Search

Thermoelectrics is an emerging technology in the field of renewable energy sources, and the exploration of doped materials has opened up new avenues for enhancing their performance. La-doped thermoelectric materials with the composition Bi2−xLaxTe3(x= 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) were synthesized using the WOWS sol–gel method and sintered at 500 °C for 5 h. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed a rhombohedral crystal structure with lattice constants of a= b= 4.41(2) Å and c= 29.81(3) Å. Scanning electron microscopy revealed particle-like shapes (0.7–2.5 μm). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the single-phase nature of the samples. DC electrical measurements showed increasing conductivity with temperature. AC electrical analysis demonstrated frequency-dependent behavior with increasing AC conductivity and decreasing loss factor and dielectric constants. Seebeck coefficient measurements exhibited temperature-dependent behavior. Thermal transport properties showed increasing thermal conductivity and volumetric specific heat with temperature, while thermal diffusivity decreased. The composition Bi1.9La0.1Te3with x= 0.1 doping displayed lower thermal conductivity, higher electrical conductivity, and a higher ZT value, making it more suitable for thermoelectric applications. Furthermore, the sample Bi1.8La0.2Te3exhibited favorable characteristics for energy storage applications compared to the other samples. These findings provide insights into the potential applications of La-doped bismuth telluride compounds in thermoelectric and energy storage systems.

Doping of potassium in CaCr2O4as Ca1−xKxCr2O4with x= 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8, using sol-gel technique, to see the structural changes in a regular and periodic variation of K-ions. XRD pattern shows a reduction in peak intensities of CaCr2O4after potassium doping, principally owing to bonding with Alkali metal in heat treatment of Ca1−xKxCr2O4. It revealed that active species might be confined in the non-crystalline phase, thus impeding their reactivity. XRD of grown samples show their cell parameters of hexagonal crystal symmetry. Morphology of samples in SEM, exhibited the introduction of potassium into the medium of transition metal oxide effects in the development of channeled or layered assemblies. Constituents of synthesized material [Ca1−xKxCr2O4], presenting vibrational stretching of constituent elements as observed in Raman Spectra. The structure of doped sample is predicted favorable for energy storing devices, as having distortion (amorphous linings) in its crystal structure when compared to un doped one, that evident the novelty of this work.

It is infrequent to have a single metal in the wastewater. For this reason, the elimination of Pb2+and Cd2+in one and two-component system was examined by xanthate-modified Phaseolus vulgarisin a batch mode. Through grafting, sulphur-bearing groupings with the help of magnesium xanthate were added onto P. vulgarisand xanthate-modified innovative P. vulgarisbiosorbent has been produced for the removal of metal ions, that is, lead and cadmium. These innovative sulphur sites were attained successfully and confirmed with the help of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and change in surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The point of zero charges pHpzcof xanthate-modified P. vulgariswas observed to be 7.20 which makes it appropriate for the sorption of cations. The batch sorption implementation of xanthate-modified P. vulgarisincludes sorbent amount, pH, linear and non-linear regression analysis, and kinetic curves. The xanthate-modified P. vulgarisadsorbed 95.65% cadmium (at pH 4.0) and 90.36% of lead (at pH 5.0) from a single aqueous system. The sorption of Pb2+and Cd2+by xanthate-modified P. vulgarisfollow the linear regression of Langmuir isotherm with qmaxof 160.97 and 150.50 mg/L, respectively which is substantially greater than that of many other reported ones. The xanthate-modified P. vulgarisdemonstrated rapid uptake capacity of Pb2+and Cd2+following the high value of correlation coefficient with pseudo-second-order kinetics. This sorption process for Pb2+and Cd2+was found to be endothermic and spontaneous. The binding capacities however reduced in the binary system. This, therefore revealed that the xanthate-modified P. vulgariscan be an encouraging biosorbent for the remediation of Pb2+and Cd2+from contaminated water.

The concurrence of heat stress of different spells at the cotton flowering stage accelerates phenology and declines the fiber quality of cotton. A two-year field trial was conducted to examine the effect of exogenous chitosan application in alleviating the effects of heat stress on seed cotton yield, quality, phenology, and glycine betaine synthesis. Three levels of heat treatments were assigned to the main plots. Five levels of foliar spray of chitosan, i.e., 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 g L−1, were applied in each subplot during heat stress imposition. The treatment plan was comprised of H0(control, no heat stress), H1(heat stress at flowering for 4 days), and H2(heat stress at flowering for 8 days). Heat stress at flowering for 8 days resulted in a remarkable decrease in glycine betaine synthesis, phenological parameters, seed cotton yield, and quality attributes compared to the control. The effects of heat stress were more pronounced when the exposure time was 8 days compared to 4 days. Chitosan foliar application significantly improved glycine betaine, seed cotton yield, earliness of maturity, and fiber quality, decreasing malondialdehyde contents in heat-stressed cotton. In contrast, the premier dose (0.8 g L−1) of chitosan proved more efficient than lower doses. It is concluded that exogenous application of chitosan at 0.8 g L−1was beneficial to arbitrating heat stress effect owing to its positive effect on fiber quality and seed cotton yield (increased by 22% over control).

AbstractBackground18F-FDG PET/CT is a valuable diagnostic tool in infective endocarditis (IE). However, the prognostic value is unclear. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in native valve endocarditis (NVE) and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE).MethodsWe retrospectively included 76 patients treated for definite IE (NVE and PVE) that underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT between January 2016 and December 2018. Clinical, echocardiographic and 18F-FDG PET/CT (pathologic valvular 18F-FDG uptake, extracardiac complications (ECC)) data were collected. The primary endpoint was defined as mortality or recurrence of IE at a one-year follow-up.ResultsPathologic valvular 18F-FDG uptake was detected in 32 of 57 (56.1%) patients, 30% (9/30) in NVE and 85.2% (23/27) in PVE group. Atrial fibrillation (OR 3.90, 95% CI = 1.14–16.3), prior anticoagulation treatment (OR 6.37, 95% CI = 1.89–26.7), large vegetation (≥ 10 mm) (OR 4.05, 95% CI = 1.14–16.1), perivalvular complications (OR 7.22, 95% CI = 1.68–55.1) and abscess (OR 10.9, 95% CI = 1.84–283) were associated with positive PET/CT. Extracardiac complications were found in 27 of 76 (35.5%) patients, 42.9% (18/42) in the NVE and 26.5% (9/34) in the PVE group. Pathological valvular tracer uptake (HR 1.20, 95% CI = 0.43–3.37) or extracardiac complications (HR 0.58, 95% CI = 0.21–1.62) were not associated with the occurrence of the primary endpoint.ConclusionOur study could not demonstrate a prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in IE, but confirms high diagnostic performance, which may compromise prognostic significance by accelerated optimal treatment because of earlier diagnostic certainty.

Forest ecosystems are sinks of atmospheric carbon and maintain annual temperature. On the other hand, climate change entails changes in all the biota structures and functions, including forest cover and biomass. Temperature and precipitation are the main deterministic factors in species biomass change. Therefore, we compared the biomass of Betula spp. and Abies spp. at the stand level along trans-Eurasian hydrothermal gradients. We analyzed the biomass database of Betulaand Abiesforest stands in Eurasia. Climate variables explained about 14 and 16% of the total biomass variability in Betulaand Abies,respectively. Our results showed that increasing temperature and precipitation positively impacted fir biomass. However, a negative impact was reported on needles and branches due to insufficient humidity. In birch forests, positive trends occur from cold to warm climate zones, but only when there is inadequate water supply. A negative correlation was reported in the moist areas. Most of the birch biomass components only increased in the precipitation gradient in cold climate zones. This positive trend transformed to negative in warm zones (except for branches). We modeled the possible temporal biomass change of tree species based on its territorial pattern in Eurasia using the principle of space-for-time substitution. The developments of models for the main forest-forming species of Eurasia allow us to predict changes in the productivity of the forest cover of Eurasia.

Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) doped polyaniline and carbon black (CB) composites (PANI-DBSA/CB) were synthesized by in-situ polymerization of aniline in the aqueous dispersion of carbon black (CB) in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as an oxidant. Various composite samples with varying amounts of CB (1 wt% and 2 wt%) were synthesized and were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD studies confirmed the formation of the well-organized and semi-crystalline structure of the composites. SEM analysis revealed the increase in grain size and the granular structure of the synthesized composites. DC conductivity was measured in the temperature range from 300 K to 393 K using two probe methods. An increase in DC conductivity was found on the inclusion of carbon black at all temperatures and the most probable model of charge transport was found to be three-dimensional variable range hopping (3D-VRH). As the concentration of CB in the composites increased, activation energy was found to be decreased. The density of states, hopping length, and hopping energy were calculated, respectively, and were found to be influenced by CB incorporation.

Intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites of insulating polymers poly methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene with organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) was prepared by solution casting method. Formation of polymer nanocomposites was confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the interaction between polymers and cations on the surface of OMMT layers. Dielectric properties of these nanocomposites were examined at room temperature in the frequency range of 100 Hz–1 MHz. The findings of dielectric measurements exhibited higher real and imaginary dielectric permittivity values for exfoliated nanocomposites and lesser real and imaginary dielectric permittivity values for intercalated nanocomposites as compared with pure polymers in the same frequency range. The increase in the permittivity values is attributed to Maxwell Wagner polarization in exfoliated nanocomposites because of increased interfacial area between polymer and the clay layers. Decrease in dielectric permittivity in intercalated polymer nanocomposites is attributed to restricted mobility of polymer chains due to nanoscopic confinement of the polymer with the silicate layers.

This work presents the simple approach for the synthesis of CaTiO3incorporated polyaniline nanocomposites (PANI- CaTiO3) by facile in-situoxidative polymerization route, to be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs). The developed samples were evaluated using several analytical methods viz.X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET). The electrochemical performance of the prepared nanocomposites for energy storage application was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3 M of KOH as an electrolyte. In comparison to pristine PANI, which demonstrated a specific capacitance of 257 Fg−1, and pure CaTiO3, which exhibited a specific capacitance of 142 Fg−1, the results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) for PANI-35 % CaTiO3nanocomposites revealed a higher specific capacitance of 966 Fg−1at 10 mV/s sweep rate. The highest energy density and power density for the PANI-35 % CaTiO3nanocomposites were shown by galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) measurements to be 58.14 Whkg−1and 3.2 kWkg−1, respectively, at a higher specific capacitance value of 984.21 Fg−1at 6.86 Ag−1current density. Additionally, the straight line in low frequency Nyquist plots was linked to the low electrolyte diffusion (Warburg) resistance within the electrode and ions diffusion into the electrode surface, confirming the CV results. Moreover, this study proposes an innovative research concept for the fabrication of electrode materials specifically designed for supercapacitors.

Purpose: The study is an endeavour to find out the preservation status of rare documents in Srinagar. The rare documents, here, mean the manuscripts and rare books, journals, reports, magazines, archival documents, etc. These resources are available in private libraries of individuals and religious institutions in Srinagar. This study aims to find these private libraries of individuals/families and religious institutions, which are unknown to the scholarly world and observe the preservation status of rare documents. The main focus is to document their present preservation status to give an opportunity to the stakeholders, particularly the government organizations, to take appropriate action before they are lost forever. Design/methodology/approach: Before conducting the survey, the investigator interviewed 114 persons including literary persons, faith leaders, librarians, faculty members from various prominent institutions in Srinagar to get leads regarding the persons/families and religious institutions in possession of rare documents. The investigator gathered data through two different schedules and later analyzed the same in this study after carrying out a pilot study to make necessary changes to the schedules compiled for the study. The investigator visited personally each family/individual and religious institution to gather the data for months together. Findings: An arduous job was carried out in which around 111 individuals/families and religious institutions were found to be having such rare resources. However, the data gathered reveals a dismal picture of private libraries and religious institutions, in possession of rare documents, as almost all caretakers/ families are devoid of any knowledge regarding the maintenance of these important sources of knowledge. Further, the traditional methods of preservation are still in vogue in some private libraries. These traditional methods have opened new areas of research while at the same time can prove detrimental to the collection if they are useless. Originality/value: The study is the first of its kind in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir i.e. Srinagar. The study gives an idea of preservation status of manuscripts and rare documents including books, magazines, journals, archival documents, etc. so that the same are taken care of for posterity. The study is an eye-opener for the policymakers, conservators, archivists and others interested in historical documents. The study will help in furthering the research process as it needs to be ascertained whether the traditional methods of preservation are fruitful. In short, the study is quite helpful in understanding the nature of collection in Srinagar so that appropriate steps are taken by all particularly the Government in J&K. The paper will surely help in the policy formulation in the future.

In this article, we construct new explicit formulas for the Drazin inverse of P+Qunder some conditions, where Pand Qare singular square matrices over skew fields. These formulas generalize some recent results in literature. By using these formulas, we establish new results for the Drazin inverse of 2×2block matrix under some assumptions over skew fields. Finally, illustrative numerical examples over skew fields are presented to demonstrate results of this paper.

Oily sludge contains a wide range of carcinogenic and toxic organic and inorganic compounds that enter into the terrestrial environment and may be toxic to plants. Plants grown over oily sludge–contaminated soil may undergo changes in physiology and in the antioxidant enzymes system due to the presence of toxic hydrocarbons. Information is scarce regarding the inoculation of oily sludge on the changes in the physiology of plants. The present study evaluated the effect of a constructed bacterial consortium and fertilizers on maize (Zea maysL.) growth and survival and on its antioxidant system under the stress environment of 30% and 60% oily sludge. Maize grown over 30% and 60% oily sludge was inoculated with a consortium of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria strains (Bacillus cereus[Acc KF859972], Bacillus altitudinis[Acc KF859970], comamonadaceae(Delftia) [Acc KF859971], and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia[Acc KF859973]). The bioavailability of some phytotoxic trace elements was also evaluated. Germination was inhibited when plants were grown without inoculation; however, no inhibition to the germination of maize was observed when bacterial consortium was added to oily sludge. A significant difference in the bioavailability of Cu and Zn was observed under maize rhizosphere oily sludge inoculated with consortium. Germination rate, protein, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase in bacterial consortium–inoculated maize was higher in plants grown in oily sludge compared with plants grown in untreated sludge. The bacterial consortium suppressed the oxidative stress of plants grown in oily sludge and enhanced maize tolerance to oily sludge. The bacterial consortium can be used for enhancing plant nutrient uptake and to increase biochemical and plant enzymes and can be used by oil refineries to remediate soils contaminated with oily sludge.

In this article, we will derive several new nonlinear retarded integral inequalities for Gronwall–Bellman type and then apply them as handy tools to examine explicit bounds for solutions of initial value problems, and will also use to evaluate the qualitative as well as the quantitative behavior of solutions of nonlinear retarded differential and integral equations. These inequalities extend some present inequalities to the current literature. An application is also given to demonstrate the strength of our results.

Heat stress at spike initiation and flowering is chief constraint hampering the accomplishment of yield potential in wheat crop. The present study was aimed at comparing the thermo-sensitivity of terminal stages, optimizing exogenous potassium to alleviate impacts of heat and to explore biochemical attributes triggered regulations in morphological attributes of wheat. The experiment was performed at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan during winter 2015–2016 and 2016–2017. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design under split arrangement and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of heat stress in main plots viz. H0= No heat imposition; H1= Heat stress imposition from complete emergence of spike to grain filling initiation and H2= Heat stress imposition from flowering initiation to grain filling initiation and exogenous potassium (K) concentrations in split plots viz. K0= Control (water spray); K15= 15 g L−1; K30= 30 g L−1; K45= 45 g L−1, and K60= 60 g L−1. Under “H0,” statistically similar and relatively more activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were quantified with 45 and 60 g L−1foliar “K.” Contrarily, significantly more SOD, POD, and CAT contents were recorded with 60 g L−1exogenous potassium under “H1” and “H2” while significantly lesser chlorophyll a, bcontents and grain yield were recorded under “H1” compared to “H0” and “H2,” whereas statistically similar and significantly more grain-filling rate (GFR) and statistically similar and significantly lesser grain filling duration (GFD) were observed under “H1” compared to “H0” “H2.” Exogenous application of K at 45 and 60 g L−1depicted statistically similar and comparatively more chlorophyll a, bcontents, GFR, GFD, and grain yield compared to control. Moreover, strong, positive, and significant association of antioxidants and chlorophyll contents with morphological attributes was observed. Conclusively, “H1” proved more deleterious compared to “H0” and “H2” and exogenous K at 60 g L−1effectively alleviated adversities of heat. Moreover, K-mediated regulations in biochemical attributes improved morphological attributes of heat-stressed wheat crop.

Lithium-rich layer oxide, Li1.2Ni0.16Mn0.56Co0.08O2(NMC), is a potential cathode candidate for high-energy density batteries. Issues such as cycling stability, rate performance, and cost are yet to be overcome before successful commercialization of the material. Here, we report on the synthesis of Cr-doped lithium-rich phases Li1.2Ni0.16Mn0.56Co0.08-xCrxO2(where x= 0.00, 0.01, and 0.02) (NMC-Cr) by the sol-gel technique. Cr is homogeneously distributed in the crystal structure evidence by elemental mapping measurements. The Cr-doped materials exhibit much better cycling stability with 100% capacity retention versus 44% for the undoped sample after 50 cycles. The Cr-doped samples show excellent electrochemical performance at higher C-rate in comparison with the undoped NMC. The latter shows rapid capacity fading from 220 to 50 mAh g−1at the 0.1 to 1C rates, respectively. Moreover, the Cr-containing materials do not show significant signs of voltage fading during cycling owing to the stabilization of the crystal lattice by Cr. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements also indicate the stable cell resistance on cycling for the Cr-doped phases compared to the undoped phase. Graphical Abstractᅟ

In this study, PEG and TiO2were used to modify the properties of neat bitumen of grade 60/70. The physical and structural properties of the modified bitumen samples were investigated using penetration by grade, softening point, fire and flash point, ductility, and x-ray diffraction. Results showed that the physical properties of base bitumen were dependent on the polymer content. In the first phase bitumen was blended with PEG at different proportions (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%). It was observed that stiffness in samples increases as we increase the polymer content which leads to a decrease in penetration and ductility values. The softening point increased with increasing polymer concentration. However, fire and flash point attained maximum value of 250°C and 240°C at 6% and decreased to 242°C and 238°C at 8% respectively. The optimal polymer content was found to be 6%. In a second phase, the effects of incorporation of various percentages of TiO2(1.5% and 3%) in PEG modified bitumen have been investigated. XRD analysis has also been performed for nano and polymer modified bitumen. An increase in the interlayer spacing value (d) was observed which confirms the successful intercalation of PEG in neat bitumen. Incorporation of TiO2in PEG modified bitumen affects the physical properties of polymer modified bitumen.

Bitumen is a petroleum residue that is extensively used as a pavement material. Rutting at high temperatures is one of the limitations of bitumen in warmer regions. The aim of this study is to improve the performance and increase the temperature susceptibility of neat bitumen. In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and nano ZnO have been used to modify the properties of neat bitumen. Four samples were prepared by incorporating PEG and nano-ZnO with a standard laboratory mixer. Polyethylene glycol with 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% by weight were mixed initially with neat bitumen along with nano ZnO (1.5% and 3%). To check its applicability in the road construction industry, the blends were subjected to mechanical properties tests such as ductility, flash point, fire point, softening point, and penetration test. It was investigated that decrease in ductility ranges from a maximum of 143 (neat bitumen) to a minimum of 83 (8 wt%). Softening point increased from 54°C to a maximum of 59°C (8 wt%). Flash and fire point increase first and then decrease; the optimum content was found to be 6%. The structural properties of blends were investigated using X-ray diffraction. The spectra show there is a shift of peaks in polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) as compared to neat bitumen, which leads to homogeneous mixing. The shift of peaks is because of an increase in interlayer spacing of neat bitumen and a decrease in Bragg’s angle. FT-IR analysis shows the presence of peaks in the range of 3000–2800 cm−1which confirms the presence of additives in modified bitumen. SEM analysis was conducted to check the quality of dispersion and to investigate the microstructure. ZnO nano particles affect the mechanical properties of samples. The physical properties of polymer-modified bitumen (PMB), PEG, and nano ZnO blends enhance the stiffness of samples at high temperatures.

We present design concepts for optical modulators without using any equalization or bespoke fabrication techniques. The demonstrated silicon photonics transmitter can operate at 100 Gbps OOK, while the power efficiency of the driver is 2.03 pJ/bit.

Agricultural production systems are immensely exposed to different environmental stresses in which heavy metal stress receives serious concerns. This study was conducted to explore the deleterious effects of different chromium (Cr) stress levels, i.e., 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 μmol L−1, on two maize genotypes, Wandan 13 and Runnong 35. Both genotypes were evaluated by measuring their growth and yield characteristics, Cr accumulation in different plant tissues, alterations in osmolyte accumulation, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and anti-oxidative enzyme activity to scavenge ROS. The results showed that Cr stress decreased the leaf area, cob formation, 100-grain weight, shoot fresh biomass, and yield formation, while Cr accumulation in different maize tissues was found in the order of roots > leaves > stem > seeds in both genotypes. The increased Cr toxicity resulted in higher free proline, soluble sugars and total phenolic contents, and lower soluble protein contents. However, enhanced lipid peroxidation was noticed in the forms of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance accumulation, and electrolyte leakage. The hyperactivity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, especially glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase indicated that these anti-oxidative enzymes had a central role in protecting maize from Cr toxicity, especially for Wandan 13. Moreover, higher uptake and less translocation of Cr contents into the grains of Wandan 13 implied its importance as a potential candidate against soil Cr pollution.

High-performance nanoscale supercapacitor (SC) electrode materials of polyaniline (PANI) and polyaniline cadmium oxide (PANI-CdO) composites are fabricated using In-situchemical polymerization route. The structural parameters, crystallite size, and lattice strain of the prepared samples are estimated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The CdO stretching peak in PANI-CdO nanocomposite's FTIR spectra confirms the interaction of CdO with PANI. SEM analysis exposing a random dispersion of CdO nanoparticles in PANI matrix and showing the cluster of indefinitely shaped fibrous flaky architectures. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results show a higher specific capacitance of 866 F g−1for PANI-5%CdO composite as compared to Pure PANI 222 F g−1and Pristine CdO 35.2 F g−1at 5 mV s−1scan rate. Galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) results also show a higher specific capacitance value of 906.8 F g−1for PANI-5%CdO composite at 9.26 A g−1current density revealing a maximum energy density and power density of 9.04 Wh kg−1and 1510 W kg−1respectively. The frequency response behavior of PANI-CdO nanocomposites (EIS spectra) reveals (Warburg) diffusive resistance of the electrolyte into the interior of the electrode and ion diffusion into the electrode surface. The higher capacitance and lower ESR (equivalent series resistance) value of PANI-CdO nanocomposite refer to the formation of a more ordered structure and rapid ion diffusion that can develop enhanced surface-dependent electrochemical properties and recommend this material to be a promising potential candidate for practical supercapacitor electrode preparation.

The power consumption of a conventional photoreceiver is dominated by that of the electric amplifier connected to the photodetector (PD). An ultralow-capacitance PD can overcome this limitation, because it can generate sufficiently large voltage without an amplifier when combined with a high-impedance load. In this work, we demonstrate an ultracompact InGaAs PD based on a photonic crystal waveguide with a length of only 1.7 μm and a capacitance of less than 1 fF. Despite the small size of the device, a high responsivity of 1 A/W and a clear 40 Gbit/s eye diagram are observed, overcoming the conventional trade-off between size and responsivity. A resistor-loaded PD was actually fabricated for light-to-voltage conversion, and a kilo-volt/watt efficiency with a gigahertz bandwidth even without amplifiers was measured with an electro-optic probe. Combined experimental and theoretical results reveal that a bandwidth in excess of 10 GHz can be expected, leading to an ultralow energy consumption of less than 1 fJ/bit for the photoreceiver. Amplifier-less PDs with attractive performance levels are therefore feasible and a step toward a densely integrated photonic network/processor on a chip.

In the present work a systematic study was carried out to understand the influence of Sc doping on electronic and optical properties of CdS nanoparticles. The geometry optimization and symmetry computation for CdS and Sc doped CdS nanoparticles using Density Functional Theory (DFT) on B3LYP level with the QZ4P for Cd and DZ2P for sulphur and Sc were performed by Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF). The results show that HOMO-LUMO gap as well as electronic and optical properties of CdS clusters vary with Sc doping. The HOMO-LUMO gap is affected by the dopant and its value decreases to 0.6 eV. Through considering the numerical integration scheme in the ADF package, we investigated different vibrational modes and our calculated Raman and IR spectra are consistent with the reported result. The calculated IR and Raman peaks of CdS and Sc doped CdS clusters were in the range of 100 to 289 cm−1, 60 cm−1to 350 cm−1and 99 cm−1to 282 cm−1, 60 cm−1to 350 cm−1, respectively, which was also confirmed by experiment as well as a blue shift occurrence. Subsequently, for deeper research of pure and doped CdS clusters, their absorption spectra were calculated using time-dependent DFT method.

[Display omitted]

Raman scattering investigations based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to explore the vibrational modes of a cadmium hexathiohypodiphosphate CdPS3single crystal. The calculations were performed to obtain the Raman spectra for the cadmium hexathiohypodiphosphate atoms to study the size dependence. Several vibrational modes indicating stretching and bending features related to Cd, S and P atoms were observed. Modifications of the frequency and intensity of different Raman modes with an increase in the number of atoms in CdPS3were discussed in detail. Hydrogen atoms were added in order to make the closed shell configuration and saturate the CdPS3as per the requisite for calculating the Raman spectra. This produced some additional modes of vibration related to hydrogen atoms. Band gap and formation energy were also calculated. The results generated are found to be in close agreement with the experimental values.

Abstract: Electrical properties of Schottky barrier diode fabricated using Aluminum for Schottky contact and indium tin oxide for ohmic contact and containing polypyrrole doped with dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid in the presence and in the absence of a plasticizing agent hydroquinone were studied. Various parameters, e.g. saturation current, ideality factor, built in voltage; carrier concentration and barrier height have been calculated and found to be affected by the presence of hydroquinone in the doped polymer. The electrical behavior of the systems was found to be in a good agreement with the thermionic emission model for the Schottky barrier devices. The interaction of the doped polypyrrole with hydroquinone was explained in terms of change in the barrier height and in the carrier concentration of the diodes.

Abstract: Soluble in organic solvent polyaniline (PANI) was prepared using DBSA as a functional dopant. Miscibility was maximized for PMMA with hydroquinone. Transmission electron micrographs showed lowest level of phase separation. Thermal studies by differential scanning calorimetry show some peak shifts which indicate the miscibility of two polymers. The formations of new bonds are also confirmed by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Electroconductivity increased with increase of content of doped PAN1, showing percolation threshold at 3 wt %.

A series of polyaniline / montmorillonite clay (PANI-MMT) composites has been synthesised by solution polymerisation in the presence of hydrochloric acid and a substoichiometric amount of ammonium persulfate (APS). For a preferred molar ratio of monomer to oxidant of 2:1, the aniline was polymerised and largely incorporated into the MMT. The PANI-MMT composites were characterised and compared by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, wide-angle powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of loading with the conducting polymer on the nanocomposites’ DC electrical conductivity was studied, and the maximum conductivity (pressed powder compact) was found to be 4.73 × 10 1 S.cm-1, comparable with that of pure polyaniline in the same form. The conductivity followed quite well the temperature-dependence relationship □(T) = □0.exp[-To/T)1/2], characteristic of one-dimensional variable-range hopping (1-D VRH).

The effectiveness of catchment ditches along Ohio roadways was evaluated for 100 sites with the Oregon Rockfall Hazard Rating System (RHRS), the New York State Rock Slope Rating Procedure (RSRP), the Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP), and the Oregon Rockfall Catchment Area Design Guide. From the results of this evaluation, 48% of the ditches were ranked as adequate within an acceptable level of risk, 28% were ranked as marginally adequate, and 24% were ranked as inadequate. Although qualitative in nature, the ditch evaluation portion of the Oregon RHRS was found useful. None of the ditches evaluated met the Ritchie ditch depth criteria as used in RSRP. CRSP provided valuable information when the entire road cut was accessible for data collection. Because of slope height restrictions, the Oregon Rockfall Catchment Area Design Guide provided ditch evaluations for only 44% of the sites.

The effectiveness of catchment ditches along Ohio roadways was evaluated for 100 sites with the Oregon Rockfall Hazard Rating System (RHRS), the New York State Rock Slope Rating Procedure (RSRP), the Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP), and the Oregon Rockfall Catchment Area Design Guide. From the results of this evaluation, 48% of the ditches were ranked as adequate within an acceptable level of risk, 28% were ranked as marginally adequate, and 24% were ranked as inadequate. Although qualitative in nature, the ditch evaluation portion of the Oregon RHRS was found useful. None of the ditches evaluated met the Ritchie ditch depth criteria as used in RSRP. CRSP provided valuable information when the entire road cut was accessible for data collection. Because of slope height restrictions, the Oregon Rockfall Catchment Area Design Guide provided ditch evaluations for only 44% of the sites.

Addition of L-tryptophan (L-TRP) to soil can have an ecological impact on the growth and development of some plants through its catabolism into auxins by rhizosphere microflora. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the influence of L-TRP on growth and chemical composition of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Seven L-TRP levels (10-7 to 10-1 g/kg soil) were applied as a soil drench in addition to a control. Data obtained revealed that specific growth parameters were significantly promoted, such as plant height (27.3%), dry weights of shoot (45.7%) and root (35.8%), biomass (43.3%), and number of branches (37.5%), flowers (63.3%) and bolls per plant (22.4%) in response to L-TRP treatments. Similarly, the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations in plant tissues and their uptake were also significantly affected by the exogenous application of L-TRP. Significant linear or quadratic dose-response relationships were found when root mass, branches, flowers, bolls, and NPK concentrations in plant tissues and their uptake, were regressed against log[L-TRP] excluding the control. The effects of L-TRP could be most likely attributed to its conversion into auxins by the rhizosphere microflora upon direct uptake by plant; however, other mechanisms such as direct uptake of L-TRP by plant roots with subsequent auxin production within plant tissues or a change in the balance of rhizosphere microflora affecting plant growth cannot be excluded.

Thin films composites of poly(ethylene oxide)-graphene oxide were fabricated with and without lithium salts by solvent cast method. The ionic conductivity of these composites was studied at various concentrations of salt polymer-GO complexes and at different temperatures. The effects of temperature and graphene oxide concentration were measured from Arrhenius conductance plots. It is shown that the addition of salts in pure PEO increases conductance many times. The graphene oxide addition has enhanced the conductance approximately 1000 times as compared to that of pure PEO. The activation energies were determined for all the systems which gave higher values for pure PEO and the value decreased with the addition of LiClO4 and LiCl salts and further decreases with the addition of graphene oxide. The composite has also lowered the activation energy values which mean that incorporation of GO in PEO has decreased crystallinity and the amorphous region has increased the local mobility of polymer chains resulting in lower activation energies. SEM analysis shows uniform distribution of GO in polymer matrix. The thermal stability studies reveal that incorporation of GO has somewhat enhanced the thermal stability of the films.