The development of a high‐performance electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a challenge in water splitting to produce hydrogen. Here, a Co 2 P/FeP 4 heterostructure catalyst was prepared using an in situ assembly‐hydrothermal‐calcination method (CoFe–P/NF), exhibiting remarkable OER performance. The formation of a heterostructure led to the redistribution of electrons, thereby optimizing the adsorption/desorption of intermediates during the OER process of the catalyst. Meanwhile, the 3D structure inherited from the precursor contributes to enhancing the catalyst’s stability. The CoFe–P/NF showed a low overpotential of 263 and 303 mV at current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm −2 . Additionally, the CoFe–P/NF had immense stability for 24 h at current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm −2 , respectively. Various characterization techniques and electrochemical experiments indicated that the heterostructure of FeP 4 and Co 2 P can improve the OER activity and stability of the catalyst.
In this study, we have reported the synthesis of Ni 0.4 Zn 0.6 Nd x Fe 2− x O 4 with varying concentrations of neodymium ( x = 0,0.025,0.05,0.075, 0.1) by sol gel method. The effect of neodymium doping on the structural parameters, magnetic properties, dielectric behavior, AC conductivity, and optical properties has been investigated in detail. Formation of a single phase in all prepared compositions except at x = 0.1 was confirmed by the XRD technique. The EDX analysis has confirmed the compositional uniformity and high purity. The VSM analysis has revealed ferrimagnetic behavior of the doped ferrites. The composition with neodymium content, x = 0.05, is reported to have the lowest coercivity, minimum dielectric loss and reasonably good dielectric constant; therefore can be considered as a potential candidate for high frequency applications. The UV‐DRS measurements have revealed a decrease in bandgap thereby indicating possible photocatalytic applications.
Benzaldehyde is a vital intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Traditional chemical synthesis methods are costly and cause environmental pollution. Therefore, developing novel green synthesis approaches is growing increasingly important. A photoelectrochemical (PEC) system was constructed using a WO3/SnO2 n-n heterojunction photoanode, with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) acting as a selective hydrogen-atom-transfer mediator. The preparation parameters were optimized, and the material was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. PEC properties and catalytic performance were evaluated. The optimized WO3/SnO2 exhibited extended light absorption and efficient charge separation. Under ambient conditions, the PEC system delivered 98% yield and 100% selectivity for benzaldehyde without using hazardous oxidants or causing substrate overoxidation. This work provides a green and efficient approach for benzaldehyde synthesis, offering theoretical and technical support for the PEC production of high-value fine chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates.
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) combine green renewability, excellent mechanical properties, and unique optical characteristics, showing great potential in packaging, electronics, biomedicine, and related fields. Previous studies have reported that CNC exhibit blue‐green photoluminescence and persistent room‐temperature phosphorescence (p‐RTP), with doping strategies being explored to tune their emission properties. However, chemical modification approaches for modulating the photoluminescence of CNC remain scarcely reported, particularly using atypical luminescent compounds as modifying agents. In this work, 2‐octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA) was successfully doped into CNC, yielding OSA‐doped CNC powder (CNC‐OSA). Both pristine CNC and CNC‐OSA exhibited excitation‐dependent emission and p‐RTP properties. Notably, the quantum efficiency of CNC‐OSA increased from 0.98% to 2.37%, and the p‐RTP lifetime extended by 23.40% compared to those of pristine CNC. Combined theoretical calculations and clustering‐triggered emission (CTE) mechanism analysis revealed that the physical incorporation of OSA into the CNC matrix reduced the energy gap between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), accompanied by a significant decrease in energy levels, thereby facilitating excitation and radiative transitions. Furthermore, the modified material exhibited a substantially larger spin–orbit coupling (SOC) constant, indicating that OSA doping effectively promotes intersystem crossing (ISC).
Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid isolated from Ziziphus jujube , is demonstrated to undergo spontaneous vesicular self‐assembly in aqueous‐organic binary mixtures. This represents the first report of BA‐based vesicles, with critical vesicular concentrations (CVC) of 30, 60, and 70 μM, respectively, determined in DMSO–water mixtures (1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 v/v), respectively. The morphology of the nano‐ to micro‐scale architectures was characterized using optical microscopy, AFM, SEM, HRTEM, FTIR, and XRD. These vesicles effectively encapsulate diverse fluorophores and the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. Controlled release studies highlight their potential for targeted drug delivery and the sequestering of toxic pollutants from waste water. Compared to free curcumin and BA alone, the curcumin‐loaded BA vesicular self‐assemblies showed significantly greater antimicrobial performance against both Gram‐positive ( S. aureus ) and Gram‐negative ( E. coli ) strains during disk diffusion assays. These findings establish betulinic acid vesicles as versatile, biobased platforms for potential therapeutic and environmental applications.
