Ti Doped Cu2O Thin Films: DC Magnetron Sputtering and Structural and Optical Studies

Ti doped Cu2O thin films were prepared at distinct Argon/Oxygen gas flow ratio of 34/1, 33/2,32/3 and 31/4 with net flow (Ar+O2) of 35 sccm by using DC magnetron sputtering system on glass substrates at room temperature. The gas mixture influence on the film properties studied by using X-ray diffraction, Field emission scanning electron microscopy and UV-Visible spectroscopy. From XRD results, it is evident that, with a decrease in oxygen content, the amplitude of (111) peak increased, peak at a 35.67o scattering angle and the films shows a simple cubic structure. The FESEM images indicated the granularity of thin films was distributed uniformly in a homogenous model and also includes especially pores and cracks. The film deposited at 31/4 showed a 98% higher transmittance in the visible region.

Lamination Texture and Its Effects on Reservoir and Geochemical Properties of the Palaeogene Kongdian Formation in the Cangdong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China

The characteristics of laminae are critical to lacustrine shale strata. They are the keys to the quality of source rocks and reservoirs, as well as engineering operations in shale plays. This study uses organic geochemistry, thin section identification, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and other analytical methods, to reveal the detailed lamination texture and vertical distribution of laminae in the second Member of the Kongdian Formation in Cangdong Sag. The principal results are as follows: (1) A classification of laminae is proposed to characterize reservoir and geochemical properties. The five types of laminae are as follows: feldspar-quartz laminae (FQL), clay laminae (CLL), carbonate laminae (CAL), organic matter laminae (OML), and bioclastic laminae (BCL). There are also four significant lamina combinations (with the increasing TOC values): FQL-CLL combination, FQL-CLL-BCL combination, FQL-CLL-OML combination, and FQL-CAL-CLL-OML combination; (2) differences between laminae occur because of the variability in pore types and structures. There appears to be a greater abundance of intercrystalline pores of clay minerals in the FQL, CAL, BCL, and OML, and well-developed organic pores in the CAL and CLL, and the counterparts of intragranular pores of bioclastic material in the BCL. This detailed characterization provides the following comparative quantification of the thin section porosity of laminae in the second Member of the Kongdian Formation can be differentiated: CAL > FQL > OML > BCL > CLL; (3) differentiation between vertical distributions of laminae is carried out in a single well. The FQL and CLL are widely distributed in all the samples, while the BCL is concentrated in the upper part of the second Member of the Kongdian Formation, and CAL is concentrated in the lower part. This detailed classification method, using geochemical analysis and vertical distribution descriptions, offers a detailed understanding of lamination texture and its effects on reservoir and geochemical properties, which will provide a scientific guidance and technical support to better estimate reservoir quality and to identify new sweet spots in the second Member of the Kongdian Formation in the Cangdong Sag.

Voltammetric detection of sumatriptan in the presence of naproxen using Fe3O4@ZIF-8 nanoparticles modified screen printed graphite electrode

A novel electrochemical sensing platform was designed and prepared for the simultaneous detection of sumatriptan and naproxen by exploiting the prowess of the Fe3O4@ZIF-8 nanoparticles (NPs); as-synthesized Fe3O4@ZIF-8 NPs were characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. The immobilized Fe3O4@ZIF-8 NPs on a screen printed graphite electrode (SPGE) was evaluated electrochemically via cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and differential pulse voltammetry as well as chronoamprometery means; Fe3O4@ZIF-8/SPGE exhibited good sensing performance for sumatriptan in a range of 0.035–475.0 µM with detection limit of 0.012 µM. Also, Fe3O4@ZIF-8/SPGE exhibited good sensing performance for naproxen in a range of 0.1–700.0 µM with detection limit of 0.03 µM. The modified electrode showed two separate oxidative peaks at 620 mV for sumatriptan and at 830 mV for naproxen with a peak potential separation of 210 mV which was large enough to detect the two drugs simultaneously besides being stable in the long-run with considerable reproducibility. Real sample analyses were carried out to identify the function of fabricated electrode in sensing applications wherein trace amounts of sumatriptan and naproxen could be identified in these samples.

Single-Layer MoS2-MoO3-x Heterojunction Nanosheets with Simultaneous Photoluminescence and Co-Photocatalytic Features

Single-layer MoS2-MoO3-x heterojunction nanosheets with visible-light-sensitive band gap energy and average lateral dimensions of ~70 nm were synthesized by using a two-step combined exfoliation method. The exfoliation was initiated from pristine MoS2, while some sulfur sites in expanded MoS2 sheets during exfoliating were substituted by ambient non-thermal oxygen, resulting in formation of α-MoO3-x crystalline domains. The morphological features, crystalline structure, phase formation, number of layers, and optical properties of the MoS2-MoO3-x nanosheets were determined by atomic force microscopy; X-ray diffraction; field emission electron microscopy; transmission electron microscopy; and Raman, UV–visible–NIR, diffuse transmittance, and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The produced α-MoO3-x domains displayed a narrower indirect band gap energy (~1.95 eV) than that of stoichiometric MoO3 (~3 eV), and a broad light absorption range from visible to near-infrared region can act as a plasmonic material facilitating the separation of the photoinduced carriers and enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the MoS2 domain, having ~1.75(2.16) eV indirect (direct) band gap energy. In this regard, the MoS2-MoO3-x heterojunction nanosheets showed single-layer-based excitation-dependent luminescence emissions and visible-light-induced photocatalytic features, at the same time. This study can contribute to promising applications of sheet-like nanomaterials for purposes requiring simultaneous photoluminescence and photocatalytic features, such as in-vivo monitoring and targeting

Characterization of Co2+- and Fe3+-Codoped TiO2 Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants under Visible Light Irradiation

In this study, TiO2 nanomaterials were prepared using a solvothermal method and codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+ ions for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light. The physicochemical properties of the obtained materials were studied by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission electron scanning microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Optical absorption was characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared materials were evaluated through methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light irradiation. Results showed the excellent performance of MB degradation investigated on TiO2 samples codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+ in comparison with undoped and Co2+-doped TiO2 samples. The codoped TiO2 samples degraded 85%–90% of MB after 120 min, whereas all the prepared TiO2 samples were composed of pure anatase phase and had a spherical-like shape and mean crystalline size ranging from 6.2 nm to 7.8 determined by Scherrer’s equation. The optical absorption of the TiO2 codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+ was significantly enhanced toward the visible light region. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fits well for the degradation of MB on as-prepared TiO2 codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+.

A solid-state approach for the low temperature synthesis of Cr3Si hollow particles

In this paper, pure cubic chromium silicide (Cr3Si) hollow particles have been successfully synthesized through the solid-state reaction of chromium sesquioxide, silicon powder and metallic lithium in an autoclave at 600 °C for 10 h. The as-prepared samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, which showed that the as-prepared samples were cubic phase Cr3Si hollow particles. Furthermore, the oxidation resistance of the obtained Cr3Si sample was also investigated.

Dosimetric applications of CdSiO3 nanoparticles prepared via Solution Combustion Technique

Pure CdSiO3 nanoparticles have been prepared by a solution combustion technique. The powders were well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Field Emission scanning electron microscopy and Ultra Violet-visible spectroscopy. The powder X-ray diffraction peaks of as-formed sample are broad and amorphous in nature; therefore it is further calcined at 800 oC for 2 h and its powder X-ray diffraction results shows that the sample had a good crystallization with Single phase. Debye- Scherer’s formula and Williamson–Hall plots are used to calculate the average crystallite size and found to 32-43 nm. The Scanning electron microscope and Transition electron microscope results reveal that the pure CdSiO3 nanoparticles were porous and agglomerated with irregular nanopowder. The absorption peaks for pure CdSiO3 nanoparticles were found to about 256 nm as observed in Ultra Violet-Visible spectra. The structural defects present in the material band gap (Eg) value were 5.6 eV. A well resolved thermoluminescence glow peaks in the range of (110-160) oC are observed in UV-irradiated pure CdSiO3 nanoparticles. Glow peak at 160 ºC was seen and Thermoluminescece intensity increases linearly with Ultra Violet dose in the samples. The kinetic parameters were determined by Halperin – Braner, Luschik and Chen’s methods. De-convolution of pure CdSiO3 nanoparticles exposed to Ultra Violet dose (UV dose: 30 min) was used for the estimation of kinetic parameters. Hence in pure CdSiO3 nanoparticles presence of deep traps recommends that the prepared sample may be used as a radiation dosimeter.

Evaluation of mulberry branch waste as raw material for nanocellulose synthesis: effects of the synthesis method on product properties

The mechanical pulp of mulberry branches was evaluated as a raw material for the production of cellulose II and its subsequent conversion to nanocellulose via high-pressure homogenization, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-oxidation, and sulfuric acid hydrolysis. The morphology, chemical structure, crystallinity, and thermal stability of the nanocellulose samples prepared by each method were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that nanocellulose prepared by high-pressure homogenization exhibited higher aspect ratio (>100), and the weight loss peak in the DTG chart was 361 °C, with the best thermal stability, whereas that prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis featured shorter fiber length (96±31 nm) and a higher crystallinity (78.2 %).The TEMPO oxidized nanocellulose (TOCN) had smaller width (5.5±1.6 nm) and high carboxyl content (1.5 mmol/g). In addition, we have further studied the application of TOCN in the wet end of papermaking, replacing the colloidal SiO2 in CPAM/ colloidal SiO2/APAM retention system with the same amount (3600 ppm) of TOCN. The study found that the strength of the paper obtained by adding TOCN instead of the traditional wet end additives is similar, and the water drainage and retention properties of the pulp are improved.

Novel Anti-Inflammatory and Wound Healing Controlled Released LDH-Curcumin Nanocomposite Via Intramuscular Implantation, In-Vivo Study

One of the most common problems in wounds is delayed healing and complications such as infection. Therefore, the need for novel materials accelerates the healing of wounds especially abdominal wounds after surgery besides high efficiency and safety is mandatory. The rate of wound healing, anti-inflammatory and biocompatibility of Zn-Al LDH alone and loaded with Curcumin was screened via in-vivo assays through intramuscular implantation in rat abdominal wall with intact peritoneum cavity. The implanted drugs were formed through Curcumin loaded into LDH of Zn-Al with drug release of 56.78 ±1.51% within 24 h. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, Field emission scanning microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscope and BET surface area. The integrity of blood circulation, inflammatory signs, wound healing rate, capacity of tissue integration, antigenicity and composite biocompatibility, auto fluorescence ability of collagen bundles and the tensile strength of the muscle were assessed histopathologically after 7 and 30 days post-implantation. Excellent wound healing ability was achieved with shortest length between the wound gap edges and higher tensile strength of the muscle. Besides emit florescence very well followed by good healing and tensile muscles strength in Curcumin while very low strength with scar formation in Curcumin-Zn/Al-LDH in both acute and chronic wound. No signs of inflammation in Curcumin & Zn-Al LDH. No vessels obstruction or bleeding observed in both Zn/Al-LDH and Curcumin more than nanocurcumin and control which examined through candling. Good healing & infiltrated immune cells in same groups through histopathological examination. This work supports the anti-inflammatory, wound healing and biocompatibility of both LDH and Curcumin with living matter, increasing their biomedical applications in this era with safety and increasing efficacy with prolonged drug release.