Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113327
Jiaqi Xia , Liangxue Gu , Shuang Ye , Shulong Zhang , Zhonghao Ye , Man Ye , Chengchun Zhao , Shulin Gu , Yin Hang
Boron-doped diamond (BDD) is a promising material for semiconductor applications due to diamond's outstanding properties. Nonetheless, achieving efficient p-type conductivity remains challenging as relatively deep acceptor level at low boron doping concentrations yields low activation efficiency, limiting room temperature carrier concentration, while heavy doping reduces mobility through impurity scattering and defect formation. This study aims to address these issues via high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) annealing. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown BDD samples were annealed at 5 GPa across 1100 to 2000 °C to systematically investigate electrical and optical properties evolution. The results demonstrate that annealing at suitable temperature increases carrier concentration by more than an order of magnitude and electrical conductivity by over fourfold, with the effect strongly dependent on annealing temperature and doping concentration. Comprehensive spectroscopic analyses reveal several factors contributing to the annealing temperature-dependent behavior of carriers, including lattice strain relaxation, modifications in boron-bound excitons, and nitrogen-vacancy center transformation. Additionally, the optimal annealing temperature varies significantly with doping concentration. These findings indicate that HPHT processing is a viable approach to overcome doping constraints in BDD, advancing its implementation in electronic devices.
{"title":"Optical and electrical properties of CVD boron-doped diamond following HPHT annealing","authors":"Jiaqi Xia , Liangxue Gu , Shuang Ye , Shulong Zhang , Zhonghao Ye , Man Ye , Chengchun Zhao , Shulin Gu , Yin Hang","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113327","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113327","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Boron-doped diamond (BDD) is a promising material for semiconductor applications due to diamond's outstanding properties. Nonetheless, achieving efficient p-type conductivity remains challenging as relatively deep acceptor level at low boron doping concentrations yields low activation efficiency, limiting room temperature carrier concentration, while heavy doping reduces mobility through impurity scattering and defect formation. This study aims to address these issues via high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) annealing. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown BDD samples were annealed at 5 GPa across 1100 to 2000 °C to systematically investigate electrical and optical properties evolution. The results demonstrate that annealing at suitable temperature increases carrier concentration by more than an order of magnitude and electrical conductivity by over fourfold, with the effect strongly dependent on annealing temperature and doping concentration. Comprehensive spectroscopic analyses reveal several factors contributing to the annealing temperature-dependent behavior of carriers, including lattice strain relaxation, modifications in boron-bound excitons, and nitrogen-vacancy center transformation. Additionally, the optimal annealing temperature varies significantly with doping concentration. These findings indicate that HPHT processing is a viable approach to overcome doping constraints in BDD, advancing its implementation in electronic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113327"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113326
Xinshuo Zhang , Ke Li , Ningning Xu , Yixiong Wu , Yi Zhong , Weiyi Lin , Rongbin Xu , Dongxue Liang , Daquan Yu
Diamond's exceptional thermal conductivity makes it an ideal thermal spreader for next-generation high power device thermal management. However, the low fabrication yield and high cost of large-area diamond wafers have significantly impeded their industrial application. To address this bottleneck, we propose an innovative electroplating-assisted stitching strategy that synergistically integrates CVD-grown polycrystalline small diamond pieces into larger-area substrates. Chromium interlayers and plasma surface activation were systematically employed to enhance diamond/copper interfacial conductance of the stitched samples, achieving a high thermal conductivity of 888.89 W/m·K while maintaining robust mechanical integrity with bending test strength of 342.15 MPa. The resultant 50 × 50 mm2 stitched diamond on copper heatsink demonstrated superior heat dissipation performance, reducing the test chip temperature by 10.32 °C under a heat flux of 1.5 W/mm2, which was comparable to that of a monolithic diamond substrate. This assembly paradigm overcomes the size limitations of monolithic diamond, offering a cost-effective, scalable, and thermally efficient solution for thermal management demands of next-generation high-power electronic devices.
{"title":"High thermal conductivity electroplating-assisted stitched large-area diamond substrates for high performance electronic devices","authors":"Xinshuo Zhang , Ke Li , Ningning Xu , Yixiong Wu , Yi Zhong , Weiyi Lin , Rongbin Xu , Dongxue Liang , Daquan Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113326","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113326","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diamond's exceptional thermal conductivity makes it an ideal thermal spreader for next-generation high power device thermal management. However, the low fabrication yield and high cost of large-area diamond wafers have significantly impeded their industrial application. To address this bottleneck, we propose an innovative electroplating-assisted stitching strategy that synergistically integrates CVD-grown polycrystalline small diamond pieces into larger-area substrates. Chromium interlayers and plasma surface activation were systematically employed to enhance diamond/copper interfacial conductance of the stitched samples, achieving a high thermal conductivity of 888.89 W/m·K while maintaining robust mechanical integrity with bending test strength of 342.15 MPa. The resultant 50 × 50 mm<sup>2</sup> stitched diamond on copper heatsink demonstrated superior heat dissipation performance, reducing the test chip temperature by 10.32 °C under a heat flux of 1.5 W/mm<sup>2</sup>, which was comparable to that of a monolithic diamond substrate. This assembly paradigm overcomes the size limitations of monolithic diamond, offering a cost-effective, scalable, and thermally efficient solution for thermal management demands of next-generation high-power electronic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113326"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113323
Hany M. Abd El-Lateef , Mai M. Khalaf , Nagih M. Shaalan , Ibrahim M.A. Mohamed
The development of stable and efficient anticorrosive coatings for steel in acidic chloride media remains a critical materials engineering challenge. In this work, nitrogen-modified titania (TiL-N) and a TiL-N/g-C3N4 composite (TiL-N-C3N4) were synthesized using lemon extract and a controlled microwave-assisted approach followed by their application as protective layers for CN-steel. Structural characterization confirmed the formation of amorphous Ti-N-C-O networks, and SEM/TEM affirmed the presence of nanoscale spherical particles as a surface morphology for TiL-N and a hybrid nano-microstructure for TiL-N-C3N4. FT-IR and XPS analyses indicated possible chemical interactions among Ti-O-Ti, Ti-N, and C-N functionalities. Electrochemical testing demonstrated substantial improvements in corrosion resistance. The prepared TiL-N-C3N4 decreased the corrosion current density of bare steel from 536.4 to 15.5 μA/cm2 and has a protection efficiency of 97.1%. The enhanced corrosion resistance in CN-steel coated with TiL-N-C3N4 (3L) layers can be correlated to the cumulative effect of enhanced thickness, decreased surface roughness, and the development of a dense and homogeneous multilayer coating resistant to electrolyte penetration. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating nitrogen-rich graphitic domains into amorphous titania matrices to produce compact, adherent coatings capable of mitigating corrosion under aggressive conditions.
{"title":"Amorphous nitrogen-doped titania/g-C3N4 nanocomposite coatings for enhanced corrosion protection of construction steel in acidic-chloride environments","authors":"Hany M. Abd El-Lateef , Mai M. Khalaf , Nagih M. Shaalan , Ibrahim M.A. Mohamed","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113323","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113323","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of stable and efficient anticorrosive coatings for steel in acidic chloride media remains a critical materials engineering challenge. In this work, nitrogen-modified titania (TiL-N) and a TiL-N/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> composite (TiL-N-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) were synthesized using lemon extract and a controlled microwave-assisted approach followed by their application as protective layers for CN-steel. Structural characterization confirmed the formation of amorphous Ti-N-C-O networks, and SEM/TEM affirmed the presence of nanoscale spherical particles as a surface morphology for TiL-N and a hybrid nano-microstructure for TiL-N-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>. FT-IR and XPS analyses indicated possible chemical interactions among Ti-O-Ti, Ti-N, and C-N functionalities. Electrochemical testing demonstrated substantial improvements in corrosion resistance. The prepared TiL-N-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> decreased the corrosion current density of bare steel from 536.4 to 15.5 μA/cm<sup>2</sup> and has a protection efficiency of 97.1%. The enhanced corrosion resistance in CN-steel coated with TiL-N-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (3L) layers can be correlated to the cumulative effect of enhanced thickness, decreased surface roughness, and the development of a dense and homogeneous multilayer coating resistant to electrolyte penetration. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating nitrogen-rich graphitic domains into amorphous titania matrices to produce compact, adherent coatings capable of mitigating corrosion under aggressive conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113323"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113313
Beena Patil , Sachin N. Hegde , Balappa B. Munavalli , Veda Gudihal , Mahadevappa Y. Kariduraganavar
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) represent a promising clean energy technology, but their commercial viability is limited by the high cost and suboptimal performance of conventional membranes like Nafion®. In this study, we report the fabrication of proton exchange membranes by employing sulfonated graphite oxide (SGO) incorporated crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). In the first step, graphite oxide (GO) was synthesized via a modified Hummers' method and subsequently sulfonated using chlorosulfonic acid to introduce additional proton-conducting sites. The crosslinked PVA matrix was prepared using sulfosuccinic acid (SSA), which acts both as a crosslinker and sulfonating agent, and varying concentrations of SGO were incorporated to crosslinked PVA membranes. The optimized membrane (GO-4 with 2 wt% SGO) exhibited a significant enhancement in proton conductivity, reaching 0.11 S cm−1 at 80 °C, compared to 0.04 S cm−1 for the pristine PVA-SSA membrane. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) also increased notably from 0.69 meq g−1 (PVA-SSA) to 1.02 meq g−1 (GO-4). The water uptake and swelling ratio of GO-4 were found to be 70% and 35% respectively at 80 °C, indicating superior hydration properties without compromising dimensional stability. Additionally, the mechanical strength of the composite membrane improved significantly, ensuring durability under operational stress. The GO-4 membrane demonstrated the highest power density of 0.34 W cm−2 at current density of 1.3 A cm−2 this value is very close to the commercial benchmark Nafion® 117. These findings demonstrate that the integration of SGO into the PVA-SSA matrix effectively enhances proton conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical strength, offering a promising and economically viable alternative for PEMFC applications.
质子交换膜燃料电池（pemfc）是一种很有前途的清洁能源技术，但其商业可行性受到Nafion®等传统膜的高成本和次优性能的限制。在这项研究中，我们报道了用磺化氧化石墨（SGO）掺杂交联聚乙烯醇（PVA）制备质子交换膜的方法。第一步，通过改进的Hummers方法合成氧化石墨（GO），随后使用氯磺酸进行磺化，以引入额外的质子传导位点。以磺基琥珀酸（SSA）为交联剂和磺化剂制备了交联PVA基质，并将不同浓度的SGO掺入交联PVA膜中。优化后的膜（含2 wt% SGO的GO-4）的质子电导率显著提高，在80°C时达到0.11 S cm−1，而原始PVA-SSA膜的质子电导率为0.04 S cm−1。离子交换容量（IEC）也从0.69 meq g−1 （PVA-SSA）显著增加到1.02 meq g−1 （GO-4）。在80℃条件下，GO-4的吸水率和溶胀率分别为70%和35%，在不影响尺寸稳定性的前提下具有良好的水化性能。此外，复合膜的机械强度显著提高，确保了在操作应力下的耐久性。在电流密度为1.3 A cm - 2时，GO-4膜的最高功率密度为0.34 W cm - 2，该值非常接近商业基准Nafion®117。这些发现表明，将SGO集成到PVA-SSA基体中可以有效地提高质子导电性、热稳定性和机械强度，为PEMFC应用提供了一种前景广阔且经济可行的替代方案。
{"title":"Fabrication of proton exchange membranes using sulfonated graphite oxide incorporated crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) for fuel cell application","authors":"Beena Patil , Sachin N. Hegde , Balappa B. Munavalli , Veda Gudihal , Mahadevappa Y. Kariduraganavar","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) represent a promising clean energy technology, but their commercial viability is limited by the high cost and suboptimal performance of conventional membranes like Nafion®. In this study, we report the fabrication of proton exchange membranes by employing sulfonated graphite oxide (SGO) incorporated crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). In the first step, graphite oxide (GO) was synthesized via a modified Hummers' method and subsequently sulfonated using chlorosulfonic acid to introduce additional proton-conducting sites. The crosslinked PVA matrix was prepared using sulfosuccinic acid (SSA), which acts both as a crosslinker and sulfonating agent, and varying concentrations of SGO were incorporated to crosslinked PVA membranes. The optimized membrane (GO-4 with 2 wt% SGO) exhibited a significant enhancement in proton conductivity, reaching 0.11 S cm<sup>−1</sup> at 80 °C, compared to 0.04 S cm<sup>−1</sup> for the pristine PVA-SSA membrane. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) also increased notably from 0.69 meq g<sup>−1</sup> (PVA-SSA) to 1.02 meq g<sup>−1</sup> (GO-4). The water uptake and swelling ratio of GO-4 were found to be 70% and 35% respectively at 80 °C, indicating superior hydration properties without compromising dimensional stability. Additionally, the mechanical strength of the composite membrane improved significantly, ensuring durability under operational stress. The GO-4 membrane demonstrated the highest power density of 0.34 W cm<sup>−2</sup> at current density of 1.3 A cm<sup>−2</sup> this value is very close to the commercial benchmark Nafion® 117. These findings demonstrate that the integration of SGO into the PVA-SSA matrix effectively enhances proton conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical strength, offering a promising and economically viable alternative for PEMFC applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113313"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bimetallic doped carbon nitride (NiFe-CN and NiCu-CN) catalysts were prepared by a simple one-step thermal condensation method and applied in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The obtained catalysts were analyzed by various characterization methods and DFT simulations. The results show that the metals were doped in the interstitial position by forming metal-N coordination bonds. Compared with mono-metal Ni-doped g-C3N4, the addition of Cu increased the specific surface area of g-C3N4, reduced the band gap energy and improved the electron-hole separation efficiency. The introduction of Fe enhanced the activation of nitrogen molecules and facilitated electron transfer from the catalyst to the activated nitrogen molecules through the Ni-Fe-N bridge. The NH4+ formation rates of NiFe-CN and NiCu-CN reached 2.5 and 2.0 mg·L−1·h−1·gcat−1, which were 2.1 and 1.6 times higher than that of mono Ni-doped g-C3N4 and 6.2 and 5 times higher than that of neat g-C3N4, while also exhibiting excellent photocatalytic stability. This study provides a new perspective for the design of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation catalysts.
{"title":"One-step synthesis of Ni-Cu and Ni-Fe bimetallic doped g-C3N4 for nitrogen photofixation under visible light","authors":"Hongru Zhang, Yuhua Wang, Dongyi Yang, Yanjuan Wang, Jian Zhang, Shaozheng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bimetallic doped carbon nitride (NiFe-CN and NiCu-CN) catalysts were prepared by a simple one-step thermal condensation method and applied in photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. The obtained catalysts were analyzed by various characterization methods and DFT simulations. The results show that the metals were doped in the interstitial position by forming metal-N coordination bonds. Compared with mono-metal Ni-doped g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, the addition of Cu increased the specific surface area of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, reduced the band gap energy and improved the electron-hole separation efficiency. The introduction of Fe enhanced the activation of nitrogen molecules and facilitated electron transfer from the catalyst to the activated nitrogen molecules through the Ni-Fe-N bridge. The NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> formation rates of NiFe-CN and NiCu-CN reached 2.5 and 2.0 mg·L<sup>−1</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>·g<sub>cat</sub><sup>−1</sup>, which were 2.1 and 1.6 times higher than that of mono Ni-doped g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> and 6.2 and 5 times higher than that of neat g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, while also exhibiting excellent photocatalytic stability. This study provides a new perspective for the design of photocatalytic nitrogen fixation catalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113314"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113321
Debojyoti Ray Chawdhury , Aneesh Vincent Veluthandath , Ganapathy Senthil Murugan , Prem Ballabh Bisht
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centres in nanodiamond (ND) are excellent emitters and possess high photoluminescence (PL) yield, photostability, and chemical inertness. The microbottle resonators (MBRs) have been fabricated on tapered silica fiber by using self-assembly technique. The MBRs exhibit whispering gallery modes (WGMs) with high quality factor (∼2105). From the PL decay dynamics, the Purcell inhibition factor of ∼3 has been obtained that agrees well with the theoretical estimations. The inhibition has been explained in terms of interference between ballistic light and circulating WGMs in the MBR. The interference has been found to induce the Fano-resonances for temperature-dependent detuning of WGMs. The WGMs exhibit an enhanced red-shift (∼16.4 pm/K) on increasing the temperature to that observed for the bare NV centres (∼3.8 pm/K).
{"title":"Nitrogen vacancy centre-embedded microbottle resonators for radiative rate inhibition and temperature sensing applications","authors":"Debojyoti Ray Chawdhury , Aneesh Vincent Veluthandath , Ganapathy Senthil Murugan , Prem Ballabh Bisht","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113321","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113321","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centres in nanodiamond (ND) are excellent emitters and possess high photoluminescence (PL) yield, photostability, and chemical inertness. The microbottle resonators (MBRs) have been fabricated on tapered silica fiber by using self-assembly technique. The MBRs exhibit whispering gallery modes (WGMs) with high quality factor (<span><math><mi>Q</mi></math></span>∼2<span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span>10<sup>5</sup>). From the PL decay dynamics, the Purcell inhibition factor of ∼3 has been obtained that agrees well with the theoretical estimations. The inhibition has been explained in terms of interference between ballistic light and circulating WGMs in the MBR. The interference has been found to induce the Fano-resonances for temperature-dependent detuning of WGMs. The WGMs exhibit an enhanced red-shift (∼16.4 pm/K) on increasing the temperature to that observed for the bare NV centres (∼3.8 pm/K).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113321"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113317
Dounia Smani , Naima Maouche , Amine Kherfi
This study aims to develop a novel composite material comprising poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs; 2.5 g/L) as an electrochemical sensor for the accurate and practical detection of D-xylose. D-xylose is an aldopentose sugar commonly used as a diagnostic marker in intestinal absorption tests, where its concentration in blood or urine reflects small-bowel function and malabsorption disorders. Accurate D-xylose determination is also important for monitoring sugar composition in food and pharmaceutical products and for controlling bioprocesses that convert lignocellulosic biomass into value-added chemicals and biofuels. However, many existing methods for D-xylose analysis, such as chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, require expensive instrumentation, complex sample preparation, or are not easily adaptable to rapid on-site measurements. Developing a simple, sensitive, and reliable electrochemical sensor for D-xylose can therefore provide a valuable tool for clinical diagnostics, food analysis, and bioenergy applications.
Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed as an electrochemical method to synthesize the P3HT/f-MWCNT/CuNPs composite materials in an organic acetonitrile medium (CH3CN) on platinum disk electrode. Cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were subsequently used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of the resulting composite. All electrochemical parameters affecting D-xylose detection was examined, including thickness, scan rate, and pH. The P3HT/f-MWCNT/CuNPs composite demonstrated favorable performance with enhanced D-xylose oxidation currents. With a regression coefficient R2 of 0.9975, the composites showed a linear response in the concentration range of 1 × 10−9 to 3 × 10−7 M and a low detection limit of 2 × 10−13 M.
The prepared sensor exhibited excellent performance, which was attributed to the synergistic combination of the polymer structure, the enlarged surface area provided by MWCNTs and the uniform dispersion of copper nanoparticles. The proposed sensor can serve as a foundational electroanalytical tool in critical domains such as food safety regulation, pharmacology, and medical diagnostics.
{"title":"Electrochemically synthesize hybrid composite of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes and poly(3-hexylthiophene)/copper nanoparticles for sensitive D-xylose detection","authors":"Dounia Smani , Naima Maouche , Amine Kherfi","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to develop a novel composite material comprising poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs; 2.5 g/L) as an electrochemical sensor for the accurate and practical detection of D-xylose. D-xylose is an aldopentose sugar commonly used as a diagnostic marker in intestinal absorption tests, where its concentration in blood or urine reflects small-bowel function and malabsorption disorders. Accurate D-xylose determination is also important for monitoring sugar composition in food and pharmaceutical products and for controlling bioprocesses that convert lignocellulosic biomass into value-added chemicals and biofuels. However, many existing methods for D-xylose analysis, such as chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, require expensive instrumentation, complex sample preparation, or are not easily adaptable to rapid on-site measurements. Developing a simple, sensitive, and reliable electrochemical sensor for D-xylose can therefore provide a valuable tool for clinical diagnostics, food analysis, and bioenergy applications.</div><div>Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was employed as an electrochemical method to synthesize the P3HT/<em>f</em>-MWCNT/CuNPs composite materials in an organic acetonitrile medium (CH<sub>3</sub>CN) on platinum disk electrode. Cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were subsequently used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of the resulting composite. All electrochemical parameters affecting D-xylose detection was examined, including thickness, scan rate, and pH. The P3HT/<em>f-</em>MWCNT/CuNPs composite demonstrated favorable performance with enhanced D-xylose oxidation currents. With a regression coefficient R2 of 0.9975, the composites showed a linear response in the concentration range of 1 × 10<sup>−9</sup> to 3 × 10<sup>−7</sup> M and a low detection limit of 2 × 10<sup>−13</sup> M.</div><div>The prepared sensor exhibited excellent performance, which was attributed to the synergistic combination of the polymer structure, the enlarged surface area provided by MWCNTs and the uniform dispersion of copper nanoparticles. The proposed sensor can serve as a foundational electroanalytical tool in critical domains such as food safety regulation, pharmacology, and medical diagnostics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113317"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113316
Akash B V , Ilaiyaraja Perumal
Palladium, a valuable platinum group metal with diverse industrial applications, faces a supply shortage due to limited natural sources, prompting the exploration of secondary sources like high-level liquid waste (HLLW), which contains about 165 mg/L of Palladium. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride synthesized from a thiourea precursor, referred to as thiourea-graphitic carbon nitride (TUGCN), was characterized using FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, and BET techniques to confirm its structure and surface properties. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that TUGCN exhibits a high affinity for Pd(II), achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 83.4 ± 5.8 mg g−1 under optimized conditions (pH 3, 3-h equilibration). The adsorption followed Langmuir monolayer behavior and a pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.999), with thermodynamic analysis revealing an exothermic process (ΔH° = − 4.62 kJ mol−1). Effective Pd(II) desorption (≈75%) was achieved using 1 M thiourea, and the average selectivity factor of ~3.4 over competing ions highlights its potential for selective recovery. Overall, TUGCN emerges as a highly efficient, selective, and reusable adsorbent for Pd(II) recovery from HLLW.
{"title":"Efficient adsorption of palladium from HLLW using a reusable thiourea-derived graphitic carbon nitride","authors":"Akash B V , Ilaiyaraja Perumal","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Palladium, a valuable platinum group metal with diverse industrial applications, faces a supply shortage due to limited natural sources, prompting the exploration of secondary sources like high-level liquid waste (HLLW), which contains about 165 mg/L of Palladium. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride synthesized from a thiourea precursor, referred to as thiourea-graphitic carbon nitride (TUGCN), was characterized using FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, and BET techniques to confirm its structure and surface properties. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that TUGCN exhibits a high affinity for Pd(II), achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 83.4 ± 5.8 mg g<sup>−1</sup> under optimized conditions (pH 3, 3-h equilibration). The adsorption followed Langmuir monolayer behavior and a pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.999), with thermodynamic analysis revealing an exothermic process (ΔH° = − 4.62 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup>). Effective Pd(II) desorption (≈75%) was achieved using 1 M thiourea, and the average selectivity factor of ~3.4 over competing ions highlights its potential for selective recovery. Overall, TUGCN emerges as a highly efficient, selective, and reusable adsorbent for Pd(II) recovery from HLLW.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113316"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, with nearly 10 million annual deaths. High intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels and tumor hypoxia critically limit chemotherapy efficacy and photodynamic therapy (PDT) effectiveness. Conventional nanocatalytic materials, particularly blue/green-emitting nanomaterials, face limited deep-tissue penetration, hindering their utility in bioimaging and targeted therapy. Herein, we report a microwave-assisted one-pot synthesis of copper-doped red-emissive carbon dots (Cu-CDs) using dicyandiamide, 4′-aminoacetanilide, and anhydrous copper sulfate as precursors. The synthesized Cu-CDs exhibit excellent optical properties (λex/λem = 525/595 nm) with a quantum yield of 12.7%, enabling nuclear fluorescent imaging for precise tumor localization. Notably, Cu-CDs demonstrate triple-enzyme (peroxidase, catalase, oxidase) mimetic activities, which synergistically deplete GSH, alleviate tumor hypoxia, and enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In vitro studies revealed that Cu-CDs-mediated chemodynamic therapy (CDT) alone achieved 60.4% tumor cell apoptosis, while combination with PDT elevated the rate to 92.96%. Mechanistically, Cu-CDs exploit endogenous H2O2 overexpression in tumors to produce cytotoxic ‧OH radicals via peroxidase activity, while catalase activity mitigates hypoxia by decomposing H2O2 into O2. This multi-enzyme synergy reduces ROS scavenging by GSH, amplifying PDT efficacy. Biocompatibility assessments confirmed low cytotoxicity and efficient cellular uptake of Cu-CDs. The red-emissive feature enables deep-tissue penetration and nuclear targeting, minimizing off-target damage. This work establishes a paradigm for metal-doped CDs in cancer theranostics, overcoming single-enzyme limitations and advancing synergistic enzyme-mimetic therapy. The strategy holds significant promise for biomedical applications, offering a novel platform for precision tumor treatment.
{"title":"One-pot microwave-derived copper-doped red-emissive carbon dots with multienzyme activities for synergistic CDT/PDT enhancement via glutathione depletion","authors":"Shan Huang, Guixin Li, Wei Ni, Yutong Zhao, Shiqin Zhang, Yi Fang, Fuxiang Wei, Qi Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, with nearly 10 million annual deaths. High intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels and tumor hypoxia critically limit chemotherapy efficacy and photodynamic therapy (PDT) effectiveness. Conventional nanocatalytic materials, particularly blue/green-emitting nanomaterials, face limited deep-tissue penetration, hindering their utility in bioimaging and targeted therapy. Herein, we report a microwave-assisted one-pot synthesis of copper-doped red-emissive carbon dots (Cu-CDs) using dicyandiamide, 4′-aminoacetanilide, and anhydrous copper sulfate as precursors. The synthesized Cu-CDs exhibit excellent optical properties (<em>λ</em><sub>ex</sub>/<em>λ</em><sub>em</sub> = 525/595 nm) with a quantum yield of 12.7%, enabling nuclear fluorescent imaging for precise tumor localization. Notably, Cu-CDs demonstrate triple-enzyme (peroxidase, catalase, oxidase) mimetic activities, which synergistically deplete GSH, alleviate tumor hypoxia, and enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In vitro studies revealed that Cu-CDs-mediated chemodynamic therapy (CDT) alone achieved 60.4% tumor cell apoptosis, while combination with PDT elevated the rate to 92.96%. Mechanistically, Cu-CDs exploit endogenous H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> overexpression in tumors to produce cytotoxic ‧OH radicals via peroxidase activity, while catalase activity mitigates hypoxia by decomposing H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> into O<sub>2</sub>. This multi-enzyme synergy reduces ROS scavenging by GSH, amplifying PDT efficacy. Biocompatibility assessments confirmed low cytotoxicity and efficient cellular uptake of Cu-CDs. The red-emissive feature enables deep-tissue penetration and nuclear targeting, minimizing off-target damage. This work establishes a paradigm for metal-doped CDs in cancer theranostics, overcoming single-enzyme limitations and advancing synergistic enzyme-mimetic therapy. The strategy holds significant promise for biomedical applications, offering a novel platform for precision tumor treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113312"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-11DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113309
Aruna M. Sudapalli , Supriya Tripathy , Navinchandra Shimpi
Nanofibers of PAN, PAN/g-C3N4, and PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO were fabricated by electrospinning. Simultaneously, the thermal breakdown method was used to synthesize g-C3N4 nanoflakes and ZnO nanoflowers via a wet-chemical process. The use of dispersed PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO hybrid nanofibers enabled overcoming the difficulty of reusing powder catalysts. Using wide-angle powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) were characterized by as-synthesized ZnO nanoflowers, g-C3N4 nanoflakes, PAN, PAN/g-C3N4, and PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO NFs. According to morphological studies, for the first time, novel morphologies were achieved in PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO nanofibers, in which g-C3N4 nanoflakes are uniformly decorated over PAN fibers with a greater specific surface area and smaller band gap, and ZnO nanoflowers are decorated within PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers, demonstrating the most remarkable homogeneity in dispersion. Under solar light irradiation, PAN (68%), ZnO nanoflowers (72%), g-C3N4 (81%), PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers (91%), and PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO (99%) showed excellent photocatalytic performances for the degradation of Trypan blue (TB) in 110 min with 99% degradation. Similarly, PAN (70%), ZnO NFs (84%), g-C3N4 (92%), PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers (97%), and PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO (99.5%) showed photocatalytic performance for the degradation of Methyl orange (MO) in 90 min, achieving 99.5% degradation. This effective degradation was due to a shift in the band gap, with higher porosity in PAN/g-C3N4/ZnO NFs than in pure PAN or g-C3N4.
{"title":"Hierarchically structured PAN/g-C₃N₄/ZnO hybrid nanofibers for photocatalytic degradation of hazardous ionic dyes","authors":"Aruna M. Sudapalli , Supriya Tripathy , Navinchandra Shimpi","doi":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.diamond.2026.113309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanofibers of PAN, PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, and PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO were fabricated by electrospinning. Simultaneously, the thermal breakdown method was used to synthesize g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanoflakes and ZnO nanoflowers via a wet-chemical process. The use of dispersed PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO hybrid nanofibers enabled overcoming the difficulty of reusing powder catalysts. Using wide-angle powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), N<sub>2</sub> adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) were characterized by as-synthesized ZnO nanoflowers, g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanoflakes, PAN, PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, and PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO NFs. According to morphological studies, for the first time, novel morphologies were achieved in PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO nanofibers, in which g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanoflakes are uniformly decorated over PAN fibers with a greater specific surface area and smaller band gap, and ZnO nanoflowers are decorated within PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanofibers, demonstrating the most remarkable homogeneity in dispersion. Under solar light irradiation, PAN (68%), ZnO nanoflowers (72%), g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (81%)<sub>,</sub> PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanofibers (91%), and PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO (99%) showed excellent photocatalytic performances for the degradation of Trypan blue (TB) in 110 min with 99% degradation. Similarly, PAN (70%), ZnO NFs (84%), g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> (92%)<sub>,</sub> PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanofibers (97%), and PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO (99.5%) showed photocatalytic performance for the degradation of Methyl orange (MO) in 90 min, achieving 99.5% degradation. This effective degradation was due to a shift in the band gap, with higher porosity in PAN/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/ZnO NFs than in pure PAN or g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4.</sub></div></div>","PeriodicalId":11266,"journal":{"name":"Diamond and Related Materials","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 113309"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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