Unlike single layers of 2H transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), bilayers of 2H TMDCs maintain inversion and time reversal (TR) symmetries, resulting in a vanishing Berry curvature ( Omega(k)similar to 0) that inhibits various potential transport phenomena. A nonzero Berry curvature (Omega(k)not equal 0) is imperative for the occurrence of several unconventional transport phenomena, including the anomalous Hall effect and the anomalous Nernst effect. To overcome this limitation, we break these symmetries in bilayer TMDCs using electrostatic gating and circularly polarized light as external means. For non-gated WSe2 bilayers, circularly polarized light breaks TR symmetry, creating a finite Berry curvature signal in both conduction and valence bands, controllable by light intensity and its polarity. In gated WSe2 bilayers, where inversion symmetry is also broken, we observe a sign reversal in Berry curvature within the conduction bands, the extent of which depends on the relative strengths of the electric gating and light intensity. Overall, under finite bias and light intensity, the 2H bilayers of WSe2 exhibits finite spin Hall, valley Hall, and anomalous Hall conductivities, which depend on the strengths of the applied perturbations.

Ammonia (NH3) is an irreplaceable chemical that has been widely demanded to keep the sustainable development of modern society. However, its industrial production consumes a huge amount of energy and releases extraordinary greenhouse gases (GHG’s), leading to various environmental issues. To achieve the green production of ammonia is a great challenge that has been extensively pursued recently. In the review, the most promising strategy, electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (e-NO3RR), is comprehensively investigated to give a complete understanding of its development and mechanism and provide guidance for future directions. However, owing to the complex reactions and limited selectivity, a good understanding of the mechanisms is crucial to further development and commercialization. Moreover, NO3−RR is a promising strategy for water treatment and NH3 production. A detailed overview of the recent progress in NO3−RR for NH3 production with non-transition and transition metal electrocatalysts is summarized. In addition, critical advanced techniques, future challenges, and prospects are discussed to guide future research on transition metal catalysts for commercial NH3 synthesis by NO3− reduction.

The electrochemical conversion of carcinogenic nitrate to ammonia (turning waste into wealth) using perovskite oxide-based catalysts aims to create a globally sustainable environment.

Biomass-derived carbonaceous materials have attracted significant research interest for their potential applications in energy storage devices due to their easy accessibility, renewability, high abundance, low cost, and eco-friendly synthesis. However, the practical application of such materials in energy storage devices is limited due to their relatively rare storage sites and low diffusion kinetics. Therefore, various strategies have been designed and developed for the modification of material structures to overcome these problems. However, this review summarizes the latest progress in the preparation methods of carbonaceous materials and their surface modification through various strategies. Further, applications of carbonaceous materials in energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, etc., are reviewed, which have never been addressed simultaneously in literature. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of biomass-derived materials have been discussed. Finally, possible future directions for the design and development of biomass-derived low-cost carbonaceous materials for energy storage devices have also been suggested in detail.

Ammonia (NH3), a critical component for various industries, is produced through the Haber-Bosch process, which, despite its importance, is a significant source of carbon emissions and operates on a centralized model, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to decarbonize and decentralize its production. Electrochemical nitrate (NO3-) reduction to NH3 presents a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process for NH3 synthesis, with the added advantage of transforming waste into a valuable resource while mitigating water pollution concerns. However, achieving a well-defined active center and catalytic selectivity in the electrochemically driven reaction remains a significant challenge. In this study, we successfully fabricated a highly selective and active 2D Bi2Se3 catalyst, which demonstrated better performance in reducing NO3 - to NH3 with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of approximately 80 % (-0.3 V (RHE)) and a significant yield rate of 45 mg h- 1mgcat- 1 (0.46 mmolh- 1cm- 2). Furthermore, the fabricated material exhibited exceptional stability and durability, maintaining a high NO3 - reduction of 80 % FE even after 10 consecutive cycles of extended use and continuous operation, demonstrating its remarkable resilience and reliability. Our findings show that the prepared catalyst selectively promotes the electrochemical reduction of NO3 - to NH3 while suppressing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The charge density profile indicates a pronounced charge localization around the Se atoms, implying that the Se active sites in the 2D Bi2Se3 catalyst act as the active center for the NO3 - reduction mechanism, playing a crucial role in facilitating the reaction kinetics.

Ammonia (NH3) is a crucial chemical commodity used extensively in fertilizer production and as a renewable potential energy carrier. Conventionally, NH3 synthesis relies on the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, which requires elevated temperatures and pressures. However, the demanding conditions of this method have led to research into electrochemical NH3 synthesis via nitrate (NO3-) and water, creating a sustainable environment. The electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) emerged as a promising eco-friendly alternative, boasting reduced energy consumption and mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the NO3RR is capable of achieving a high NH3 yield and faradaic efficiency (FE) but poses challenges due to the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), etc. To address these issues, it is essential to tailor the structure of the electrocatalysts, such as incorporating oxygen vacancies (OVs) and controlling the coordination environment and local electronegativity. This review offers a thorough description of current developments in the identification, processing, and use of OVs for the NO3RR. We highlight different OV generation processes and the associated assessment methodologies. Lastly, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of designing metal oxide catalysts with OVs for NO3RR, aiming to accelerate the development of exceptional electrocatalysts and contribute to a sustainable future for ammonia generation.

Heavy metal contamination in soil, such as cadmium (Cd), poses a serious threat to global food security and human health. It must be managed using environmentally friendly and cost-effective technologies. Plants with high resistance to Cd stress and high biomass production could be potential candidates for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils to improve Cd phytoextraction. In this regard, the present study was carried out to determine the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3), indole acetic acid (IAA), and fertilizers (N, P, and K) on Parthenium hysterophorus growth and biomass production as well as Cd phytoextraction capabilities. A pot experiment was conducted with various combinations of PGRs and fertilizers, with treatments arranged in five replicates using a completely randomized design. After harvesting, each plant was divided into various parts such as stems, roots, and leaves, and different growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters were recorded. Results showed that under Cd stress, growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters were all significantly decreased. With the combined application of plant growth regulators (GA3 and IAA) and nutrients, Cd stress was alleviated and all parameters significantly improved. In comparison to the control treatment, the combined application of N + P + K + GA3 + IAA resulted in the highest fresh and dry biomass production of the root (12.31 and 5.11 g pot-1), shoot (19. 69 and 6.99 g pot-1), leaves (16.56 and 7.09 g pot-1), and entire plant (48.56 and 19.19 g pot-1). Similarly, the same treatment resulted in higher chlorophyll a and b and total chlorophyll contents under Cd stress, which were 2.19, 2.03, and 3.21 times higher than the control, which was Cd stress without any treatment. The combination of N + P + K + GA3 + IAA also resulted in the highest proline and phenolic contents. In the case of different enzyme activities, the combined application of N + P + K + GA3 + IAA under Cd stress led to a high increase in catalase (2.5 times), superoxide (3.5 times), and peroxidase (3.7 times) compared to the control. With the combined application of N+ P+ K + GA3 + IAA, the maximum values of BCF (8.25), BAC (2.6), and RF (5.14%) were measured for phytoextraction potential. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that P. hysterophorus has a high potential to grow, produce the most biomass, and act as a Cd hyperaccumulator in Cd-contaminated soil.

Nitrate with its high stability and persistence in water can pose a serious threat to both human health and aquatic ecosystems. To tackle this issue, the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) is considered the most effective solution for reducing excess nitrate (NO3–) in water and wastewater, into a value-added product ammonia (NH3). The efficiency of NO3– removal during the electrochemical reduction process is directly influenced by the genuine catalysts, enable them one of the most crucial factors. The objective of this review is to elucidate the function of copper-based catalysts in the electrochemical conversion of NO3– to NH3 and to identify the factors that affect the performance of these catalysts. We have also devised strategies that can be applied to enhance catalytic efficiency, along with offering an overview of the recent advancements achieved in the design of copper-based electrocatalysts. This comprehensive review will provide a detailed insight into the role of Cu-based materials in electrochemical NO3– reduction and the advancement of effective electrode materials for the intended reactions.

Chromium (Cr) is released into the environment through anthropogenic activities and has gained significant attention in the recent decade as environmental pollution. Its contamination has adverse effects on human health and the environment e.g. decreases soil fertility, alters microbial activity, and reduces plant growth. It can occur in different oxidation states, with Cr(VI) being the most toxic form. Cr contamination is a significant environmental and health issue, and phytoremediation offers a promising technology for remediating Cr-contaminated soils. Globally, over 400 hyperaccumulator plant species from 45 families have been identified which have the potential to remediate Cr-contaminated soils through phytoremediation. Phytoremediation can be achieved through various mechanisms, such as phytoextraction, phytovolatilization, phytodegradation, phytostabilization, phytostimulation, and rhizofiltration. Understanding the sources and impacts of Cr contamination, as well as the factors affecting Cr uptake in plants and remediation techniques such as phytoremediation and mechanisms behind it, is crucial for the development of effective phytoremediation strategies. Overall, phytoremediation offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to the problem of Cr pollution. Further research is needed to identify plant species that are more efficient at accumulating Cr and to optimize phytoremediation methods for specific environmental conditions. With continued research and development, phytoremediation has the potential to become a widely adopted technique for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.

The use of medical devices for therapeutic and diagnostic purpose is globally increasing; however, bacterial colonization on therapeutic devices can occur, causing severe infections in the human body. It has become an issue for public health. It is necessary to develop a nanomaterial based on photothermal treatment to kill toxic bacterial strains. Appropriately, high photothermal conversion and low-cost powerful photothermal agents have been investigated. Recently, gold nanocomposites have attracted great interest in biological applications. Here, we prepared rod-shaped Se-Te@Au nanocomposites of about 200 nm with uniform shape and surface-coated with gold nanoparticles for the first time showing high anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activities. Se-Te@Au showed proper structural consistency and natural resistance to bacterial and cancer cells. The strong absorption and high photothermal conversion efficacy made it a good photothermal agent material for the photothermal treatment of bacterial and cancer cells. The Se-Te@Au rod showed excellent anti-bacterial efficacy against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, with highest recorded inhibition zones of 25 ± 2 mm and 22 ± 2 mm, respectively. More than 99% of both types of strains were killed after 5 min with a near-infrared (NIR) laser at the very low concentration of 48 µg/mL. The Se-Te@Au rod’s explosion in HeLa cells was extensively repressed and demonstrated high toxicity at 100 µg/mL for 5 min when subjected to an NIR laser. As a result of its high photothermal characteristics, the exceptional anti-bacterial and anti-cancer effects of the Se-Te@Au rod are considerably better than those of other methods previously published in articles. This study could open a new framework for sterilization applications on the industrial level.

We have successfully constructed citrus essential oil (CEO, D-limonene is its main active component) nano-emulsion by the high-pressure homogenization method, whose droplet size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential were 34.23 nm, 0.235, and -25.87 mV, respectively. The effects of thermal treatment (-20-48 degrees C), pH (5-9), ionic strength (100-500 mM NaCl) and storage time (200 days) were examined on the physicochemical properties of all treatments. The antimicrobial activity of nanoemulsion was tested by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration against the four foodborne microorganisms (Escherichia coli (10 mg/mL), Staphylococcus aureus (0.150 mg/mL), Bacillus subtilis (0.312 mg/mL) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.312 mg/mL)). Especially, compared with pure CEO, the antibacterial activity of its nanoemulsion against S. aureus (0.150 mg/mL) and B. subtilis (0.312 mg/mL) was increased by 43 and 86 times respectively. Industrial relevance: In this work, we constructed robust CEO nanoemulsions based on a combination of emulsifiers via the high-pressure homogenization method, which bring new insights into the preparation of nanoemulsions. There is great potential for nanoencapsulation of natural compounds in the field of food preservation. Furthermore, the results may provide valuable data for industrial scale-up application.

Innovations in nanotechnology have had an immense impact on medicine, such as in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and medical devices that combat different pathogens. The pathogens that may cause biofilm-associated nosocomial diseases are multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species. About 65–80% of infections are caused by biofilm-associated pathogens creating a move in the international community toward developing antimicrobial therapies to eliminate such pathogenic infections. Several nanomaterials (NMs) have been discovered and significantly employed in various antipathogenic therapies. These NMs have unique properties of singlet oxygen production, high absorption of near-infrared irradiation, and reasonable conversion of light to heat. In this review, functionalized NPs that combat different pathogenic infections are introduced. This review highlights NMs that combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) and other pathogenic microorganisms. It also highlights the biomedical application of NPs with regard to antipathogenic activities.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are generally expected to have superior lithium-ion (LIBs) performances compare with their bulk counterpart as they display superior specific surface area. In this context, the development of 2D maghemite would be of great interest owing to its high theoretical specific capacity, natural abundance, and relatively low cost and toxicity; however, maghemite do not have a layered crystalline structure. Herein, to overcome this hindrance, gamma-Fe2O3 has been enclosed within a 2D carbon matrix via a simple and facile synthesis strategy based on the complexation of ethylene glycol with aqueous iron species by hydrolysis and condensation reactions followed by its carbonization. As obtained 2D carbon gamma-Fe2O3 nanosheet composite (C-EG-Fe) is composed of 41.3 wt.% carbon and 10.2 wt.% Fe. When used as anode materials in LIBs, C-EG-Fe demonstrated the enhanced initial discharge capacity of 1589 mAh g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1), and outstanding ultralong cycling performance with the significant stable capacity of 700 mAh g(-1) and 230 mAh g(-1) at the higher current rate of 0.5 A g(-1) and 10 A g(-1) for more than 300 and 6000 cycles, respectively. These results enable a promising avenue to design the large-scale production of 2D C-EG-Fe sheets-based nanostructured anode materials for next-generation LIBs for largescale energy storage applications. (C) 2021 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background Sixty five percent of procyanidins in grape seeds is polymeric procyanidins (PPC), and they could not be assimilated directly by human. To enhance procyanidin assimilation, steam explosion treatment (SE) was used to facilitate the preparation of oligomeric procyanidins (OPC) from grape seeds. Results The results indicate that SE treatment made grape seeds loose and porous, and decreased the mean degree of polymerization (mDP) of procyanidins. The procyanidins content and total phenolic content (TPC) were decreased with the increase of SE severity, while the amount of catechin (CA), epicatechin (EC) and epicatechin-3-O-gallate (ECG) were increased, resulting in significant increase of antioxidant activity. Conclusions Although SE treatment could depolymerize PPC and produce CA/EC/ECG with high yield, it caused the yield loss of total procyanidins. SE treatment is a potential effective method to prepare procyanidins with low degree of polymerization and high antioxidant activity. However, it still needs to study further how to balance the yield of total procyanidins and catechin monomers (CA/EC/ECG).

Nanotechnologyapplications in the field of biomedicine like drug delivery, cell labeling, and bacterial inhibition are growing . New nano-materials having less toxicity and excellent antibacterial activity attract research interest. In the current study, while taking advantage of green synthesis we have decorated zinc oxide on the surface of grephene oxide forming Zno@GO nanocomposite. The Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study showed successfully synthesized trigonal small sizes ZnO on the surface of GO nanosheets. The as-synthesized ZnO@GO was used against MDR gram-negative pathogen E-coli (BL21 DE3) and showed excellent antibacterial activity killing about 95 % toxic bacteria within 5 h due to electrostatic interaction between cell membrane of E. coli (BL21 DE3) and ZnO@GO complex. Hence the nano composite subsequently penetrated into the cytoplasm by damaging the cell membrane of bacteria, as a result production of ROS into the cytoplasm led to imbalance of metabolic system in the cell. Moreover, the cell membrane damage of gram-negative bacteria verified through zeta potential and propidium iodide (PI) study. Thus, our study develops a way to solve the challenge of efficient design of a drug delivery system for dissolution enhancement according to the need for required drug release.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is considered the most common life‐threatening infectious bacteria in our daily life and poses a major challenge to human health. However, antibiotics frequently overused and misused has triggered increased multidrug resistance, hinders therapeutic outcomes, and causes higher mortalities. Herein, we addressed near‐infrared (NIR) laser‐excited human serum albumin (HSA) mediated graphene oxide loaded palladium nano‐dots (HSA‐GO‐Pd) that can effectively combat Gram‐negative E. coli in vitro. NIR laser‐excited designed hybrid material highly generates singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical by electron spin‐resonance (ESR) analysis. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images show small spherical sizes PdNPs on the surface of GO nano‐sheets. The zeta (ζ) potential study indicates that in an aqueous medium, the average PdNPs size and surface capped charge comes from human body protein (HSA), HSA‐GO‐Pd is 5–8 nm, and +25 mV, respectively. The spectroscopic characterization reveals that in the synthesized HSA‐GO‐Pd nanocomposite, PdNPs successfully well‐dispersed decorated on the surface of graphene oxide. The as‐synthesized HSA‐GO‐Pd shows excellent antibacterial activity against gram‐negative pathogen by killing 95% bacteria within 5 h. HSA‐GO‐Pd having very biocompatible and shows significant antibacterial activities. Owing to their intense photothermal conversation potential, low toxicity to normal cells, the as‐addressed hybrid (HSA‐GO‐Pd) combined with NIR‐irradiation will catch up valuable insight into the effective ablation of pathogenic bacteria.

Diesel soot particulate is one of the main sources of air pollution, which should be eliminated effectively to minimize the carcinogenic and lethal effect of air. Herein, an effort has been made to synthesize Au–CoFe2O4 nanocomposite by a facile route and use as an effective catalyst for soot oxidation. The physicochemical properties of Au–CoFe2O4 were carried out through SEM, EDX mapping, HRTEM, XRD, XPS, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and NO temperature-programmed oxidation (NO-TPO). Au–CoFe2O4 catalyst showed a remarkable catalytic property for soot oxidation in both NO + O2 and O2 owing to the formation of oxygenated species that enhanced the oxidizing properties of the catalyst. The CoFe2O4 composite showed a remarkable and stable catalytic property for soot oxidation, and low T50 (50% soot conversion) 411 °C value has been achieved in the presence of O2. While as we introduced gold (Au) to form Au–CoFe2O4 then its catalytic performance for soot oxidation was found to be tremendously increased to T50 341 °C owing to the formation of surface-oxygenated species that enhanced the oxidizing properties of the catalyst surface. The durability performance of the catalyst including reusability, this catalyst showed even better soot oxidation activity after sulfur and hydrothermal aging. Owing to the tremendous soot oxidation activity, this catalyst can be used as an environmentally friendly and efficient soot oxidizer for the removal of soot.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe(2)O(3)NPs) are an interested and attractive area of research as they have numerous effective environmental and biomedical applications. Herein we have reported a simple and eco-benign synthesis Fe(2)O(3)NPs using Tamarix aphylla extract. The extract of the Tamarix aphylla acts both as a reducing and capping agent which leads to the fast and successful eco-benign synthesis of Fe(2)O(3)NPs.UV/Vis spectroscopy, XRD, EDX, SEM and TEM techniques were used to characterize and explore different features of Fe(2)O(3)NPs. UV/Vis studies showed asharppeak at 390 nm due to surface plasmon resonance absorption of Fe(2)O(3)NPs. XRD studies indicated that Fe(2)O(3)NPs were crystalline in nature. Structural features, elemental composition and geometry of Fe(2)O(3)NPswere confirmed by SEM, EDX and TEM. The as synthesized Fe(2)O(3)NPs showed efficient efficacy to degrade 100% of Methylene blue (MB) dye by 4 mg/25 ml MB and revealed 90% scavenging of the more stable DPPH free radical(1 mg/ml). Furthermore, Fe(2)O(3)NPs showed excellent antimicrobial activity against pathogenic multidrug resistant bacterial strains. The results of the present study explored the potential reducing, capping property of Tamarix aphylla extract, photocatalytic and biomedical applications of eco-benignly synthesized Fe(2)O(3)NPs which could be an alternative material for effective remediation of lethal organic pollutants and microbes.

Leishmaniasis, a category 1 disease, has remained neglected for decades, and therefore, has developed into a severe health problem worldwide. Unfortunately, the available antileishmanial drugs are limited, and the parasites have shown an inevitable resistance toward most of these drugs. All these factors pose a barrier to control the parasite at present. Hence, new strategies are needed to develop more effective and less toxic nanomedicines that could treat and manage the Leishmania parasite. One of these effective strategies is to construct nanometals with biologically active molecules that could possess dynamic antileishmanial activities with desirable biocompatibility. In this review paper, antileishmanial potencies of different metal nanoparticles, with particular emphasis on biogenic metal nanoparticles from 2011 to 2019, are summarized. The mechanisms by which metal-based nanomedicines kill Leishmania are also discussed.

Noble metal/metal oxide nanocomposites are pet and spellbound candidates in biomedical and catalytic fields because of their awestruck properties. This report put forward the facile and environmentally friendly fabrication of Ag/Fe2O3 nanocomposite using the eqeous extract of Algaia Monozyga leaves. The Ag/ Fe2O3 bimetallic nanocomposite was prepared using AgNO3, FeCl3 (anhydrous) and plant leaves extract as a natural source for reduction and stabilization of this nanocomposite. We prepared a separate solution of Silver and Iron salts and upon addition of this solution to the plant extract, the conversion of colour to brown appears within 10 min at constant stirring at 350 rpm. To confirm the synthesis of nanocomposite, UV-vis spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDX and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy were used. The as prepared nanocomposite was used for photocatalytic activity in degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) in the presence of light which shows effective photocatalytic activity. The antimicrobial activities were also determined for nanocomposite which were found to be efficient against human pathogenic multidrug resistant bacteria. The Ag/Fe2O3 nanocomposite significantly preventing the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, E.coli QH4 and Pseudomonas putida with zones of inhibition 23 (+/- 0.5), 21 (+/- 0.4) and 19 (+/- 0.4) mm, respectively.The eco-benignly synthesized Ag/Fe2O3 nanocomposite could be a desired material for efficient remediation of toxic organic pollutants and microbes.