Here we report a machine learning based framework to predict the seebeck coefficient of ionic thermoelectric materials composed of matrix-ion donor combinations for thermoelectrochemical applications. A dataset of 73 ionic thermoelectric samples was compiled from published literature, and molecular descriptors for both matrix materials and ion donors were extracted using the RDKit toolkit. Recursive feature elimination was employed to identify an optimal subset of 12 descriptors, enabling accurate prediction with minimized feature parameters. Interpretable SHAP and correlation analyses identified FractionCSP3 and molecular weight as key determinants of thermoelectric performance. Among fifteen evaluated models, Decision Tree-based methods Decision Tree, Extra Trees, Random Forest achieved the highest predictive accuracy and were combined in a weighted ensemble to robustly predict seebeck coefficients for 100 previously unseen matrix-ion donor systems. The ensemble results identified several high-performance candidates, particularly polyurethane-, cellulose-, and polyvinylalcohol-based systems, with predicted seebeck coefficients reaching up to 38.73 mV K-1 . This study demonstrates that an interpretable machine-learning model with reduced feature dimensionality can effectively accelerate the discovery of high-performance ionic thermoelectric materials for wearable thermoelectrochemical applications.

Environmentally benign Gd₂O₃ particles were synthesized for the first time using Piper betel leaf extract via a green hydrothermal route, and Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulations were employed to determine the optimum Gd₂O₃ loading prior to composite fabrication, thereby significantly reducing experimental iterations. The synthesis and morphological tailoring of Gd₂O₃ particles were successfully achieved via green synthesis employing Piper betel leaf extract, followed by hydrothermal method. The simulation predictions served as a guideline for the fabrication of HDPE/Gd₂O₃ composites with different filler sizes and morphologies. Monte Carlo simulations identified 1.5wt.% Gd₂O₃ as the optimum filler loading, later confirmed experimentally with strong agreement between predicted and measured results. For PG-08 (rod-like Gd₂O₃ particles), the neutron transmission ratio dropped from 0.920 to 0.854 as filler content increased from 0 to 1.5wt.%, while HVL decreased from 8.2 to 4.4mm and TVL from 27 to 14mm. PG-13 showed transmission ratios of 0.920–0.859, HVL of 8.2–4.6mm, and TVL of 20–15mm over the same range. PG-08's superior shielding stemmed from the homogeneous dispersion of larger rod-like particles with less agglomeration, enhancing neutron–filler interaction compared to the more agglomerated ellipsoidal particles. The findings demonstrate that morphology-controlled, green-synthesized Gd₂O₃ fillers significantly enhance the neutron shielding performance of HDPE composites, while validating Monte Carlo simulation as an effective tool for the design and optimization of advanced neutron shielding materials.

Nanoparticle reinforced ternary alloy coatings offer significant advancement in surface engineering applications. We hereby report on a unique system comprising alumina nanoparticle reinforced ternary Ni-P-Mo composite coatings electrodeposited onto HSLA steel substrates. Detailed characterisation showed exceptional enhancement of the mechanical, wear and corrosion resistant properties. An optimised alumina nanoparticle addition (0.3 g/L) drastically improved hardness up to 35.5% and reduced wear rate by around 11.52% compared to pure Ni-P-Mo coatings. Moreover, a significant reduction in corrosion rate in Ni-P-Mo/Al2O3 (0.3 mils/yr) was observed compared to Ni-P-Mo (4.8 mils/yr). However, the introduction of Al2O3 nanoparticles at concentrations exceeding 0.3 g/L seemed to have a detrimental effect on the coating morphology, leading to compromised mechanical strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistant properties.

The structural, electronic, optoelectronic, thermoelectric, thermodynamic, mechanical, magnetic and energy storage characteristic were investigated using first principles studies. The simulations were conducted using the WIEN2k software within the GGA-PBEsol framework. The equilibrium lattice constant of a = 8.60 Å, which closely aligns with the experimental measurement of 8.611 Å, is derived by structural optimization. Structural optimization verifies that the material exhibits both thermodynamic and mechanical stability, adhering to the Born stability criterion, with a bulk modulus of 116 GPa and elastic constants of C₁₁ = 160 GPa, C₁₂ = 95 GPa, and C₄₄ = 55 GPa. The electronic band structure and density of states exhibit metallic characteristics with significant contributions from Pr-4f states at the Fermi level. At high temperatures, the material displays an ideal thermoelectric efficiency with a ZT value of about 0.26. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrates thermal stability across a wide temperature range, whereas magnetic simulations show small paramagnetic behavior and a small net magnetic moment of about 0.8 µB per formula unit. Optical examination of the UV light spectrum demonstrates robust reflection and elevated optical conductivity. Approximated migration barrier of approximately 250 meV, a theoretical capacity surpassing 200 mAh/g, and a volumetric expansion of about 8.5

The growing demand for high-frequency electronic components has intensified the search for dielectric materials with improved polarization and conduction behavior. Although, Magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4) spinels offer excellent thermal and mechanical stability, their limited dielectric response restricts wider technological use. This study investigates whether iron substitution can effectively enhance the structural and dielectric characteristics of MgAl2O4, addressing the need for tunable materials suitable for advanced electronic applications. A series of iron-doped compositions with the general formula MgAl2−xFexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25) were prepared using an economical citrate sol–gel method. The formation of the spinel phase was confirmed through X-ray diffraction. FTIR spectroscopy revealed characteristic AlO6 vibrational bands near 500 and 700 cm-1. Dielectric analysis showed a progressive increase in dielectric constant (from 4 × 102 to 9 × 102), dielectric loss (from 6.5 × 102 to 1.6 × 103), and tangent loss (from 1.2 to 1.5) with increasing iron content. Impedance and Cole–Cole analyses further demonstrated reduced resistance and improved relaxation dynamics in Fe-substituted samples. The findings establish iron doping as an effective strategy for tailoring the dielectric behavior of MgAl2O4, underscoring its potential for high-frequency electronics, sensors, and energy-related devices.

2D chalcogenide materials offer strong anisotropy and tunable electronic properties, making them promising candidates for next-generation thermoelectric and optoelectronic technologies.

In this study, we present an indigenous approach to enhancing the properties of Pb-(Zr0.52Ti0.48)-O3 by synthesizing it from β-PbO obtained from spent lead-acid batteries. Initially, β-PbO, orthorhombic massicot, was produced by two-step heating, and 99.9% lead powder was derived from recovered lead-acid batteries at 700 °C. The synthesized β-PbO was thoroughly analyzed using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Subsequently, the β-PbO precursor was utilized for the synthesis of PZT, offering a cost-effective alternative. The morphology of the sintered sample revealed the formation of homogeneous and uniform grains, indicative of significant densification (∼99%) of the ceramic. The sintered PZT exhibited an enhanced piezoelectric coefficient (d 33) of 270 pC/N, a Q m factor of 30.94, and a dielectric constant of 1590 at ∼10 kHz. This study highlights the feasibility of using β-PbO derived from recycled lead ingots to synthesize materials, presenting a sustainable approach that contributes to technological progress and environmental conservation.

Waste heat can be utilized to generate electric power via thermoelectric solid-state materials in a more reliable and noise-free way than conventional heat power systems. However, the primary concern arises from its low efficiency compared to conventional conversion technologies. Thermoelectric efficiency is measured in terms of a figure of merit (ZT), which is proportional to electrical conductivity (sigma) and Seebeck coefficient (S) and is inversely proportional to the thermal conductivity (kappa) of a material system. A material that has high electrical conductivity usually has low Seebeck coefficient and high thermal conductivity and vice versa and, therefore, a low ZT value. Hence, semiconductors are a vital choice for achieving a high ZT value compared to ceramics and metals, where all the above-mentioned parameter values are in an intermediate range. Researchers have been working for decades to independently control these thermoelectric parameters via various routes, such as nanostructuring, doping, compositional tuning, and band gap engineering. One significant approach in this direction is introducing controlled porosity into thermoelectric materials to achieve low thermal conductivity (kappa) while minimizing any detrimental impact on electrical conductivity (sigma). This review highlights the importance of porosity and its effect on porous thermoelectric materials and summarizes recent progress in developing advanced porous structures for high-performance thermoelectric materials systems. It also offers some prospects and strategies to independently control kappa with a very low synergistic effect on sigma to achieve a high ZT value. The review explores porous thermoelectric materials, emphasizing controlled porosity's impact on phonon scattering and thermal conductivity reduction. Multiple studies were discussed, highlighting prospects and limitations, alongside the latest trends.

CoNiCrAlY coatings are commonly employed in high-temperature oxidizing and corrosive environments because of their exceptional properties. The present study places emphases on the microstructural evaluation and corrosion behaviour of CoNiCrAlY coatings fabricated onto Inconel-718 nickel-based superalloy substrate by supersonic plasma spraying (SSPS) technique. The microstructure, phase composition and corrosion behaviour of the coating in 3.5

A smart window based on VO2 is a promising thermochromic (TC) glass that can regulate heat flow through windows by solar modulation near room temperature. TC glasses with high visible-light transmittance and large difference in infrared transmittance between high-and low-temperature VO2 phases are required to save large amounts of energy in buildings. VO2-based multilayer films with a buffer layer and/or an anti-reflective (AR) layer are used when the films are deposited by sputtering. In this study, VO2-based multilayer films were pre-pared on soda lime glass using ZnO as both the buffer and the AR layers. The structure of the multilayer film was simulated using the optical constants measured from the deposited films. The effect of buffer and AR layers on the TC properties of VO2-based multilayer films prepared by sputtering was investigated by simulation of the multilayer structure and deposition of the films with the simulated structure. The TC properties were measured and compared with the calculated properties. Improved TC properties (luminous transmittance (Tlum) of-50%/ 46% (30 degrees C/80 degrees C) and solar modulation ability (Delta Tsol) of-14%), compared to those without the buffer and AR layer, were obtained from the ZnO/VO2/ZnO film deposited on glass. The calculated transmittances agree better with the measured ones when the optical constants measured directly from the deposited films are used and the roughnesses of the surface/interface of the multilayer films are considered in the calculation of the optical constants.

Cu-based ternary structures have attracted substantial interest owing to their cost-effectiveness, widespread availability, and nontoxic characteristics, rendering them highly attractive for thermoelectric applications. Among these structures, Cu2SnSe3 (I2IVVI3) exhibits p-type semiconductor behavior and is considered a prominent thermoelectric material. Despite good electronic transport properties, these materials present very normal thermoelectric performance due to high thermal conductivity which compromises the benefit of high electrical conductivity. One way to reduce thermal conductivity is to introduce controlled porosity in Cu2SnSe3 to overcome this challenge and enhance its thermoelectric performance. Here, we are reporting the fabrication of a porous Cu2SnSe3 structure, in an effort to achieve independent control over thermal conductivity and to decouple the electronic and thermal properties of the material. Cu2SnSe3 was prepared using a ball mill method, followed by the addition of porogen (hexamine or bismuth iodide), and then densification and sintering. During the sintering process, the sublimation of porogen led to the formation of mixed-type (open and closed) porosity within the material. The pores inside the Cu2SnSe3 matrix act as phonon scattering sites, resulting in a substantial reduction of thermal conductivity from 1.09 to 0.22 W m(-1) K-1 at 548 K. Due to this reduction in thermal conductivity, the Cu2SnSe3 porous structure exhibited a reasonable figure of merit, reaching up to 0.85 at 548 K.

The present study involves simple chemical approach for development of metal oxide nanoparticles including tin oxide, aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles. Different spectroscopic techniques were involved to evaluate the structural, morphological, optical, chemical, dielectric, and antibacterial properties of synthesized nanomaterial. X-ray diffraction of alumina nanoparticles confirmed cubic crystal structure whereas the tin oxide and silica nanoparticles were found to be having tetragonal crystal structure. Low energy modes of the developed nanoparticles were performed through Raman spectroscopy. The morphological analysis of nanoparticles was performed through FESEM to evaluate grain size. The synthesized nanoparticles were uniformly distributed. Â FTIR was performed to confirm the presence of metal; oxide bond in synthesized materials. The optical band gap value ( ) of nanoparticles was calculated to confirm the optical ability. The dielectric spectroscopy of nanomaterial was performed to demonstrate dielectric, energy storage and capacitance abilities of nanomaterial and it was observed that Aluminium Oxide nanoparticles shows excellent. At last, the antibacterial activity of metal oxide nanoparticles was performed to confirm antibacterial applications of nanoparticles and the (21 mm) of the largest zone of inhibition for tin oxide nanoparticle against gram negative bacterial strain Escherichia coli was observed compared to other metal oxide nanoparticle

We report the potential of an SnSe2–rGO composite as a thermoelectric (TE) material and the effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) concentration on its TE properties. SnSe2–rGO composites were synthesized via a solvothermal route followed by sintering at 823 K in the presence of argon. The in-situ doping of rGO within the SnSe2 matrix was successfully achieved. The resultant composite showed a significant improvement in electrical conductivity, which displayed a peak value of 2479 S/m (pure SnSe2 = 750 S/m) at 300 K. This enhancement is due to the presence of rGO conductive sheets, which increased the carrier concentration of the overall structure. The investigation confirms that increasing the rGO concentration can improve the thermoelectric properties of bulk SnSe2, where the peak ZT of 0.18 at 750 K was achieved when 11.7

An effective chemical assist Sonochemical method was used to synthesize facile and homogenous undoped and Cr (3, and 6 at. %) doped SnO2 nanoparticles within aqueous solution. Different characterization methods, including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), UV-vis spectroscopy Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy and gas sensing were used to examine the structural, optical and chemical behavior of the synthesized SnO2 nano-particles. The XRD results showed that the synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles exhibit high crystallinity and rutile phase. The synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles had an average crystallite size of 7.8 +/- 2 nm. Crystallite size is found to be decreased when chromium is doped in SnO2 at different concentrations.The morphology of SnO2 nanoparticles was studied by FESEM, and the results showed that the developed SnO2 nanoparticles are uniform, spherical, and evenly dispersed. The SnO2 nanoparticles were investigated by EDS's chemical technique. The chromium, oxygen peak and Sn peak are present, according to the EDS spectra. The doping concentrations of Cr (3 % and 6% wt.) confirmed from the EDS spectrum. The Optical band gap of Undoped and Cr doped SnO2 nanoparticles were evaluated by UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that band gap of the SnO2 nanoparticles increased with addition of the Cr contents. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was used to analyze the chemical characteristics of SnO2 nanoparticles. The Sn-O band stretching was confirmed from the FT-IR investigation. Further, the rutile tetragonal phase confirmed the A1g vibration mode of the Rutile SnO2 symmetry from Raman spectroscopy. Finally, the gas sensing characteristics of the SnO2 nanoparticles were studied at 270 degrees C the resistances versus ambient gas time. It has been observed that sensi-tivity of the prepared sample was higher than reported in the literature.

In this study, the conventional auto-combustion sol-gel technique was used to synthesize Mg-substituted Zn ferrite with the chemical formula MgxZn1-xFe2O4 (x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 0.90). The effect of Mg ion substitution was studied on the structural, dielectric, and EMI properties of Mg-ZnFe2O4 ferrite using a variety of characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning Electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Impedance analyzer (IA) and vector network analysis (VNA). X-ray Diffraction analysis has confirmed the spinel cubic phase pattern with an average crystallite size of 67 to 39nm. The surface morphology of the powder sample was examined using a scanning electron microscope. The increasing amount of Mg2+ improved the dielectric, and EMI properties of Mg-ZnFe2O4 ferrite. The dielectric characteristics were explained using the Maxwell-Wagner model of space charge polarization. The low- and high-frequency dependency of the dielectric constant and the dielectric losses were the primary elements of the electrical analysis. Using Nyquist curves, Impedance analysis of ferrites was done, and the relaxation process supports the Cole-Cole model. The acquired impedance characteristics from the Nyquist plot indicate that the relaxation process was consonant with the cole-cole model. EMI studies reflect that the absorption properties are better than other samples for the zinc ferrite sample with maximum (0.9) amount of Mg in the sample.

Nomex cored glass fiber sandwich composites find their use in several aerospace, automotive, and military applications due to their high specific mechanical properties. This study reports a novel procedure to modify/ enhance the mechanical properties of Nomex sandwich composites through surface modification as well as surface nano-silica reinforcement. Surface modification of Nomex was conducted in dilute phosphoric acid so-lution with varying soaking times. In another set of experiments, the surface of Nomex was reinforced with different concentrations of silica particles by dipping in nano-silica suspension (NexSilTM 8). A combination of chemical modification and silica reinforcement treatments were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used for morphological characterizations while Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to analyze the chemical changes at Nomex surfaces. The mechanical properties of the composite samples were investigated using bend tests (i.e., 3-point and 4-point) and flat-wise compression tests. It was observed that the acid treated samples displayed an increase in flexural strength with etch time. Nano-silica reinforced composite samples also led to an enhancement in flexural as well as compressive strengths with each dip. In contrast, it was found that the compression strength values of the composite samples increased only for short acid treatment time (i.e., 30 sec), and decreased thereof for longer duration(s). Enhancement in flexural strength values were attributed mainly to an increase in Nomex-epoxy interfacial physio-chemical changes. This study demonstrates that surface treated Nomex sandwich composites, through the procedures outlined here, possess superior mechanical/structural properties as compared to non-treated ones.

The study is related to cobalt ferrites nanocomposites embedded with graphene nanosheets, prepared by co-precipitation method. Various doping of graphene from 0.1% up to 1% were applied within the cobalt ferrite structure to study its microwave and mechanical effects on the nanocomposites. Microstructural analysis confirms the homogeneous dispersion and successful adhesion of graphene nanosheets within the cobalt ferrite matrix. Microwave absorbing capacity of these samples was studied by Agilent network analyzer in low frequency band of microwave (1MHz to 2 GHz), Results reveals that graphene incorporation not only improved the absorption capacity of cobalt ferrites (13dB-17d), but also widened its maximum absorption peak. This change was supposed to be due to inhomogeneity and combine effects of electric (graphene), and magnetic dielectric nature (cobalt ferrites). Further mechanical characterizations reveal that our composites samples have higher flexural strength (19.92 MPa for 1% loading) and improved toughness (>6000 J/mm2) compare to pure cobalt ferrites (10.28 MPa, 1000 J/mm2).

In the last few years, the thermoelectric properties of tin selenide (SnSe) have been explored in much detail due to its high efficiency and green nature, being free of Te and Pb. In the same chalcogenide family, SnSe2 is also a layered structured material, but its thermoelectric potential has not been widely explored experimentally. Since SnSe2 has the layered structure, its electrical transport properties may strongly be affected by its microstructure and morphology. Here, we report the effect of reaction time on the structure, phase, and morphology of the SnSe2 during solvothermal synthesis process. We have studied four SnSe2 samples with different reaction times. The sample obtained after 16 h of reaction time was named as M1, for 20 h M2, similarly for 24 h was M3 and for 48 hours’ time, the sample was named as M4. We investigated its thermoelectric properties and found that phase purity and morphology can affect the thermoelectric performance of the synthesized samples. The peak power factor (PF) value along the ab plane was (0.69 μWcm−1K−2) for the M4 sample at 575 K, which was the highest among all the measured samples. The comparatively larger PF value of sample M4 can be related to the increase in its electrical conductivity due to increase in phase purity and band gap reduction.

Tin selenide (SnSe), which has high thermoelectric (TE) performance due to its low thermal conductivity, is considered as a promising TE material. It is good that TE properties were reported in single crystal form because polycrystalline SnSe exhibits low electrical conductivity compared to that of single crystal SnSe. To improve the electrical conductivity of polycrystalline SnSe, the effects of the pressure applied during spark plasma sintering (SPS) on the electrical charge transport and the TE properties of the polycrystalline SnSe were investigated. Degree of texture was enhanced with increasing sintering pressure from 30 to 120 MPa during SPS, which lead to the increase in carrier mobility, which resulted in the increase in electrical conductivity. Increase in pressure led to a significant increase in thermal conductivity due to an increase in the lattice thermal conductivity, which can be attributed to the decrease in phonon scattering at the grain boundary. A ZT of $${\sim }0.7$$ was obtained at 823 K from the polycrystalline SnSe sintered with a pressure of 60 MPa, which can result from large increase in electrical conductivity with very small increase in the thermal conductivity. This study shows that the TE properties of the polycrystalline SnSe can be enhanced by controlling the degree of texture which can be accomplished by changing the pressure applied during SPS.

In contrast to zero-dimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D), and even their bulk equivalents, in two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, charge carriers are confined across thickness and are empowered to move across the planes. The features of 2D structures, such as quantum confinement, high absorption coefficient, high surface-to-volume ratio, and tunable bandgap, make them an encouraging contestant in various fields such as electronics, energy storage, catalysis, etc. In this review, we provide a gentle introduction to the 2D family, then a brief description of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), mainly focusing on MoS2, followed by the crystal structure and synthesis of MoS2, and finally wet chemistry methods. Later on, applications of MoS2 in dye-sensitized, organic, and perovskite solar cells are discussed. MoS2 has impressive optoelectronic properties; due to the fact of its tunable work function, it can be used as a transport layer, buffer layer, and as an absorber layer in heterojunction solar cells. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.40% as an absorber and 13.3% as carrier transfer layer have been reported for MoS2-based organic and perovskite solar cells, respectively. Moreover, MoS2 is a potential replacement for the platinum counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells with a PCE of 7.50%. This review also highlights the incorporation of MoS2 in silicon-based heterostructures where graphene/MoS2/n-Si-based heterojunction solar cell devices exhibit a PCE of 11.1%.