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Four parallel simultaneous sludge thickening and reduction reactors using flat-sheet membranes were employed for the aerobic digestion of sludge to explore the characteristics of dissolved organic matter and its membrane fouling effect. During the initial 8 days of using flat-sheet membranes for simultaneous sludge thickening and reduction (MSTR), a notable increase was observed in the concentrations of humic acids and compounds that resemble soluble microbial by-products in the effluent. Subsequently, a fluctuating trend in humic acid levels ensued, accompanied by a gradual decline in soluble microbial by-product-like substances. Post the initial 8-day period, the capillary suction time (CST) rose from approximately 400 s to over 800 s, the viscosity increased from 20 mPa s to 38 mPa s, and the membrane resistance increased from roughly 6.0e+ 11 m -1 to approximately 9.0e+11 m -1 . This phenomenon can be attributed to the clogging of pores by foulants whose size is similar to that of the membrane pores leading to the accumulation and deposition of macromolecules and larger particulates forming gel layers and cake layers. The interplay among diverse microorganisms engenders functional modules, collectively influencing the distribution and characteristics of dissolved organic matter within the MSTR. These microorganisms exert their metabolic effects individually and interact reciprocally, creating synergistic and inhibitory mechanisms. Notably, the synergistic interactions among microorganisms predominated, culminating in an enhanced effluent quality within the system., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The global corrosion cost is estimated to be around 2.5 trillion USD, which is more than 3 % of the global GDP. Against this background, large efforts have been made to find effective corrosion inhibitors. Ionic liquids (ILs) are nowadays regarded as reliable functional materials and one of the most promising classes of anticorrosion agents. Not only are they efficient in preventing corrosion of iron and other metals, but they are also relatively inexpensive, need no solvents, and are non-toxic to humans This review addresses both experimental and theoretical investigations conducted to IL-based corrosion inhibitors (CIs). It covers various ILs used, synthesis methods, and their performance in diverse corrosive environments. Electrochemical techniques like EIS and potentiodynamic polarization, along with computational approaches including quantum chemical calculations and DFT, provide valuable insights into corrosion inhibition mechanisms and the interactions between anticorrosion agents-surfaces. The synergistic combination of experimental and theoretical approaches enhances our understanding of corrosion inhibition, enabling the design and optimization of effective and sustainable corrosion protection strategies. This review consolidates the existing knowledge on ionic liquid-based corrosion inhibitors, highlights the key findings from both experimental and theoretical investigations, and points out possible directions for further studies in this area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Lung cancer remains a major global health concern with high mortality rates and poor prognosis. Bridging the gap between the chemical and cellular understanding of cell-decorated biomimetic nanocomposites and their clinical translation is crucial for developing effective therapies. Nanocomposites show promise in targeted drug delivery and diagnostics, but their clinical application is hindered by biocompatibility and clearance issues. To overcome these challenges, biomimetic approaches utilizing cell membrane-coated nanomaterials emerge. By camouflaging nanomaterials with cell membranes, the biointerfaces are enhanced, and the inherent properties of the donor cell membranes are acquired. This review provides an overview of recent advancements on cell membrane-coated nanocomposites for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. It discusses fabrication techniques, biomedical applications, challenges, and future prospects. The incorporation of cell membranes into nanocomposites holds potential for improved lung cancer therapy, but further development and refinement are needed for precise tumor targeting. Addressing the identified challenges will pave the way for clinical translation of these biomimetic nanoplatforms and advance lung cancer diagnosis and treatment., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The present work focuses on suggesting Gr as a valuable self-lubricating reinforcement for hybrid composite samples and offering a minimum wear rate for sliding pairs with fewer mechanical surface defects at the same time. A series of samples were fabricated using the route by stir casting method considering B 4 C and Gr as the two reinforcements. The morphology of the sample has been studied using the X-ray diffraction graphs, Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Scanning electron imaging stating the homogeneity of reinforcement in various composite cast. The theoretical and experimental density of the series of samples has been studied and compared stating the low porosity of the samples fabricated. A maximum wear rate (W r ) of 0.351 × 10 -4 mm 3 /m. was found for pure aluminium sample against EN31 steel disc with 0.053 as friction coefficient (µ). W r was somehow seen to reduce up to 0.286 × 10 -4 mm 3 /m for Al-B 4 C composite with µ of 0.48. For hybrid samples, the wear rate was further seen to improve to 0.187 × 10 -4 mm 3 /m for Al-B 4 C and Gr 2.0% weight with µ of 0.38. Least W r was found for composite having Gr 3.5% weight, of 0.149 × 10 -4 mm 3 /m. with µ of 0.36. SEM images of the worn surface give evident results for delamination and crack formation on the pin face for the pure-Al sample. Taguchi-ANOVA analysis has been carried out showing the valid contribution of pin type, load and sliding speed on W r and friction coefficient as the P-value lies below 0.05 for input parameters considering the 95% confidence level of the model developed. An F-value of 44.57 with R 2 of 0.895 is developed for W r model and an F-value of 54.2 with R 2 of 0.934 for the µ model., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Mixing performance in reactors producing biogas through anaerobic digestion is one of the parameters that directly affect biogas yield. The most commonly used mixing model for bioreactors in biogas-production processes is mechanical mixing. In the present study, we focus on the geometry of the tank, where the mechanical mixing actually takes place. In this context, by using the six-blade standard Rushton impeller in two different types of tank, flow patterns involving velocity, dead zone volume, turbulent kinetic energy, and turbulent eddy dissipation rate in the angular velocity range of 25-100 rpm were observed, and the possible effects of the results on biogas production were interpreted. A new impeller design was proposed that maximizes the interface between the fluid inside the reactor tank and the impeller, which has the potential to reduce the dead zone volume to significantly lower levels. Our results showed that the lowest dead zone volume was achieved for a 60° slope reactor tank compared to the conventional 90° slope reactor tank at an angular velocity of 100 rpm. The dead zone volume decreased to 0.000094 m 3 at 100 rpm in the 60° slope reactor tank with a total volume of 0.0305 m 3 , which by comparison was 0.000374 m 3 in the 90° slope reactor tank. The magnitudes of both maximum turbulent kinetic energy and maximum turbulent eddy dissipation were higher in the 60° slope reactor tank at all angular velocities examined, which would be expected to enhance mixing performance. It is hoped that the reader will benefit from the results of this study; however, further studies should be conducted on the use of actual biowaste as the working fluid instead of water., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The pressing global issue of organic pollutants, particularly phenolic compounds derived primarily from industrial wastes, poses a significant threat to the environment. Although progress has been made in the development of low-cost materials for phenolic compound removal, their effectiveness remains limited. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel technologies to comprehensively address this issue. In this context, MXenes, known for their exceptional physicochemical properties, have emerged as highly promising candidates for the remediation of phenolic pollutants. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical evaluation of MXene-based technologies for the removal of phenolic pollutants, focusing on the following key aspects: (1) The classification and categorization of phenolic pollutants, highlighting their adverse environmental impacts, and emphasizing the crucial need for their removal. (2) An in-depth discussion on the synthesis methods and properties of MXene-based composites, emphasizing their suitability for environmental remediation. (3) A detailed analysis of MXene-based adsorption, catalysis, photocatalysis, and hybrid processes, showcasing current advancements in MXene modification and functionalization to enhance removal efficiency. (4) A thorough examination of the removal mechanisms and stability of MXene-based technologies, elucidating their operating conditions and stability in pollutant removal scenarios. (5) Finally, this review concludes by outlining future challenges and opportunities for MXene-based technologies in water treatment, facilitating their potential applications. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights and innovative ideas for the development of versatile MXene-based technologies tailored to combat water pollution effectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, the widespread emergence of drug resistance in yeasts and filamentous fungi to existing antifungal armamentariums has become a severe threat to global health. There is also concern regarding increased rates of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus and Terbinafine resistance in Trichophyton species. To overcome this concern of resistance to regular therapies, new antifungal drugs with novel and effective mechanisms are crucially needed. Herbal remedies may be promising strategies for the treatment of resistant infections. We aimed to investigate the in vitro and silico activity of piperlongumine against clinical azole susceptible/resistant A. fumigatus and terbinafine-susceptible/resistant Trichophyton species. In the current study, piperlongumine demonstrated potent antifungal activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.016-4 μg/mL against Trichophyton isolates and 0.25-2 μg/mL for A. fumigatus isolates. Additionally, molecular docking studies indicated that piperlongumine has a strong binding affinity to the active sites of squalene epoxidase and sterol 14-alpha demethylase. However, further studies are warranted to correlate these findings with clinical outcomes and provide the basis for further investigations to pave the way for developing novel antifungal agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr. Iman Haghani reports financial support was provided by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. This research was financially supported by grant number 17588 from Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, chitosan grafted salicylaldehyde/coal fly ash/algae (Chi-SL/CFA/Alg) was synthesized by assistance of hydrothermal process to be an effective adsorbent to remove cationic dye (malachite green: MG) from water. The physicochemical properties of the Chi-SL/CFA/Alg biomaterial were examined using SEM-EDX, pH pzc , specific surface area (BET), and FTIR analyses. The optimization process of the adsorption operation parameters for MG removal by Chi-SL/CFA/Alg were optimized using a Box-Behnken design (BBD). The selected adsorption operation parameters Chi-SL/CFA/Alg dosage (A: 0.02-0.1 g/100 mL), solution pH (B: 4-8), and contact time (C: 20-360 min). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was applied to determine the significant interaction between the adsorption operation parameters and to validate BBD output. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of MG dye by Chi-SL/CFA/Alg were well described by pseudo-second order (PSO) kinetic and Freundlich isotherm model respectively. Thus, the maximum adsorption capacity (q max ) of MG dye by Chi-SL/CFA/Alg was found to be 493.7 mg/g at basic pH environment (pH = 8) and working temperature 25 °C. The adsorption mechanism can be ascribed to various interactions, including hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, electrostatic attraction, and n-π interactions. Thus, Chi-SL/CFA/Alg can be considered as preferable and potential adsorbent for removing cationic dye from aqueous environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects millions of humans worldwide. This review article provides an analysis of the recent advancements in non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, detailing methods and techniques, with a special focus on Electromagnetic wave microwave glucose sensors. While optical, thermal, and electromagnetic techniques have been discussed, the primary emphasis is focussed on microwave frequency sensors due to their distinct advantages. Microwave sensors exhibit rapid response times, require minimal user intervention, and hold potential for continuous monitoring, renders them extremely potential for real-world applications. Additionally, their reduced susceptibility to physiological interferences further enhances their appeal. This review critically assesses the performance of microwave glucose sensors by considering factors such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and user comfort. Moreover, it sheds light on the challenges and upcoming directions in the growth of microwave sensors, including the need for reduction and integration with wearable platforms. By concentrating on microwave sensors within the broader context of non-invasive glucose monitoring, this article aims to offer significant enlightenment that may drive further innovation in diabetes care., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

In this study, low-cost tubular ceramic membranes were fabricated by using waste slag and natural raw materials in order to decrease the manufacturing carbon footprints. The effects of incorporation of phosphorus slag (PS) and blast furnace slag (BFS) in the mullite-zeolite membrane body were investigated. The structural characteristics of the fabricated membranes were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle, porosity and average pore size analyses. Thermal and mechanical stability were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and three-point bending test, respectively. The oily wastewater treatment tests revealed that an increase in the slag percentage from 0 to 30% leads to enhancing the permeate flux from 99 l m -2 h -1 to 349 l m -2 h -1 for PS-based tubular membrane and to 244 l m -2 h -1 for BFS-based tubular membrane under 1 bar applied. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal percentage of all membranes was reported almost 99% for oily wastewater feed with a COD concentration of 612 mg l -1 . In addition, the investigation of membrane fouling mechanisms was carried out using Hermia models indicating that the best correlation with the experimental data is observed for the complete pore blocking model. This study presents experimental foundations aimed at enhancing the performance of affordable slag-based membranes, thus fostering their applicability in engineering contexts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dissipation and the accompanying fluctuations are often seen as detrimental for quantum systems since they are associated with fast relaxation and loss of phase coherence. However, it has been proposed that a pure state can be prepared if external noise induces suitable downwards transitions, while exciting transitions are blocked. We demonstrate such a refrigeration mechanism in a cavity optomechanical system, where we prepare a mechanical oscillator in its ground state by injecting strong electromagnetic noise at frequencies around the red mechanical sideband of the cavity. The optimum cooling is reached with a noise bandwidth smaller than but on the order of the cavity decay rate. At higher bandwidths, cooling is less efficient as suitable transitions are not effectively activated. In the opposite regime where the noise bandwidth becomes comparable to the mechanical damping rate, damping follows the noise amplitude adiabatically, and the cooling is also suppressed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The present study evaluates the adsorption efficiency of low-cost carbonaceous adsorbents as fly ash (FA), saw dust biochar (SDB) (untreated and alkali - treated), live/dead pulverized white rot fungus Hypocrea lixii biomass encapsulated in sodium alginate (SA) against the commercially available activated carbon (AC) and graphene oxide (GO) SA beads for removal of benzene phenol derivatives - Bisphenol A (BPA)/triclosan (TCS). Amongst bi - and tri - composites SA beads, tri-composite beads comprising of untreated flyash - dead fungal biomass - sodium alginate (UFA - DB - SA) showed at par results with commercial composite beads. The tri - composite beads with point zero charge (P pzc ) of 6.2 was characterized using FTIR, XRD, surface area BET and SEM-EDX. The batch adsorption using tri - composite beads revealed removal of 93% BPA with adsorption capacity of 16.6 mg/g (pH 6) and 83.72% TCS with adsorption capacity of 14.23 mg/g (pH 5), respectively at 50 ppm initial concentration with 6 % adsorbent dose in 5 h. Freundlich isotherm favoring multilayered adsorption provided a better fit with r 2 of 0.9674 for BPA and 0.9605 for TCS respectively. Intraparticle diffusion model showed adsorption of BPA/TCS molecules to follow pseudo - second order kinetics with boundary layer diffusion governed by first step of fast adsorption and intraparticle diffusion within pores by second slow adsorption step. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔH°, ΔS°, ΔG°) revealed adsorption process as exothermic, orderly and spontaneous. Methanol showed better desorbing efficiency leading to five cycles reusability. The phytotoxicity assay revealed increased germination rate of mung bean (Vigna radiata) seeds, sprinkled with post adsorbed treated water (0 h, 5 h and 7 h) initially spiked with 50 ppm BPA/TCS. Overall, UFA - DB - SA tri - composite beads provides a cost effective and eco - friendly matrix for effective removal of hydrophobic recalcitrant compounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Mridula Chaturvedi reports financial support was provided by Indian Council of Medical Research. Saleh Al-Faaraj reports financial support was provided by Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP-2024R7) King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study explores how machining parameters affect Surface Roughness (SR), Tool Wear Rate (TWR), and Material Removal Rate (MRR) during Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) of a hybrid aluminum metal matrix composite (AMMC). The composite includes 6 % Silicon carbide (SiC) and 6 % Boron carbide (B 4 C) in an Aluminum 7075 (Al7075) matrix. A combined optimization approach was used to balance these factors, evaluating Pulse ON time, Current, Voltage, and Pulse OFF time. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) optimized single responses, while multi-response optimization employed a hybrid method combining the Entropy Weight Method (EWM), Taguchi approach, TOPSIS, and GRA. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) assessed parameter significance, revealing substantial impacts on SR, MRR, and EWR. Based on TOPSIS and GRA, optimized parameters achieved a desirable balance: high MRR (0.4172, 0.5240 mm³/min), minimal EWR (0.0068, 0.0103 mm³/min), and acceptable SR (10.3877, 9.1924 μm) based on EWM-weighted priorities. Confirmation experiments validated a 15 % improvement in the closeness coefficient, and a 16 % improvement in the Grey relational grade, which considers combined SR, MRR, and EWR performance. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis of surfaces machined with optimal parameters showed minimal debris, cracks, and no recast layer, indicating high surface integrity. This research enhances EDM optimization for AMMC, achieving efficiency in machining, minimizing tool wear, and meeting surface quality requirements., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Desorption and adsorbent regeneration are imperative factors that are required to be taken into account when designing the adsorption system. From the environmental, economic, and practical points of view, regeneration is necessary for evaluating the efficiency and sustainability of synthesized adsorbents. However, no study has investigated the optimization of arsenic species desorption from spent adsorbents and their regeneration ability for reuse as well as safe disposal. This study aims to investigate the desorption ability of arsenic ions adsorbed on hybrid granular activated carbon and the optimization of the independent factors influencing the efficient recovery of arsenic species from the spent activated carbon using central composite design of the response surface methodology. The activated carbon before the sorption process and after the adsorption-desorption of arsenic ions have been characterized using SEM-EDX, FTIR, and TEM. The study found that all the investigated independent desorption variables greatly influence the retrievability of arsenic ions from the spent activated carbon. Using the desirability function for the optimization of the independent factors as a function of desorption efficiency, the optimum experimental conditions were solution pH of 2.00, eluent concentration of 0.10 M, and temperature of 26.63 ℃, which gave maximum arsenic ions recovery efficiency of 91 %. The validation of the quadratic model using laboratory confirmatory experiments gave an optimum arsenic ions desorption efficiency of 97 %. Therefore, the study reveals that the application of the central composite design of the response surface methodology led to the development of an accurate and valid quadratic model, which was utilized in the enhanced optimization of arsenic ions recovery from the spent reclaimable activated carbon. More so, the desorption isotherm and kinetic data of arsenic were well correlated with the Langmuir and the pseudo-second-order models, while the thermodynamics studies indicated that arsenic ions desorption process was feasible, endothermic, and spontaneous., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The current work emphasizes the preparation of trimetallic core-shell Ag-TeO 2 @ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) by thermo-mechanical method for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol and β-naphthol pollutants. FE-SEM shows that Ag and TeO 2 nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of ZnO nanotubes. The band gap of pristine ZnO NPs and 5 wt% Ag-TeO 2 @ZnO nanocomposites are found to be 3.16 and 2.96 eV, respectively. The calculated specific surface area (SBET) of pristine ZnO NPs and 5 wt% Ag-TeO 2 @ZnO nanocomposites are 40.47 and 45.66 m 2 g -1 respectively, confirming that Ag and TeO 2 nanoparticles contribute to increasing in surface area of pure ZnO. The synthesised nanocomposite showed excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of β -naphthol (95.6%) in 40 min at the concentration of (0.6 mg ml -1 ) and 2,4-DCP (99.6%) in 180 min (0.4 mg ml -1 ) under natural sunlight. Cyclic Voltammetry and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy were carried out to study the electrochemical properties. The determination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) confirmed that the degradation of the pollutants by 5 wt% Ag-TeO 2 @ZnO NCs was due to the formation of superoxide radicals. Electron paramagnetic resonance revealed the presence of sharp signals in pure ZnO nanoparticles at g ∼1.95 and oxygen vacancy peak at g ∼2.01 in 5 wt% Ag-TeO 2 @ZnO NCs. To study the mechanism behind the degradation of pollutants, Scavenger test using histidine and ascorbic acid (ROS scavengers) was performed. The synthesised nanocomposites are highly stable and showed enhanced efficiency up to three cycles, confirming their reusability as a photocatalyst., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L. ) is the most commonly cultivated fruit tree in the Middle East and North Africa. Date fruits are an excellent source of nutrition due to their high sugar content and high levels of phenols, minerals, and antioxidants. This work aimed to prepare a soluble natural sweetener from date fruit extract using colloidal gas aprons (CGAs) generated with a food-grade non-ionic surfactant (Tween 20). Various process parameters, such as the flow rate of the CGAs, the volume of the feed, the temperature of the CGAs, and the feed solution, were varied to obtain the optimal parameters. In the foam phase, the maximum soluble sugar enrichment of 92% was obtained at a flow rate of 50 mL/min of CGA and a solution temperature of 23 °C. The formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the glucose molecules and the surfactant Tween 20 was confirmed by molecular modeling studies., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05907-9., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Industrial wastewater contains a wide range of pollutants that, if released directly into natural ecosystems, have the potential to pose serious risks to the environment.This study aims to investigate sustainable and efficient approaches for treating tannery wastewater, employing a combination of hyphenated Fenton oxidation and adsorption processes. Rigorous analyses were conducted on wastewater samples, evaluating parameters like COD, sulphide, NH 3 -N, PO 4 3- , NO 3 - , and Cr(VI). The performance of this adsorbent material was gauged through column adsorption experiments. A comprehensive characterization of the adsorbent was undertaken using techniques such as SEM, EDX, BET, FTIR, XRD, and LIBS. The study delved into varying operational parameters like bed depth (ranging from 3.5 to 9.5 cm) diameter (2.5 cm) and influent flow rate (ranging from 5 to 15mLmin -1 ). The experimental outcomes revealed that increasing the bed depth and decreasing the influent flow rate significantly bolstered the adsorption column's effectiveness. Breakthrough curves obtained were fitted with different models, including the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models. The most optimal column performance was achieved with a bed height of 10.5 cm and a flow rate of 5mLmin -1 . The combined process achieved removal efficiencies of 94.5% for COD, 97.4% for sulphide, 96.2% for NH 3 -N, 83.1% for NO 3 - , 79.3% for PO 4 3- , and 96.9% for Cr(VI) in tannery effluent. This research presents a notable stride toward the development of sustainable and efficient strategies for tannery wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A growing number of variables, including rising population, water scarcity, growth in the economy, and the existence of harmful heavy metals in the water supply, are contributing to the increased demand for wastewater treatment on a global scale. One of the innovative water treatment technologies is the adsorptive removal of heavy metals through the application of natural and engineered adsorbents. However, adsorption currently has setbacks that prevent its wider application for heavy metals sequestration from aquatic environments using various adsorbents, including difficulty in selecting suitable desorption eluent to recover adsorbed heavy metals and regeneration techniques to recycle the spent adsorbents for further use and safe disposal. Therefore, the recovery of adsorbed heavy metal ions and the ability to reuse the spent adsorbents is one of the economic and environmental sustainability approaches. This study presents a state-of-the-art critical review of different desorption agents that could be used to retrieve heavy metals and regenerate the spent adsorbents for further adsorption-desorption processes. Additionally, an attempt was made to discuss and summarize some of the independent factors influencing heavy metals desorption, recovery, and adsorbent regeneration. Furthermore, isotherm and kinetic modeling have been summarized to provide insights into the adsorption-desorption mechanisms of heavy metals. Finally, the review provided future perspectives to provide room for researchers and industry players who are interested in heavy metals desorption, recovery, and spent adsorbents recycling to reduce the high cost of adsorbents reproduction, minimize secondary waste generation, and thereby provide substantial economic and environmental benefits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bioaerosol is one of the main ways to spread respiratory infectious diseases. In order to further improve the sterilization efficiency of copper-manganese-cerium oxide (CuMnCeO x ), the post-treatment method based on acid etching was adopted. The results showed that sterilization efficiency of the treated CuMnCeOx could reach 99% in aerosol with space velocity of 1400 h -1 . L(+)-ascorbic acid successfully promoted the formation of Cu + , oxygen vacancies and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface of the treated CuMnCeO x . During sterilization in liquid system, the transcriptome identified 316 differentially expressed genes, including 270 up-regulated genes and 46 down-regulated genes. Differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in cell wall (GO:0005618) and external encapsulating structure (GO:0030312). Up-regulated genes were shown in regulation of reactive oxygen species biosynthetic processes (GO:1903409, GO:1903426, GO:1903428) and positive regulation all of reactive oxygen species metabolic process (GO:2000379), indicating that ROS induced cell death by destroying cell wall., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have garnered considerable attention as a promising material for biomedical applications because of their unique optical and biological properties. In this study, CQDs were derived from the leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn. via microwave-assisted technique and characterized using different techniques such as ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared, fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Subsequently, their potential for biomedical applications was investigated through in vitro assays assessing scratch healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cytotoxicity properties. It was found that the CQDs were fluorescent, polycrystalline, quasi-spherical, ~ 12 nm in size with presence of -OH and -COOH groups on their negatively charged surfaces, and demonstrated good anti-inflammatory by inhibiting protein denaturation, cyclooxygenase-2 and regulating inflammatory cytokines. The CQDs also exhibited antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus, good biocompatibility, along with excellent promotion of cell proliferation in vitro, indicating their potential as a anti-inflammatory and wound healing material. The properties were more enhanced than their precursor, H. rosa-sinensis leaf extract. Hence, the CQDs synthesized from the leaves of H. rosa-sinensis can serve as a potential biomedical agent., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study developed an efficient and stable landfill leachate treatment process, which was based on the combination of biochar catalytic ozonation and activated sludge technology for intensive treatment of landfill leachate, aiming to achieve the standard discharge of leachate. The focus is to investigate the effect of manganese loading on the physicochemical properties of biochar and the mechanism of its catalytic ozonation. It was found that more surface functional groups (CO, Mn-O, etc.) and defects (I D /I G  = 1.27) were exposed via the change of original carbon structure by loading Mn, which is conducive to the generation of lattice oxygen. Meanwhile, generating different valence states of Mn metal can improve the redox properties and electron migration rate, and encourage the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the reaction process and enhance the catalytic efficiency. The synergistic action of microorganisms, especially denitrifying bacteria, was found to play a key role in the degradation of nitrogenous pollutants during the activated sludge process. The concentration of NH + 4 -N was reduced from the initial 1087.03 ± 9.56 mg/L to 9.05 ± 1.91 mg/L, while COD was reduced from 2290 ± 14.14 mg/L to 86.5 ± 2.12 mg/L, with corresponding removal rates of 99.17% and 99.20%, respectively. This method offers high efficiency and stability, achieving discharge standards for leachate (GB16889-2008). The synergy between Mn-loaded biochar and microorganisms in the activated sludge is key to effective treatment. This study offers a new approach to solving the challenge of waste leachate treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financialinterestsor personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One of the major issues of modern society is water contamination with different organic, inorganic, and contaminants bacteria. Finding cost-effective and efficient materials and methods for water treatment and environment remediation is among the scientists' most important considerations. Hollow-structured nanomaterials, including hollow fiber membranes, hollow spheres, hollow nanoboxes, etc., have shown an exciting capability for wastewater refinement approaches, including membrane technology, adsorption, and photocatalytic procedure due to their extremely high specific surface area, high porosity, unique morphology, and low density. Diverse hollow nanostructures could potentially eliminate organic contaminants, including dyes, antibiotics, oil/water emulsions, pesticides, and other phenolic compounds, inorganic pollutants, such as heavy metal ions, salts, phosphate, bromate, and other ions, and bacteria contaminations. Here, a comprehensive overview of hollow nanostructures' fabrication and modification, water contaminant classification, and recent studies in the water treatment field using hollow-structured nanomaterials with a comparative attitude have been provided, indicating the privilege abd detriments of this class of nanomaterials. Eventually, the future outlook of employing hollow nanomaterials in water refinery systems and the upcoming challenges arising in scaling up are also propounded., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, green synthesis, characterizations, photocatalytic performance, and antibacterial applications of α-Mn 2 O 3 nanoparticles are reported. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Photoluminescence (PL), and Differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis. The investigation verified that the α-Mn 2 O 3 nanoparticles possessed a cubic structure, with a crystallite size of 23 nm. The SEM and TEM techniques were used to study the nanoscale morphology of α- Mn 2 O 3 nanoparticles, which were found to be spherical with a size of 30 nm. Moreover, the surface area was obtained as 149.9 m 2  g -1 utilizing BET analysis, and the band gap was determined to be 1.98 eV by DRS analysis. The photocatalysis performance of the α-Mn 2 O 3 NPs was evaluated for degrading Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dye under visible light and degradation efficiency was 96% in 90 min. The photodegradation mechanism of EBT dye was clarified with the use of radical scavenger agents, and the degradation pathway was confirmed through Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Additionally, the produced nanoparticles could be extracted from the solution and continued to exhibit photocatalysis even after five repeated runs under the same optimal conditions. Also, the antibacterial activity of green synthesized α-Mn 2 O 3 nanoparticles was investigated by using the broth microdilution method towards Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 (Gram-positive), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (Gram-positive), Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 (Gram-negative), Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 7881 (Gram-negative), Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (Gram-negative), Proteus mirabilis ATCC 7002 (Gram-negative), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (Gram-negative) bacterial strains., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is a highly effective reactive species in selectively oxidizing organic pollutants. However, it is still challenging to rationally design robust catalysts for the selective generation of 1 O 2 . Herein, the coordination and engineering architecture of the foam board-like CoSe 2 alloy were facilely constructed through a green solvent-free method and displayed almost 100% 1 O 2 production selectivity. The CoSe 2 alloy showed excellent catalytic ability for the efficient and fast removal of organic pollutants via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation compared with previously reported cobalt-based catalysts. The CoSe 2 /PMS system exhibited strong resistance for a broad pH range (3.0-11.0) and various coexisting inorganic ions owing to the advantage of the strong bonding of Co-Se in CoSe 2 alloy. Mechanism studies revealed that 1 O 2 was the only reactive oxygen species in the CoSe 2 /PMS system. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that Co was the dominant adsorption site for PMS in CoSe 2 , and the production pathway of 1 O 2 was PMS* → *OH → *O → 1 O 2 . In addition, it was proved that *OH and *O served as the rate-determining steps for the formation of 1 O 2 by PMS activation on CoSe 2 alloy. These findings provide a rational strategy for preparing a series of low-cost transition metal-based alloy catalysts for PMS activation to achieve high-efficiency 1 O 2 production in the elimination of organic pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Humans are exposed to cadmium and lead in various regions of the world daily due to industrial development and climate change. Increasing numbers of preclinical and clinical studies indicate that heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, play a role in the pathogenesis of eye diseases. Excessive exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can increase the risk of impaired vision. Therefore, it is essential to better characterize the role of these non-essential metals in disease etiology and progression. This article discusses the potential role of cadmium and lead in the development of age-related eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Furthermore, we discuss how cadmium and lead affect ocular cells and provide an overview of putative pathological mechanisms associated with their propensity to damage the eye., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a new nanocomposite of hydroxyapatite (HA)/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) was successfully formed via a facile co-precipitation method and applied to adsorb three anionic dyes of alizarin red S (ARS), Congo red (CR), and reactive red 120 (RR120) differing in the number of SO 3 - groups from aqueous solution. Based on a combination of characterization analysis and adsorption experiments, HA/Mg-Al LDH nanocomposite showed better adsorption performance than HA and Mg-Al LDH. Using XRD and TEM analyses, the crystallinity and the presence of nanoparticles were confirmed. According to the SEM investigation, the Mg-Al LDH layers in the nanocomposite structure were delaminated, while HA nanorods were formed at the surface of Mg-Al LDH nanoparticles. The higher BET surface area of the novel HA/Mg-Al LDH nanocomposite compared to HA and Mg-Al LDH provided its superior adsorption performance. Considering an effective amount of adsorbent dosage, pH 5 was selected as the optimum pH for each of the three dye solutions. According to the results from the study of contact time and initial concentration, the pseudo-second-order kinetic (R 2  = 0.9987, 0.9951, and 0.9922) and Langmuir isotherm (R 2  = 0.9873, 0.9956, and 0.9727) best fitted the data for ARS, CR, and RR120, respectively. Anionic dyes with different numbers of SO 3 - groups demonstrated distinct adsorption mechanisms for HA and Mg-Al LDH nanoparticles, indicating that the adsorption capacity is influenced by the number of SO 3 - groups, with HA/Mg-Al LDH nanocomposite offering superior performance toward dyes with higher numbers of SO 3 - groups. Furthermore, ΔH° less than 40 kJ/mol, positive ΔS°, and negative ΔG° accompanied by the mechanism clarifying show physical spontaneous adsorption without an external source of energy and increase the randomness of the process during the adsorption, respectively. Finally, the regeneration study demonstrated that the nanocomposite could be utilized for multiple adsorption-desorption cycles, proposing the HA/Mg-Al LDH as an economically and environmentally friendly adsorbent in the adsorption of anionic dyes in water treatment processes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as anionic clays, have attracted significant attention in energy and environmental applications due to their exceptional physicochemical properties. These materials possess a unique structure with surface hydroxyl groups, tunable properties, and high stability, making them highly desirable. In this review, the synthesis and functionalization of LDHs have been explored including co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods. Furthermore, extensive research on LDH application in toxic pollutant removal has shown that modifying or functionalizing LDHs using materials such as activated carbon, polymers, and inorganics is crucial for achieving efficient pollutant adsorption, improved cyclic performance, as well as effective catalytic oxidation of organics and photoreduction. This study offers a comprehensive overview of the progress made in the field of LDHs and LDH-based composites for water and wastewater treatment. It critically discusses and explains both direct and indirect synthesis and modification techniques, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, this review critically discusses and explains the potential of LDH-based composites as absorbents. Importantly, it focuses on the capability of LDH and LDH-based composites in heterogeneous catalysis, including the Fenton reaction, Fenton-like reactions, photocatalysis, and photoreduction, for the removal of organic dyes, organic micropollutants, and heavy metals. The mechanisms involved in pollutant removal, such as adsorption, electrostatic interaction, complexation, and degradation, are thoroughly explained. Finally, this study outlines future research directions in the field., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Transformations of applied phosphorus (P) fertilizer to inaccessible residual soil P is the main cause of inadequate P availability to plants in the majority of the cultivated soils. This study investigated the effect of organic wastes (rice-residue biochar, farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), green manure (GM), and wheat straw (WS) on residual-P mobilization and its bioavailability in maize crops under different P status soils. Surface soil samples of 'medium-P' (12.5-22.5 kg P ha -1 ) and 'high-P' (22.5-50.0 kg P ha -1 ) status soils were collected from a long-term differential P fertilization experiment on maize-wheat rotation and were subjected to examine P adsorption/desorption, phosphatase activity and microbial biomass P (MBP) after incubation with organic amendments of varying elemental composition. The incorporation of organic manures decreases P sorption with maximum decrease in FYM-treated soils, indicating increased P concentration in soil solution. In contrast, WS due to its wider C/P ratio increased P sorption and did not produce any significant impact on the bioavailability of P. High-P status soils witnessed lower P sorption than medium-P soils. The MBP increased in the order of PM > FYM > GM > WS > biochar irrespective of soil P status. The availability and mobility of residual-P with FYM and PM was significantly higher than that of residual-P from biochar, GM and WS. Organics with wider C/P ratio immobilize bioavailable P in the short term regardless of soil P status., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

There is a growing incidence in the presence of emergent pollutants like the pesticides and pharmaceuticals in water bodies. The matter of environmental concern is their synthetic and persistent nature which has resulted in induced toxicity/damaging effect to the vital functioning of the different organs in the aquatic community. Traditional adsorbents have exhibited limitations like low stability and minimum reuse ability. Composites of such adsorbents with polysaccharides have demonstrated distinct features like improved surface area, porosity, adsorptivity; improved reusability and structural integrity; improved mechanical strength, thermal stability when applied for the removal of the emergent pollutants. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of such fabricated composites is established; thereby making the water treatment process cost effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly. The present review has dealt with an in-depth, up-dated literature compilation of traditional as well as polysaccharide based composite adsorbents and addressed their performance evaluation for the removal of pharmaceuticals and pesticides from wastewater. A comparative study has revealed the merits of polysaccharide based composites and discussions have been made with a focus on future research directions in the related area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report a study of a cavity optomechanical system driven by narrowband electromagnetic fields, which are applied either in the form of uncorrelated noise, or as a more structured spectrum. The bandwidth of the driving spectra is smaller than the mechanical resonant frequency, and thus we can describe the resulting physics using concepts familiar from regular cavity optomechanics in the resolved-sideband limit. With a blue-detuned noise driving, the noise-induced interaction leads to anti-damping of the mechanical oscillator, and a self-oscillation threshold at an average noise power that is comparable to that of a coherent driving tone. This process can be seen as noise-induced dynamical amplification of mechanical motion. However, when the noise bandwidth is reduced down to the order of the mechanical damping, we discover a large shift of the power threshold of self-oscillation. This is due to the oscillator adiabatically following the instantaneous noise profile. In addition to blue-detuned noise driving, we investigate narrowband driving consisting of two coherent drive tones nearby in frequency. Also in these cases, we observe deviations from a naive optomechanical description relying only on the tones' frequencies and powers., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

By first-principles calculations with density functional theory and a pseudopotential approach, the structural, electronic, and optical properties of the anhydrous 4C 16 H 10 Br 2 O 2 Bis (2-Bromobenzoyl) Methane crystals in Pbnc (N°60) and P2 1 /c (N°14) space group are investigated. All computations are determined by a generalized gradient approximation, local density approximation and an ultra-soft pseudopotential. The calculated equilibrium parameters are in good agreement with their available experimental data. This calculation shows that the GGA/PW91 functional overestimate the lattice constant, unlike the LDA/CA-PZ. The Br-C bond distance of 1.856 (1.902) Å is comparable with experimental value of 1.901 (1.896) Å in Pbnc ( P2 1 /c ) space groups. The direct band gap nature is obtained for both space groups Pbnc and P2 1 /c , since the maximum of the valence band and the minimum of the conduction band are both situated at the YA center., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs) are highly stable, spherical, micrometer-sized bubbles encapsulated by surfactant multilayers. They have several intriguing properties, including: high stability, large interfacial area, and the ability to maintain the same charge as their parent molecules. The physical properties of CGAs make them ideal for biotechnological applications such as the recovery of a variety of: biomolecules, particularly proteins, yeast, enzymes, and microalgae. In this review, the bio-application of CGAs for the recovery of natural components is presented, as well as: experimental results, technical challenges, and critical research directions for the future. Experimental results from the literature showed that the recovery of biomolecules was mainly determined by electrostatic or hydrophobic interactions between polyphenols and proteins (lysozyme, β-casein, β-lactoglobulin, etc.), yeast, biological molecules (gallic acid and norbixin), and microalgae with CGAs. Knowledge transfer is essential for commercializing CGA-based bio-product recovery, which will be recognized as a viable technology in the future.

There are several environmental and human health impacts if human hair waste is not adequately disposed of. In this study, pyrolysis of discarded human hair was carried out. This research focused on the pyrolysis of discarded human hair under controlled environmental conditions. The effects of the mass of discarded human hair and temperature on bio-oil yield were studied. The proximate and ultimate analyses and calorific values of disposed of human hair, bio-oil, and biochar were determined. Further, chemical compounds of bio-oil were analyzed using a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. Finally, the kinetic modeling and behavior of the pyrolysis process were characterized through FT-IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Based on the optimized mass of disposed of human hair, 250 g had a better bio-oil yield of 97% in the temperature range of 210-300 °C. The different parameters of bio-oil were: pH (2.87), specific gravity (1.17), moisture content (19%), heating value (19.34 MJ/kg), and viscosity (50 CP). C (56.4%), H (6.1%), N (0.16%), S (0.01%), O (38.4%), and Ash (0.1%) were discovered to be the elemental chemical composition of bio-oil (on a dry basis). During breakdown, the release of different compounds like hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, acids, and alcohols takes place. According to the GC-MS results, several amino acids were discovered in the bio-oil, 12 abundant in the discarded human hair. The FTIR and thermal analysis found different concluding temperatures and wave numbers for functional groups. Two main stages are partially separated at about 305 °C, with maximum degradation rates at about 293 oC and 400-4140 °C, respectively. The mass loss was 30% at 293 0 C and 82% at temperatures above 293 0 C. When the temperature reached 410 0 C, the entire bio-oil from discarded human hair was distilled or thermally decomposed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In the pursuit of sustainable porcelain production, this research examines the potential of using recovered automotive glass as a substitute for traditional feldspar, specifically feldspar imported from Spain. Porcelain samples were sintered at different temperatures and with varied proportions of automotive glass. The crystalline phases formed post-sintering were determined through X-ray diffraction and quantified by dissolving the porcelain in concentrated hydrofluoric acid. Results revealed that the inclusion of automotive glass, owing to its dissolved oxide content, accelerated the porcelain melting process and led to an increase in the vitreous phase. Notably, anorthite phases became dominant and mullite formation was evident at 1100 °C, stabilizing in samples G00 and G10, and then increasing at 1200 °C due to the emergence of secondary mullite. This secondary mullite forms from the residual silica after the primary mullite formation and the aluminium in the feldspars, which is about 17 %. For samples G20 and G30, only primary mullite was observed due to the decreased aluminium content resultant from feldspar replacement by glass. These findings underscore the viability of automotive glass in porcelain production, providing a sustainable and effective alternative to feldspar., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The impact of biosynthesized zirconium nanoparticles originated from biological waste, blended in diesel fuel processed through bio-refining strategy and its combustion, emissions, and overall diesel engine performance towards safety has been examined. Different weight fractions of zirconia nanoparticles were combined with crude diesel at 10, 20, and 30 mg/L values. According to the engine tests, Zirconia (20 nm) added to pure diesel at a concentration of 30 parts per million incremented thermal efficiencies by 4.9% compared to regular diesel fuel. The average reduction in specific fuel consumption for clean diesel fuel when the engine was operating at full power was 2.9%, 3.9%, and 4.9%. Diesel smoke, hydrocarbon, CO, and NOx emissions were reduced by 13%, 20%, 25%, and 29%, respectively, when nano additives were used at a concentration of 30 ppm.Nanoparticles enhance fuel stability, overcome detonation difficulties, and avoid fouling spark plugs. The pressure within cylinder, the temperature, and the rate at which heat is released was improved when alumina nanoparticles were appended to diesel fuel. However, both the length of the combustion and further delay in ignition were cut down. The ideal concentration of zirconia nanoparticles for improving combustion, efficiency, and emissions along with safety attainment in an internal combustion engine is recorded at 30 ppm., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Present research work deals with the extremely sensitive pressure-sensing capabilities of defective one-dimensional photonic crystal structure (GaP/SiO 2 )N/Al 2 O 3 /(GaP/SiO 2 )N. The proposed structure is realized by putting a defective layer of material Al 2 O 3 in the middle of a structure consisting of alternating layers of GaP and SiO 2 . The transfer matrix method has been employed to examine the transmission characteristics of the proposed defective one-dimensional photonic crystal in addition to MATLAB software. An external application of the hydrostatic pressure on the proposed structure is responsible for the change in the position and intensity of defect mode inside the photonic band gap of the structure due to pressure-dependent refractive index properties of the materials being used in the design of the sructure. Additionally, the dependence of the transmission properties of the structure on other parameters like incident angle and defect layer thickness has also studied. The theoretical obtained numeric values of the quality factor and sensitivity are 17,870 and 72 nm/GPa respectively. These results are enough to support our claim that the present design can be used as an ultra-sensitive pressure sensor., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In the present study, a series of benzotriazole-based β-amino alcohols were efficiently synthesized in excellent yields via aminolysis of benzotriazolated epoxides under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions. Further these β-amino alcohols were successfully utilized to synthesize the corresponding benzotriazole-based oxazolidine heterocyclic derivatives. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and mass spectroscopy for structure elucidation. The compounds were subjected to a microtiter plate-based antimicrobial assay. The antimicrobial activity results reveal that the compounds 4a , 4e , and 5f were found to be active against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-25923) with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 32, 8, and 64 μM, respectively. Also, the compounds 4a , 4e , 4k , 4i , 4m , 4n , 4o , 5d , 5e , 5f , 5g , and 5h showed effective activity against Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) with MICs of 64, 16, 16, 16, 64, 16, 64, 64, 32, 64, 8, and 16 μM, respectively. A biological investigation was conducted, including molecular docking of two compounds with several receptors to identify and confirm the best ligand-protein interactions. Hence, this study found a significant strategy to diversify the chemical molecules. The synthesized compounds play a potential role as an antibacterial intensifier against some pathogenic bacteria for the development of antibacterial substances., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Metal Organic framework (MOF) has been a class of great interest during the past few years owing to its decidedly applicative, easily synthesized and improved characteristics. Ca-BTC MOF is synthesized by Hydrothermal technique and reported for the first time. Its structural morphology was analyzed using XRD, SEM, and EDS, showing the tetragonal crystal structure having grain size of 24.92 nm and purity of sample respectively. FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy ensures the metal organic framework between Calcium and the tri-carboxylic group. Photoluminescence measures the energy gap of 3.792 eV, showing approximately the semiconducting behavior of synthesized material. Zeta potential having value of -13.5 mV confirms the instability having good microbial activity and conductivity i.e 0.290 mS/cm which reveals important insights into its electrical properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

In this study, an electro-polymerized valine (VLN) stimulated carbon paste electrode (CPE) was used to create a straightforward, inexpensive, and renewable electrochemical sensor for accurate and selective indigotin (IGN) determination. Comparing the CPE, to the modified electrode, it exhibits excellent sensibility for the IGN oxidation-reduction reaction. Multiple techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized in this case to characterize the electrode materials. IGN was analyzed using CPE and poly(valine) modified carbon paste electrodes (P(VLN)MCPE) taking a 6.5 pH in 0.2 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Because it has more active spots than the CPE and a strong electrocatalytic nature, P(VLN)MCPE exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. The impact of pH, scan rate, numerous interferents, and fluctuation in analyte concentration were only a few of the important electrochemical factors that were investigated. The variation in scan rate proves that the IGN oxidation-reduction reaction on the surface of P(VLN)MCPE is as follows an adsorption-controlled pathway. The P(VLN)MCPE displays a good electrochemical nature for IGN in the 0.2 to 5.0 μM range, with a low limit of detection (LOD) is 0.0069 μM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.023 μM. P(VLN)MCPE shows good reproducibility, stability, and repeatability for the detection of IGN. Additionally, P(VLN)MCPE's analytical applicability for IGN detection in water sample was assessed with impressive recovery., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were synthesized and immobilized on sepiolite fibers and graphene oxide sheets, producing a CuFe 2 O 4 /sepiolite/GO (CFSG) nanocomposite via a facile single-pot method. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using TEM, FTIR, SEM-EDX, XRD, and TGA techniques to determine its composition, structure, and thermal stability. The adsorptive removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions was studied using the synthesized CFSG nanocomposite. Adsorption parameters such as CFSG loading, pH, contact time, and temperature were investigated. The CFGS nanocomposite showed a higher Pb(II) removal ( q m = 238.1 mg/g) compared to Cd(II) ( q m = 14.97 mg/g) in a Pb(II) and Cd(II) binary system. The Pb(II) and Cd(II) adsorption fitted well with the Langmuir model, followed by the pseudo-second-order model, and was found spontaneous. Adsorption thermodynamic analysis showed that the Pb(II) adsorption process was exothermic while Cd(II) adsorption was endothermic. The CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles on the CFSG surface could facilitate the adsorption of heavy metal ions through electrostatic interaction and complexation processes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

In this study, biochar was produced based on dehydrated excess sludge from the municipal wastewater treatment plant, which was used for catalytic ozonation of pollutants derived from landfill leachate. The necessary catalytic sites in the structure of biochar were originated from the inorganic metals and organic matters in the sludge, which included a large number of functional groups (e.g., C-C, CO, etc.), adsorbed oxygen (O ads accounted for 44.82%) and electron defects (I D /I G =1.01). These active sites could promote the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g., ·OH,·O 2- , etc.). The synergistic interaction between the microorganisms in the activated sludge also facilitated the removal rates of pollutants. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Deinococcu-Thermus were crucial in the bioreactor. In 16 days of reaction, the removal ratios of NH + 4 -N and COD were 98.95 ± 0.11% and 90.89 ± 0.47%, respectively. This study not only explains the mechanism of catalytic ozonation of biochar, but also provides a new way of the practical treatment of landfill leachate., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Novel multinary nanocomposite using solvothermal method synthesized and studied for their use in supercapacitors and photocatalysis to degrade pollutants using characterization techniques XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis, Zeta potential and photoluminescence spectroscopy whereas electrochemical testing via EIS, CV and GCD analysis. Average crystalline size of 20.81 nm measured from XRD whereas EDX confirms GO suppression within nanocomposite. Mixed matrix like morphology is observable from SEM micrographs. The composite exhibited a band gap of 2.78 eV that could degrade MB dye at 94 % under direct sunlight consistent with first-order kinetics. Multiple distinctive peaks in FTIR spectra indicates various functional groups exsistence in the material alongwith zeta potential value of -17.9 mV. Raman spectra reveals D-band shifting to value 1361 cm -1 while the G-band shifts to 1598 cm -1 relative to GO. Furthermore electrochemical performance evaluated revealing electron transfer rate value 4.88 × 10 -9  cms -1 with maximum capacitance about 7182 Fg -1 at a scan rate of 10 mVs -1 respectively. Power density ranges from 3591.18 to 2163 W/kg and energy density from 299 to 120 Wh/Kg as measured from GCD analysis. These findings indicates that novel multinary nanocomposite holds potential as an electrode material in supercapacitors and as a sunlight-driven photocatalyst for the degradation of water-borne organic pollutants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Municipal wastewater contains emergent chemical and biological pollutants that are resistant to conventional wastewater treatments. Therefore, the focus of the current study was to address the challenge of removing emergent chemical and biological pollutants present in municipal wastewater. To achieve this, a photo electro-catalytic (PEC) treatment approach was employed, focusing on the removal of both micro and biological pollutants that are of emergent concern, as well as the reduction of Chemical Oxidation Demand (COD) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). The treatment involved the use of a modified multi-layer catalytic anode photo-electroactive anode as an effective anode for PEC treatment of municipal wastewater. In the continuous mode of operation, %COD removal was optimized for the treatment of municipal wastewater under Ultra-Violet C (UVc), 280 nm, and Visible (Vis) radiation, 400 nm. Therefore, a comparative study was performed to investigate the effect of Vis radiation on %COD removal, micropollutants removal, and disinfection of municipal wastewater. Micropollutants present in municipal wastewater were effectively oxidized/degraded with the highest reduction rate between 100% and 80% under the influence of UVc and Vis radiation respectively by the PEC treatment process. Disinfection of various microorganisms present in the wastewater with the effect of UVc and Vis assisted PEC treatment was also monitored. Overall, 75-80% of the disinfection of municipal wastewater was contributed by the modified multi-layer catalytic anode. The UVc in the PEC system, contributes approximately 20-25% to the overall disinfection of municipal wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This article presents detailed structural, electronic, magnetic, and thermoelectric properties of two experimentally existing isostructural variant perovskite compounds Tl 2 NbX 6 (X = Cl, Br) with the help of first principles calculations. As per requirement of stability in the device applications, the structural and thermodynamic stabilities were, respectively verified by tolerance factor and negative formation energies. The structural parameters in ferromagnetic phase were calculated and found in close agreement with the available experimental results. The electronic nature was found as half metallic from spin polarized calculations of electronic band structures and density of states, where the semiconductor nature was found in the spin down states and metallic nature in the spin up states. The magnetic moments of both the compounds were calculated as 1 μ B majorly contributed by Nb atom. The Boltzmann transport theory was implemented via BoltzTraP for calculating the spin resolved thermoelectric parameters, such as Seebeck coefficient, electronic and thermal conductivities, and figure of merit. Overall, both the compounds were found suitable for use in spintronics and spin Seebeck effect for energy applications., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Catalysts played a crucial role in advancing modern human civilization, from ancient times to the industrial revolution. Due to high cost and limited availability of traditional catalysts, there is a need to develop cost-effective, high-activity, and nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an ideal candidate for heterogeneous catalysis due to their physicochemical properties, hybrid inorganic/organic structures, uncoordinated metal sites, and accessible organic sections. MOFs are high nanoporous crystalline materials that can be used as catalysts to facilitate polymerization reactions. Their chemical and structural diversity make them effective for various reactions compared to traditional catalysts. MOFs have been applied in gas storage and separation, ion-exchange, drug delivery, luminescence, sensing, nanofilters, water purification, and catalysis. The review focuses on MOF-enabled heterogeneous catalysis for value-added compound production, including alcohol oxidation, olefin oligomerization, and polymerization reactions. MOFs offer tunable porosity, high spatial density, and single-crystal XRD control over catalyst properties. In this review, MOFs were focused on reactions of CO 2 fixation, CO 2 reduction, and photoelectrochemical water splitting. Overall, MOFs have great potential as versatile catalysts for diverse applications in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Recycling waste from the production and consumption of heat-resistant alloys to return them to production is an urgent task due to the high cost of the components contained in these alloys. The kinetics and conditions of the acid leaching process of the grinding waste of a heat-resistant nickel alloy are studied depending on the composition of the acid solution (H 2 SO 4 , HCl, HNO 3 , and their mixtures) at room temperature to boiling point temperature and various acid concentrations (1.5 to 3.0 mol/L), ratios of waste to solution (1:10 to 3:10), fraction sizes (0.04-1 mm), and contact duration (1 to 120 h). The linearization of experimental data by the Gray-Weddington, Gistling-Brownstein, and Kazeev-Erofeev equations showed that the rate of the leaching process was influenced by both the chemical reactions between sulfuric acid and metals included in the grinding waste and the diffusion of reagents through the film of reaction products and undissolved impurities. Optimal conditions for acid dissolution of the grinding waste have been established to obtain the maximum degree of extraction of the main component of the alloy, nickel. The processing of powder particles with a size of less than 0.1 mm should be carried out in a solution of sulfuric acid with a concentration of 3.0 mol/L at a temperature of 100 °C for 6 h with a ratio of solid to liquid phases of 1:10. The reported results are very important for industry personnel to recover metals and for environmentalists to treat the alloy waste.

Biochar can be used for soil remediation in environmentally beneficial manner, especially when combined with nanomaterials. After a decade of research, still, no comprehensive review was conducted on the effectiveness of biochar-based nanocomposites in controlling heavy metal immobilization at soil interfaces. In this paper, the recent progress in immobilizing heavy metals using biochar-based nanocomposite materials were reviewed and compared their efficacy against that of biochar alone. In details, an overview of results on the immobilization of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, and As was presented by different nanocomposites made by various biochars derived from kenaf bar, green tea, residual bark, cornstalk, wheat straw, sawdust, palm fiber, and bagasse. Biochar nanocomposite was found to be most effective when combined with metallic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 and FeS) and carbonaceous nanomaterials (graphene oxide and chitosan). This study also devoted special consideration to different remediation mechanisms by which the nanomaterials affect the effectiveness of the immobilization process. The effects of nanocomposites on soil characteristics related to pollution migration, phytotoxicity, and soil microbial composition were assessed. A future perspective on nanocomposites' use in contaminated soils was presented., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The selective electrochemical reduction of oxygen (O 2 ) via 3e - pathway for the production of hydroxyl radicals (HO) is a promising alternative to conventional electro-Fenton process. Here, we developed a nitrogen-doped CNT-encapsulated Ni nanoparticle electrocatalyst (Ni@N-CNT) with high O 2 reduction selectivity for the generation of HO • via 3e - pathway. Exposed graphitized N on the CNT shell, and Ni nanoparticles encapsulated within the tip of the N-CNT, played a key role in the generation of H 2 O 2 intermediate (*HOOH) via a 2e - oxygen reduction reaction. Meanwhile, those encapsulated Ni nanoparticles at the tip of the N-CNT facilitated the sequential HO • generation by directly decomposing the electrogenerated *H 2 O 2 in a 1e - reduction reaction on the N-CNT shell without inducing Fenton reaction. Improved bisphenol A (BPA) degradation efficiency were observed when compared with conventional batch system (97.5% vs 66.4%). Trials using Ni@N-CNT in a flow-through configuration demonstrated a complete removal of BPA within 30 min (k = 0.12 min -1 ) with a limited energy consumption of 0.068 kW·h·g -1 TOC., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)