Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials最新文献

Photovoltaic and barrier characteristics of methylene blue (MB) organic dye modified Au/n-Ge Schottky junction were investigated. The physical properties of MB layer were evaluated using optical, structural and morphological studies. The MB layer shows strong optical absorption at 308 nm and 601 nm implying an optical bandgap of 3.05 eV and 1.45 eV respectively. The morphology of the MB layer on the Ge substrate shows a very smooth surface with a uniform distribution of grains. The structural property of the MB layer analysed using FTIR measurement indicates various distinguished bonds signify the structure of organic layer. Comprehensive analysis of interfacial parameters, including the ideality factor (n), barrier height (Φ_b) and series resistance (R_S) are extracted for both Au/n-Ge contact and MB/n-Ge heterojunction using current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) approaches. Notably, the heterojunction exhibits a significantly enhanced rectification ratio and very low R_S compared to the Au/Ge contact, making MB a promising candidate for Schottky device based photovoltaic cells. The barrier parameters were checked for consistency with other approaches such as Cheung and Norde methods. Additionally, the study also explained the impact of the MB interlayer on the density of interface traps/states (N_ss) of Au/n-Ge junction. The photovoltaic properties of the MB/n-Ge heterojunction were analysed under different illumination powers. The photovoltaic cell parameters and the barrier parameters were examined under illumination for different optical power. The fill factor of the heterojunction shows a larger magnitude at 60 mW/cm².

Third generation photovoltaic dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are an area of interest due to their cost-effectiveness and better performance under diffuse light conditions. The design and development of effective photoanodes and their materials still play a significant role and can be explored. Metal doping in TiO₂ semiconductor has been proven to be an effective way for charge separation. The synthesis of bismuth (Bi) doped TiO₂ materials is attempted with different Bi doping quantities through wet impregnation for their utilization in DSSCs. The purpose of the Bi-doped TiO₂ synthesis was to develop an efficient photoanode material with an enhanced charge separation capacity to be applied in DSSC, leading to high current density and overall device performance. The morphology and optical behaviour of synthesized materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffractometer (P-XRD), UV-visible spectrophotometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The synthesized materials were used to prepare absorption layers of photoanode in DSSCs in conjunction with a ruthenium-based dye (N719). The findings showed that the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the Bi-doped TiO₂-based DSSCs was measured 5.50% using 3% Bi doping to TiO₂ (w/w), surpassing the 3.58% efficiency achieved by the TiO₂-based DSSCs in similar conditions, with an enhancement of ~ 54% in PCE performance. The enhanced performance could be attributed to the incorporation of Bi to TiO₂ which can help with electron transfer in the forward direction in DSSCs circuit by reducing electron–hole recombination.

This study describes the preparation, characterization, and biosensing applications of Radio Frequency (RF) plasma-modified magnetic micro/M/Janus micromotors. In the first part of the study, two different Janus micromotors were fabricated. Firstly, Fe₃O₄ magnetic micro/particles were functionalized with –OH groups under plasma treatment, and then Fe₃O₄ and Fe₃O₄-OH NPs/Platinum (Pt) (Fe₃O₄/Pt and Fe₃O₄-OH/Pt) micromotors were prepared by Pt coating of one side of Fe₃O₄ and Fe₃O₄-OH nanoparticles using by RF magnetron sputtering method. The work is the first example of RF rotating plasma preparation of modified magnetic nano/particle-based motors. Thus, it is of great interest to nano/micromachinery field. The synthesized micromotors were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. The dependence of the mobility of the motors on fuel concentration was evaluated. High speeds of 255 μm s^− 1 and 128 μm s^− 1 at 5% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were observed for Fe₃O₄/Pt and Fe₃O₄-OH/Pt micromotors, respectively. Besides these remarkable values, long lifetimes of 15 min with Fe₃O₄/Pt micromotors and 20 min with Fe₃O₄-OH/Pt micromotors were achieved. In the second part of the study, these Janus micromotors were used in miRNA-21 biosensing. The changes in the fluorescence intensity and in the speed of micromotors were examined after hybridization. Performances of these two novel micromotors were compared to present their potential use in early cancer diagnosis. Promising results with the functionalized Fe₃O₄-OH/Pt micromotors were obtained.

We have successfully used a quick melt-quench procedure and casting approach to make an array novel glasses loaded with lanthanum oxide employing phosphate, lithium, bismuth, and zinc. As lanthanum concentration grew from 0 to 4 mol%, the densities of the samples under investigation increased from 2.94613 to 3.2182 g/cm³. Phy-x/PSD software was used to determine some critical gamma radiation attenuation parameters across a broad energy range (0.015–15 MeV), specifically effective electron density, equivalent atomic number, and build-up factor coefficients for the glasses under investigation. The La-4 glass sample containing 4 mol% of lanthanum proved to be more successful in the penetration of charged particle radiation, based on the results of this investigation. Following the band edge, all samples showed excellent transmission range and good transparency in the visible and near-infrared wavelength spanning 380 to 900 nm. The refractive index (n), the extinction or attenuation coefficient, the dielectric constant ((varepsilon_{1}), ε₂), VELF, and optical reflectance were enhanced with increasing the quantity of La³⁺ ions in the glass structure. The produced samples’ Young’s modulus increased from 45.529 to 49.110 GPa, their bulk modulus increased from 20.622 to 23.915 GPa, and their shear modulus increased from 20.109 to 21.210 GPa when La₂O₃ was substituted for P₂O₅ from 0 to 4 mol%. Also, micro-hardness dropped from 4.933 to 4.839 GPa, and Poisson’s ratio increased from 0.132 to 0.158.

Fe₃O₄/MIL-100(Cr) composites, designed to withstand chemical challenges, were effortlessly synthesized using an innovative mechanochemical approach free from hydrogen fluoride. In a groundbreaking step, we adorned MIL-100(Cr) with Fe₃O₄in-situ to explore its ability to degrade Eosin Yellow (EY) through the photo-Fenton process. Our analyses using PXRD and FT-IR revealed no alterations in the fundamental structure of MIL-100(Cr) upon Fe₃O₄ modification. However, the addition of this metal oxide led to a reduction in MIL-100(Cr)’s BET surface area, volume, and pore diameter. Fascinatingly, our FESEM-EDX studies revealed a uniform distribution of Fe₃O₄ within the MIL-100(Cr) matrix. Among our synthesized composites, the 20% Fe₃O₄/MIL-100(Cr) blend exhibited remarkable photo-Fenton activity, achieving an impressive 93.31% EY degradation within 150 min under optimal conditions employing a Hg lamp. The synergy between the composite, hydrogen peroxide, and light in the photo-Fenton system emerged as the primary driving force behind the enhanced removal of EY, transforming it into harmless CO₂ and H₂O under mild reaction conditions.

Graphical Abstract

The present study employs DFT to simulate the geometrical, magnetic, optoelectronic, and thermoelectric characteristics of Rb₂LiMoX₆ (X = Br, I) in the WIEN2K program implementing FP-LAPW method. The tolerance factor (τ) and formation enthalpy (ΔH_f) are estimated to verify the thermodynamic and structural stability of the Rb₂LiMoX₆ (X = Br, I) compounds. The values of τ are 0.91 and 0.89 for Rb₂LiMoBr₆ and Rb₂LiMoI₆, respectively. The anticipated spin-dependent band structure (BS) and density of states (DOS) exhibit p-type semiconductor behavior with a direct band gap at the X-X symmetry sites in both spin configurations. For Rb₂LiMoBr₆, the values are 2.37 eV in the spin-up and 3.54 eV in the spin-down. Similarly, for Rb₂LiMoI₆, the direct E_g is 1.30 eV in the spin-up and 1.72 eV in the spin-down. The ferromagnetic (FM) nature of Rb₂LiMoBr₆ and K₂LiMoI₆ was confirmed based on their respective total magnetic moment (µ_B) of 3.00 µ_B for both halides. The materials exhibited light absorbance within the visible to ultraviolet (UV) range, increasing their importance for photocell and optoelectronic devices. Furthermore, the ZT spectrum reveals that Rb₂LiMoI₆ reaches a peak value of 0.72 at 700 K, while Rb₂LiMoBr₆ achieves a slightly higher peak of 0.74 at 800 K. making them highly intriguing contenders for efficient heat energy conversion systems. The results of the examined compounds offer a novel avenue for researchers to explore the potential uses of spintronic and optical devices.

Epoxy resin coatings are widely used for corrosion protection of marine aluminum alloy equipment, but they suffer from high water absorption, brittleness, and slow repair, limiting long-term use. To address these issues, we developed an innovative self-healing coating using epoxy resin, nano-silica, a silane coupling agent, furanamine (FA), and bismaleimide (BMI). Our optimally formulated coating exhibited hydrophobicity (97°), high hardness (7 H), strong adhesion (5B), and rapid self-healing within 10 min at 80 °C, a much simpler process than previously reported. Remarkably, the coating maintained excellent self-healing and stable performance after 40 cycles of scratching and heating. Electrochemical tests and equivalent circuit fitting analysis showed superior corrosion resistance before and after scratching and healing, achieving a corrosion protection rate of 99.997%. After 300-day immersion, the coating reduced the corrosion area by 99.84% compared to pure epoxy resin, which had delaminated. This work provides a practical solution for enhancing the durability and anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coatings in marine applications.

Polymer nanocomposite films based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and various concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were prepared. It was found that the crystallinity degree of PEO/AgNPs films changed depending on the AgNPs content. For instance, the minimum crystallinity value was at 3 wt% of AgNPs, indicating an excellent interaction between the AgNPs and PEO chains. Furthermore, the thermal stability of the nanocomposite is boosted by increasing the AgNPs content in the polymer matrix. Also, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results exhibited an endothermic peak for pure PEO, while incorporating different concentrations of AgNPs reduced the melting temperature and melting enthalpy and created another exothermic peak at crystallization temperatures range (186 °C to 201 °C). Finally, the sheet resistance value of PEO/AgNPs films decreases by incorporating different AgNPs in the PEO blend in addition to a tiny gradual reduction in the bandgap energy (E_g) and substantial changes in transmittance and absorbance spectra.

In this study, a green process is proposed for the synthesis of hybrid nanoflowers (hNFs) using copper (II) (Cu(II)) and cobalt (II) (Co(II)) metal ions as inorganic ingredients and quercetin as the organic ingredient. SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, mapping were used for the characterization of the synthesized hNFs. Then, their anticancer and antimicrobial activities were investigated for the first time. Antimicrobial activities of of quercetin and hNFs were examined against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. It was observed that Cobalt hybrid nanoflowers (CohNFs) were effective against Staphylococcus aureus and that copper hybrid nanoflowers (CuhNFs) and quercetin showed similar activity in other fungi and bacteria species. For the anticancer activity, the MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) cell line was used. Cytotoxic evaluations determined that CuhNFs may be a safer therapeutic alternative compared to others. These results may contribute to the development of effective next-generation preparations for MDA-MB-231 problems of nanoflowers synthesized using quercetin.

Graphical Abstract

The Poly(Ani-co-Py)NiO composites consisting of a co-polymer of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) have been synthesized using various proportions of NiO (0.25-3.00 wt%) by employing a chemical oxidation polymerization method. Along with the photoluminescence (PL) and morphological features, the composites’ photocatalytic potential, and their application as a p-Nitrophenol (p-NP) sensor were also extensively evaluated. The confirmation of the significant interaction between NiO and Poly(Ani-co-Py) was obtained through FTIR, UV-visible, and PL spectroscopy. FESEM data of composites revealed the distinct morphology of the composites with a diameter of 50–120 nm. As a potential photocatalytic use of the composites, the results showed better photocatalytic degradation ability towards methylene blue than the copolymer. Furthermore, the composites were employed for the development of a p-NP sensor probe. The developed Poly(Ani-Co-Py)/NiO/PEDOT: PSS/GCE sensor probe showed a higher sensitivity (12.658 µA.µM^− 1cm^− 2 ) over a large linear dynamic range (LDR) from 0.1µM to 80.0 µM (linearity, r²: 0.9917) with a lower detection limit (LOD; 0.075 µM) and limit of quantification (LOQ; 0.22727 µM) in the detection of p-NP by using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) technique. It has introduced a new path for the detection of environmentally unsafe chemicals using the electrochemical approach.