Utilization of Mangifera indica as Substrate to Bioremediate the Toxic Metals and Generate the Bioenergy through a Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a sustainable approach for the remediation of metals and the simultaneous production of energy. This paper highlighted the usage of mango extract to produce electricity as an organic source for bacteria and reduce metal ions from wastewater. The observed results were 51 mV in 15 days with 500 Ω of external resistance. The whole operation was carried out at room temperature. The observed current and power density were 28.947 mA/m2 and 0.972 mW/m2, respectively. The internal resistance was 150 Ω, which is lower than external resistance. The remediation performance varied with the metal ions as follows: Pb (II) shows 75%, Cd (II) shows 74.11%, and Cr (III) shows 80.50%. Finally, the detailed working mechanism of the present study, MFC challenges, and future research directions are covered in this paper.

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Progress in ZnO Nanosensors

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21165502 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (16) ◽

pp. 5502

Author(s):

Miaoling Que ◽

Chong Lin ◽

Jiawei Sun ◽

Lixiang Chen ◽

Xiaohong Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Wide Bandgap ◽

Synthetic Methods ◽

Superior Performance ◽

Future Research ◽

Electronic Systems ◽

Research Directions ◽

Photoelectric Sensor ◽

Future Research Directions

Developing various nanosensors with superior performance for accurate and sensitive detection of some physical signals is essential for advances in electronic systems. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a unique semiconductor material with wide bandgap (3.37 eV) and high exciton binding energy (60 meV) at room temperature. ZnO nanostructures have been investigated extensively for possible use as high-performance sensors, due to their excellent optical, piezoelectric and electrochemical properties, as well as the large surface area. In this review, we primarily introduce the morphology and major synthetic methods of ZnO nanomaterials, with a brief discussion of the advantages and weaknesses of each method. Then, we mainly focus on the recent progress in ZnO nanosensors according to the functional classification, including pressure sensor, gas sensor, photoelectric sensor, biosensor and temperature sensor. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the research status and constraints for the development of ZnO nanosensor in each category. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of nanosensors based on ZnO are prospected and summarized. It is of profound significance to research ZnO nanosensors in depth, which will promote the development of artificial intelligence, medical and health, as well as industrial, production.

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Plexcitonic strong coupling: unique features, applications, and challenges

Journal of Physics D Applied Physics ◽

10.1088/1361-6463/ac3fdf ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qian Zhao ◽

Wenjie Zhou ◽

Yan-Hui Deng ◽

Ya-Qin Zheng ◽

Zhong-Hong Shi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Strong Coupling ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Future Research ◽

Applied Physics ◽

Research Directions ◽

Physical Mechanisms ◽

General Field ◽

Coupling Dynamics ◽

Future Research Directions

Abstract There are, recently, remarkable achievements in turning light-matter interactions into strong coupling quantum regime. In particular, room temperature plexcitonic strong coupling in plasmon-exciton hybrid systems can bring promising benefits for fundamental and applied physics. Herein we will review theoretical insights and recent experimental achievements in plexcitonic strong coupling and divide this review into two main parts. The first part will briefly introduce the general field of strong coupling, including its origin and history, physical mechanisms and theoretical models, as well as recent advanced applications of strong coupling, such as the quantum or biochemical devices enabled by optical strong coupling. The second part will zoom in and concentrate on plexcitonic strong coupling by introducing its unique features and new potentials (such as single-particle ultrastrong coupling, strong coupling dynamics in femtosecond scale) and discussing the limitations and challenges of plexcitonic strong coupling, which will also be accompanied by potential solutions such as the microcavity-engineered plexcitonics, spectral hold burning effects, and metamaterial-based strong coupling. Finally, we will summarize and conclude this review, highlighting the future research directions and promising applications.

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