Periyar University is a university in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1997. It is named after social reformer Thanthai Periyar E. V. Ramasamy. The University Grants Commissions, New Delhi bestowed 2f status in 1998 and 12(B) status in 2005 to the university. It is accredited by NAAC with 'A++' grade. It has been awarded a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.61 out of 4 points (performance descriptor "Excellent"). University ranked Second in India only after to Mumbai University and First in Tamil Nadu among State Universities. Periyar University is the first State University to rank "A++" grade.
In this work, a MnFe2O4/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite was successfully synthesized and explored for dual applications in photocatalytic degradation and colorimetric detection of tetracycline (TC) antibiotics. The structural, optical, and morphological analyses confirmed the formation of well-integrated heterostructures, featuring enhanced interfacial interactions and efficient electron-transfer properties. The MnFe2O4/ZnO/rGO nano-composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance, achieving a degradation efficiency of 95.65% towards TC antibiotics under light irradiation, attributed to efficient charge separation and enhanced generation of ROS species. Additionally, the MnFe2O4/ZnO/rGO nanocomposites demonstrated strong peroxidase-like activity, enabling sensitive colorimetric detection of TC antibiotics via inhibition of TMB oxidation, with a linear response in the range of 10-90 mu M and a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.21 mu M. The MnFe2O4/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite system also showed high selectivity against interfering species and good reproducibility in real sample analysis, with recoveries ranging from 92.59 to 101.69%. Furthermore, a smartphone-based RGB analysis provided a simple, portable, and cost-effective detection strategy. This work highlights the potential of MnFe2O4/ZnO/rGO nanocomposites as a multifunctional platform for environmental monitoring and water remediation applications.
Groundwater samples collected from Chengalpattu District were analyzed for uranium using an LED fluorimeter. The measured values ranged between 0.02 μg L−1and 2.814 μg L−1, with an average concentration of 0.347 μg L−1. All measured values were within the permissible limits recommended by the World Health Organization and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The study evaluated organ-specific uranium retention and committed equivalent doses for adults under chronic ingestion conditions using a hair-based compartmental biokinetic model. The results further confirm the previously reported non-uniform distribution of uranium among human organs and tissues, with tissue-specific retention characteristics governing its accumulation and residence time. Skeletal tissues, particularly cortical and trabecular bone volumes, exhibited the highest accumulation due to the strong affinity of uranyl ions for phosphate groups in hydroxyapatite, leading to prolonged retention and the largest contribution to internal radiation dose. In contrast, soft tissues, gastrointestinal tract segments, kidneys, and liver showed lower retention due to faster transfer and elimination rates. The gastrointestinal tract acts as the primary entry pathway, while the kidneys and urinary bladder play key roles in uranium clearance. Excretion analysis indicates that faeces elimination is the dominant pathway, followed by urinary and minor hair excretion. The highest committed equivalent doses were observed in bone surfaces, followed by other soft tissues, the lower large intestine wall, kidneys, upper large intestine wall, small intestine wall, stomach wall, and liver. The overall effective dose is mainly influenced by skeletal retention; however, the estimated doses across all locations remain low and well within international safety limits. These findings suggest minimal radiological health risk from chronic uranium ingestion in the study area and demonstrate that the hair compartmental biokinetic model is a reliable tool for long-term exposure and risk assessment.
The recent quest to produce clean and renewable energy on earth-abundant bifunctional electrocatalysts for more efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Developing costeffective bifunctional electrocatalysts through precise interfacial engineering is essential for efficient alkaline water splitting. Herein, a Ni3S2/SrMoO4 heterostructure composite is constructed via a facile hydrothermal strategy, where a chemically coupled heterointerface is deliberately engineered to induce charge redistribution across dissimilar anion frameworks. This interfacial electronic modulation optimizes charge transfer kinetics and regulates the adsorption of key reaction intermediates. As a result, the catalyst achieves overpotentials of 212 mV for OER and 100.1 mV for HER at 10 mA/cm2, with Tafel slopes of 103 and 90 mV/dec, respectively. The increased double-layer capacitance indicates a higher electrochemically active surface area, contributing to enhanced catalytic activity. The catalyst also maintains stable operation under alkaline conditions. In a two-electrode configuration, Ni3S2/SrMoO4 delivers a cell voltage of 1.61 V at 10 mA/cm2. The key innovation lies in anion-cation coupled heterointerface engineering, which provides an effective pathway for designing advanced, earth-abundant electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.
A new class of Co-complex of Schiff base, 2,2′-bipyridine mixed ligands immobilized on mesoporous MCM-41, has been synthesized. The morphology, pore structure and surface properties of the complex were characterized by FT-IR, SEM-EDX, TGA, ICP-OES, PXRD, BET and 13C-CP-MAS-NMR. Our synthesized catalyst has been found more active and efficient against the Knoevenagel–Michael addition of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthenes in EtOH/H2O medium at RT under ultrasonication.The performance of the catalyst was enhanced by the synergistic effect of cobalt ion, mixed ligands of imine and 2,2′-bipyridine along with the mesoporous support.Moreover, the MCM-41 bound heterogeneous catalyst has shown excellent stability and reusability over three consecutive cycles without significant loss in activity. The hot filtration test was confirmed the heterogeneous nature of the recovered catalyst.Its efficiency was clearly demonstrated and compared favorably with previously reported catalysts.
The rapidly evolving industrial landscape and environmental challenges in the BRICS countries are raising growing concerns about the sustainability of their growth trajectories. Despite their growing role in the global economy, limited empirical research has been conducted on how green finance, green technological innovation and environmental sustainability impact long-term economic growth. However, the current study addresses this gap by investigating the dynamic relationships among these factors for BRICS countries from 1990 to 2022. Using advanced second-generation econometric techniques, including the Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) and Dumitrescu-Hurlin (DH) panel causality tests, the study mitigates issues of endogeneity, cross-sectional dependence, and heterogeneity often ignored in previous literature. The results show that green finance and technological innovation are both greatly enhancing economic growth, while environmental degradation is hampering it. In addition, two-way causal links are identified between green finance (GRF), green growth (GRG) and economic growth (SGEI), underlining the inter-linkages between these variables. The findings provide a solid policy response, emphasising the need to strengthen green financial instruments, to promote clean technology innovation and to implement a coherent sustainability policy. This study contributes to the growing literature by providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the mechanisms by which green finance and innovation in emerging economies drive sustainable development.
