Probing the p-type Chemiresistive Response of NiFe2 O4 Nanoparticles for Potential Utilization as Ethanol Sensor

Detection of gas molecules and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using efficient, low cost sensors has fetched significant attention in environmental monitoring, safety measures and medical diagnosis. In the present work, nickel ferrite (NFO) nanoparticles are explored as p-type semiconducting metal oxide (SMO) sensor for detection of five different organic vapors namely methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol and acetone which often cause severe damage to human body under prolonged exposure. The sensing studies in presence of the aforementioned five vapors are carried out by varying the sensor operating temperature (225-300 °C) and vapor concentrations (10-1000 ppm). Developed NFO sensor demonstrated best performance in terms of sensing (~10 ppm), response time (<10 s), excellent repeatability and selectivity towards ethanol among all other considered gas species. The repeatability of the sensor response is verified and the underlying reasons for the variation in the response of NFO sensor due to the change of operating temperature, analyte type and concentrations has been discussed. The synthesis of NFO through auto combustion method and study on their formation behaviour, oxygen vacancy evolution, band gap calculation, crystalline nature as well as microstructural features provides here the comprehensive information about the potential application of NFO nanoparticles as gas sensor.

Valorization of fly ash by nickel ferrite and vanadium oxide recovery through pyro-hydrometallurgical processes: Technical and environmental assessment

The fly ash (FA) from the combustion of heavy oil in power stations is characterized by fine particles containing toxic metals. The sample utilized in this study was gathered from the dust precipitators of seven heavy-oil-consuming Iranian power plants. Substantial quantities of heavy metals, particularly vanadium, iron, and nickel, have been detected in the sample, indicating both its potential utility and hazard to the soil and groundwater. The harmful consequences of FA disposal on the environment have led to the adoption of recycling as a treatment approach in this study. The valorization of FA was investigated by producing nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) through a novel approach using a combination of pyro-hydrometallurgical processes, which resulted in proposing a recycling closed-loop flowsheet. Roasting was first practiced to form NiFe2O4 by reacting the nickel and iron content of the FA. The NiFe2O4 showed a low dissolution against inorganic acids (H2SO4, HCl, and HNO3). The vanadium content of the FA showed a remarkable recovery in H2SO4 (91%) and HCl (95.6%), while the dissolution of Ni was limited to 16.85% and 17.5%, respectively. The produced NiFe2O4 acted well in response to the magnetic field, and its purity was further increased to 95-96% through a two-stage process consisting of grinding and magnetic separation. The nano-sized spherical NiFe2O4 with saturation magnetization of 34.66 and 30.82 emu. g-1 was obtained from H2SO4 and HCl residues, respectively. The dissolved vanadium was recovered as V2O5 via oxidation-precipitation in sulfate media and oxidation-ammonium precipitation in chloride solution. The purity of V2O5 in sulfate and chloride media was 93% and 98.5%, respectively. Finally, a life cycle assessment (LCA) study was performed on the suggested methods to track the ecological effects of extracting V and Ni from oil combustion FA. According to the performed LCA, H2SO4 was determined as the proper leaching reagent considering the environmental and technical aspects.

Construction of nickel ferrite nanoparticle-loaded on carboxymethyl cellulose-derived porous carbon for efficient pseudocapacitive energy storage

The preparation of biomass-derived carbon electrode materials with abundant active sites is suitable for development of energy-storage systems with high energy and power densities. Herein, a hybrid material consisting of highly-dispersed nickel ferrite nanoparticle on 3D hierarchical carboxymethyl cellulose-derived porous carbon (NiFe₂O₄/CPC) was prepared by simple annealing treatment. The synergistic effects of NiFe₂O₄ species with multiple oxidation states and 3D porous carbon with a large specific surface area offered abundant active centers, fast electron/ion transport, and robust structural stability, thereby showing the excellent performance of the electrochemical capacitor. The best performing sample (NiFe₂O₄/CPC-800) exhibited a superior capacitance of 2894F g^-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g^-1. Encouragingly, an asymmetric supercapacitor with NiFe₂O₄/CPC-800 as a positive electrode and activated carbon as a negative electrode delivered a high energy density of 135.2 W h kg^-1 along with an improved power density of 10.04 kW kg^-1. Meanwhile, the superior cycling stability of 90.2% over 10,000 cycles at 5 A g^-1 was achieved. Overall, the presented work offers a guideline for the design and preparation of advanced electrode materials for energy-storage systems.

2-(Anthracen-9-yl)benzothiazole-modified graphene oxide-nickel ferrite nanocomposite for anodic stripping voltammetric detection of heavy metal ions

A novel electrochemical sensor, 2-(anthracen-9-yl)benzothiazole (ABT)-modified nickel ferrite reduced graphene oxide (NF@rGO) has been designed for the individual and simultaneous detection of Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions. Herein, NF@rGO nanocomposite, synthesized by a simple hydrothermal methodology, was hooked to ABT under easy and simple stirring conditions. Chelation of active functional groups of ABT with metal ions was augmented with higher adsorption and conductivity provided by NF@rGO. The created synergy resulted in analytical signals via selective oxidation of the ions within a potential ranging from - 1.2 to + 1.2 V vs sat. KCl. The proposed protocol exhibited a wide linear range from 0.05 to 1250 nM with excellent detection limit of 123, 54.1, and 86.6 pM via anodic stripping voltammetry for the simultaneous determination of Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Hg²⁺ ions, respectively. Simple cost-effective synthetic approach, improved sensitivity with high selectivity, noteworthy repeatability (RSD less than 3%), and reproducibility (RSD less than 7%) equipped with successful real time monitoring (apparent recovery more than 90%) bring about a spiffing sensing platform for the detection of hazardous metal ions.

In situ constructed honeycomb-like NiFe2O4@Ni@C composites as efficient electromagnetic wave absorber

Rational excogitation of microstructure and chemical constituents is a superior means of constructing electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials with high performance. In this study, a kind of honeycomb-like NiFe₂O₄@Ni@C composite is prepared via an uncomplicated polymerization, pyrolysis and etching. Porous structure and internal cavity of NiFe₂O₄@Ni@C contribute to the numerous reflection and scattering of EMW. The strong ferromagnetic resonance of NiFe₂O₄ core and the multiple relaxation processes of porous carbon shell strongly promote the EMW loss. Additionally, the synergistic effect can improve impedance matching. The results demonstrate that the minimum reflection loss (RL) of honeycomb-like NiFe₂O₄@Ni@C composites is -65.33 dB at 13.63 GHz. The effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is 3.68 GHz when the matching thickness is 4.95 mm. The mechanism of EMW dissipation of the honeycomb-like NiFe₂O₄@Ni@C composites is attributed to multiple reflections and scattering, conductive loss, interfacial polarization and ferromagnetism resonance. This work provides a tactic for the excogitation and synthesis of a low cost, light weight and efficient EMW absorber.

Interaction of nickel ferrite nanoparticles with nucleic acids

In this article, we introduced an electrochemical biosensor employing graphite electrodes (GE) decorated with Nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) nanoparticles for nucleic acid detection. NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles in a narrow size distribution were synthesized with co-precipitation technique. Their chemical and crystallographic properties were characterized with FTIR and X-ray spectroscopies. Nanoparticle size distribution and hydrodynamic diameter were determined with particle size analyzer. Elemental content and purity of nanoparticles were analyzed with EDX analysis. Our analyses showed a diameter of ~10 nm for NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. Electrochemical properties of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were examined with different analysis methods. Conductivity properties of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were investigated with Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), which confirmed that nanoparticles on GE surface have a high surface area and conductivity. More importantly, in this article, the interactions between NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and double stranded DNA (dsDNA), single stranded DNA (ssDNA), and RNA were for the first time examined using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV), CV, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Oxidation peak currents of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and guanine bases of dsDNA, ssDNA, and RNA showed that NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles effectively interacts with nucleic acids via an electrostatic mode.

Enhanced product selectivity in the microbial electrosynthesis of butyrate using a nickel ferrite-coated biocathode

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a potential sustainable biotechnology for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide/bicarbonate into useful chemical commodities. To date, acetate has been the main MES product; selective electrosynthesis to produce other multi-carbon molecules, which have a higher commercial value, remains a major challenge. In this study, the conventional carbon felt (CF) was modified with inexpensive nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄@CF) to realize enhanced butyrate production owing to the advantages of improved electrical conductivity, charge transfer efficiency, and microbial-electrode interactions with the selective microbial enrichment. Experimental results show that the modified electrode yielded 1.2 times the butyrate production and 2.7 times the cathodic current production of the CF cathode; product selectivity was greatly improved (from 37% to 95%) in comparison with CF. Microbial community analyses suggest that selective microbial enrichment was promoted as Proteobacteria and Thermotogae (butyrate-producing phyla) were dominant in the NiFe₂O₄@CF biofilm (~78%). These results demonstrate that electrode modification with NiFe₂O₄ can help realize greater selective carboxylate production with improved MES performance. Hence, this technology is expected to be greatly useful in future reactor designs for scaled-up technologies.

Nickel ferrite/MXene-coated carbon felt anodes for enhanced microbial fuel cell performance

In recent years, the modification of electrode materials for enhancing the power generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) has attracted considerable attention. In this study, a conventional carbon felt (CF) electrode was modified by NiFe₂O₄ (NiFe₂O₄@CF), MXene (MXene@CF), and NiFe₂O₄-MXene (NiFe₂O₄-MXene@CF) using facile dip-and-dry and hydrothermal methods. In these modified CF electrodes, the electrochemical performance considerably improved, while the highest power density (1385 mW/m²), which was 5.6, 2.8, and 1.4 times higher than those of CF, NiFe₂O₄@CF, and MXene@CF anodes, respectively, was achieved using NiFe₂O₄-MXene@CF. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry results confirmed the superior bioelectrochemical activity of a NiFe₂O₄-MXene@CF anode in a MFC. The improved performance could be attributed to the low charge transfer resistance, high conductivity and number of catalytically active sites of the NiFe₂O₄-MXene@CF anode. Microbial community analysis demonstrated the relative abundance of electroactive bacteria on a NiFe₂O₄-MXene@CF anodic biofilm rather than CF, MXene@CF, and NiFe₂O₄@CF anodes. Therefore, these results suggest that combining the favorable properties of composite materials such as NiFe₂O₄-MXene@CF anodes can open up new directions for fabricating novel electrodes for renewable energy-related applications.

Enhanced solar-light-driven photocatalytic properties of novel Z-scheme binary BiPO4 nanorods anchored onto NiFe2O4 nanoplates: Efficient removal of toxic organic pollutants

Global environmental problems have been increasing with the growth of the world economy and have become a crucial issue. To replace fossil fuels, sustainable and eco-friendly catalysts are required for the removal of organic pollutants. In this study, nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄) was prepared using a simple wet-chemical synthesis, followed by calcination; bismuth phosphate (BiPO₄) was also prepared using a hydrothermal method. Further, NiFe₂O₄/BiPO₄ nanocomposites were prepared using a hydrothermal technique. Numerous characterization studies, such as structural, morphology, surface area, optical, photoluminescence, and photoelectrochemical investigations, were used to analyze NiFe₂O₄/BiPO₄ nanocomposites. The morphology analysis indicated a successful decoration of BiPO₄ nanorods on the surface of NiFe₂O₄ nanoplate. Further, the bandgap of the NiFe₂O₄/BiPO₄ nanocomposites was modified owing to the formation of a heterostructure. The as-prepared NiFe₂O₄/BiPO₄ nanocomposite exhibited promising properties to be used as a novel heterostructure for tetracycline (TC) and Rhodamine B (RhB) removal. The NiFe₂O₄/BiPO₄ nanocomposite degrades TC (98%) and RhB (99%) pollutants upon solar-light irradiation within 100 and 60 min, respectively. Moreover, the trapping experiments confirmed the Z-scheme approach of the prepared nanocomposites. The efficient separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs rendered by the heterostructure were confirmed by utilizing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, photocurrent experiments, and photoluminescence. Mott-Schottky measurements were used determine the positions of the conduction and valence bands of the samples, and the detailed mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of toxic pollutants was projected and discussed.

Catalytic ozonation treatment of papermaking wastewater by Ag-doped NiFe2O4: Performance and mechanism

The catalytic ozonation treatment of secondary biochemical effluent for papermaking wastewater by Ag-doped nickel ferrite was investigated. Ag-doped catalysts prepared by sol-gel method were characterized, illustrating that Ag entirely entered the crystalline of NiFe₂O₄ and changed the surface properties. The addition of catalyst enhanced the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon. The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometer, ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm and three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission matrix suggested that aromatic compounds were efficiently degraded and toxic substances, such as dibutyl phthalate. In addition, the radical scavenging experiments confirmed the hydroxyl radicals acted as the main reactive oxygen species and the surface properties of catalysts played an important role in the reaction. Overall, this work validated potential applications of Ag-doped NiFe₂O₄ catalyzed ozonation process of biologically recalcitrant wastewater.

Targeted conversion of Ni in electroplating sludge to nickel ferrite nanomaterial with stable lithium storage performance

The recovery of heavy metals from industrial solid waste is of great significance for simultaneously alleviating heavy metal pollution and recycling valuable metal resources. However, the complex compositions of the multiple metallic electroplating waste severely limit the selective recovery of metal resources such as nickel. In this study, a kind of nickel-laden electroplating sludge was taken as an example and the Ni in it was targetedly converted into highly valuable NiFe₂O₄ (nickel ferrite) nanomaterials via a regulator assisted hydrothermal acid-washing strategy, eventually leading to selective extraction of Ni and Ca from the sludge. Sodium carbonate was the best regulator for the formation of NiFe₂O₄, and under the optimal conditions, the extraction rates of Ni and Ca are 96.70 % and 99.66 %, respectively. The as-prepared NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles exhibited stable electrochemical Li-storage performances, such as a reversible capacity of approximate 316.94 mA h/g at 0.5 A/g and a long cycle life exceeding 100 cycles, with nearly no capacity decay. This work provides a facile and sustainable approach for targeted conversion of heavy metals in industrial solid waste to high-valuable functional materials and selective recovery of heavy metals from multi-metal solid wastes.

Highly efficient removal of thallium(I) from wastewater via hypochlorite catalytic oxidation coupled with adsorption by hydrochar coated nickel ferrite composite

In this study, tannery wastewater was used as carbon source to hydrothermally synthesize magnetic carbon-coated nickel ferrite composite (NiFe₂O₄@C), which was employed as a catalyst for thallium (Tl) oxidation by hypochlorite and simultaneously as an adsorbent for Tl removal from wastewater. Compared with NiFe₂O₄@C adsorption or hypochlorite oxidation alone, the combination of NiFe₂O₄@C and hypochlorite substantially enhanced the rate and efficiency of Tl(I) removal. In addition, this process was highly effective for Tl(I) removal over a wide pH range (6-12). The maximum Tl(I) removal capacity was 1699 mg/g at pH 10, which is the highest one reported so far. Electron spin resonance spectra suggested the formation of hypochlorite-based free radicals induced by the NiFe₂O₄@C composite, which enhanced the Tl(I) oxidation and removal. Oxidation-induced surface precipitation and surface complexation were found to be the main Tl(I) removal mechanisms. Consecutive cyclic regeneration tests implied robust regeneration and reuse performance of the composite. Moreover, it was effective for Tl(I) removal from real industrial wastewater. Therefore, the hypochlorite catalytic oxidation coupled with adsorption by the magnetic NiFe₂O₄@C composite is a promising technique for Tl(I) removal from wastewater. This hybrid process also has great potential for the removal of other pollutants.

Equilibrium and kinetic studies on methylene blue adsorption by simple polyol assisted wet hydroxyl route of NiFe2O4nanoparticles

A novel approach has been adopted in the synthesis of nickel ferrite nanoparticles and their adsorption capacity was studied in the effective removal of MB dye from aqueous solution. Nanoparticles have a main advantage of treating large amount of wastewater within a short time and producing less contamination. The synthesized Spinel ferrites show high adsorption capacity, magnetic performance, and an eco-friendly material which effectively removes dyes. In the current work Nickel ferrite nanoparticles have been synthesized by wet hydroxyl chemical route using ethylene glycol as a chelating agent. XRD analysis indicates cubic spinel phase nickel ferrite and the average crystallite size is found to be 56.11 nm. An FTIR spectrum illustrates two intense absorption bands in the range between 1000 and 400 cm ^-1 corresponding to the presence of nickel ferrite. The shape and morphology of Nickel ferrite are examined by SEM analysis. The constituent elements and chemical composition analyzed using EDX spectrum showed that the estimated atomic percentages of O, Fe, and Ni are in good agreement with the theoretical value. VSM analysis clarifies soft ferromagnetic nature at room temperature. The equilibrium time for the removal of MB dye was found to be 180 mins. The capacity of nickel ferrite nanoparticles to adsorb the MB dye was proved from its maximum adsorption capacity of 72 mg g^-1 from Langmuir model. The Equilibrium parameter (R_L) and % error was calculated and found that Langmuir isotherm and Second-order kinetic model gave a good fit to the experimental data.

Ultrasonic accelerated coupling reaction using magnetically recyclable bis (propyl molononitril) Ni complex nanocatalyst: A novel, green and efficient synthesis of biphenyl derivatives

A novel, green and rapid sonochemical research to preparation of the biphenyls was carried out through the coupling reaction between various aryl halides and phenylboronic acid by using bis(propyl malononitrile) Ni (0) complex (NiFe₂O₄@SiO₂-BPMN-Ni) as an efficient nano catalyst. The catalyst can be recycled via an external magnet and reused several times without considerable loss of its catalytic activity. Compare to the previous works, this procedure has advantages such as easy workup, high yields of products, environmentally benign and short reaction times. The novel nickel catalyst prepared and characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, TGA and VSM techniques.

Microwave hydrothermal-assisted preparation of novel spinel-NiFe2O4/natural mineral composites as microwave catalysts for degradation of aquatic organic pollutants

In this study, novel spinel-NiFe₂O₄/natural mineral (sepiolite, diatomite and kaolinite) composites were developed using microwave (MW) hydrothermal method, and applied in MW-induced catalytic degradation (NiFe₂O₄/natural mineral/MW) of organic pollutants such as sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), azo fuchsine (AF), methyl parathion (MP), and crystal violet (CVL) in solution. Catalytic activities of three NiFe₂O₄/natural mineral composites were compared. The effects of material synthesis process parameters such as molar ratios of NiFe₂O₄ and natural mineral, and pH of precursor solutions for synthesizing catalysts, and degradation parameters such as MW irradiation time and catalyst reuse cycles were also investigated. The principle on NiFe₂O₄/natural mineral/MW degradation was provided. The results reveal that organic pollutants in wastewater can be removed completely using NiFe₂O₄/natural mineral/MW within minutes. NiFe₂O₄/sepiolite shows higher catalytic activity than the others. The calculated degradation rate constants are 1.865, 0.672, 0.472, and 0.329 min^-1 for SDBS, AF, MP, and CVL, respectively, using NiFe₂O₄/sepiolite/MW system. The performance of NiFe₂O₄/natural mineral can be maintained for three reuse cycles. Active species OH, O₂^-, and h⁺ play main roles in NiFe₂O₄/sepiolite/MW degradation. Hence, NiFe₂O₄/sepiolite/MW technology with rapid and cost-effective degradation, magnetic separation, and no secondary pollution, demonstrates to be promising in treating organic contaminants in wastewater.

Reuse of Fenton sludge as an iron source for NiFe2O4 synthesis and its application in the Fenton-based process

The potentially hazardous iron-containing sludge from the Fenton process requires proper treatment and disposal, which often results in high treatment cost. In this study, a novel method for the reuse of Fenton sludge as an iron source for the synthesis of nickel ferrite particles (NiFe₂O₄) is proposed. Through a co-precipitation method followed by sintering at 800°C, magnetic NiFe₂O₄ particles were successfully synthesized, which was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized NiFe₂O₄ could be used as an efficient catalyst in the heterogeneous Fenton process. In phenol degradation with H₂O₂ or NiFe₂O₄ alone, the phenol removal efficiencies within the reaction time of 330min were as low as 5.9%±0.1% and 13.5%±0.4%, respectively. However, in the presence of both NiFe₂O₄ and H₂O₂, phenol removal efficiency as high as 95%±3.4% could be achieved, indicating the excellent catalytic performance of NiFe₂O₄ in the heterogeneous Fenton process. Notably, a rapid electron exchange between Ni^II and Fe^III ions in the NiFe₂O₄ structure could be beneficial for the Fenton reaction. In addition, the magnetic catalyst was relatively stable, highly active and recoverable, and has potential applications in the Fenton process for organic pollutant removal.

Analyses of factors affecting nickel ferrite nanoparticles synthesis in ultrasound-assisted aqueous solution ball milling

Ball milling experiments were conducted with and without ultrasound wave assistance in deionized water using NiCO3·2Ni(OH)2·4H2O as raw materials. In the reaction process of NiFe2O4 prepared by ultrasound-assisted aqueous solution ball milling, some influencing factors including raw materials, ultrasonic frequency, ball to powder ratio and liquid level were changed. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, fluorescence measurements and electroconductivity detections. The results indicate that more hydroxyl radicals and ions can be generated under the coupling effect of ultrasonic and ball milling. The fluorescence measurements and electroconductivity detections also reflect the reaction speed, allowing for optimal parameters to be determined.

Incredible antibacterial activity of noble metal functionalized magnetic core-zeolitic shell nanostructures

Functionalized magnetic core-zeolitic shell nanostructures were prepared by hydrothermal and coprecipitation methods. The products were characterized by Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The growth of mordenite nanoparticles on the surface of silica coated nickel ferrite nanoparticles in the presence of organic templates was also confirmed. Antibacterial activity of the prepared nanostructures was investigated by the inactivation of Escherichia coli as a gram negative bacterium. A new mechanism was proposed for inactivation of E. coli over the prepared samples. In addition, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and reuse ability were studied. TEM images of the destroyed cell wall after the treatment time were performed to illustrate the inactivation mechanism. According to the experimental results, the core-shell nanostructures which were modified by organic agents and then functionalized with noble metal nanoparticles were the most active. The interaction of the noble metals with the organic components on the surface of nanostructures was studied theoretically and the obtained results were used to interpret the experimental results.