The current study investigates the thermal stability of four commercial-grade Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymers in the asphalt binder (SBS-PBs) and corresponding asphalt mixes, focusing on differences in vinyl content (≤ 15
E-rickshaws have emerged as a popular low-cost electric para-transit mode in Indian cities, providing short-distance and last-mile connectivity. Their low cruising speeds (15–25 km/h), high maneuverability, and frequent interactions with faster vehicles raise concerns regarding congestion and capacity reduction on arterial roads. Despite their growing presence, limited research has quantified their macroscopic impact on heterogeneous traffic. This study addresses this gap by developing a microsimulation framework explicitly incorporating E-rickshaw characteristics. The simulation model developed in VISSIM was calibrated and validated using field data from an urban arterial to replicate observed speed–flow patterns and vehicle speed distributions. Using the validated framework, scenarios with E-rickshaw penetration ranging from 0 to 50
The fabrication of sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO) nanorod arrays offers a promising and economical approach to improving light management in photovoltaic devices. In this study, we introduce a novel light-trapping approach using a sputtered ITO nanorod array as a substitute for traditional surface texturing. We successfully fabricated a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p-i-n solar cell on the ITO nanorod substrate and compared its performance to a standard reference device. The ITO nanorods, grown at 320 °C, exhibited excellent optical properties, with a diffused-to-total transmitted light ratio exceeding 50
Charge transfer in concentrated alloys governs their structural stability and functional response, and can be strongly perturbed by lattice defects. In high-entropy alloys (HEA), the interaction between edge dislocations and atomic volume misfit plays a central role in solid-solution strengthening models; however, the influence of dislocations on local charge transfer has not been explicitly investigated. In this work, large-scale ab initio calculations are employed to examine dislocation-mediated charge transfer in CoNi, CoCrNi, and CoCrFeMnNi alloys. The calculations reveal anomalous charge redistribution near edge dislocation cores, including deviations from conventional electronegativity trends. The observed behavior is shown to originate from collective electronegativity equalization effects rather than simple pairwise atomic interactions. Furthermore, the asymmetric atomic-volume response within the compressive and tensile regions of the dislocation field is rationalized in terms of anomalous magneto-volume fluctuations. These results establish a direct coupling between dislocation-induced electronic redistribution and local volumetric response in chemically complex alloys. The demonstrated coupling between dislocation-mediated charge transfer and atomic volume fluctuations provides a pathway toward electronically informed solid-solution strengthening models and defect-aware alloy design strategies for chemically complex alloys. These findings further suggest that local electronic redistribution near dislocation cores can play a critical role in governing deformation behavior and defect energetics in high-entropy alloys.
2D MoS2, a wonder material, has emerged as a highly efficient catalyst owing to its unique morphology, band structure, and reduced size. Here, hierarchical MoS2 nanoflowers with exposed petals and abundant edges are hydrothermally synthesized and evaluated for sonocatalytic dye removal. The polymorphic few-layer MoS2 nanosheets comprising metallic 1T (45%) and semiconducting 2H (55%) phases exhibit dual functionality in adsorption and piezocatalysis toward ultrafast dye removal when subjected to mechanical strain. Under ultrasonic irradiation, the 1T/2H MoS2 sonocatalyst removes 99.6% of RhB dye within 9 min, which is five times faster than the adsorption process. Other dyes, such as MB and RB, are also very rapidly removed within a few seconds by the MoS2 sonocatalyst. On application of ultrasound vibration, a built-in piezoelectric field is developed across the few-layer 1T/2H MoS2 nanosheet which drives the separation and migration of charge carriers promoting redox reactions for dye degradation. The low dimensionality, high fraction edge sites, wider bandgap (1.55 eV), and abundant sulfur vacancies of 1T/2H MoS2 collectively enhance the piezocatalyst property of the material. The photo-sonocatalytic study of the material exhibits a slower removal reaction process when the material is subjected to simultaneous ultrasound and visible light irradiation. This photo-assisted retardation phenomenon can be attributed to the depletion of piezoelectric polarization by the photo-generated carriers. Hence, this work explores the remarkable catalytic properties of the few-layer 1T/2H MoS2 nanosheet for efficient mechanical-energy-driven pollutant removal under ultrasound and visible light irradiation.
