p-n-p models, using precipitation followed by sonication techniques. Detailed physicochemical investigations were conducted on the resultant p-n-p material to elucidate its characteristics. Furthermore, the mechanism was advocated for the best photocatalytic activity under visible light excitation for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol and compared with the performance of a standard p-n (CuO/ZnO) combination.

Secure Fingerprint Authentication Using Deep Learning and Minutiae Verification

Nowadays, there has been an increase in security concerns regarding fingerprint biometrics. This problem arises due to technological advancements in bypassing and hacking methodologies. This has sparked the need for a more secure platform for identification. In this paper, we have used a deep Convolutional Neural Network as a pre-verification filter to filter out bad or malicious fingerprints. As deep learning allows the system to be more accurate at detecting and reducing false identification by training itself again and again with test samples, the proposed method improves the security and accuracy by multiple folds. The implementation of a novel secure fingerprint verification platform that takes the optical image of a fingerprint as input is explained in this paper. The given input is pre-verified using Google’s pre-trained inception model for deep learning applications, and then passed through a minutia-based algorithm for user authentication. Then, the results are compared with existing models.

Fabrication of nanostructured NiO/WO3with graphitic carbon nitride for visible light driven photocatalytic hydroxylation of benzene and metronidazole degradation

Fabrication of a novel NiO/WO₃nanohybrid modified graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets with enhanced photocatalytic activity towards photocatalytic hydroxylation of benzene and degradation of a pharmaceutical waste metronidazole.

Preparation and characterization of WO3 bonded imidazolium sulfonic acid chloride as a novel and green ionic liquid catalyst for the synthesis of adipic acid

The work represents the synthesis of a novel WO₃ bonded IL catalyst. It is used as a heterogeneous recoverable catalyst in the oxidation of cyclohexene to adipic acid.

Constructing novel Ag nanoparticles anchored on MnO2 nanowires as an efficient visible light driven photocatalyst

We report the first construction of novel Ag nanoparticles anchored on MnO₂ nanowires as an efficient visible light driven photocatalyst.

Biomolecule-assisted solvothermal synthesis of Cu2SnS3 flowers/RGO nanocomposites and their visible-light-driven photocatalytic activities

Elimination of organic pollutants from wastewaters under visible-light irradiation is a venerable challenge in the fields of environmental and material science.

The effect of yoga therapy on selected psychological variables among male patients with insomnia

BACKGROUND

An estimated 30-50% of the general population is affected by insomnia and 10% have chronic insomnia. Yoga therapy is beneficial in such disorders and it has fewer side effects.

AIM

The aim of this study was to find out the effect of yoga therapy on selected psychological variables among men with insomnia.

METHODS

Forty males with insomnia were divided randomly into 2 groups (the experimental and the control groups). The experimental group received eight weeks of yoga therapy, while the control group did not receive any therapy. The pre and post treatment stress and the self confidence scores were taken.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement in the stress scores and the self confidence scores in the experimental group. There were neither any side effects nor any drop outs.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that yoga is an effective treatment option for the patients with insomnia. There are no major side effects.