Z-scheme configured iron oxide/g-C3N4 nanocomposite system for solar-driven H2 production through water splitting

A nanocomposite composed of α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 is synthesized using a modified ultrasonication approach, which engineered a robust interfacial contact in the system. Phase formation and morphological features are confirmed via XRD and electron-microscopy techniques. XPS revealed the native oxidation states of the elements and chemisorption-mediated interactions in the system. This developed composite produced hydrogen at a rate of 1494 μmolg− 1 h− 1, which is around 6.6 times higher than the g-C3N4 system. The observed enhancement is attributed to the Z-scheme configuration, leading to the suitable band edge alignments, charge separation and extended lifetime of the carriers in the composite

Morphological impact of Perovskite-Structured Lanthanum CobaltOxide (LaCoO3) nanoflakes toward supercapacitor applications

In this study, perovskite-structured lanthanum cobalt oxide(LaCoO3/LCO) systems with particle and flake morphologies were developed using sol−gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively, in order to investigate their morphological structure-dependent properties for potential supercapacitor applications. The structural analysis confirms that both methods yield LaCoO3with improved crystalline properties. The energy storage performance of the developed materials is studied in a three-electrode configuration using a 1 MKOH electrolyte. The results indicated superior electrochemical performance for the LCO nanoflakes, exhibiting specific capacitances of ∼215 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 and ∼136 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. In comparison, the LCO nanoparticles showed ∼119 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 and ∼99F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. This difference can be largely attributed to their respective morphologies, porous structures, and surface defects. Further, the nanoflakes demonstrated an exceptional capacitance retention of ∼97% even after 5000 charge−discharge cycles. The findings of this study suggest that the properties of perovskite LaCoO3 can be tuned by adjusting its morphology through various synthesis methods, making LaCoO3 a viable and robust system for energy storage applications

Morphological Impact of Perovskite-Structured Lanthanum Cobalt Oxide (LaCoO₃) Nanoflakes Toward Supercapacitor Applications

In this study, perovskite-structured lanthanum cobalt oxide (LaCoO3/LCO) systems with particle and flake morphologies were developed using sol–gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively, in order to investigate their morphological structure-dependent properties for potential supercapacitor applications. The structural analysis confirms that both methods yield LaCoO3 with improved crystalline properties. The energy storage performance of the developed materials is studied in a three-electrode configuration using a 1 M KOH electrolyte. The results indicated superior electrochemical performance for the LCO nanoflakes, exhibiting specific capacitances of ∼215 F g–1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s–1 and ∼136 F g–1 at a current density of 1 A g–1. In comparison, the LCO nanoparticles showed ∼119 F g–1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s–1 and ∼99 F g–1 at a current density of 1 A g–1. This difference can be largely attributed to their respective morphologies, porous structures, and surface defects. Further, the nanoflakes demonstrated an exceptional capacitance retention of ∼97% even after 5000 charge–discharge cycles. The findings of this study suggest that the properties of perovskite LaCoO3 can be tuned by adjusting its morphology through various synthesis methods, making LaCoO3 a viable and robust system for energy storage applications

Rationalizing Fe-Modified TiO2 through doping, composite formation, and single-phase structuring for enhanced photocatalysis via inter- and intra-charge transfers

This study sheds light on how the properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) are influenced when it is modified with iron (Fe), leading to the formation of Fe-doped-TiO2, Fe2O3-TiO2 composite, and single-phase FeTiO3 systems. The structural formation of the materials, oxidation state, and chemical environments of the elements are analyzed using XRD and XPS techniques. Band structures with UV–visible light driven properties and suitable redox potentials with improved recombination resistance along with an active inter- and intra-charge transfers were observed for Fe2O3-TiO2 and FeTiO3 systems. The photocatalytic efficiency was found to be superior for FeTiO3 system, degrading ~97 and 100 % of phenol, malachite green and rhodamine B dyes in 150 min, respectively along with enhanced recyclability. Interestingly, a competitive S- and Z-scheme was predicted for Fe2O3-TiO2 composite, explaining its photocatalytic mechanism. The scavenger and total organic carbon analyses revealed the radicals driving the photocatalytic reactions and the nature of degradation products, respectively

Insights into the Photocatalytic Memory Effect of Magneto-Plasmonic Ag–Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ Ternary Nanocomposites for Dye Degradation and H₂ Production under Light and Dark Conditions

This study explores the preparation of Ag plasmons-sensitized magnetic-Fe3O4 integrated TiO2 (Ag–Fe3O4@TiO2) ternary nanocomposites and their defect-induced electron storage properties to exploit their photocatalytic memory effect toward dye degradation and H2 generation under light and dark conditions. The crystalline phase formation and elemental states of the individual materials and elements in the nanocomposite are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The existence of Ti and Fe ions with dual oxidation states of Ti4+/3+ and Fe3+/2+, respectively, is observed by XPS, which revealed the presence of defects in the system. The observed red shift along with a distinct plasmonic band (corresponding to metallic Ag nanoparticles) in the UV–visible absorption spectrum and the observed modified radiative recombination emission in the PL spectrum confirmed the plasmon-driven visible light activity along with the improved carrier separation and transfer characteristics in the synthesized ternary composite. Accordingly, the Ag–Fe3O4@TiO2 photocatalyst degraded almost 100% of MB (methylene blue) and RhB (rhodamine B) dyes under simulated solar light in 90 min, while it is found to be around 42% and 36% in 60 min under dark conditions, respectively (which is preirradiated for 60 min). Further, it produced H2 at the rate of 911 μmol g–1 h–1 under light conditions and is decreased to ∼96 μmol g–1 h–1 under dark conditions which is preirradiated for 1 h. However, when the composite is preirradiated for 3 h, it showed a maximum H2 evolution of 144 μmol g–1 h–1 under dark. Further, the photocurrent and electrochemical impedance under light and dark conditions suggested the mechanism of photocatalytic charge storage and transfer process in the composite. Although the photocatalytic memory effect of the composite is meager toward H2 production due to the insufficient potential of the stored–released electrons to reduce the protons (2H+) to H2 under dark conditions, their degradation efficiency is considerably good

Transcriptomics, Cheminformatics, and Systems Pharmacology Strategies Unveil the Potential Bioactives to Combat COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a viral disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is becoming a global threat again because of the higher transmission rate and lack of proper therapeutics as well as the rapid mutations in the genetic pattern of SARS-CoV-2. Despite vaccinations, the prevalence and recurrence of this infection are still on the rise, which urges the identification of potential global therapeutics for a complete cure. Plant-based alternative medicine is becoming popular worldwide because of its higher efficiency and minimal side effects. Yet, identifying the potential medicinal plants and formulating a plant-based medicine is still a bottleneck. Hence, in this study, the systems pharmacology, transcriptomics, and cheminformatics approaches were employed to uncover the multi-targeted mechanisms and to screen the potential phytocompounds from significant medicinal plants to treat COVID-19. These approaches have identified 30 unique COVID-19 human immune genes targeted by the 25 phytocompounds present in four selected ethnobotanical plants. Differential and co-expression profiling and pathway enrichment analyses delineate the molecular signaling and immune functional regulations of the COVID-19 unique genes. In addition, the credibility of these compounds was analyzed by the pharmacological features. The current holistic finding is the first to explore whether the identified potential bioactives could reform into a drug candidate to treat COVID-19. Furthermore, the molecular docking analysis was employed to identify the important bioactive compounds; thus, an ultimately significant medicinal plant was also determined. However, further laboratory evaluation and clinical validation are required to determine the efficiency of a therapeutic formulation against COVID-19