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The Gd-doped ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposites with various atomic percentages (0, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.2 at%) of gadolinium (coded as GdZS0, GdZS1, GdZS2, and GdZS3) was synthesis via the sol–gel method and explored for photodegradation against dye solutions exposing solar light irradiation. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized employing the XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, Raman spectroscopy, BET analysis and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The FE-SEM results indicated that the formation of nanoparticles to nanoflowers covered with Gd ions was observed with an increased doping concentration of Gd. The optical bandgap was evaluated and found in the range of 3.21–3.27 eV for GdZS nanocomposites. The GdZS nano-photocatalysts were investigated against the degradation of different organic dyes and GdZS3 shows the highest degradation efficiencies of 99.3%, 98.3% and 99.4% towards MO, MB and RhB dyes, respectively at neutral pH in aqueous media. Before and after photodegradation. Biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand tests to make estimations of mineralization. The investigations are very promising for the degradation process in rare earth doped metal oxide nanocomposites. A plausible photodegradation mechanism of synthesized nanocomposites under investigation has also been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are regarded as clean and sustainable energy sources and exhibit minimal pollution during their lifetime. The production of hazardous contaminants contaminating water resources, emissions of air pollutants during the manufacturing process, and the impact of PV installations on land use are important environmental factors to consider. The present study aimed to synthesise the F-doped Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films on a glass substrate employing spin coating followed by the sol-gel process ETL application purpose. Fluorine-doped TiO2 thin films were prepared using the sol-gel spin coating technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that the most intense peak was observed at 25.37° corresponding to the crystallographic plane (101) for anatase TiO2. The average transparency of TiO2 was increased by adding the doping level of fluorine and increment in the optical bandgap. The thickness of the thin film was kept at about 300 nm. The resistance of nanocrystalline thin films of different F doped TiO2 was decreased from 1.322×1012 O, 9.728×1011 O, as the F doping concentration was increased from pristine to 7 at. %. Based on electrical measurements, it was observed that a suitable electron transport layer (ETL) of F-doped TiO2 can be synthesized for photovoltaic applications. The present study offers a synthesis and analysis of F-doped TiO2 that can be used to improve the sustainability of PV manufacturing processes, improve its economic value, and mitigate its negative impact on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we synthesized Co3O4 thin films using a sol–gel spin coating method and investigated the effect of heat treatment on their carbon dioxide (CO2) gas sensing properties. To optimize their crystallinity and enhance their CO2 sensitivity, the thin films were annealed at temperatures ranging from 400∘C to 550∘C. We characterized the morphological, structural, electrical, and optical properties of the Co3O4 thin films to gain insights into their behavior in the low operating temperature range (OTR). Our X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that all the thin films exhibited a cubic structure, with improved crystallinity observed at higher annealing temperatures. We observed a decrease in band edges in the optical transmittance spectra of the thin films as the annealing temperature increased, indicating a redshift in the absorption edge. Notably, the highest electrical conductivity was observed for the sample annealed at 550∘C, suggesting enhanced crystallinity and improved CO2 gas sensitivity. These findings provide valuable insights into the optimization of Co3O4 thin films for CO2 gas sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to find out application of red mud in controlling electromagnetic pollution. Composite of PoT/RM has been prepared by in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization and has been tested for electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. Red mud here acted as a filler material. The incorporation of 50 wt% red mud in the polymer matrix results in a shielding effectiveness of 8.9 dB in 8.2 to 12.4 GHz frequency range (X-band). Furthermore, the structural analysis, morphology, and magnetization have been studied using XRD, TEM, and VSM techniques, respectively. TEM image of the composite shows the distribution of red mud particles in the polymer matrix. The magnetization decreases on incorporation of red mud in the polymer matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sequence to permit electronic gadgets to coexist without maleficent electromagnetic interference (EMI) it is essential to evolve new absorbing and shielding materials with good performance. These technological fields demand not only efficient shields but also materials that meet specific criteria for each engineered design. For example chemical and corrosion resistance, lightweight, flexibility, tunable morphology, processing easiness and inexpensiveness are required. The concerned work present BF/EG composite was appreciated for these applications. The Microwave absorption characteristic were find out in the frequency range 8–12 GHz. Shielding effectiveness of BF/EG composite was obtained 52.4 dB. The material is found to have good microwave absorption materials for EMI shielding applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of molecular phase separation on thermal activation barriers of phase transformations in GexSe80-xPb20 glasses has been investigated using non-isothermal methods. Kinetic parameters of glass transition, crystallization and decomposition were determined using differential scanning calorimetric and thermo-gravimetric measurements. The model free Kissinger and isoconversional Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods were employed to calculate the activation energies of thermally induced structural transitions. The observed variation in thermal properties with Ge content in place of Se could be interpreted in terms of the formation of tetrahedrally coordinated Ge-Se structural units at expense of Se-Se units. Deviations in the activation energies of crystallization and decomposition with the extent of conversion indicate the mechanistic complexity of the transformations as these involve different nucleation and growth events due to the presence of different phases. GexSe80-xPb20 glass with x = 20 has been found to attain the maximum activation barriers showing high thermal stability and structural rigidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and electromagnetic wave absorbing properties were investigated in the Ni substituted cobalt ferrites, Co1-xNixFe1.9Mn0.1O4 (0≤ x ≤ 1.0), prepared by solid state technique with the increase in concentration of Ni doping uniformly in grain size and densification have improved, while permeability increased remarkably. Saturation magnetization and coercivity both decreased with Ni concentration in cobalt ferrite. Electromagnetic parameters of ferrite samples were measured in X-band frequency range (8-12 GHz) by vector network analyzer (VNA) and their absorbing properties were calculated according to transmission-line theory. Phase formation of all samples has been confirmed by XRD. Ferromagnetic resonance frequency shift has been observed with concentration of Ni concentration which is an important phenomenon of cobalt ferrite to absorb microwave at higher frequencies in X-band. Based on magnetic and microwave measurements Co1-xNixFe1.9Mn0.1O4 (x = 0.8) may be a good potential candidate for electromagnetic compatibility and for other practical applications at high frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study on a series of porous silicon films of various thicknesses, prepared at 20 mA current density using a photoluminescence fitting model to determine the average crystallite size of spherical shaped interconnected silicon quantum dots. Discrepancy in photoluminescence behavior of the samples is well explained with this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]