Nanosecond Pulsed laser ablation in liquid (ns-PLAL) was utilized as a surfactant-free route to synthesize mono- (Au, Ag), binary- (AuAg, AuPd), and ternary (AuAgPd) nanoparticles in ultrapure water. The physicochemical properties of the colloids were systematically investigated to elucidate the influence of alloying on optical and functional performance. Optical measurements showed a pronounced localized surface plasmon resonance for Ag nanoparticles, whereas Pd incorporation led to progressive plasmon damping in alloyed systems. Electron microscopy confirmed predominantly spherical to quasi-spherical nanostructures with moderate polydispersity, and X-ray diffraction indicated a crystalline face-centered cubic (FCC) phase for all compositions. Zeta-potential analysis revealed stable negatively charged colloids. High-speed imaging of the ablation process demonstrated strong laser–matter interaction characterized by shockwave formation and rapid particle ejection in the liquid environment. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using Rhodamine 6G as a probe molecule showed signal enhancement for all nanoparticle systems, with Ag colloids exhibiting exceptional sensitivity and a detection limit down to 10⁻⁹ M, along with the first report of PLAL prepared ternary colloidal (AuAgPd) nanoparticle system towards R6G detection. Furthermore, antibacterial evaluation against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (resazurin assay) revealed superior antimicrobial activity for the ternary AuAgPd nanoparticles, achieving minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations as low as 2.3 µg mL⁻¹ against E. coli. These findings demonstrate that PLAL-derived nanoparticles, provide ultrasensitive molecular detection, and strong antibacterial activity, highlighting their promise as multifunctional materials for sensing and environmental remediation. Colloidal metal nanoparticles of Au,Ag,AuAg.AuPd, AuAgPd synthesized using pulsed laser ablation in liquid. Optical, physical and chemical properties investigated. SERS sensing of Rhodamine 6G revealed detection limit up to nanomolar concentrations Enhanced antibacterial effect of tri-metallic colloid towards human pathogens.

Improvements in solar cell technology are crucial for effectively harnessing solar energy for a sustainable future. In the quest for developing cost-efficient and high-performance solar cells, various research groups have made strenuous efforts by employing novel techniques and absorber materials. Owing to their excellent optical and electronic properties, plasmonic metal nanostructures are highly sought-after materials in the scientific community among the various nanomaterials utilized for energy conversion applications, especially for solar cells. This review compares the current trends in implanting these stable metallic nanostructures within the solar cell architecture to improve the photon harvesting capability. The categories of emerging solar cells focused herein include perovskite, dye-sensitized, and quantum dots, investigating the role of size and morphology of metal nanoparticles in boosting power conversion efficiency. A special focus is given on the physics behind the light entrapment due to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect observed noble metal nanostructures resulting in hot electron generation and injection to boost the electrical performance in these emerging solar cells. This review also provides a comparative analysis of plasmonic approaches against other alternatives to enhance photocurrent in solar cells. Finally, discussion on the prospects of plasmonic nanomaterials for solar cell development alongside the challenges associated with achieving efficient solar cell fabrication are presented with a perspective.

The use of plasmonic nanomaterials as performance enhancers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has recently gained significant attention, with photonic excitation of metal nanoparticles resulting in improved light entrapment and near-field excitation. However, there are limited studies on using pulsed laser-synthesized colloidal silver nanoparticles as modified photoanodes within the DSSC architecture. In this study, colloids of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with varying concentrations are produced using the advanced nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid technique and subsequently implanted into the TiO 2 photoanode of the N719 DSSC, forming an Ag@TiO 2 nanostructure. The optical properties, investigated through UV-visible spectroscopy, reveal a concentration-dependent absorbance of colloidal Ag NPs based on the duration of laser exposure. Using a second harmonic wavelength of 532 nm leads to the formation of spherical and quasi-spherical nanoparticles with a size range of 20–180 nm. The photovoltaic performance of a solution-processed DSSC with the Ag@TiO 2 modified photoanode at varying concentrations of Ag NPs is studied, with an optimal concentration of 13 µg/ml and doping (wt%) of 2.0%, resulting in almost a two-fold increase in photocurrent density ( J sc ) of 13.56 mA/cm 2 , and maximum power output (P max ) of 1.125 mW, with the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.50% when compared with standard DSSC. The DSSC characterizations, including transient photocurrent response, showed higher current density for Ag-doped photoanodes compared with bare TiO 2, and the electrochemical impedance of the modified DSSC showed the lowest transfer resistance (R c-t ) of 3.6 Ω. Finally, the developed plasmonic DSSC highlights the effect of enhanced light absorption through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and enhanced charge transfer within the absorber layer, resulting in improved solar cell performance.

Nanocomposites of polymers combined with metal oxide nanoparticles have gained much attention due to their synergistic properties leading to enhanced functional ability. Herein, we report the synthesis of a nanocomposite composed of chitosan (CS) with Ag/ZnO nanoparticles produced via a wet chemistry route. The CS/Ag/ZnO nanocomposite was characterized to study its crystal structure, morphology, thermal, and chemical properties. Morphological studies revealed uniform deposition of Ag NPs (with size range of 20–50 nm) and ZnO nanoparticles (with size range of 80–100 nm) within the chitosan matrix. XRD analysis of the composite revealed a shift in peak position of chitosan and suppression of crystalline peaks of Ag and ZnO NPs. The TGA analysis confirmed better thermal stability of the composite with the infusion of Ag and ZnO NPs. FTIR and Raman analysis confirmed the molecular interaction of Ag and ZnO NPs with CS. The estimated band gap of the CS/Ag/ZnO was 2.97 eV is lower than Ag and ZnO NPs. The nanocomposite showed a remarkable antibacterial activity against human pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria sp., Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium) tested using the resazurin assay with the highest potency observed for E.coli with both minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 0.1562 µg/µL. Further, the catalytic response of CS/Ag/ZnO towards the photodegradation of the methylene blue dye revealed degradation of 89.4 % within 120 min under simulated sunlight, with a rate constant of K = 0.0016 min-1 when compared with 70.6 % and 74.3 % degradation observed for Ag NPs and ZnO NPs respectively. The bi-functional ability of the synthesized CS/Ag/ZnO composite nanomaterial is demonstrated, and prospective applications are discussed.

Pulsed laser ablation in liquid is an environment-friendly and one of the fastest physical routes to synthesize surfactant-free and stable metal/metal oxide nanoparticles with high purity and no harmful residues. In this study, we report the synthesis of silver nanospheres (AgNSs) using the nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) technique resulting in the formation of a colloidal solution. Investigation of the optical properties using UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed the effects of laser wavelength, frequency, fluence, ablation time, and reirradiation on the light absorption of the produced silver nanospheres. Physicochemical characterizations included FE-SEM, XRD, DLS, FTIR, and XPS techniques to evaluate the size, morphology, crystal structure, size distribution, zeta potential, and surface chemistry. FE-SEM studies revealed the formation of well-dispersed spherical Ag nanospheres with an average particle size of 209 nm without any agglomeration. DLS measurements showed high stability with a recorded zeta potential value of -38.27 (+/-1.81) mV and a wider size distribution. The XRD analysis indicated a face-centered cubic crystal structure with the formation of an oxide layer over the metallic silver core. The presence of silver and oxygen was confirmed through XPS studies with binding energies at 368.1 eV and 374.1 eV and oxide formation on the surface of Ag NSs. Finally, the catalytic activity of the Ag colloid was examined for the degradation of the toxic methylene blue dye. The results revealed an excellent catalytic response with 90 % of the dye degraded in just 15 min of reaction time. The kinetics of the degradation process were studied with a rate constant of 0.054/min- 1 showcasing the effectiveness of the pulsed laser-synthesized silver colloidal nanomaterial as a sustainable approach for environmental remediation.

Metal foam is a new type of metal that has a variety of uses because its properties can be customised to suit a specific need. Since it has the potential to replace traditional metals, it is important to explore the most advanced methods for creating foams with various levels of porosity. However, it is difficult to produce metal foam cost effectively while also achieving the desired properties due to the random structure and complexity of the process. Therefore, this manuscript outlines a step-by-step guide for creating Ni-based foam using electrodeposition, which overcomes these developmental challenges. Also, the manuscript discusses the characterisation of the foam's integrity parameters at each stage, as well as the problems encountered during production and their solutions to optimise the developmental process. Finally, the manuscript presents mechanical testing results that demonstrate the foam's compressive strength of 10.21 MPa at 80% length reduction, porosity of 92% and pressure drop through foam of 0.026% was reported. The developed foam can find usability in corrosive and high-temperature filtration systems, substantiated by mechanical testing results, that are also described.

Ghaf, a resilient tree in arid environments, plays a critical role in ecological restoration, desertification mitigation, and cultural heritage preservation. However, the seeds' inherent challenges, notably their hard outer coating restricting germination, emphasize the pressing need for innovative strategies. This work aimed to investigate the optimization of Ghaf seed germination process through seed priming with ZnO nanoparticles treatment (duration (t), concentration (c), temperature (T), and agitation (a), employing the Taguchi method for efficient experimental design. Furthermore, the study includes Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), analysis for the regression model to assess the significance of predictor variables and their interactions, thereby strengthening the statistical validity of our optimization approach. Notably, it revealed that concentration is a pivotal influencer in optimization of Ghaf seed germination. The results showed that the concentration of ZnO nanoparticles has no linear relation with any other parameters. To verify the outcomes, validation tests were performed utilizing the predicted optimal parameters. The observed low error ratio, falling within the range of 1 to 6%, confirmed the success of the Taguchi methodology in identifying optimal levels of the factors chosen. Significantly, ZnO-primed seeds showcased a remarkable enhancement in Ghaf seed germination, increasing from 15 to 88%. This study introduces a novel approach utilizing ZnO nanoparticle treatment optimized through the Taguchi method, significantly enhancing seed germination rates of Ghaf seeds and offering a promising avenue for sustainable agricultural practices in arid environments.

Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries are blessed with natural resources in abundance and their economy heavily relies on fossil fuels to produce power and to generate revenue. However, the fluctuating oil and gas market and globally increasing carbon emissions have forced these countries to tap into the potential of using renewable energy resources with the use of solar energy as an auxiliary source. Solar energy utilization has caught the attention of GCC countries with significant investments and ambitious projects being announced using the available technologies. Apart from the technological implementation, GCC countries have also invested in research programs looking to develop innovative technologies for harnessing solar energy. In this paper, we present the current research trend on solar energy utilization as well as the development initiatives taken by the GCC countries in utilizing solar energy to build a cleaner and sustainable future. We also critically analyze if there is any impact of collaborative research on technological development. Finally, the challenges faced by these nations in utilizing solar power are presented

The emergence of the Nipah virus (NiV) presents a significant global health concern due to its potential for severe outbreaks and high fatality rates. The study's primary aim was to find the diagnostic and control measures to tackle the emergence of the nipa virus in Pakistan from one health perspective. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore from August 2023 to November 2023. The study utilizes multidisciplinary collaboration, encompassing human health, veterinary sciences, environmental sciences, and public health experts, ensuring a holistic evaluation of the situation. Data was collected from different regions of Pakistan. The study encompassed 500 suspected cases, ultimately confirming 80 cases of Nipah virus. Geographically, the North region exhibited a higher incidence, with 35 confirmed cases, while the South region reported 20 confirmed cases. Among age groups, individuals aged 25-45 accounted for 45 confirmed cases, followed by 46-65 years with 25 confirmed cases. It is concluded that Effective control measures were observed in certain aspects, such as surveillance systems' ability to pinpoint clusters. Still, gaps in intersectoral collaboration and environmental involvement were evident, demanding immediate attention to fortifying these strategies.

In recent years, there has been much focus on how the structure and morphology of CoMn2O4 materials influence their electrochemical performance. Herein we introduce a KOH-surfactant agent to form a hexagonal like-CoMn2O4 via hydrothermal. The X-ray Rietveld refinement evidenced that spinel CoMn2O4 with the tetragonal structured I 41/amd phase. Further, the chemical environment of this phase is identified using various techniques. Surface morphology studies revealed hexagonal-like features. Owing to its features, the material delivers an excellent capacitance of 638.8 F/g. CoMn2O4 also shows attained columbic efficiency of 81% and retains a capacitance of 85% after 4000 charge-discharge cycles. The excellent cyclic stability and high performance are achieved due to the more active sites and convenient electronic transference route for the ions through an electrochemical process. The symmetrical two-electrode assembly has also been fabricated. Hence, we believed that the surfactant-KOH mediated hexagonal-like-CoMn2O4 material should enhance the supercapacitor properties.

Fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials are slowly but substantially replacing traditional metallic materials due to their high specific strength and improved wear resistance. However, composites are still more expensive than traditional materials. In this work, composites fabricated from carbon fiber and glass have been compared for hardness and wear resistance. The FRP composites were prepared using hand lay-up technique. The results revealed that the hardness of pure epoxy composite was 83HV. However, it was 415.2 HV and 319.8HV for carbon and glass fiber composite respectively. The applied load has significant effect on the wear rate of both composites and it increase with the applied load. Furthermore, it was observed that carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites are more resistant to wear than glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites.

Pulsed laser ablation in liquid, used for nanoparticle synthesis from solid bulk metal targets (a top-down approach), has been a hot topic of research in the past few decades. It is a highly efficient and 'green' fabrication method for producing pure, stable, non-toxic (ligand-free), colloidal nanoparticles, which is often challenging using traditional chemical methods. Due to the short time scale interaction between the laser pulses and the target, it is difficult to achieve complete control on the physical characteristics of metallic nanoparticles. Laser process parameters, liquid environment, and external fields vastly effect the shape and structure of nanoparticles for targeted applications. Past reviews on pulsed laser ablation have focused extensively on synthesising different materials using this technique but little attention has been given to explaining the dependency aspect of the process parameters in fine-tuning the nanoparticle characteristics. In this study, we reviewed the state of the art literature available on this technique, which can help the scientific community develop a comprehensive understanding with special insights into the laser ablation mechanism. We further examined the importance of these process parameters in improving the ablation rate and productivity and analysed the morphology, size distribution, and structure of the obtained nanoparticles. Finally, the challenges faced in nanoparticle research and prospects are presented.

Offshore Oil and Gas pipelines experience severe corrosion both externally (due to seawater) and internally (due to flow of corrosive hydrocarbons) reducing their operational life significantly. The main segments of these carbon steel-made pipelines (viz. flow lines and risers) function to either inject acidic chemicals, water to keep the reservoir in working condition or to transport hydrocarbons to the receiving facility hence experiencing extreme pressure, sour and corrosive environments. To reduce internal corrosion and to increase the operational performance of these pipelines, the oil and gas industry has adopted various methods such as using corrosion inhibitors, coatings, corrosion-resistant alloy, composite materials, etc. Cladding on carbon steel pipes with corrosion-resistant alloy has emerged as the front runner solution for internal corrosion mitigation and to enhance the service life of piping components. Manufacturing industries have adopted advanced techniques to fabricate clad pipes such as hot roll bonded, Co-extrusion, Powder metallurgy, Solid corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA), Weld Overlay Cladding using Ni-based super alloys, etc. This article focuses on providing a comprehensive review of clad pipe fabrication methods employed by the industry focusing on their merits and demerits. Also, it identifies the most preferred process in terms of enhanced productivity which can help the scientific as well as industrial communities to analyze state-of-the-art technology in clad pipe manufacturing.

Bi-Metallic Nanoparticles (BMNPs) have been extensively researched for applications in various fields of Nano-engineering, Nano-medicine, and Nano-biotechnology. Methods used in synthesizing them (top-down and bottom-up) have also been vastly explored. From the past reviews, extensive usage of chemical approaches (such as Sol-Gel, polymer precursor, micro-emulsion, hydrothermal, sonochemical, etc.) has been reported. However, by usage of pre-cursors, harmful and toxic chemical agents, longer reaction time, there is a limited or no contribution towards green environment. Producing BMNPs at a commercial scale in such a scenario would have detrimental effects which are still un-realized. Also, some of the biomedical applications, demand usage of pure and stable nanoparticles Therefore, the need immediately arises to opt for a greener synthesis method. One such available physical approach Laser-assisted synthesis (LASIS) gives effective control, as well as stable, pure BMNPs, is obtained. This review focuses on the recent work done in Laser-assisted synthesis of BMNPs with a focus on their properties and different nanostructures formed using this technique for bio-imaging, anticancer, and drug delivery applications and thereby its contribution in being an environment-friendly and green technology.

One of the major drawbacks in the performance of PV modules is their operating temperature which grows linearly with the irradiance. It is well known for a fact that solar cell temperature is directly dependent on the electrical conversion efficiency of a PV module. The extra heat generated by the PV module due to the absorption of incoming solar irradiance is seen as an electrical loss to the overall output of the system and also results in thermal stresses getting developed. Therefore, to tackle this issue of overheating, the focus of PV module research in the past two decades has always been to analyze & develop various kinds of Heat dissipation techniques to reduce its cell temperature thereby increasing the maximum power output of the panel. This work presents a comprehensive review of the technologies adopted by researchers for heat dissipation of PV systems by both active and passive cooling techniques such as hybrid Solar PV/T system, usage of phase change materials, improved heat exchanger channel design, heat sinks, jet impingement cooling, thermoelectric cooling etc. This manuscript considers also the most economical, feasible and cost-effective heat dissipation /cooling technique of the PV modules and finally to give a perspective of how feasible they are in being adopted by the manufacturing sector. The outcomes of this study can help researchers, designers and engineers to analyze and come up with a practical solution in development of PV systems.

In this paper, the performance characteristics of a photovoltaic (PV) module are modeled numerically and validated experimentally for the typical climatic conditions of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The electrical model is developed using EES software including all the important parameters like cell temperature, maximum power point current, maximum power point voltage, electrical power, and maximum power point efficiency. The model results were compared with the experimental values obtained by exposing the PV panel to the local environmental conditions of Dhahran. The variation of cell temperature, maximum power point current, voltage, maximum power and efficiency of PV module was recorded for a typical day and the effect of climatic conditions including solar irradiance, ambient temperature and wind speed was quantified. Finally, the modeled results were found to be in close agreement with the experimental values with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.98 and root mean square error of e = 5.2% for the overall efficiency and power output.

The performance of PV (photovoltaic) module is strongly dependent on its operating temperature. Most of the energy absorbed by the panel is converted to heat which is normally lost and provides no value. In order to study the performance of a hybrid PV water cooled system, a numerical model (electrical and thermal) is developed using EES (Engineering Equation Solver) software. The model predicts various electrical and thermal parameters affecting its performance. The effect of cooling the module by incorporating a heat exchanger (cooling panel) at its rear surface is also investigated experimentally. The results of the numerical model are found in good agreement with the experimental measurements performed for the climate of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. With active water cooling, the module temperature dropped significantly to about 20% leading to an increase in the PV panel efficiency by 9%.

Network planning in the highly competitive, demand-adaptive and rapidly grow- ing cellular telecommunications industry is a fairly complex and crucial issue. It comprises collective optimization of the supporting, switching, signaling and in- terconnection networks to minimize costs while observing imposed infrastructure constraints. This work focuses on the problem of assigning cells to switches, which comprise the Base Station Controller and Mobile Switching Center, in a cellular mobile network. As a classic instance of the NP-hard Quadratic Assignment Prob- lem (QAP), deterministic algorithms are incapable of nding optimal solutions in the vast complex search space in polynomial time. Hence, a randomized, heuristic algorithm, such as Simulated Evolution is used in this work to optimize the trans- mission costs in cellular networks. The results achieved are compared with existing methods available in literature.

Network planning in the highly competitive, demand-adaptive and rapidly growing cellular telecommunications industry is a fairly complex and crucial issue. It comprises collective optimization of the supporting, switching, signaling and interconnection networks to minimize costs while observing imposed infrastructure constraints. This work focuses on the problem of assigning cells to switches, which comprise the Base Station Controller and Mobile Switching Center, in a cellular mobile network. As a classic instance of the NP-hard Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP), deterministic algorithms are incapable of nding optimal solutions in the vast complex search space in polynomial time. Hence, a randomized, heuristic algorithm, such as Simulated Evolution is used in this work to optimize the transmission costs in cellular networks. The results achieved are compared with existing methods available in literature.

Designing and planning of the switching, signaling and support network is a fairly complex process in cellular mobile network. In this paper, the problem of assigning cells to switches in cellular mobile network, which is considered a planning problem, is addressed. The cell to switch assignment problem which falls under the category of the Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) is a proven NP--hard problem. Further, the problem is modeled to include an additional constraint in the formulation. The additional constraint is of the maximum number of switch ports that are used for a cell's Base Station Transceiver System (BTS) connectivity to the switch. The addition of the constraint on the number of ports on a switch has immense practical significance. This paper presents a non--deterministic heuristic based on Simulated Evolution (SimE) iterative algorithm to provide solutions. The methods adopted in this paper are a completely innovative formulation of the problem and involve application of Evolutionary Computing for this complex problem that may be extended to solutions of similar problems in VLSI design, distributed computing and many other applications.