This work reports on the evaluation of multifunctional properties of liquid crystal blended octyl acrylate-based bio-based polymeric additive doped base oil. The co-polymer system (citral oil-octyl acrylate and sunflower oil-octyl acrylate) was synthesized by free radical polymerization and characterized by FTIR, wettability studies, NMR, rheology and TGA techniques. The liquid crystal blended polymers exhibited better performance compared to the undoped counterpart. An optimum doping concentration was also established by analyzing the rheological and tribological properties over a range of doping levels (1% to 4% v/v) of the additive in the base oil. The developed lubricant additives show multifunctional tribological behaviors including reducing the wear scar diameter (to as low as 0.612 mm), increasing the viscosity index (to as high as 147) and lowering the pour point (to as low as -31 °C). The additives, hitherto unreported, can be used as a potentially versatile alterative to commercially available additives for multifunctional use.

Single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerators (STENGs) are promising candidates for biomechanical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing due to their simple structure and compatibility with wearable systems. However, their performance is often limited by the intrinsic tribonegativity of polymer friction layers. In this study, we report a facile surface chemistry approach to enhance the triboelectric performance of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by fluorinated silane functionalization. PDMS films spin-coated on ITO/PET substrates were surface-functionalized using 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyl-trichloroethoxysilane (FOTES), introducing fluorine-rich –CF2 and –CF3 groups at the outermost surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed successful fluorination, while Kelvin probe force microscopy revealed a significant reduction in surface potential, indicating enhanced electron-accepting capability and increased tribonegativity. As a result, the FOTES-functionalized PDMS STENG exhibited a substantial improvement in output performance, with the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current increasing from ∼91.5 and ∼10 to ∼390 V and ∼65 μA, respectively, under hand-tapping conditions. The enhanced performance was further validated under controlled excitation (30 N, 4 Hz). The device demonstrated practical energy-harvesting capability through efficient rectification, capacitor charging, and instantaneous lighting of 240 commercial LEDs, achieving a maximum power density of 5.53 mW cm−2. In addition, the STENG functioned as a self-powered biomechanical motion sensor, capable of distinguishing different human motions such as clapping, clicking, and hammering based on distinct voltage signatures. This study demonstrates that fluorinated surface functionalization is an effective and scalable strategy to enhance triboelectric performance without increasing device complexity, offering strong potential for wearable energy harvesting and self-powered sensing applications.

Transition-metal oxides and sulfides are compelling materials for electrochemical energy conversion due to their cost-effectiveness, corrosion resistance, and environmental innocuous nature. Integration of multiple transition-metal heteroatoms to engineer surface architectures and nanoscale morphologies represents a robust strategy for the development and synthesis of electrocatalysts with enhanced catalytic efficiency and superior activity. Synthesis of nanomaterials that can act as a bifunctional catalyst for water/seawater splitting is still a considerable challenge. In this regard, we report the NiO/ZnO heterostructures integrated within WS2 nanostructures as a bifunctional catalyst for water-splitting applications. The optimized catalyst WS2@NiO/ZnO showed remarkable electrocatalytic properties for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. It showed overpotential values of 131 and 320 mV for the HER and OER, respectively, at 10 mA/cm(2) in acidic and alkaline media, along with excellent response across a wide range of pH and in seawater-based electrolytes. Adequate amount of sulfur and oxygen content provides additional exposed active sites for a faster kinetic process. Moreover, high electrochemical surface area, mass activity, and low Tafel slope demonstrate remarkable ability of fabricated nanostructures. Also, radically decreased charge-transfer resistance facilitates an accelerated rate of the water-splitting reaction.

Tyrosinase, a key enzyme involved in skin pigmentation and disorders such as melanoma, is traditionally detected by measuring its substrate, tyrosine. However, this traditional approach overlooks the direct detection of the enzyme itself. In contrast, this study introduces a novel electrochemical biosensor that directly detects tyrosinase activity using laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This method offers high sensitivity, a broad linear detection range of 0.5 to 60 U/mL, and a low detection limit of 0.19 U/mL. These electrodes successfully detected tyrosinase in real samples as well with an electroactive surface area of 0.31mm2 at pH 7. The electrochemical sensor uses tyrosine's electroactive groups for enhanced electron transfer and oxidation currents, ensuring high specificity for detecting tyrosinase with minimal interference from biological compounds. The robustness of the sensor was demonstrated by a strong correlation (r2 = 0.99) between measured and labelled tyrosinase concentrations in human serum, proving its reliability. The sensor's ability to monitor tyrosinase activity in real-time positions with a response time of 35 s makes it an ideal candidate for studying skin-related diseases, evaluating drug absorption, and conducting toxicity testing in skinon-a-chip models.

Soil ecosystems are complex reservoirs of microbial diversity that play a crucial role in sustaining agricultural productivity and environmental health. However, anthropogenic pressures such as exposure to agrochemicals, unchecked urbanization and rapid industrialization severely harm the soil ecology. To establish a process for monitoring pesticide contamination occurring in agricultural lands, rapid and effective monitoring mechanisms need to be developed. In this work, a liquid crystal (LC)-based aptasensing platform was developed to optically detect glyphosate (GYP), a pesticide used in agricultural soils of Dehradun, India. Upon GYP binding to a specific DNA aptamer, the aptamer undergoes conformational changes, causing measurable changes in LC orientation and resulting in a bright to dark optical transition. The label-free sensor exhibited a high selectivity for glyphosate with a detection limit of 7 nM. Sensor performance validation was performed using spiked soil extracts yielding satisfactory recovery and reproducibility. A shotgun metagenomic analysis and HRMS analysis were completed to determine the presence of glyphosate in the rice paddy soil and to demonstrate the functional potential of microbial communities exposed to glyphosate. The proposed method for detecting pesticide contamination in the soil is simple, sensitive, reliable and highly suitable for both environmental monitoring and sustainable agricultural practices.

Synergistic integration of Al-doped ZnO, a SiO 2 electron-blocking interlayer, and a MoS 2 –PDMS nanocomposite results in a flexible high-output triboelectric nanogenerator capable of lighting 400 LEDs and maintaining long-term operational stability.

Pharmaceutical residues such as ciprofloxacin (CPRO) remain in aquatic ecosystems and contribute to antimicrobial resistance. This study reports a liquid crystal (LC)-based aptasensor integrated with a portable optical setup and biodegradation monitoring for in situ CPRO recognition and remediation in hospital wastewater. The optical sensing method leverages the stabilization of a CPRO-specific aptamer at the LC-aqueous interface, resulting in the reorientation of the LC directors and producing a distinct label-free optical response under crossed polarizers. The aptamer-CPRO binding interactions and the resulting changes to the LC birefringence were correlated using molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with spectroscopic validation, providing insight into the biomolecule-mediated interfacial ordering. The sensor achieves a detection limit of 8 nM (>3 ppb) and was implemented in a portable, 3D-printed, smartphone-enabled polarizing optical microscope (POM) for decentralized monitoring. Toward remediation, a CPRO-degrading microbe, Klebsiella sp. SG01, was used to degrade the drug as an exclusive carbon source, achieving ≈81% removal within 30 days. This integrated detection-degradation platform demonstrates the amalgamation of interfacial sensing with microbial remediation for recalcitrant pharmaceutical pollutants.

ABSTRACT Scalable and highly efficient electrocatalysts are essential for hydrogen production via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, we demonstrate a simple CO 2 laser‐scribing method to prepare a new laser‐induced graphene (LIG)‐WS 2 hybrid electrocatalyst, where liquid‐phase‐exfoliated WS 2 nanosheets are embedded into a porous graphene network. Structural and spectroscopic characterizations confirm the few‐layer WS 2 , defective LIG, and the interfacial coupling without any oxide formation. The LIG‐WS 2 hybrid demonstrates significantly improved HER activity in seawater, alkaline seawater, and alkaline media, especially in 1M KOH, with a low overpotential of 163 mV at 10 mA cm − 2 , a small Tafel slope of 63 mV dec − 1 , a lower charge‐transfer resistance, and a higher mass activity (13.26 A/g) than the pristine components. This exceptional performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of rapid electron transport through LIG and the efficient hydrogen adsorption ability of WS 2 edge sites. This study demonstrates CO 2 laser scribing as a scalable platform to develop high‐performance graphene‐based HER electrocatalysts in alkaline and seawater environments.

For monitoring renal/metabolic diseases it is very important to quantify simultaneously uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA); however, when using traditional electrochemical sensors, both overlapping oxidation potentials and electrode fouling can introduce signal interference. This work reports on the successful development of a borophene-modified carbon screen-printed electrode (CSPE/Borophene) that allows the selective dual analyte detection of UA and AA. Borophene was synthesized by liquid phase exfoliation, resulting in the formation of a highly crystalline material with various electrocatalytically active defect sites. Using DPV, electrochemical measurements made in a neutral environment (pH 7.0) revealed well-resolved oxidation peaks for AA (0.20 V) and UA (0.32 V) are well resolved from each other providing an approximate 120 mV separation, thus eliminating any potential cross-talk during simultaneous detection. The CSPE/Borophene sensor demonstrated very wide linear dynamic ranges for UA (0.5–500 μM) and AA (5.0–5000 μM). The limits of detection are extremely low for both UA (0.54 μM) and AA (5.17 μM) along with high analytical sensitivity (UA: 182.78 μA/(μM·cm2); AA: 21.32 μA/(μM·cm2)). The sensor was able to distinguish UA and AA through selectivity against many biologically relevant interferents; showing superior reproducibility (RSD < 1.2%); and provided long-term stability (more than 95% signal retention for more than 30 days). The sensor's quantitative performance in human blood serum and simulated sweat matrices demonstrates the real-world application of the borophene-based sensor for rapid, point-of-care clinical diagnostics.

Curcumin is the main curcuminoid present in turmeric (Curcuma longa). Various studies have shown that curcumin has excellent antimicrobial properties and enhances the wound healing process. Herein, this study we have made an attempt to synthesis and to explore the antibacterial efficacy of two different materials: curcumin reduced graphene oxide (C-rGO) and nano curcumin reduced graphene oxide composite (NC-rGO). These materials were further characterized, and their antibacterial potency was checked against Escherichia coli. According to microstructural characterization the C-rGO composite had a sheet-like uneven structure, whereas NC-rGO composite had spherical morphology. The presence of O-H group in both the composites was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis. The zone of inhibition of C-rGO was 9.5 ± 0.47 mm whereas the zone of inhibition of NC-rGO was 11 ± 0.6 mm. These results indicate that NC-rGO might be used as an antibacterial agent in ointments and dressing bandages to prevent any secondary infection.

In this work, a flexible laser-induced graphene (LIG)/ZnO nanorod heterostructure was developed for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV exposure. Oxygen plasma treatment was employed to alter the LIG surface wettability from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, thus facilitating the uniform deposition of ZnO nanorods on the LIG substrate. The successful formation of crystalline ZnO nanorods on the LIG surface was confirmed using X-ray diffraction and SEM studies. Photocatalytic performance studies were performed under UV light for 120 minutes. Among the developed composites, the LIG/ZnO10 composite exhibited the highest degradation rate of 96.7%. The high rate of degradation was maintained over multiple cycles, thus further accentuating the stability of the developed composites for real-world application. This enhanced photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to enhanced dye adsorption, increased interfacial LIG/ZnO contact and more effective charge separation and transportation. To validate the porous nature of the synthesized LIG, BET surface area analysis was performed, which identified abundant active sites for dye adsorption and enhanced photocatalytic degradation. The reaction mechanism was validated using radical scavenging experiments. These results suggest that oxygen plasma surface engineering is an efficient technique for increasing the performance of LIG-based photocatalysts and highlight the potential of flexible LIG/ZnO heterostructures for dye degradation applications.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical process in sustainable energy technologies, but its sluggish kinetics necessitate efficient, non-precious metal catalysts. ZIF-8 has recently gained attention as a model electrocatalyst due to its porous structure, functional channels, and high Brunauer-Emett-Teller (BET) surface area. However, its poor conductivity and aggregation hinder its OER performance. MXene, a family of multifunctional 2D material with rich surface chemistry, shows great promise as a catalyst support material. This study presents the synthesis of ZIF-8 and MXene composites (MXene@ZIF-8) with varying ZIF-8 concentrations while maintaining a constant MXene mass to evaluate the supportive function of MXene in improving the OER performance of the composite. The optimized MXene@ZIF-8 (1:5) catalyst achieved superior performance, with a reduced overpotential (330 mV) and Tafel slope (149.79 mV/dec) compared to ZIF-8 (579 mV, 351.38 mV/dec) and MXene (613 mV, 400.02 mV/dec). It also exhibited exceptional durability, maintaining stability at 10 mA/ cm2 for 50 h in alkaline condition. The enhanced performance stems from its increased BET and electrochemically active surface areas. The incorporation of MXene introduces mesopores, increases pore volume, enhances hydrophilicity, and reduces charge transfer resistance, collectively facilitating efficient electrolyte diffusion and reactant accessibility. This study underscores MXene's potential as an efficient and cost-effective support material for advancing OER catalysts, facilitating the development of advanced sustainable energy solutions.

In the present study, a Ni doped bimetallic sulfide Ni-MoS2@SnS2 flower-like nanocomposite is synthesized via a facile one-step solvothermal method. The Ni-MoS2@SnS2 with the unique structure and composition demonstrates superior supercapacitor performance (a specific capacitance of approximate 1150, and 878 F cm(-2) at the current density of 0.5 mA cm(-2) and 5 mA cm(-2), respectively) in comparison to sole SnS2 (a specific capacitance of about 486, and 445 F cm(-2) at the same parameters). This remarkable enhancement in the electrochemical performance of Ni-MoS2@SnS2 may be attributed to synergic effect of bimetallic sulfides with flower-like structure as fast electronic transport and minimal volume variation of the formation of nanocomposite. More precisely, it exhibits 57.53 Wh kg(-1), 1500.78 W kg(-1) energy and power density at 0.5 mA cm(-2), respectively, along with the better capacity retention of 85.2 % at 1 mA cm(-2) even after 5000 constructive charge-discharge cycles. It is viable approach for the development and design of novel type electrode materials featuring with flower -like structure is proposed to enhance the structural stability of supercapacitor.

The advancement of effective and durable electrocatalysts for water splitting and high-performance supercapacitors is essential for sustainable energy conversion and storage. Integrating transition metal heteroatoms can be a pivotal technique to fabricate nanostructures for such bifunctional applications. In this regard, we report graphitic carbon nitride/NiO/Zn3N2 heterointerfaces through a single-step pyrolysis method for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and coin cell supercapacitor devices. The synergetic interaction between NiO and Zn3N2 advances charge transfer kinetics and augments the electronic structure, while g-C3N4 provides a conductive network and additional active sites. Optimized sample NZN400 showed exceptional OER performance with a low overpotential value of 350 mV at 50 mA cm-2, besides a low Tafel slope and high turnover frequency value. In addition, NZN400 electrodes showed a high specific capacitance value of 124 mF cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2 for the half-cell and 19.92 mF cm-2 at 0.2 mA cm-2 for the coin cell device. The fabricated device exhibited excellent cycling stability over 10 000 GCD cycles with a capacitance retention of 95.7% and coulombic efficiency of 99.4% at 0.4 mA cm-2 and was able to power up several commercial LEDs, a digital hygrometer, and a digital stopwatch for prolonged durations. The results highlight an effective approach for integrating transition metal oxide/nitride-based compounds with carbon-based materials, aimed at developing economical and high-performance nanostructured materials for electrochemical energy applications.

Detection of bacteremia requires recognizing bloodstream bacteria. Early identification of bacteremia is imperative for treatment and prevents the escalation to systemic infections like septicaemia. This paper introduces a novel, label-free biosensor based on liquid crystals (LCs), designed to offer rapid and reliable optical detection of blood pathogens without using traditional PCR methods. The biosensor utilizes 16S rRNA, a key structural component of the bacterial genome, as a molecular recognition probe. For accurate detection of target DNA, a nematic LC is positioned within a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid cell on a DMOAP-coated glass surface and treated with a cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), to facilitate probe adhesion at the LC-aqueous interface. Initially, the CTAB-coated LC displays a homeotropic orientation, but it shifts to a planar/tilted orientation when the primer is added. Upon exposure to the target DNA, the LCreturns to its homeotropic configuration, which can be observed using a polarizing optical microscope (POM) fitted with crossed polarizers. An optimal primer adsorption density of 100 nM allows detection of target DNA at concentrations as low as 0.02 nM. The biosensor has been verified for real-time, point-of-care utility by successfully detecting the genomic DNA of the bacterium E. colt cultured in human blood. The operational mechanism of this biosensor has also been confirmed using Circular Dichroism and Synchrotron X-ray Solution Scattering Measurements. Due to its high sensitivity and label-free nature, this biosensor provides a faster, more practical and user-friendly alternative to traditional pathogen detection methods from blood samples of bacteremia patients.

The pressing necessity for sustainable energy solutions has greatly intensified the research of inventive, robust, and environmentally friendly energy storage systems. Consequently, the pursuit of nanostructures capable of efficiently delivering both power density and energy density remains an extensive challenge in the advancement of future energy storage devices. To address this, we report a hybrid framework of exfoliated WSe2 nanosheets-reinforced polyaniline composites exhibiting dual functionality as a high-performance supercapacitor and cathode material for zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). The WSe2-based polyaniline hybrid has a specific capacitance of 463.65 F g-1 at a scan rate of 2 mV s-1 for a symmetrical coin cell supercapacitor and a specific capacity of 164.58 mAh g-1 at 0.75 A g-1 for the cathode material in rechargeable ZIBs. The fabricated devices exhibit prolonged stability with a capacitance retention of 83.9% over a long 10,000 cycles for supercapacitor device and a capacity retention of 78% over 1000 cycles for ZIB. The composite structure offers pathways toward sustainable energy research, exhibiting significant practicality and offering a versatile energy storage solution with enhanced electrochemical performance.

This paper describes a label-free liquid crystal (LC)-based biosensor for a rapid and straightforward detection of whole cell Shigella dysenteriae at aqueous interfaces using a bacteria-specific aptamer. The stimuli-receptive properties of LCs induce a change in the orientational ordering of molecules at the LC–aqueous interface. This interfacial phenomenon has been utilized to record target binding interactions of the biosensor. The homeotropic LC alignment at the glass–LC and the aqueous–LC interfaces was obtained using the aligning agent dimethyloctadecyl [3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] ammonium chloride and the self-assembling property of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, respectively. The introduction of the negatively charged Shigella aptamer causes the homeotropic molecules to morph to a planar/tilted ordering. Upon adding a small quantity of Shigella cells in liquid media, the aptamer–bacterium interaction causes a redistribution of the surfactant at the LC–aqueous interface, restoring the homeotropic alignment. This results in a bright-to-dark optical change observed under a polarizing optical microscope, thus implying the presence of the microbes. This reported aptasensor demonstrates high specificity, with the limit of detection being 30 CFU/ml within a linear range of 1–105 CFU/ml. To test the utility of this system, the sensor was also tested with close taxonomic relatives S. dysenteriae as well as real samples from the food chain. This proposed LC-based sensor offers several advantages over conventional detection techniques for a quick and convenient way for the detection of whole cell targets.

The one-dimensional (1D) ZnO-NRs/ZrO2 core-shell nanostructures were prepared by coating thin ZrO2 layers on the surface of 1D-ZnO-NRs using a novel pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique at different temperatures and varying oxygen pressure during the deposition process. Morphological and structural characterizations confirm the uniform deposition of 1D-ZnO-NRs by the deposited ZrO₂ shell. It is found that the photoluminescence (PL) of ZnO-NRs/ZrO2 core/shell nanostructures is strictly dependent on their optical band gaps, and the PL intensity at ultraviolet (UV) emission progressively enhanced in comparison to bare 1D-ZnO-NRs. This significant enhancement of the UV emission mechanism can be attributed to the effective carrier confinement effect, defects, and surface passivation of the type-I core shell nanostructure, which could be very useful for future optoelectronic device-based applications.