Individual Counterparts Research Articles

Interface-Engineered MoSe2-Co9S8 Nanoheterostructures with Enhanced Charge Storage Performance for Supercapacitor Application.

Cobalt-based chalcogenides have emerged as fascinating materials for supercapacitor applications owing to the presence of various mixed valance oxidation states in their structure along with rich electrochemical properties. However, their limited stability and cyclic performance hinder their viability for practical use in supercapacitors. Herein, a facile hot injection colloidal route is demonstrated to design MoSe2-Co9S8 nanoheterostructures (NHSs), which entails the epitaxial growth of Co9S8 nanoparticles (NPs) over the basal planes of ultrathin MoSe2 nanosheets (NSs). The interfacial engineering of the basal planes of MoSe2 NSs with Co9S8 NPs regulates the electronic properties and defects at the interfaces and increases the overall specific surface area and conductivity. As a result, MoSe2-Co9S8 NHSs electrode unveils a substantially higher specific capacitance of 910.5 F g-1 at 1 A g-1current density surpassing their individual counterparts. In addition, it demonstrates worthy solidity, retaining ≈90% of its capacitance and coulombic efficiency of 93.3% after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles at a high charge-discharge current density of 15 A g-1. As a proof-of-concept, coin cells are fabricated using MoSe2-Co9S8 NHSs which show 93% Coulomb efficiency and 86% capacitance retention. This study would pave the way for designing transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) - derived NHSs with superior capacitive properties.

In situ construction of Flowerlike bismuth oxide (BiO2-x)/N-rich carbon nitride (C3N5) S-scheme heterojunctions with enhanced structural defects for the efficient photocatalytic removal of tetracycline antibiotic and RhB

Efficient photocatalysts for the simultaneous removal of organic dyes and antibiotics are crucial for sustainable environmental management. In this study, we designed and synthesized a C3N5/BiO2-x S-type heterojunction photocatalyst with structural defects using a hydrothermal method, aimed at degrading both Rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline (TC). The degradation kinetic constants for RhB and TC were 0.0809 min−1 and 0.0535 min−1, respectively, showing improvements of 9.52 and 25.48 times over pure C3N5, and 2.90 and 1.49 times over BiO2-x. This enhanced performance is attributed to the unique electron transfer mechanism of the S-scheme heterojunction and the structural defects that facilitate efficient separation of electron-hole (e−-h+) pairs. Free radical trapping experiments indicated that the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved are ·O2− and h+. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and transient photocurrent response (TPR) measurements confirmed improved separation and transfer of photogenerated e−-h+ pairs in the C3N5/BiO2-x heterojunction. The higher density of structural defects in C3N5/BiO2-x compared to individual BiO2-x counterparts enhances its ability to activate and photo-oxidize TC and degrade RhB. Consequently, C3N5/BiO2-x demonstrates significant potential as a photocatalyst for improving water quality.

Growth of dendritic CuS nanostructures for photoacoustic image guided Chemo-Photothermal therapy

Herein, we report a unique method for design and development of carboxyl enriched dendritic CuS nanostructures (CuS NSs) for photoacoustic image guided chemo-photothermal therapy. The dendritic network was grown on the surface of CuS nanoparticles via layer-by-layer assembly of amino acid. XRD and TEM studies established the formation of crystalline well-spherical nanosized hexagonal covellite (CuS) phase. The successful growth of dendritic structure was apparent from the rise in surface charge, hydrodynamic diameter and characteristic vibrational band intensity of peptide bonds. The developed different generations of dendritic CuS NSs (D0-CuS NSs, D1-CuS NSs, D2-CuS NSs and D3-CuS NSs) displayed wide-ranging absorption band in near infrared (NIR) zone and exhibited good photothermal heating efficacy upon irradiation of 980 nm laser light. From in to vitro cellular studies, it has been found that the NIR irradiation effectively enhanced the photothermal toxicity of D3-CuS NSs towards cancer cells. Moreover, these negatively charged water-dispersible D3-CuS NSs were conjugated with positively charged anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) through electrostatic interaction. The DOX loaded D3-CuS NSs (DOX@D3-CuS NSs) revealed pH dependent drug release behaviour and their considerable uptake in breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Further, DOX@D3-CuS NSs exhibited a much higher toxicity towards cancer cells upon NIR light over individual counterparts suggesting their strong ability for chemo-photothermal therapy. Moreover, these biocompatible CuS NSs have shown excellent concentration dependent photoacoustic properties at pulse laser excitation (850 nm) and thus, they can be found potential application in chemo-photothermal therapy.

CFD aided finite element modeling for spot cooled vibration assisted turning of Ti6Al4V alloy

Machining of titanium alloys using hybrid cutting techniques is acquiring importance now-a-days due to the benefits of integrating two or more processes. This study explores such a novel in-house developed hybrid cutting technique, which is a combination of ultrasonic assistance and vortex tube based spot cooling with CO2 gas as coolant for machining Ti6Al4V alloy. CFD aided finite element model was developed and experimentally validated for this novel technique termed spot cooled vibration assisted turning (SCVAT). Parametric study of cooling (nozzle inclination, nozzle tool distance, nozzle diameter, coolant pressure and cold fraction), vibration (amplitude) and machining parameters was carried out in order to identify the role of each parameter on cutting force and cutting temperature. The parametric study showed that flow variables (cold fraction and coolant pressure) are more significant than nozzle variables in influencing cutting force and cutting temperature. SCVAT reduced cutting temperature by 21.66% and 3.45%, respectively, than VAT and spot cooling alone. However, cutting force reduced by 7.65% compared to spot cooling and increased by 11.78% compared to VAT. Overall observations from the CFD aided Finite element model revealed superior performance of SCVAT than its individual counterparts.

Magnetite Nanoparticle Assemblies and Their Biological Applications: A Review.

Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) have garnered significant attention over the past twenty years, primarily due to their superparamagnetic properties. These properties allow the NPs to respond to external magnetic fields, making them particularly useful in various technological applications. One of the most fascinating aspects of Fe3O4 NPs is their ability to self-assemble into complex structures. Research over this period has focused heavily on how these nanoparticles can be organized into a variety of superstructures, classified by their dimensionality-namely one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) configurations. Despite a wealth of studies, the literature lacks a systematic review that synthesizes these findings. This review aims to fill that gap by providing a thorough overview of the recent progress made in the fabrication and organization of Fe3O4 NP assemblies via a bottom-up self-assembly approach. This methodology enables the controlled construction of assemblies at the nanoscale, which can lead to distinctive functionalities compared to their individual counterparts. Furthermore, the review explores the diverse applications stemming from these nanoparticle assemblies, particularly emphasizing their contributions to important areas such as imaging, drug delivery, and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Identifying the electromagnetic counterparts of LISA massive black hole binaries in archival LSST data

ABSTRACT LSST will catalogue the light curves of up to 100 million quasars. Among these there can be $\sim$100 ultra-compact massive black hole (MBH) binaries, whose gravitational waves (GWs) can be detected 5–15 yr later by LISA. Here, we assume such a LISA detection occurred, and assess whether or not its electromagnetic (EM) counterpart can be identified as a periodic quasar in archival LSST data. We use the binary’s properties derived from the LISA waveform, including the evolution of its orbital frequency, its total mass, distance, and sky localization, to predict the redshift, magnitude, and historical periodicity of the quasar expected in the LSST data. We then use Monte Carlo simulations to compute the false alarm probability (FAP), i.e. the number of quasars in the LSST catalogue matching these properties by chance, based on the (extrapolated) quasar luminosity function, the cadence of LSST, and intrinsic ‘damped random walk’ quasar variability. We analyse four fiducial LISA binaries, with masses and redshifts of $(M_{\rm bin}/{\rm M_{\odot }},z) = (3\times 10^5,0.3)$, $(3\times 10^6,0.3)$, $(10^7,0.3)$, and $(10^7,1)$. While noise and aliasing due to LSST’s cadence produces false periodicities by chance, we find that the frequency chirp of the LISA source during the LSST observations washes out these noise peaks and allows the genuine source to stand out in appropriately scaled Lomb–Scargle periodograms. We find that all four fiducial binaries can be uniquely identified, with ${\rm FAP}\lt 10^{-5}$, a week or more before merger. This should enable follow-up EM observations targeting individual EM counterparts during their inspiral stage.

Enriched photocatalytic degradation of chlorophenols and mineralization of industrial effluents using DUT-8(Zn/Ni)@CeO2 composites

A composite DUT-8(Zn/Ni)αCeO2 photocatalysts were configured using a simple and facile hydrothermal method and characterized using PXRD, SEM, BET, FTIR and Photoluminescence studies to configure their morphological, structural as well spectroscopic characteristics. The as obtained composites demonstrate superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of dichlorophenols (2, 4 and 2, 6 DCP). The introduction of MOF into the semiconductor oxide proliferate the photocatalytic activity owing to a strong interface between the two that promotes the transfer as well as the separation of photo generated charge carriers. These nanocomposites DUT-8(Zn)@CeO2 and DUT-8(Ni)@CeO2 appear highly promising then the individual counterparts as they record the photodegradation efficiency of (86%, 89%) for 2,4-DCP, and (85%, 91%) for 2,6-DCP respectively at optimal conditions (concentration of pollutants-5 mg/L; catalyst dose-0.6 g/L and pH-8). The practical applicability of the nanocomposites was evaluated using mineralization study involving the industrial effluents of the paper mill industry. Notably, the mineralization of chlorophenols (85.3% for 2,4-DCP, and 87% for 2,6-DCP) was observed in case of DUT-8(Zn)@CeO2 and DUT-8(Ni)@CeO2 nanocomposites. Besides, the synthesized photocatalysts show high stability and reusability for over five experimental cycles.

Structural, optical and heat transfer characteristics of rotating [MgO+ ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h Hybrid nanofluid flow over an expanding surfaces with activation energy

SignificanceHybrid nanofluids have garnered significant interest due to their potential for enhanced thermal and optical properties compared to their individual counterparts. AimThe aim of this research is to examine the structural, optical, and heat transfer properties of a hybrid nanofluid [MgO+ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h within a rotating system. This research integrated variable viscosity, MHD, convection, and activation energy terms into the momentum, energy, and concentration equations. A comprehensive experimental analysis, including Fourier-transform infrared and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, elucidates the structural arrangement, optical behavior, and thermal transport properties of the nanofluids. MethodologyThe partial differential equations that govern the system are converted into nonlinear ordinary differential equations through similarity transformations. Then, these ODEs are numerically solved by employing the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method in combination with a shooting procedure. FindingsThe research findings demonstrate that the rotational factor impacts skin friction differently by 2 % on x and y axes, while skin friction surges by 3.63 % in [MgO+ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h hybrid nanofluid with higher magnetic field intensity. The heat transmission rates of the [MgO+ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h hybrid nanofluid are significantly higher by 4.58 % compared to the [ZrO2/PEG-H2O]n nanofluid. The mass transfer rate of [ZrO2/PEG-H2O]n declines by 3.57 % with the rise of the activation energy factor. Utilizing spin coating, thin films of nanostructures [ZrO2/PEG-H2O]n, [MgO/PEG-H2O]n and [MgO+ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h are fabricated, resulting in films with a consistent thickness of ∼200 nm at a temperature of 25 °C. A reduction in the difference in energy bandgap values from 4.5 eV for [ZrO2/PEG-H2O]s to 5.3 eV for [MgO/PEG-H2O]n and 4.8 eV for [MgO+ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h is observed. This indicates that the [MgO+ZrO2/PEG-H2O]h hybrid nanofluid yields an appropriate bandgap compared to individual nanofluids because hybrid nanofluids can lead to synergistic mechanisms that elevate their electronic attributes.

Automated PD-L1 status prediction in lung cancer with multi-modal PET/CT fusion

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expressions play a crucial role in guiding therapeutic interventions such as the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in lung cancer. Conventional determination of PD-L1 status includes careful surgical or biopsied tumor specimens. These specimens are gathered through invasive procedures, representing a risk of difficulties and potential challenges in getting reliable and representative tissue samples. Using a single center cohort of 189 patients, our objective was to evaluate various fusion methods that used non-invasive computed tomography (CT) and 18\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{18}$$\\end{document}F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) images as inputs to various deep learning models to automatically predict PD-L1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We compared three different architectures (ResNet, DenseNet, and EfficientNet) and considered different input data (CT only, PET only, PET/CT early fusion, PET/CT late fusion without as well as with partially and fully shared weights to determine the best model performance. Models were assessed utilizing areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) considering their 95% confidence intervals (CI). The fusion of PET and CT images as input yielded better performance for PD-L1 classification. The different data fusion schemes systematically outperformed their individual counterparts when used as input of the various deep models. Furthermore, early fusion consistently outperformed late fusion, probably as a result of its capacity to capture more complicated patterns by merging PET and CT derived content at a lower level. When we looked more closely at the effects of weight sharing in late fusion architectures, we discovered that while it might boost model stability, it did not always result in better results. This suggests that although weight sharing could be beneficial when modality parameters are similar, the anatomical and metabolic information provided by CT and PET scans are too dissimilar to consistently lead to improved PD-L1 status predictions.

Mechanical milling assisted synthesis of FePc-gCN nanocomposite photocatalyst: Dye degradation, mechanism and DFT insights

We present here a mechanochemical method for facile synthesis of Iron phthalocyanine (FePc)- graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) composite with varying weight ratio (1:1, 1:2.5, 1:5) of FePc and gCN. The photocatalytic efficiency of FePc-gCN composite for the elimination of various synthetic dyes, viz, Methylene Blue (MB), Congo Red (CR) and Eosin B (EB) in aqueous media were investigated under visible radiation. The sample with FePc:gCN weight ratio of 1:5 resulted in a removal efficiency of 90 % for MB and 75 % for EB, much higher than their individual counterparts. The synergistic interaction, less charge recombination, and smaller charge transfer resistance in FePc-gCN composite contributed to the superior catalytic performances as confirmed from the impedance spectroscopy and the photoluminescence spectroscopy. Moreover, first principle based DFT calculations on the O2 adsorbed FePc-gCN heterostructure predicted a net transfer of |0.11e| charges from Fe to O atom, favoring the generation of super oxide (O2•−) radicals which contributes actively towards degradation of dye pollutants.

Chemical bath assisted construction of CuO/BiVO4 p-n heterojunction photocatalyst for visible light driven rapid removal of MB and Cr(VI)

Nowadays, uncontrolled discharge of industrial wastes containing organic dyes, drugs, as well as heavy metals into the water bodies presents serious pollution of thereby posing threat to the environment. Hence, there is a need to adopt a targeted approach to tackle the matter of water pollution. A method photocatalytic elimination of pollutants using semiconducting materials is a captivating approach. In this study, we report simple chemical bath assisted synthesis of CuO/BiVO4 (CuBi) p-n heterojunction photocatalyst for effective photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. Physico-chemical characteristics of the CuBi composite and its individual counterparts were assessed by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, XPS and UV–visible spectrophotometry. The CuO mico-planks, BiVO4 nanodots and CuBi composite were utilized for the photocatalytic breakdown of MB dye and Cr(VI) reduction. The CuBi p-n heterojunction demonstrated superior efficiency in degrading MB (99 % within 120 minutes) and reducing Cr (VI) (94 % within 45 minutes) when compared with its bare counterparts. Furthermore, repeating recycle studies for MB degradation and Cr(VI) reduction showed minimal loss in performance even after consecutive five cycles on the trot verified the strong photo-stability and reusability of our CuBi composite.

Synthesis of ethylene urea using carbon-dioxide-adsorbed titanium–zirconium mixed oxides

To address the increasing global levels of CO2 emissions, it is necessary to develop efficient strategies that can convert CO2 into useful chemicals such as carbonates, ureas, and carbamates. Hybrid systems that combine direct capture and subsequent utilization of CO2 offer a unique emission-controlling pathway for achieving a carbon-neutral society. Ti-Zr mixed oxides could be ideal candidates for CO2 adsorption owing to the high specific surface areas pore sizes. Therefore, in this study, metal oxides with desirable acid-base sites that is, TixZr(1−x)O2 with different Ti/Zr ratios were synthesized using combined sol-gel and solvothermal methods and then utilized to adsorb and synthesize ethylene urea (EU), an important precursor of pharmaceuticals and agricultural products. The results indicated that the CO2 adsorption capacity of TiO2-ZrO2 mixed oxides were higher than that of TiO2 alone at 100 kPa and 25 °C, corresponding to their higher specific surface areas and pore volumes compared to their individual oxide counterparts. CO2-adsorbed TixZr(1−x)O2 was subsequently used as a CO2 source to generate EU through a reaction with ethylenediamine (EDA) and 2-propanol. Notably, samples containing higher proportions of Zr-Ti0.3Zr0.7O2 and ZrO2 produced EU in significant amounts, owing to their acid-base bifunctionality. Overall, EU was synthesized using CO2-adsorbed TixZr(1−x)O2 as a CO2 source and as an accelerator for reacting with EDA, without requiring high-pressure or high-purity CO2.

Synthesis, magnetic and superconducting properties of high-entropy rare-earth boride (Dy0.2Ho0.2Er0.2Tm0.2Lu0.2)(Rh,Ru)4B4

We report the structure and physical properties of a new rare-earth (RE) high-entropy boride (HEB) (Dy0.2Ho0.2Er0.2Tm0.2Lu0.2)(Rh0.85Ru0.15)4B4. The as-cast HEB consists of a highly crystallized, body-centered-tetragonal phase (I41/acd, a = 7.460 Å and c = 14.860 Å); here, all the RE elements share the same crystallographic site and are distributed uniformly on both macroscopic and microscopic scales. At high temperature, the HEB shows a paramagnetic behavior with a large effective moment peff yet it becomes a bulk superconductor upon cooling below 6.0 K. Remarkably, a peculiar cocktail effect of properties is observed: while the lattice parameters, Tc and peff of the HEB agree reasonably well with the compositional averages of the individual pseudo-ternary counterparts, the increased RE mixing entropy tends to suppress the superconductivity even without the magnetic exchange interactions, and a reentrant resistive transition is induced at magnetic fields above 0.8 T. Our results indicate that the high-entropy design of the RE sublattice is a viable way to tune the electrical and magnetic properties in RE intermetallics.

Upcycling heteroatoms-containing plastics via bimetallic synergistic catalysis: Unveiling the role of O and Cl in C-H bond cleavage

Given the complicated compositions and hazards of heteroatoms-containing plastics, the efficient upcycling remains a huge challenge. Herein this work proposed an innovative route via dual-stage pyrolysis-catalysis platform to upcycle heteroatoms-containing plastics for high-purity H2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) production. Among HY-supported metallic catalysts, bimetallic Fe-Co/HY achieved the maximum H2 yield (41.25 mmol/gplastic) and selectivity (71.76 vol%), alongside the carbon production of 520 mg/gplastic, revealing a catalytically synergistic effect between Fe and Co. Of the plastic individuals/combinations, the plastic combination (PW2) revealed the highest hydrogen efficiency (87.03 %) and H2 efficiency (49.71 %). Regarding the interactions among polyolefins, polyesters, Cl-containing plastics, ternary plastics (PE-PET-PVC) exhibited the higher H2 yield (35.33 mmol/gplastic), hydrogen efficiency (91.40 %), and H2 efficiency (49.14 %) than individual counterparts. The CNTs yield and purity gained from ternary PE-PET-PVC even outperformed these results obtained from individual PE (yield: 326.7 mg/gplasticvs 323.9 mg/gplastic; purity: 93.5 % vs 90.3 %). That was because the chlorinated aryloxy radicals generated from PVC and PET facilitated the cleavage of C (sp3)-H bonds, thereby enhancing the hydrogen extraction and carbon formation. Besides, NiO and NiAl2O4 on the catalyst were converted into NiCl2 by PVC-derived Cl· or HCl, subsequently being reduced into reactive Ni0. Additionally, bimetallic Ni-Fe/HY during CO2-mediated pyrolysis-catalysis displayed the highest H2 yield (55.67 mmol/gplastic), syngas purity (82.39 %), H2 efficiency (62.34 %), and CNTs yield of 367 mg/gplastic, reflecting an apparent synergistically catalytic effect between Ni and Fe. Overall, this study provides a superb solution in heteroatoms-containing plastics upcycling and greenhouse gas emission management.

Crystallographic and electrochemical corrosion resistance analyses of cataphoretically co-deposited spinel Co>0.5Mn0.1-0.3O0.1-0.4@rGO composites over α-Fe(110) as current collector for supercapatteries

Binder free spinel Co>0.5Mn0.1-0.3O0.1-0.4@rGO composite electrode films were fabricated via galvanostatic electrochemical deposition technique over α-Fe(110) as current collector for hybrid supercapattery. Self-designed, n-MOSFET embedded ATMega328P microcontroller assisted modules were deployed to record the chronopotentiometric as well as galvanostatic charging-discharging analysis for specific capacitance (Cs) measurements. Partial, exchange as well as limiting current densities(iL) and cathodic current efficiency were estimated. Electrochemical signature was analyzed from cyclic voltammetry data. Morphology and chemical nature of the composites were scrutinized with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron, FT-IR and Raman spectra. Indigenously designed computer simulation programs coded in Python were used to optimize the deposition parameters and to analyze the crystalline structure from XRD data. The unit cell length for the FCC crystal with an octahedral geometry was ∼ 4.28 Å. An in-depth analysis of potentiodynamic polarization as well as electrochemical impedance spectral data were carried out to scrutinize the corrosion resistance and capacitance characteristics of the composites in KOH. From the Tafel constants, Ecorr, Icorr, Ru, RCT and ZW data, it was accentuated that rGO incorporated composite films offer enhanced corrosion protection for Fe(110) substrates than their individual counterparts along with augmented specific capacitance. Estimated Cs was about 1166 F.g−1 at a scan-rate of 10 mV.s−1. Impact of time-constant (τ) and current density over Cs was analyzed via GCD technique and was about 1458.73 F.g−1 at 2 τ and at 0.5 A.g−1. And the corresponding specific energy and power density were about 183.23 W.h.kg−1 and 237.75 W.kg−1 respectively. These composite electrode films impregnated with rGO not only improved the specific capacitance but also imparts the sacrificial corrosion resistance over the α-Fe(110) as current collector in presence of OH−as electrolyte and can serve as a sustainable electrode material for supercapatteries.

Synthesis and photoluminescence study of two new complexes Er3+ and Yb3+ and their PMMA based composite fibers

The present article showcases the creation and evaluation of luminescent composite fibers by embedding coordination polymers, such as Er(1) {[Er(2-stp)3(H2O)]}n and Yb(2) {[Yb(2-stp)3(H2O)]}n, which are suspended in 2-sulfoterephthalate, into polymer matrices using electrospinning. The Er(1) and Yb(2) complexes were combined with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at concentrations ranging from 5 wt.% to 25 wt.%, leading to the formation of Er@PMMA and Yb@PMMA fibers. This method resulted in one-dimensional (1D) luminescent composite fibers. Our study reveals that these composite fibers exhibit superior photoluminescence properties compared to their individual pure complex counterparts. This enhancement is ascribed to the synergistic effects of the PMMA matrix and electrospun fiber structure. Furthermore, we observed that the composite nanofibers exhibited significantly better thermal and photostability compared to their pure complexes.

Synthesis of carboxymethyl chitosan–guar gum–poly(vinylpyrrolidone) ternary blended hydrogels with antibacterial/anticancer efficacy and drug delivery applications

Biopolymers have the utmost significance in biomedical applications and blending synthetic polymers has shown favorable characteristics versus individual counterparts. The utilization of the blends can be restricted through the use of toxic chemical agents such as initiators or crosslinkers. In this regard, a chemical agent-free ionizing irradiation is a beneficial alternative for preparing the hydrogels for biomedical applications. In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan (CM-CS), guar gum (GG), and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) based ternary blends (TB) were crosslinked using various doses of ionizing irradiation to fabricate hydrogels. The prepared hydrogels were characterized for physicochemical properties, swelling analysis, biological assays, and drug delivery applications. Swelling analysis in distilled water revealed that the hydrogels exhibit excellent swelling characteristics. An in vitro cytocompatibility assay showed that the hydrogels have greater than 90% cell viability for the human epithelial cell line and a decreasing cell viability trend for the human alveolar adenocarcinoma cell line. In addition, the prepared hydrogels possessed excellent antibacterial characteristics against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). Finally, the release studies of anti-inflammatory Quercus acutissima (QA) loaded hydrogels exhibited more than 80% release in phosphate-buffered saline (pH = 7.4). These findings suggest that TB hydrogels can be used as suitable carrier media for different release systems and biomedical applications.

A highly stable, accurate and fast photo-response in visible region: Role of introducing Ta2O5 /MWCNTs heterostructures in photodetector

This work presents the development of a novel photodetector design that leverages the synergistic combination of tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to achieve superior visible light detection performance. Ta2O5/MWCNT heterostructures were synthesized and comprehensively characterized using various techniques. Structural, morphological, and optical analyses confirmed the suitability of these heterostructures for the targeted application. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was further employed to meticulously assess defect levels, which play a crucial role in photodetector performance. The photodetectors were fabricated using pure Ta2O5, pure MWCNTs, and the synthesized Ta2O5/MWCNT heterostructures. When subjected to different illumination wavelengths and voltages, the Ta2O5/MWCNT devices demonstrated significantly enhanced visible light detection and photocurrent compared to their individual counterparts. The measured responsivity, detectivity, and quantum efficiency of the Ta2O5/MWCNT photodetectors were highly impressive, reaching 81 mA/W, 16.38 × 106 Jones and 15.5 %, respectively. Critically, the fabricated photodetectors exhibited exceptional stability with rapid response times, characterized by an 80-ms rise and recovery cycle. This fast response characteristic underscores the potential of Ta2O5/MWCNT photodetectors in applications demanding high-speed and precise optical signal detection, such as those found in the fields of optical communication, sensing, and imaging.

Quantified Modal Logics: One Approach to Rule (Almost) them All!

We present a general approach to quantified modal logics that can simulate most other approaches. The language is based on operators indexed by terms which allow to express de re modalities and to control the interaction of modalities with the first-order machinery and with non-rigid designators. The semantics is based on a primitive counterpart relation holding between n-tuples of objects inhabiting possible worlds. This allows an object to be represented by one, many, or no object in an accessible world. Moreover by taking as primitive a relation between n-tuples we avoid some shortcoming of standard individual counterparts. Finally, we use cut-free labelled sequent calculi to give a proof-theoretic characterisation of the quantified extensions of each first-order definable propositional modal logic. In this way we show how to complete many axiomatically incomplete quantified modal logics.

Synergistic effects on properties of biofuel and biochar produced through co-feed pyrolysis of Erythrina indica and Azadirachta indica biomass

Co-feed pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process that entails the simultaneous or sequential decomposition of various feedstock in an oxygen-free environment, concurrently improving the quality of the end products. The technique is widely used to produce a range of valuable products, including biofuels, chemicals and biochar, capitalizing on the synergies between various feedstock. The current study focuses on the synergistic effects of co-feed pyrolysis of Erythrina indica (EI) and Azadirachta indica (AI) biomass at different co-feed ratios (EI:AI) of 1:4, 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 on weight basis. The reactions were carried out at a temperature of 600 °C under a pressure of 1 bar using nitrogen as inert atmosphere. The bio-oil yield produced through the co-feed pyrolysis reactions ranged from 29.51 to 32.40 % by weight, while the biochar and non-condensable gases yields ranged from 38.25 to 42.48 % and 26.90 to 30.73 % by weight, respectively. Positive synergistic effects of co-feed pyrolysis led to a notable enhancement in physicochemical properties of the fuel phase, especially by virtue of calorific value, density and presence of low mol. wt. components when compared to their individual counterparts. Specifically, the fuel phase obtained at 1:1 co-feed ratio exhibited the peak calorific value of 36.80 MJ/kg along with lowest density of 0.82 g/ml and pH of 3.58 which is the pinnacle accomplishment of this work; and comparable with commercial gasoline. Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy of biofuels revealed alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aromatics, esters, nitro compounds and organosilicons as their main compounds. Specific compounds, including cyclopentane, methyl-, 1-cyclohexyl-2-propen-1-ol and 1-pentene, 3-methyl, are the most significant compounds at co-feed ratio of 1:1. Biochar produced at co-feed ratio of 1:1 also depicted excellent physiochemical properties with the highest elemental carbon of 79.23 wt % and lowest oxygen and hydrogen contents of 18.49 wt % and 2.28 wt %, respectively with a maximum calorific value of 29.23 MJ/kg; which can be utilized as solid fuels. The biochar produced from the co-feed pyrolysis reactions also possesses highly porous structure which can be useful as a soil conditioner, carbon sequestration water filtration or wastewater treatment. Additionally, non-condensable gases composed of 7.45 vol % hydrogen, 34.26 vol % carbon monoxide, 21.32 vol % methane and 36.97 vol % carbon dioxide when co-feed ratio is 1:1.