The current work aims to synthesize highly fluorescent and surface-functionalized gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (Gd2O3 NPs) with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The surface modification of Gd2O3 nanoparticles with MPTMS... more
The current work aims to synthesize highly fluorescent and surface-functionalized gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (Gd2O3 NPs) with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The surface modification of Gd2O3 nanoparticles with MPTMS enhanced the stability and solubility of the nanoprobe in aqueous media. The size of the nanoprobe was controlled to 7 ± 1 nm using MPTMS coating. These valued points made the MPTMS@Gd2O3 nanoparticles as economical, highly sensitive, selective nanoprobe with a quick response time for the detection of cysteine via the simple fluorescence-based methodology. The proposed strategy has offered the reliable detection of cysteine in the concentration range of 1–100 µm with a detection limit of 42 nm. The selective sensing of cysteine in human serum has jointly acknowledged the potential prospect of developing sensors in body fluids with great accuracy.
Research Interests:
The term graphene was coined using the prefix “graph” taken from graphite and the suffix “-ene” for the C=C bond, by Boehm et al. in 1986. The synthesis of graphene can be done using various methods. The synthesized graphene was further... more
The term graphene was coined using the prefix “graph” taken from graphite and the suffix “-ene” for the C=C bond, by Boehm et al. in 1986. The synthesis of graphene can be done using various methods. The synthesized graphene was further oxidized to graphene oxide (GO) using different methods, to enhance its multitude of applications. Graphene oxide (GO) is the oxidized analogy of graphene, familiar as the only intermediate or precursor for obtaining the latter at a large scale. Graphene oxide has recently obtained enormous popularity in the energy, environment, sensor, and biomedical fields and has been handsomely exploited for water purification membranes. GO is a unique class of mechanically robust, ultrathin, high flux, high-selectivity, and fouling-resistant separation membranes that provide opportunities to advance water desalination technologies. The facile synthesis of GO membranes opens the doors for ideal next-generation membranes as cost-effective and sustainable alternati...
Research Interests:
Herein, we explore the supercapacitor and photocatalytic applications of poly(1-naphthylamine) (PNA) nanoparticles. The PNA nanoparticles were synthesized by using polymerization of 1-naphthylamine and characterized with several... more
Herein, we explore the supercapacitor and photocatalytic applications of poly(1-naphthylamine) (PNA) nanoparticles. The PNA nanoparticles were synthesized by using polymerization of 1-naphthylamine and characterized with several techniques in order to understand the morphological, structural, optical and compositional properties. The structural and morphological properties confirmed the formation of crystalline nanoparticles of PNA. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum revealed the successful polymerization of 1-naphthylamine monomer to PNA. The absorption peaks that appeared at 236 and 309 nm in the UV–Vis spectrum for PNA nanoparticles represented the π–π* transition. The supercapacitor properties of the prepared PNA nanoparticles were evaluated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) methods at different scan rates and current densities, respectively. The effective series resistance was calculated using electrochemical impedance spectroscop...
Research Interests:
Herein, we describe the facile synthesis of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite and its potential use as a gas sensor using a straightforward and reliable sol–gel approach, i.e., the glycine-assisted auto-combustion route. The novelty in obtaining the... more
Herein, we describe the facile synthesis of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite and its potential use as a gas sensor using a straightforward and reliable sol–gel approach, i.e., the glycine-assisted auto-combustion route. The novelty in obtaining the sensing material via the auto-combustion route is its inherent simplicity and capability to produce the material at an industry scale. The said cost-effective process makes use of simple metal salts (Mg and Fe-nitrates) and glycine in an aqueous solution, which leads to the formation of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite. A single-phase crystallinity with crystallite sizes ranging between 36 and 41 nm was observed for the synthesized materials using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The porous morphologies of the synthesized materials caused by auto-ignition during the combustion process were validated by the microscopic investigations. The EDS analysis confirmed the constituted elements such as Mg, Fe, and O, without any impurity peaks. The gas-sensing a...
Research Interests:
The transformation of biowaste into products with added value offers a lucrative role in nation-building. The current work describes the synthesis of highly water-soluble, luminous carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in the size range of 5–10 nm... more
The transformation of biowaste into products with added value offers a lucrative role in nation-building. The current work describes the synthesis of highly water-soluble, luminous carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in the size range of 5–10 nm from discarded rice straw. The small spherical CQDs that were formed had outstanding optical and luminescent qualities as well as good photostabilities. By performing quantitative multi-assay tests that included antioxidant activities, in vitro stability and colloidal assay investigations as a function of different CQD concentrations, the biocompatibility of CQDs was evaluated. To clearly visualize the type of surface defects and emissive states in produced CQDs, excitation-dependent fluorescence emission experiments have also been carried out. The “waste-to-wealth” strategy that has been devised is a successful step toward the quick and accurate detection of Cu2+ ion in aqueous conditions. The fluorescence-quenching behavior has specified the concen...
Research Interests:
In this article, we describe the fabrication and characterization of a sensor for acute myocardial infarction that detects myoglobin biomarkers using chromium (Cr)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs). Pure and Cr-doped ZnO NPs (13... more
In this article, we describe the fabrication and characterization of a sensor for acute myocardial infarction that detects myoglobin biomarkers using chromium (Cr)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs). Pure and Cr-doped ZnO NPs (13 × 1017, 20 × 1017, and 32 × 1017 atoms/cm3 in the solid phase) were synthesized by a facile low-temperature sol-gel method. Synthesized NPs were examined for structure and morphological analysis using various techniques to confirm the successful formation of ZnO NPs. Zeta potential was measured in LB media at a negative value and increased with doping. XPS spectra confirmed the presence of oxygen deficiency in the synthesized material. To fabricate the sensor, synthesized NPs were screen-printed over a pre-fabricated gold-coated working electrode for electrochemical detection of myoglobin (Mb). Cr-doped ZnO NPs doped with 13 × 1017 Cr atomic/cm3 revealed the highest sensitivity of ~37.97 μA.cm−2nM−1 and limit of detection (LOD) of 0.15 nM for Mb wit...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In the present paper, the theoretical investigation of the device structure ITO/CeO2/SnS/Spiro-OMeTAD/Mo of SnS-based solar cell has been performed. The aim of this work is to examine how the Spiro-OMeTAD HTL affects the performance of... more
In the present paper, the theoretical investigation of the device structure ITO/CeO2/SnS/Spiro-OMeTAD/Mo of SnS-based solar cell has been performed. The aim of this work is to examine how the Spiro-OMeTAD HTL affects the performance of SnS-based heterostructure solar cell. Using SCAPS-1D simulation software, various parameters of SnS-based solar cell such as work function, series and shunt resistance and working temperature have been investigated. With the help of Spiro-OMeTAD, the suggested cell’s open-circuit voltage was increased to 344 mV. The use of Spiro-OMeTAD HTL in the SnS-based solar cell resulted in 14% efficiency increase, and the proposed heterojunction solar cell has 25.65% efficiency. The cell’s performance is determined by the carrier density and width of the CeO2 ETL (electron transport layer), SnS absorber layer and Spiro-OMeTAD HTL (hole transport layer). These data reveal that the Spiro-OMeTAD solar cells could have been a good HTL (hole transport layer) in regar...
Research Interests:
In the traditional surface plasmon resonance sensor, the sensitivity is calculated by the usage of angular interrogation. The proposed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor uses a diamagnetic material (Al2O3), nickel (Ni), and... more
In the traditional surface plasmon resonance sensor, the sensitivity is calculated by the usage of angular interrogation. The proposed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor uses a diamagnetic material (Al2O3), nickel (Ni), and two-dimensional (2D) BlueP/WS2 (blue phosphorous-tungsten di-sulfide). The Al2O3 sheet is sandwiched between silver (Ag) and nickel (Ni) films in the Kretschmann configuration. A mathematical simulation is performed to improve the sensitivity of an SPR sensor in the visible region at a frequency of 633 nm. The simulation results show that an upgraded sensitivity of 332°/RIU is achieved for the metallic arrangement consisting of 17 nm of Al2O3 and 4 nm of Ni in thickness for analyte refractive indices ranging from 1.330 to 1.335. The thickness variation of the layers plays a curial role in enhancing the performance of the SPR sensor. The thickness variation of the proposed configuration containing 20 nm of Al2O3 and 1 nm of Ni with a monolayer of 2D material B...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In the recent era, carbon dots (C-dots) have been extensively considered as a potential tool in drug delivery analysis. However, there have been fewer reports in the literature on their application in the sensing of amino acids. As part... more
In the recent era, carbon dots (C-dots) have been extensively considered as a potential tool in drug delivery analysis. However, there have been fewer reports in the literature on their application in the sensing of amino acids. As part of our ongoing research on coconut-husk-derived C-dots, we synthesized C-dots under different temperature conditions and utilized them in the field of amino acid sensing and found them to be highly selective and sensitive towards tyrosine. The detailed characterization of the prepared C-dots was carried out. The developed C-dots exhibit good values of quantum yield. BSA, HSA and glutamic acid were utilized to explore the binding efficiency of C-dots with biologically active components. Hemolysis, blood clotting index activity and cell viability assays using the prepared C-dots were evaluated and they were found to be biocompatible. Therefore, the C-dots described in this work have high potential to be utilized in the field of amino acid sensing, espe...
Research Interests:
In this paper, pure SnO2 and Ce-doped SnO2 nanosheets were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The synthesized materials were characterized by different techniques for their physico-chemical properties. The XRD data... more
In this paper, pure SnO2 and Ce-doped SnO2 nanosheets were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The synthesized materials were characterized by different techniques for their physico-chemical properties. The XRD data indicated the characteristic tetragonal rutile crystal phase for SnO2. Ce doping was ascertained by the presence of the diffraction peaks of CeO2 in all the doped samples of the SnO2 nanosheets. FESEM images revealed highly rough surfaces as well as the agglomeration of a large number of small nanoparticles of multiple shapes to form nanosheets like morphologies for pure SnO2 and Ce-doped SnO2. Electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry were applied to demonstrate the electrochemical performances of the pure SnO2 and Ce-doped SnO2 nanosheets/Nafion-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The 3% Ce-doped SnO2 nanosheet/Nafion-modified GCE showed a remarkable sensitivity of 0.9986 μA μM−1 cm−2 over a linear dynamic range of 0.5–20.3 µM. The corresponding linear regression equation was Ip (μA) = 0.0709 [2-nitroaniline (μM)] + 0.1385 with R2 = 0.99325. The LOD of the modified sensor was found to be 6.3 ± 0.1 nM at the signal-to-noise ratio of S/N = 3. The newly developed sensor electrode exhibited good selectivity toward 2-nitroaniline in the presence of common interfering species. Fabrication and characterization of highly sensitive and selective 2-nitroaniline chemical sensor based on cerium-doped tin oxide nanosheets/Nafion-modified glassy carbon electrode.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background and Aims: Street-food vendors play an important role in the aetiology of food borne disease outbreaks. Food borne disease pathogens may be transferred by street-food vendors to food either directly or by cross contamination.... more
Background and Aims: Street-food vendors play an important role in the aetiology of food borne disease outbreaks. Food borne disease pathogens may be transferred by street-food vendors to food either directly or by cross contamination. This study assessed the personal hygiene among street-food vendors in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted among 109 adult street-food vendors who sell cooked food or food items by the road side or open spaces in Sabon Gari LGA. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Data was collected using observation checklist and pretested interviewer administered structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions. The data obtained was analysed using IBM SPSS statistics 20. Results: Most of the street-food vendors were within age group 35-44 years (40.4%). Most (49.5%) of the people who patronized street-food vendors were passers-by and more than half of the street-food ve...
Research Interests:
Com objetivo de avaliar as caracteristicas tecnologicas de genotipos de sorgo sacarino e biomassa, o ensaio de campo foi instalado na safra 2014/15 para as condicoes de Ribeirao Preto, SP (APTA). Amostragens de colmos foram realizadas em... more
Com objetivo de avaliar as caracteristicas tecnologicas de genotipos de sorgo sacarino e biomassa, o ensaio de campo foi instalado na safra 2014/15 para as condicoes de Ribeirao Preto, SP (APTA). Amostragens de colmos foram realizadas em diferentes fases fenologicas (florescimento, grao leitoso, grao pastoso, grao duro, 15 e 30 dias apos grao duro) nos genotipos sacarinos; BRS 511 e Blade Sacarino A, bem como em dois destinados para producao de biomassa; Blade Biomassa A e Blade Biomassa B. O caldo extraido em cada amostragem foi analisado de acordo com o metodo CONSECANA. A variedade de sorgo sacarino BRS 511 atingiu 17,9 o Brix e 120 de ATR aos 30 dias apos a fase de grao duro, enquanto que os genotipos Blade Biomassa A e B estes valores medios foram 8,7 o Brix e 44,7 de ATR aos 150 dias apos semeadura (grao duro).
Research Interests:
Please note that technical editing may introduce minor changes to the text and/or graphics, which may alter content. The journal’s standard Terms & Conditions and the Ethical guidelines still apply. In no event shall the Royal Society of... more
Please note that technical editing may introduce minor changes to the text and/or graphics, which may alter content. The journal’s standard Terms & Conditions and the Ethical guidelines still apply. In no event shall the Royal Society of Chemistry be held responsible for any errors or omissions in this Accepted Manuscript or any consequences arising from the use of any information it contains. Accepted Manuscript NJC
Herein, we have developed a novel sensing electrode to detect the eco-toxic 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Ag-doped-ZnO nanoflowers were synthesized by facile hydrothermal method and examined by several characterization techniques in order to... more
Herein, we have developed a novel sensing electrode to detect the eco-toxic 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Ag-doped-ZnO nanoflowers were synthesized by facile hydrothermal method and examined by several characterization techniques in order to understand the morphology, crystal structure, composition, and surface properties. Morphological results were confirmed by the formation of Ag-doped ZnO nanoflowers decorated with nanosheets. Ag-doped ZnO/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) electrode-material-matrix was used for electrochemical sensing of toxic 4-NP. Under optimized conditions, Ag-doped ZnO/GCE modified electrode exhibits high-sensitivity and selectivity compared to the bare GCE electrode. The Ag-doped ZnO/GCE modified electrode exhibits high electrocatalytic oxidation towards 4-NP. Anodic peak current of 4-NP is increased linearly by increasing the concentration of nitrophenol. Additionally, Ag-doped ZnO/GCE shows a wide range of sensitivity from 10 µM to 500 µM, and a linear calibration plo...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A label free electrochemical sensor based on pure titanium oxide and manganese (Mn)-doped titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are fabricated and characterized for the sensitive detection of myoglobin (Mb) levels to analyze the... more
A label free electrochemical sensor based on pure titanium oxide and manganese (Mn)-doped titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are fabricated and characterized for the sensitive detection of myoglobin (Mb) levels to analyze the cardiovascular infarction. Pristine and Mn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol-gel method and characterized in order to understand their structure, morphologies, composition and optical properties. The structural properties revealed that the pure- and doped-TiO2 nanoparticles possess different TiO2 planes. FTIR studies confirm the formation of metal oxide nanoparticles by exhibiting a well-defined peak in the range of 600–650 cm−1. The values of the optical band gap, estimated from UV-Vis spectroscopy, are decreased for the Mn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles. UV-Vis spectra in the presence of myoglobin (Mb) indicated interaction between the TiO2 nanoparticles and myoglobin. The SPE electrodes were then fabricated by printing powder film over the wor...
Research Interests:
A low-cost and simple drop-casting method was used to fabricate a carbon nanodot (C-dot)/all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr3) nanosheet bilayer heterojunction photodetector on a SiO2/Si substrate. The C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction... more
A low-cost and simple drop-casting method was used to fabricate a carbon nanodot (C-dot)/all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr3) nanosheet bilayer heterojunction photodetector on a SiO2/Si substrate. The C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction photodetector shows a high performance with a responsivity (R) of 1.09 A/W, almost five times higher than that of a CsPbBr3-based photodetector (0.21 A/W). In addition, the hybrid photodetector exhibits a fast response speed of 1.318/1.342 µs and a highly stable photocurrent of 6.97 µA at 10 V bias voltage. These figures of merits are comparable with, or much better than, most reported perovskite heterojunction photodetectors. UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescent spectra measurements reveal that the C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction has a band gap similar to the pure perovskite layer, confirming that the absorption and emission in the bilayer heterojunction is dominated by the top layer of the perovskite. Moreover, the emission intensity of...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Herein, a simple, economical and low temperature synthesis of leaf-shaped CuO nanosheets is reported. As-synthesized CuO was examined through different techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy... more
Herein, a simple, economical and low temperature synthesis of leaf-shaped CuO nanosheets is reported. As-synthesized CuO was examined through different techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy to ascertain the purity, crystal phase, morphology, vibrational, optical and diffraction features. FESEM and TEM images revealed a thin leaf-like morphology for CuO nanosheets. An interplanar distance of ~0.25 nm corresponding to the (110) diffraction plane of the monoclinic phase of the CuO was revealed from the HRTEM images XRD analysis indicated a monoclinic tenorite crystalline phase of the synthesized CuO nanosheets. The average crystallite size for leaf-shaped CuO nanosheets was found to be 14.28 nm. Furthermore, a chemo-resistive-type gas sensor based on ...
Research Interests:
Herein, we report a chemi-resistive sensing method for the detection of formaldehyde (HCHO) gas. For this, α-MnO2 nanowires were synthesized hydrothermally and examined for ascertaining their chemical composition, crystal phase,... more
Herein, we report a chemi-resistive sensing method for the detection of formaldehyde (HCHO) gas. For this, α-MnO2 nanowires were synthesized hydrothermally and examined for ascertaining their chemical composition, crystal phase, morphology, purity, and vibrational properties. The XRD pattern confirmed the high crystallinity and purity of the α-MnO2 nanowires. FESEM images confirmed a random orientation and smooth-surfaced wire-shaped morphologies for as-synthesized α-MnO2 nanowires. Further, the synthesized nanowires with rounded tips had a uniform diameter throughout the length of the nanowires. The average diameter of the α-MnO2 nanowires was found to be 62.18 nm and the average length was ~2.0 μm. Further, at an optimized temperature of 300 °C, the fabricated HCHO sensor based on α-MnO2 nanowires demonstrated gas response, response, and recovery times of 19.37, 18, and 30 s, respectively.
Research Interests:
DFT calculations at the B3LYP/LanL2DZ level of theory were utilized to investigate the adsorption of H2S and SO2 gases on the electronic properties of CuO-ZnO heterojunction structures. The results were demonstrated from the standpoint of... more
DFT calculations at the B3LYP/LanL2DZ level of theory were utilized to investigate the adsorption of H2S and SO2 gases on the electronic properties of CuO-ZnO heterojunction structures. The results were demonstrated from the standpoint of adsorption energies (Eads), the density of states (DOS), and NBO atomic charges. The obtained values of the adsorption energies indicated the chemisorption of the investigated gases on CuO-ZnO heterojunction. The adsorption of H2S and SO2 gases reduced the HOMO-LUMO gap in the Cu2Zn10O12 cluster by 4.98% and 43.02%, respectively. This reveals that the Cu2Zn10O12 cluster is more sensitive to the H2S gas than the SO2 gas. The Eads values for SO2 and H2S were −2.64 and −1.58 eV, respectively. Therefore, the Cu2Zn10O12 cluster exhibits a higher and faster response-recovery time to H2S than SO2. Accordingly, our results revealed that CuO-ZnO heterojunction structures are promising candidates for H2S- and SO2-sensing applications.
Research Interests:
Regenerative medicine is a field that aims to influence and improvise the processes of tissue repair and restoration and to assist the body to heal and recover. In the field of hard tissue regeneration, bio-inert materials are being... more
Regenerative medicine is a field that aims to influence and improvise the processes of tissue repair and restoration and to assist the body to heal and recover. In the field of hard tissue regeneration, bio-inert materials are being predominantly used, and there is a necessity to use bioactive materials that can help in better tissue–implant interactions and facilitate the healing and regeneration process. One such bioactive material that is being focused upon and studied extensively in the past few decades is bioactive glass (BG). The original bioactive glass (45S5) is composed of silicon dioxide, sodium dioxide, calcium oxide, and phosphorus pentoxide and is mainly referred to by its commercial name Bioglass. BG is mainly used for bone tissue regeneration due to its osteoconductivity and osteostimulation properties. The bioactivity of BG, however, is highly dependent on the compositional ratio of certain glass-forming system content. The manipulation of content ratio and the eleme...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Herein, for the first time, the growth of ZnO nanorods directly on aluminum (Al) substrate via a low temperature (80 °C) wet chemical method, and used as binder-free electrode for supercapacitors were reported. XRD pattern and HRTEM... more
Herein, for the first time, the growth of ZnO nanorods directly on aluminum (Al) substrate via a low temperature (80 °C) wet chemical method, and used as binder-free electrode for supercapacitors were reported. XRD pattern and HRTEM images showed that high crystalline nanorods grown on Al substrate with c-axis orientation. Morphological studies revealed that the nanorods possessed well defined hexagon phase with length and diameter of ~2 µm and 100–180 nm, respectively. Raman spectrum of ZnO nanorods showed that the characteristic E2H mode corresponds to the vibration associated with the oxygen atoms of ZnO. The optical properties of ZnO nanorods studied using Room-temperature PL spectra revealed a near-band-edge (NBE) peak at ~388 nm emission and deep level (DLE) at ~507 nm. Electrochemical measurements showed that ZnO nanorods on Al substrate exhibited remarkably enhanced performance as electrode for supercapacitors with a value of specific capacitance of 394 F g−1 measured with s...
Research Interests:
The objective of this paper is to establish the significance of the mycoremediation of contaminants such as Cd2+ to achieve sustainable and eco-friendly remediation methods. Industries such as electroplating, paint, leather tanning, etc.... more
The objective of this paper is to establish the significance of the mycoremediation of contaminants such as Cd2+ to achieve sustainable and eco-friendly remediation methods. Industries such as electroplating, paint, leather tanning, etc. release an enormous amount of Cd2+ in wastewater, which can drastically affect our flora and fauna. Herein, we report on the in vitro bioadsorption of Cd2+ ions using fungal isolates obtained from different contaminated industrial sites. The detailed studies revealed that two fungal species, i.e., Trichoderma fasciculatum and Trichoderma longibrachiatum, were found to be most effective against the removal of Cd2+ when screened for Cd2+ tolerance on potato dextrose agar (PDA) in different concentrations. Detailed adsorption studies were conducted by exploring various experimental factors such as incubation time, temperature, pH, inoculum size, and Cd2+ salt concentrations. Based on optimum experimental conditions, T. fasciculatum exhibited approximat...
Research Interests:
The absorption and binding energy of material plays an important role with a large surface area and conductivity for the development of any sensing device. The newly grown 2D nanomaterials like black phosphorus transition metal... more
The absorption and binding energy of material plays an important role with a large surface area and conductivity for the development of any sensing device. The newly grown 2D nanomaterials like black phosphorus transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) or graphene have excellent properties for sensing devices’ fabrication. This paper summarizes the progress in the area of the 2D nanomaterial-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor during last decade. The paper also focuses on the structure of Kretschmann configuration, the sensing principle of SPR, its characteristic parameters, application in various fields, and some important recent works related to SPR sensors have also been discussed, based on the present and future scope of this field. The present paper provides a platform for researchers to work in the field of 2D nanomaterial-based SPR sensors.
Research Interests:
Photocatalytic materials and semiconductors of appropriate structural and morphological architectures as well as energy band gaps are materials needed for mitigating current environmental problems, as these materials have the ability to... more
Photocatalytic materials and semiconductors of appropriate structural and morphological architectures as well as energy band gaps are materials needed for mitigating current environmental problems, as these materials have the ability to exploit the full spectrum of solar light in several applications. Thus, constructing a Z-scheme heterojunction is an ideal approach to overcoming the limitations of a single component or traditional heterogeneous catalysts for the competent removal of organic chemicals present in wastewater, to mention just one of the areas of application. A Z-scheme catalyst possesses many attributes, including enhanced light-harvesting capacity, strong redox ability and different oxidation and reduction positions. In the present work, a novel ternary Z-scheme photocatalyst, i.e., Bi2WO6/C-dots/TiO2, has been prepared by a facile chemical wet technique. The prepared solar light-driven Z-scheme composite was characterized by many analytical and spectroscopic practice...
Research Interests:
Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-grafted bentonite, marked as Bent-PDMAEMA, was designed and prepared by a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method for the first time in this study. Fourier transform infrared... more
Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-grafted bentonite, marked as Bent-PDMAEMA, was designed and prepared by a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method for the first time in this study. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied to characterize the structure of Bent-PDMAEMA, which resulted in the successful synthesis of Bent-PDMAEMA. As a cationic adsorbent, the designed Bent-PDMAEMA was used to remove dye Orange I from wastewater. The adsorption property of Bent-PDMAEMA for Orange I dye was investigated under different experimental conditions, such as solution pH, initial dye concentration, contact time and temperature. Under the optimum conditions, the adsorption amount of Bent-PDMAEMA for Orange I dye could reach 700 mg·g−1, indicating the potential application of Bent-PDMAEMA for anionic dyes in the treatment of wastewater. Moreover, the ...
Research Interests:
Herein, we report the fabrication of a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with high-performance hydrazine sensor based on Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles prepared via a facile and low-cost hydrothermal method. The structural morphology,... more
Herein, we report the fabrication of a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with high-performance hydrazine sensor based on Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles prepared via a facile and low-cost hydrothermal method. The structural morphology, crystalline, crystallite size, vibrational and scattering properties were examined through different characterization techniques, including FESEM, XRD, FTIR, UV–Vis, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. FESEM analysis revealed the high-density synthesis of Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with the average diameter of 25 ± 5 nm. The average crystallite size of the synthesized nanoparticles was found to be around 14 nm. As-fabricated hydrazine chemical sensors exhibited 1.44 μA µM−1 cm−2 and 0.236 µM sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD), respectively. Linear dynamic ranged from 0.2 to 30 µM concentrations. Furthermore, the Fe-doped TiO2 modified GCE showed a negligible inference behavior towards ascorbic acid, uric acid, glucose, SO42−, NO3−, Pb2+ ...
Research Interests:
In this paper, the heterojunction diode based on n-Ga doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with disks/p-Si assembly was fabricated and their low-temperature electrical properties were examined. The Ga-doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with... more
In this paper, the heterojunction diode based on n-Ga doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with disks/p-Si assembly was fabricated and their low-temperature electrical properties were examined. The Ga-doped ZnO nanowires interconnected with disks were grown over p-Si substrate and studied by numerous techniques to understand the structural, compositional and morphological characteristics. Electrical properties, at lowtemperatures ranging from 77 K–295 K, were examined for the fabricated heterojunction diode assembly both in reverse and forward biased conditions which exhibited an excellent stability over all the temperature range. The detailed electrical characterizations revealed that the current decreases gradually from 1.9 μA, to 0.87 μA to 0.84 μA when temperature increases from 77 K, 100 K to 150 K and then increases gradually from 1.86 μA–3.36 μA and to 9.95 μA when temperature increases from 200 K–250 K and to 295 K, respectively. Both the highest rectifying ratio at 100 K and ...
Research Interests:
We investigated the detection of chloroform (CHCl3) using ZnO nanoclusters via density functional theory calculations. The effects of various concentrations of CHCl3, as well as the deposition of O atoms, on the adsorption over ZnO... more
We investigated the detection of chloroform (CHCl3) using ZnO nanoclusters via density functional theory calculations. The effects of various concentrations of CHCl3, as well as the deposition of O atoms, on the adsorption over ZnO nanoclusters were analyzed via geometric optimizations. The calculated difference between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital for ZnO was 4.02 eV. The most stable adsorption characteristics were investigated with respect to the adsorption energy, frontier orbitals, elemental positions, and charge transfer. The results revealed that ZnO nanoclusters with a specific geometry and composition are promising candidates for chloroform-sensing applications.
Research Interests:
Electrowetting-on-dielectric is a preferred option in practical applications of the electrowetting phenomenon but limited by dielectric and breakdown performances of the dielectric layer. In the present work, a ceramic/polymer... more
Electrowetting-on-dielectric is a preferred option in practical applications of the electrowetting phenomenon but limited by dielectric and breakdown performances of the dielectric layer. In the present work, a ceramic/polymer nanocomposite as a novel dielectric layer is developed to intensify the overall electrowetting performances by multiscale interface effect. Hereinto, surface fluoro-modified ZrO2 nanoparticles (mZrO2) are dispersed well in AF 1600 matrix to form a mZrO2@AF 1600 nanocomposite. The small addition of mZrO2 improves the dielectric constant of the nanocomposite, and the experimental value is larger than the theoretical value calculated by Maxwell–Garnett model, but fits well with the Rahaman–Khastgir model. The molecular dynamics simulations with the explicit model further verify the interfacial effect. Meanwhile, double contact angle modulation and higher breakdown field strength (Eb) are obtained. For the three-layer sandwich structure, both the top and bottom AF...
Research Interests:
The proposed work reports that ZnO nanoflowers were grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates via a solution process at low temperature. The high purity and well-crystalline behavior of ZnO nanoflowers were established by X-ray... more
The proposed work reports that ZnO nanoflowers were grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates via a solution process at low temperature. The high purity and well-crystalline behavior of ZnO nanoflowers were established by X-ray diffraction. The morphological characteristics of ZnO nanoflowers were clearly revealed that the grown flower structures were in high density with 3D floral structure comprising of small rods assembled as petals. Using UV absorption and Raman spectroscopy, the optical and structural properties of the ZnO nanoflowers were studied. The photoelectrochemical properties of the ZnO nanoflowers were studied by utilizing as a photoanode for the manufacture of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The fabricated DSSC with ZnO nanoflowers photoanode attained reasonable overall conversion efficiency of ~1.40% and a short-circuit current density (JSC) of ~4.22 mA cm−2 with an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.615 V and a fill factor (FF) of ~0.54. ZnO nanostructures...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Rechargeable batteries are attractive power storage equipment for a broad diversity of applications. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are widely used the superior rechargeable battery in portable electronics. The increasing needs in... more
Rechargeable batteries are attractive power storage equipment for a broad diversity of applications. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are widely used the superior rechargeable battery in portable electronics. The increasing needs in portable electronic devices require improved Li-ion batteries with excellent results over many discharge-recharge cycles. One important approach to ensure the electrodes’ integrity is by increasing the storage capacity of cathode and anode materials. This could be achieved using nanoscale-sized electrode materials. In the article, we review the recent advances and perspectives of carbon nanomaterials as anode material for Lithium-ion battery applications. The first section of the review presents the general introduction, industrial use, and working principles of Li-ion batteries. It also demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of nanomaterials and challenges to utilize nanomaterials for Li-ion battery applications. The second section of the review de...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper reports the rapid synthesis, characterization, and photovoltaic and sensing applications of TiO2 nanoflowers prepared by a facile low-temperature solution process. The morphological characterizations clearly reveal the... more
This paper reports the rapid synthesis, characterization, and photovoltaic and sensing applications of TiO2 nanoflowers prepared by a facile low-temperature solution process. The morphological characterizations clearly reveal the high-density growth of a three-dimensional flower-shaped structure composed of small petal-like rods. The detailed properties confirmed that the synthesized nanoflowers exhibited high crystallinity with anatase phase and possessed an energy bandgap of 3.2 eV. The synthesized TiO2 nanoflowers were utilized as photo-anode and electron-mediating materials to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and liquid nitroaniline sensor applications. The fabricated DSSC demonstrated a moderate conversion efficiency of ~3.64% with a maximum incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) of ~41% at 540 nm. The fabricated liquid nitroaniline sensor demonstrated a good sensitivity of ~268.9 μA mM−1 cm−2 with a low detection limit of 1.05 mM in a short response time of 10 s.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We report the successful formation of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Co3O4/MWCNTs) composites as efficient electrocatalytic materials for chemical sensing.
Research Interests:
Fabrication and characterization of enzyme-free electrochemical sensor for the sensing of monosaccharide and disaccharide sugars based on perforated NiO nanosheets (NSs).
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Fluoropolymers play an essential role in electrowetting (EW) systems. However, no fluoropolymer possesses the desirable properties of both hydrophobicity and dielectric strength. In this study, for the first time, we report the... more
Fluoropolymers play an essential role in electrowetting (EW) systems. However, no fluoropolymer possesses the desirable properties of both hydrophobicity and dielectric strength. In this study, for the first time, we report the integration of two representative fluoropolymers—namely, Teflon AF (AF 1600X) and Cytop (Cytop 809A)—into one bifunctionalized dielectric nanolayer. Within this nanolayer, both the superior hydrophobicity of Teflon AF and the excellent dielectric strength of Cytop were able to be retained. Each composed of a 0.5 μm Cytop bottom layer and a 0.06 μm Teflon AF top layer, the fabricated composite nanolayers showed a high withstand voltage of ~70 V (a dielectric strength of 125 V/μm) and a high water contact angle of ~120°. The electrowetting and dielectric properties of various film thicknesses were also systemically investigated. Through detailed study, it was observed that the thicker Teflon AF top layers produced no obvious enhancement of the Cytop/Teflon AF s...