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[Display omitted] • Solution chemistry approach was used to synthesize high surface area CdS NWs. • Novel phenothiazine based organic dyes were synthesized & used as light harvesters. • Embedded CdS NWs and Organic dyes solar cells were fabricated and characterized. • Dye loaded CdS NWs have shown more efficiency as compared to bare CdS NWs. Synthesis of metal-free organic dyes PDR and PDP based on the phenothiazine core unit have been attempted through solution chemistry approach and anchored on to one dimensional cadmium sulphide nanowires (CdS NWs) to be used as light harvesters in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) device application. Simple and cost effective solution chemistry approach leads to enable CdS NWs interconnected nano network. Synthesized dyes have been investigated through optical and electrochemical studies in addition to theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT). Dye anchored CdS films cover wider light absorption than bare CdS in the visible part of solar spectrum. The complete device configuration has been assembled as FTO/CdS compact/CdS NWs/Organic dye/electrolyte/Platinum electrode. PDR and PDP sensitized CdS NWs yield 0.24 and 0.28% efficiency which are 2.36 and 2.77 times as compared to bare CdS NWs (0.10%) with sun light of standard conditions of illuminations. External quantum efficiency enhancement is well supported with the obtained results and correlated well with the absorption studies. The present work successfully demonstrates the use of novel synthesized organic dyes as light harvesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Easy and low-cost chemical route to synthesis CdS @Ag 2 S core-shell nanowire at 27°C. • Synthesis of CdS@Ag 2 S core-shell assembly based on negative free energy of formation. • Three-fold efficiency boost by well controlled CdS NWs/Ag 2 S core-shell architecture. • In-depth discussion about the efficiency and correlated with the different analysis. Design and development of cadmium sulphide core with silver sulphide shell assembly in nanowire (NWs) surface architecture has been explored through room temperature, simple chemical route towards photoelectrochemical solar cell application. Incorporation of low band gap Ag 2 S nanoparticles over the outer surface of the chemical bath deposited CdS NWs has been achieved by simple cation exchange route based on negative free energy of formation. Shell optimization has been performed by investigating structure, surface morphologies and optical analyses and correlated with the photovoltaic parameters. Interestingly, core–shell CdS NWs/ Ag 2 S exhibits 1.5 better performance in terms of linear voltammetry, photocurrent transient response and the photo stability than bare CdS. Furthermore, three-fold enhancement in photoelectrochemical conversion efficiency have been observed for optimized FTO/ CdS NWs/Ag 2 S compared to bare FTO/CdS NWs due to the augmented light harvesting and condensed charge recombination. External quantum efficiency exhibits 24% for the optimized CdS NWs/ Ag 2 S core shell structure. Mott-Schottky and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements have been used for better understanding the impact of gradual growth of Ag 2 S over CdS NWs which directly influences the overall photocurrent density of the devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Cu(OH)2@Cd(OH)2 core-shell nanowire structure via cation ion exchange. • Cu(OH)2@Cd(OH)2 core-shell nanowire structure showed good capacitive behavior. • Cu(OH)2@Cd(OH)2 possess specific capacitance of 374 Fg−1. The Cu(OH) 2 @Cd(OH) 2 core-shell nanowire structure have been successfully synthesized by facile cation exchange reaction based on negative free energy of formation through topotactical transformation from their cadmium hydroxide to copper hydroxide. The encapsulation of the copper into the cadmium hydroxide nanowires was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies, elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Electrochemical study shows that Cu(OH) 2 @Cd(OH) 2 core-shell nanowire structure possess high specific capacitance of 374 Fg−1 in an aqueous 1 M NaOH electrolyte. Present work demonstrates Cu(OH) 2 @Cd(OH) 2 nanowires, synthesis and application as supercapacitive electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel TCF functionalized diketopyrrolopyrrole based dye was design and synthesized. • Optimization geometries of DPP-TCF dye was studied by DFT. • Molar absorptivity of DPP-TCF increase as the incorporation of TCF subunit increasing π-conjugation. • Reversible redox signals in cyclic voltammetry. • DPP-TCF dye/CdS nanowire shows the highest power conversion efficiency (η) 0.427%. Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) functionalized with 2-(3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethylfuran-2(5H)-ylidene) malononitrile (TCF) material coined as DPP-TCF was designed and synthesized. DPP-TCF exhibited strong absorption bands in solution as well as thin-film form. Herein, we report construction of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on DPP-TCF anchored on CdS nanowires (NWs) coated on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate with the device architecture FTO/CdS compact/CdS nanowire/ DPP-TCF chromophore/electrolyte/ platinum coated FTO. As-fabricated DSSC device based on DPP-TCF and CdS nanowires exhibited power conversion efficiency (η) of 0.427%. Thus, the present work successfully displayed the utilization of DPP-TCF as an efficient light harvester in DSSC applications. This approach can also be employed to design and development of other DPP based organic molecular chromophores for DSSC applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synthesized CdS thin films revealed mixed cubic and hexagonal phases. • Metal free azo dyes optimized by DFT used for sensitization of CdS NWs. • Azo dye D2 has shown 5 fold increase in solar to electric conversion compared to pristine CdS NWs. • Explored effect of cosensitization of natural dye Betanin on solar to electric conversion. Herein, as-synthesized azo dye (E)-2-isopropyl-5-methyl-4-((4-(4-nitrophenyl) thiazol-2-yl) diazenyl) phenol (D2) has been anchored on a high surface area one dimensional CdS nanowires (NWs) in thin film form. CdS nanowires have been grown through Cd(OH) 2 template formation followed by conversion to CdS by ion-exchange route. The light-electricity conversion efficiency of the CdS-Azo dye-based solar cell has shown about 5-fold remarkable surge (0.159%) compared to the bare CdS (0.03%) with I 3 −/I− redox mediator under standard AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW cm−2). Albeit, the DFT studies revealed a higher band gap for pristine D2, alluringly it has depicted higher light-electricity conversion efficiency among the fabricated thin film solar cells after sensitization. The relative increase in sensitivity after sensitization is attributable to facile dye regeneration. Furthermore, after the co-sensitization of CdS thin film with equimolar cocktails of as-synthesized dyes and a natural dye Betanin (Bn), less efficiency was depicted ascribable to plausible dye aggregation upon blending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel organic dyes TPA and PTZ containing carboxylic acid anchoring groups have been synthesized and utilized as efficient sensitizers for DSSCs. • An effective CBD method was used to synthesize high surface area CdS NWs, which were then used as photoanodes with sensitizers (TPA and PTZ) anchored on them. • The photovoltaic efficiency of the PTZ and TPC devices are 3.13 times and 3.02 times respectively are higher than the bare CdS NWs device. • Dye-containing Phenothiazine donor (PTZ) works effectively and shows enhancement in the photovoltaic efficiency than the TPA due to less molecular aggregation and high electron donating ability. • The DFT calculation revealed the proper pathway of electron injection from dyes to CdS NWs and the presence of the triazolone ring with electron acceptor nature made TPA and PTZ better sensitizers with good efficiency. Two novel 1,2,4-triazolone derivatized triphenylamine (TPA) and phenothiazine (PTZ) based metal-free organic dyes have been designed, synthesized and anchored on 1D CdS nanowires to serve as photoelectrochemical (PEC) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Solution chemistry is employed simply and efficiently to link cadmium sulfide nanowires (CdS NWs) into a nano-network. Optical, electrochemical and density functional theory (DFT) have been well utilized to examine the properties of synthesized dyes (TPA and PTZ). In the visible range, sensitizer-anchored CdS NWs exhibit a wider region of light absorption referenced to naked CdS NWs. Comprehensive photovoltaic assessment showed that TPA and PTZ devices respectively showed IPCE 3.02 and 3.13 times more efficient than bare CdS NWs under standard sunlight (100 mW/cm2, AM 1.5G) illumination. The collected findings offer solid evidence for the existence of increasing external quantum efficiency (EQE) and exhibit good agreement with the optical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present review emphatically introduces the synthesis, biocompatibility, and applications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), including their antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. A comprehensive discussion of various synthesis methods for AgNPs, with a particular focus on green chemistry mediated by plant extracts has been made. Recent research has revealed that the optical properties of AgNPs, including surface plasmon resonance (SPR), depend on the particle size, as well as the synthesis methods, preparation synthesis parameters, and used reducing agents. The significant emphasis on the use of synthesized AgNPs as antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal agents in various applications has been reviewed. Furthermore, the application areas have been thoroughly examined, providing a detailed discussion of the underlying mechanisms, which aids in determining the optimal control parameters during the synthesis process of AgNPs. Furthermore, the challenges encountered while utilizing AgNPs and the corresponding advancements to overcome them have also been addressed. This review not only summarizes the achievements and current status of plant-mediated green synthesis of AgNPs but also explores the future prospects of these materials and technology in diverse areas, including bioactive applications. [Display omitted] • Green chemistry approaches to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were reviewed. • Engineering of synthesis methods is the key approach to control the dispersion, size and shape of the AgNPs. • Environmental and health applications of AgNPs were reviewed. • Antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal biological applications with respect to their tunable properties were reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • State-of-art for synthesis of tin oxide-based materials towards supercapacitor applications. • Widespread synthetic routes bare SnO 2 , SnO 2 with composite, metal doped, metal doped composites. • Supercapacitors through single electrode, liquid, solid-state, symmetric, asymmetric modes. • Demonstrating of supercapacitor from small scale to advance wearable applications. • Present challenges with future prospects for SnO 2 based materials for supercapacitor. Increased population causing need of efficient energy storage devices possessing high energy density and environmental friendliness. Electrochemical supercapacitor is one who can fulfil the future demands. In this regard, many materials have been synthesized towards low-cost fabrication process to serve as efficient and effective energy storage supercapacitive devices but not up to the mark in wide-spread applications and commercially large-scale production. Tin oxide is cheap, earth abundant, electrically conductive, and a structurally stable material and poses pseudocapacitive behavior. In this regard, present review explores tin oxide-based materials towards active electrode material for supercapacitor applications. Supercapacitors can be classified as electrochemical double layer (EDLC) behaved where charge store at electrode-electrolyte interface possessing high stability but suffers through low capacitance. Contrary, pseudocapacitive through redox reactions possess high capacitance but suffers through low stability. High stability with high capacitance can be achieved through 'material mutualism' between EDLC and pseudocapacitive behaved materials, where tin oxide behaves as a pseudocapacitive material. Hence, critical review explores not only bare tin oxide material but also its composites with carbon-based materials, polymers, metal oxides, metal sulfides, ternary nanocomposites, and it's doping along with composite formation as well. These are well categorised through wide spread synthetic routes such as hydrothermal, chemical precipitations, electrochemical deposition, spray pyrolysis, chemical bath deposition, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction, electrospinning, sonochemical, atmospheric pressure plasma jet and thermal evaporation from synthesis, characterization to application part. Supercapacitors through single electrode, liquid and solid-state configured symmetric and asymmetric devices have been well explored along with highlights for the future scope inclusive of flexible and wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper selection of electrode material with sensible scheme is definitely significant to dodge commercial obstacles of supercapacitors. This challenge has been addressed by engineering prototype symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) device fabricated with enhanced supercapacitive vanadium (V) oxide integrated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite as electrode material with Li-ion associating LiClO 4 electrolyte. The V 2 O 5 /MWCNTs composite with nanoscale architecture has been synthesized with inexpensive and simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The cyclic voltammetry of SSC device has exhibited the involvement of electrochemically active reversible redox process in the composite. The specific capacitance of 569.7 F/g at scan rate of 2 mV/s including excellent electrochemical stability of 89.2% at 4000 CV cycles have been achieved with operating potential window of 2 V. Furthermore, the device exhibits excellent energy density of 62 Wh/kg and exceptional power density of 11.5 kW/kg. The low resistive factors have driven the device towards the potential application as glowing of red LED for 10 s. Unlabelled Image • Complete symmetric supercapacitor device with a wide voltage frame of 2 V. • Highest recordable specific capacitance of 569.7 F/g at 2 mV/s scan rate. • Remarkable energy density of 62 Wh/kg and power density of 11.5 kW/kg with capacitive retention of 89.2 % for 4000 cycles. • Glowing of red LED shows the practical aspect of device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Thin film consisting of hierarchical cadmium oxide nanonecklaces has been synthesized through room temperature chemically deposited cadmium hydroxide nanowires as template followed by air annealing. Formation of thin film has been confirmed with aid of structural, surface morphological, valence state and optical, studies performed by X-ray diffraction, Raman analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–visible spectroscopy. Air annealing at 330 °C has enhanced the photo electrochemical power conversion efficiency of the CdO as photoanode to 0.21% configured through platinum as counter electrode and polyiodide as a liquid electrolyte. Complete device performance have been correlated through rate of recombination, and electron life time. The schematic energy band alignment also has been comprehended herein. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • CdO nanonecklace has been synthesis by simple chemical method. • CdO nanonecklace has been fabricated by annealing cadmium hydroxide nanowires. • Porous CdO nanonecklace shows power conversion efficiency of 0.21% with fill factor of 40.94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Complete solid state device with FTO/PANI/PTh/ZnO/Al assembly prepared by absolute wet chemical route. • PANI has been prepared by the simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. • Effect of thickness of active layer (PANI) on the solid state device is tested. • The highest value of V oc was obtained as 789 mV with the 3 CBD cycles for PANI. A complete solid state device with FTO/PANI/PTh/ZnO/Al assembly prepared by absolute wet chemical methods including chemical bath deposition (CBD), successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and spin coating has been studied to investigate the effect of thickness of active PANI layer on device performance. Structural, morphological and chemical bond features have been investigated by using X-ray diffraction, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy of the layers and are discussed herein. Effect of PANI thickness on current-voltage characteristic has been studied under dark and illumination (100 mW/cm2, AM 1.5G, 1 Sun) condition to know the solar cell performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Present work portrays the surface morphology dependent electrochemical behaviors tuned by annealing the chemical bath deposited (CBD) cerium oxide electrodes. The altered nanostructure properties are well-supported by in-depth structural and morphological analysis. Cerium oxide electrode annealed at 200 °C exhibits good surface properties enabling maximum electro-active porous cavities to penetrate electrolyte ions towards enhanced electron transfer. Consequently, the electrode exhibits maximum specific capacitance of 750 F/g with remarkably stable charge-discharge cycles. Fabricated symmetric solid-state supercapacitor device impressively expands potential window to 1.2 V with the aid of PVA-LiClO 4 gel electrolyte with a peak specific capacitance of 321.3 F/g with top-up of 61.4 Wh/kg specific energy. The series combination of two devices confirms the strong energy storage ability by glowing 'VNIT' acronym designed through 21 red LEDs from the practical point of view. Graphical abstract Fabrication of flexible symmetric supercapacitor (FS-SC) device using CeO 2 electrode and PVA-LiClO 4 gel for high performance energy storage application. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Highest record value of the specific capacitance as 750 F/g in liquid-state configuration. • Complete flexible symmetric supercapacitor (FS-SC) device with a wide voltage window of 1.2 V using solid-state approach. • Extraordinary specific energy of 61.4 Wh/kg and power of 6.9 kW/kg with capacitive retention of 90.1 % for 5000 cycles. • Flexibility test upto 175° with capacitive retention of 96.1 %. • Glowing of 'VNIT' acronym consisting of 21 LEDs for 30 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Anchoring of Bi 2 Se 3 nanoparticles over 'dip and dry' coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using SILAR method. • The MWCNTs, Bi 2 Se 3 , and MBSe-series tested as counter electrodes (CEs) for FTO/ZnO/eosin-Y/polyiodide/CE/FTO assembly. • Due to synergistic effect in MBSe-series shows superior performance (0.52%) than bare MWCNTs (0.14%) and Bi 2 Se 3 (0.09%). • MBSe-12 DSSC shows 7.92Ω/cm2 charge transfer resistance and 16μs electron lifetime, achieving maximum efficiency of 0.52%. Anchoring of Bi 2 Se 3 nanoparticles over 'dip and dry' coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been accomplished using a room-temperature (27 °C), inexpensive, and convenient chemical route, namely, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), to yield a nanohybrid composite electrode to serve as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The growth of Bi 2 Se 3 on MWCNTs has been well-tuned through varying SILAR cycles (MBSe-series) and tested as counter electrodes (CEs) with reference to MWCNTs and Bi 2 Se 3 in FTO/ZnO/Eosin-Y/Iodide-triiodide/Counter electrode/FTO assembly. Grown CEs have been validated through XRD, XPS, Raman, FTIR, and FESEM studies, while the assembled DSSCs have been assessed through JV, EQE, EIS, and electrochemical stability studies. Well-optimized Bi 2 Se 3 /MWCNTs nanohybrid composites have been used as CEs in DSSCs and showed superior device performance (0.52 %) compared to bare MWCNTs (0.14 %) and Bi 2 Se 3 (0.09 %) due to the well-anchored Bi 2 Se 3 over one-dimensional MWCNTs through a large number of synergistic electrochemical active sites. A DSSC fabricated with MBSe-12 as the CE exhibits enhanced stability compared to bare Bi 2 Se 3 and MWCNTs. Also, it reveals a charge transfer resistance of 7.92 Ω/cm2 and an electron lifetime of 16 μs, yielding a maximum efficiency of 0.52 % and an external quantum efficiency of 28.20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have inventively developed novel metal-free organic dyes (PPR and PCTR) through a multistep synthetic route. These designed novel dye molecules were integrated onto 1-D CdS nanowires, serving as excellent sensitizer for the efficient light energy harvesting components in the context of dye-sensitized solar cells. Through a facile and efficient approach to solution chemistry, we have attained the unified architecture of CdS nanowires into a multifaceted nano-network, highlighting the absolute efficiency of this approach. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations, united with scrupulous optical and electrochemical investigations, have been employed to assess the sensitizing ability of engineered materials. Remarkably, dye-anchored CdS NWs reveals prolonged light absorption coverage through visible solar spectrum than unmodified CdS nanowire counterparts. Elaborate photovoltaic study reveals, the well-matched energy band alignment, particularly LUMO levels of the PCTR than PPR dye, with CdS NWs, stands as the substratum for the dramatic improvement observed in both the J sc and V oc attributes. This growth interprets into an overwhelming 2.6-fold and 2.0-fold enhancement in the overall solar cell performance for PCTR and PPR dyes respectively, exceeding the ability of CdS NWs under standard light conditions. Improving external quantum efficiency (EQE) and impeccably correlating with results of complex optical investigations. This significant achievement intends to highlight solar energy conversion approaches and alter the field of light-driven technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to highly conducting and extraordinary stable nature, carbon based materials expand the arms of energy storage devices in terms of supercapacitor. Hence, emphasis has been made to use flexible and free-standing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) bucky paper synthesized by chemical vapor deposition for electrochemical supercapacitive electrode. The high specific capacitance of 270 F/g (2 mV/s) with superb stable behavior (88% at 10000 cycles) of bucky paper has promised as decent electrode in energy storage application. Aqueous symmetric supercapacitor (ASSC) device developed through bucky paper exhibits voltage frame of 1.6 V yielding specific capacitance of 91 F/g along with specific energy of 32 Wh/kg at a current density of 1 mA/cm 2 with trustworthy stability of 107% at 6000 cycles. The hands-on practicability to light up a red LED offers its promising approach in energy storage domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface coating of CdS nanoparticles over the ZnO nanorods have been performed by using simple successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction at room temperature. Initially, the seed/compact ZnO layer have been deposited via SILAR (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) on to fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass (FTO) substrate followed by synthesis of ZnO nanorods by chemical bath deposition method. The synthesized nano heterostructure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. The photovoltaic performance of the cell was recorded with a conversion efficiency of 0.123% under 100 mW/cm 2 simulated sunlight at AM 1.5G conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordered arrays of nanostructure with vertically aligned tube like structure hold great promise as an electrode material for high-performance energy storage devices. Such binder-free structure of Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) has been synthesized by anodization of titanium (Ti) foil. The use of TiO 2 nanotube as an electrode material attain a specific capacitance of 207 F g − 1 at 5 mV s − 1 scan rate in 1 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte. Extra ordinary cycling performance with 103% capacitance retention of their initial capacitance for 1500 cycles has been achieved, suggests its promising candidate as highly stable electrode material for supercapacitor application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing energy storage capacity through the use of novel nano-ranged structures is advantageous for the generation of high-rate performing supercapacitors. Designing metal electrodes that are easily available on earth, cheap, and have better charge transfer characteristics with high stability is still challenging. Current article assesses the first study to explore the synthesis of Mn nanoparticles with spongy nano flakes-like surface architecture using simple, room temperature electroless route to serve as an active electrode for supercapacitive energy storage device. Interestingly, Mn thin film electrode attained a capacitance of 663 F g−1 with a cyclic retention of 103% at 5000 cycles. Designed bendable solid-state symmetric device exhibits an extraordinary specific power of 1.2 kW kg−1 and an exceptional deformation endurance (96% at 170°), indicating its suitability for advanced flexible energy storage applications. • Simple, time-efficient, and economical electroless route over stainless (SS) substrate. • Spongy nano flakes-like surface architecture with high specific capacitance of 663 F g−1. • A complete solid-state device fabrication from flexible PVA-KOH electrolyte membrane. • Notable energy density (27.8 Wh kg−1) at 1.2 kW kg−1 and long cycle life. • Phenomenal mechanical flexibility (96% at 170° of bending). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple and inexpensive wet chemical route, namely successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) is demonstrated to coat the inorganic semiconducting Bi 2 S 3 nanoparticles (NPs) at room temperature on chemical bath deposited vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs). The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Raman spectroscopy and surface profiler in order to confirm the crystal structure, optical properties, surface morphology, elemental compositions and film thickness. Finally, the solar cell device was formed by using Bi 2 S 3 coated ZnO NRs as photoanode, liquid electrolyte as hole conducting media and platinum (Pt) as a back contact. The power conversion efficiency ( η ) of 0.025% under illumination of simulated sunlight (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW/cm 2 ) was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room temperature chemical bath deposition (CBD) method was employed to anchor CdSe quantum dots (QD׳s) on mesoporous TiO 2 , exclusively without using linkers. The sizes of CdSe QD׳s were tuned simply by varying the deposition time in CBD method and uniform coverage of CdSe QD׳s on mesoporous TiO 2 was achieved. The chemical approach provided in the present investigation is free from the post annealing treatment after the growth of QD׳s; essential to lower down the process cost. The red shift in absorption maxima was observed with respect to deposition time in the UV–vis spectra which strongly supports the size quantization effect. Finally, the synthesized CdSe sensitized TiO 2 has successfully demonstrated the potential ability as a quantum dot sensitizer for solar cell application when illuminated with 50 mW/cm 2 intensity (air mass 1.5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CdSe@PbS core-shell 1D nanonetwork synthesized by using three steps chemical routes. • CdSe@PbS core-shell electrode depicts maximum capacity of 82 mAh g-1. • Fabrication of CdSe@PbS based symmetric supercapacitor cell which exhibits high capacity of 32 mAh g-1. • Cell displays significant energy density 16.14 Wh kg-1 and long-term stability. Development of CdSe@PbS core-shell composite using facile three steps chemical process towards an efficient supercapacitor application [Display omitted] Simple, binder free, low-cost chemical route has been employed to design CdSe@PbS core-shell surface architecture in thin film form towards electrochemical supercapacitor application. Horizontal chemical bath deposition (H-CBD) was used to grow one-dimensional (1D) Cd(OH) 2 nanowires (NWs) template followed by ion exchange to get 1D CdSe NWs. Further, PbS nanoparticles were encapsulated on the surface of CdSe nanowires by using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. Structural, compositional, and morphological studies have been used to confirm and investigate obtain surface architecture. Interestingly, design CdSe@PbS core-shell surface architecture not only offer maximum active sites but also provide smooth and fast electron transfer path exhibiting significant electrochemical performance with a specific capacity of 82 mAh g-1 and improved long-term stability. Additionally, symmetric electrochemical supercapacitor device of CdSe@PbS exhibits noticeable energy density of 16.14 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 288 W/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel organic dyes PHR and PHP possessing different acceptors have been synthesized, characterized and exploited as effective sensitizers for dye sensitized solar cells. These sensitizers were utilized for the fabrication on newly synthesized CdS nanowires to study the impact of anchor groups on their photovoltaic performance. Optical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties for the novel dyes and their solar cell devices have been explored to investigate the influence of different anchors on the dyes. The detailed photovoltaic investigation demonstrated that the photovoltaic efficiency of PHP device shows 3.21 times while the PHR device shows 1.87 times than the bare CdS NWs device. This indicates that the dye containing pyridine ring as anchoring group (PHP) works effectively and shows enhancement in the photovoltaic efficiency than the dye containing Rhodanine-3-acetic acid (R3A). Hence, the widely used R3A group for sensitizers may not be the optimal choice for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The density functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed the proper pathway of electron injection from dye to CdS NWs in pyridine containing dye than in rhodanine dye which is responsible for increase in the efficiency. [Display omitted] • High surface area CdS NWs have been synthesized by effective CBD technique and utilized as photoanodes. • Novel organic dyes PHR and PHP possessing different anchoring groups have been synthesized and exploited as effective sensitizers for DSSC. • Photovoltaic efficiency of PHP device shows 3.21 times while the PHR device shows 1.87 times than the bare CdS NWs device. • Dye containing pyridine ring works effectively and shows enhancement in the photovoltaic efficiency than the dye containing Rhodanine-3-acetic acid. • The DFT calculation revealed the proper pathway of electron injection from dye to CdS NWs in PHP than in PHR dye which is responsible for increase in the efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present investigation, we report the reproducible simple solution chemistry towards synthesis of ZnO nanostructure on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate in aqueous medium at low temperature (>100°C). The different preparative parameters such as deposition time, bath temperature, concentration of precursor solution, pH of the bath etc. were optimized to get fibrous nanoflakes, nanobeads, nanoparticles, cactus and highly crystalline 1D nanoneedles & hexagonal nanorods of ZnO. However, the as-deposited film consists of mixture of zinc hydroxide [Zn(OH)2] and ZnO. In the present work, to get pure ZnO phase, the as-deposited films were air annealed at relatively lower temperature (200°C). The annealed ZnO films deposited by CBD and SILAR were characterized for structural, surface morphological, optical properties and surface wettability studies etc. The simplicity of the synthesis route coupled with the variety of ZnO nanostructures is manifest to be an important candidate for nanoscale devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Simple and inexpensive solution chemistry is applied for decoration/formation CdS nanoparticles on multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT''s). Simple ion-by-ion mechanism is utilized for the deposition of CdS nanoparticles on MWCNT''s. The size of the nanoparticles is controlled by tuning the preparative parameters which is most favorably based on ion-by-ion mechanism. The use of alkaline medium is completely avoided. Complete decoration of CdS nanoparticles on MWCNT''s with cubic structure is observed by structural and surface morphological studies. The photoluminescence spectroscopy shows the two intense luminescence bands, i.e. blue and green, evidencing the presence of small size and agglomerated big size particles of CdS over MWCNT''s (size-effect). The modification of MWCNT''s with CdS presented in this study opens up new avenues in the design of optoelectronic and light-energy conversion devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vanadium telluride anchored MWCNTs for advanced flexible solid-state symmetric supercapacitor correlated with density functional theory (DFT). [Display omitted] • The V x Te y /MWCNTs electrode shows capacitance of 470 F/g in three-electrode system. • Solid-state symmetric supercapacitor with a voltage window of 2 V is fabricated. • The device exhibits high energy density (34.5 Wh/kg) and power density (1.8 kW/kg). • Excellent stability and mechanical flexibility show the practical aspect of device. • The electrochemical performance is supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT). Anchoring of vanadium telluride (V x Te y) nanoparticles onto the exterior layer of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been successfully employed at room temperature (300 K) as first report by using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) to yield V x Te y /MWCNTs surface architecture. Mutualistic contribution from ion insertion/extraction introduced non-stoichiometric vanadium telluride with electric double-layer involved MWCNTs have been unified to enrich excellent electrochemical performance. Three-electrode system configured V x Te y /MWCNTs electrode yields 16-fold enhancement in specific capacitance compared to the bare MWCNTs electrode. Achieved performance forced us to construct flexible solid-state supercapacitor device (FSS-SC). Symmetric electrode embedded with PVA-LiClO 4 gel mediator harvests remarkable 2 V voltage window to gain 34.5 Wh/kg energy density and 0.7 kW/kg power density. Cycling over 10000 replications confirms the pronounced (82.5 %) stability of designed device and growing LED enables practical evidence; demonstrating its capacity as efficient energy storage device. Correlated density functional theory (DFT) has been manifested to confirm synergistic interactions between the V x Te y and MWCNTs, and a corresponding enhancement in the electron density at the Fermi level of V x Te y /MWCNTs describes the insight origin for enhanced supercapacitance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DPP1 and DPP2 coated CdS nanowire was employed for DSSC based solar cell applications. DPP2 dye exhibited higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) 0.268%as compared to DPP10.195%, under standard illumination of sunlight (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW/cm2). [Display omitted] • Novel series of DPP compounds is designed and synthesized. • Influences of thiophene ring system on AIE and CdS solar cells are investigated. • Impacts of the DPP1 and DPP2 on CdS nanowire solar cell were studied. • Design criteria for DPP suggested new development in the field. • DPP2 exhibits higher power conversion efficiency as compare to DPP1 and CdS nanowire. We designed and synthesized two diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) derivatives (DPP1 and DPP2) which are substituted with phenyl and thiophene moieties in between DPP core and merocyanine dyes, respectively. The introduction of thiophene ring subunit at core position endows DPP2 significantly alters the photophysical, electrochemical and aggregation induces enhanced emissive (AIEE) properties compared to those of DPP1. As a practical point of view, we successfully employed DPP1 and DPP2 as sensitizer on CdS nanowires for fabrication of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSCs). The DSSC based on DPP2 (0.268%) dye yielded higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) as compared to DPP1 (0.195%) under standard illumination of Sunlight (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW/cm2). The basis for this different behaviour has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prototype solid-state symmetric supercapacitor (SSS) device has been designed by using two MWCNT/Fe 2 O 3 electrodes assembled through polyvinyl alcohol-lithium chloride gel electrolyte as mediator onto flexible stainless steel substrate. Through electrochemical investigation as-fabricated device demonstrated 70.16 F g−1 of specific capacitance with remarkable 9.74 W h kg−1 specific energy and 487 W kg−1 specific power at current density of 0.57 A g−1. Assembled device delivers an outstanding volumetric energy of 24.36 mW h cm−3 compensating volumetric power of 1218 mW cm−3 at a current density of 1.42 mA cm−3. The cycle repeatability test of MWCNTs/Fe 2 O 3 SSS device exhibited capacitance retention of 75% for 1500 cycles. ga1 • Prototype solid-state symmetric supercapacitor (SSS) device using two MWCNT/Fe 2 O 3 electrodes and PVA-LiCl gel electrolyte. • Device delivers an outstanding volumetric energy of 24.36 mW h cm−3 at a current density of 1.42 mA cm−3. • Potential value was reached to 2 V compromising current value to its half for the two devices connected in series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a facile two-step synthetic procedure, three metal-free organic dyes having D-π-A kind of structure, belonging to chalcone family have been designed, produced and anchored on one dimensional cadmium sulfide nanowires (1D CdS NWs) to serve as a light energy harvester through dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) assembly. In order to anchor dye on CdS NWs nano-network, solution chemistry has been used in an easy and effective manner. The sensitizing capability of synthesized materials has been evaluated using optical and electrochemical studies, density functional theory (DFT) simulations, and photovoltaic performances. In line with a detailed analysis of fabricated Dye sensitized solar cells containing T4PC a photovoltaic efficiency yields 4.35 times (0.487%) more than that of bare CdS NWs (0.112%), while the other devices having T3PC and T2PC have shown 3.0 (0.338%) and 2.40 (0.273%) times greater photovoltaic efficiencies, respectively under standard light illumination. The obtained results offer solid evidence in favour of boosting external quantum efficiency (EQE) and reflect good agreement with the optical studies., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Marigold analogues micro flowers of tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) have been grown in thin film form through simple and cost-effective solution chemistry approach on stainless steel substrate. Aqueous precursor involving WO 4 -2 ions agglomerated as self-sacrificing template growing initially into the nano-petal, followed by self-assembly; leading to marigold analogues micro flower surface architecture. This enthralling morphology motivated us not only to fabricate supercapacitive electrode but also to design complete solid-state supercapacitor devices in dual configurations: flexible pouch cell and coin cell. Interestingly, both devices even in symmetric configuration yields remarkable potential window of 1.82 V when sandwiched by gel inclusive of Li + ions dispersed in non-conducting polyvinyl alcohol matrix. Solid-state flexible pouch cell and coin cell delivered specific capacitances of 103.98 ± 3.59 and 30.09 ± 1.03 F/g respectively at a scan rate of 5 mV/s. Assembled electrode, coin-cell and flexible pouch-cells have been well assessed in-depth through specific capacitances using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge discharge, diffusive and capacitive contributions, mechanical bending tests, electrochemical active surface area, and electrochemical impedance analysis. Practical applicability has been demonstrated for designed flexible pouch cell to run small fan and light emitting diode panel whereas coin cell to run light emitting diode panel., 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.)

Interest in the importance of gas sensing devices has increased significantly due to their critical function in monitoring the environment and controlling pollution, resulting in an increased market demand. The present review explores perovskite La-Fe-O based gas sensors with a special focus on LaFeO 3 and evaluates their sensitivity to a diverse range of practical target gases that need to be monitored. An analysis has been conducted to assess different routes not only of synthesizing LaFeO 3 material but also of characterization with the targeted use for their gas sensing abilities. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis has been performed to explore the effect of introducing other elements through doping. In view of the LaFeO 3 sensing performance, more common gases like acetone, ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, NO x , and CO 2 have been targeted. In addition, a discussion on uncommon gases such as CO, SO 2 , TEA, C 2 H 5 , C 6 H 6 , and others is also made to give a complete picture of LaFeO 3 -based gas sensors. The summary and conclusion section of the study addresses the primary obstacles in the synthesis process, the variables that restrict the sensing capabilities of LaFeO 3 , and its commercial fulfillment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Demand for high-performance energy storage devices is growing tremendously. Supercapacitors possess an excellent candidature to fulfill the energy storage requisites such as high energy density when compared to conventional capacitors, high power density, and cycling stability as compared to batteries, though not only for large-scale devices for higher energy/power density applications but also for macro- to microdevices for miniaturized electrical components. With the aid of various routes, many materials have been explored with well-tuned properties with controlled surface architecture through various preparative parameters to find those best suited for supercapacitive electrodes. Growth of a thin film can be accomplished through chemical or physical (vacuum-assisted) routes. Vacuum-assisted (physical) growth yields high purity, precise dimensions with a line-of-sight deposition, along with high adhesion between the film and the substrates, and hence, these techniques are necessary to manufacture many macro- to microscale supercapacitor devices. Still, much effort has not been put forth to explore vacuum-assisted techniques to fabricate supercapacitive electrodes and energy storage applications. The present review explores the first comprehensive report on the growth of widespread materials through vacuum-assisted physical deposition techniques inclusive of thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation, sputtering, and laser beam ablation toward supercapacitive energy storage applications on one platform. The theoretical background of nucleation and growth through physical deposition, optimization of process parameters, and characterization to supercapacitor applications from macro- to microscale devices has been well explored to a provide critical analysis with literature-reviewed materials. The review ends with future challenges to bring out upcoming prospects to further enhance supercapacitive performance, as much work and materials need to be explored through these routes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Increasing demand for microelectronic devices necessitates the development of highly flexible energy storage technologies with a wide operating voltage. Thus, flexible electrodes and their devices with the requisite mechanical and electrochemical characteristics have prime importance. In this regard, the present article demonstrates the feasibility of designing a flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor using a chemically grown Ni 3 P 2 O 8 lamellar microstructured electrode embedded with carboxy methyl cellulose-Na 2 SO 4 (CMC-Na 2 SO 4 ) gel electrolyte. The formed symmetric device impressively exhibited a maximum working voltage window of 1.8 V with a high specific energy of 44.7 W h kg -1 and specific power of 3.3 kW kg -1 along with prolonged cycle life. Also, the device's high deformation tolerance (95%) when bent at 170° with a flashing light-emitting diode (LED) working demonstration showcases its viability for advanced flexible energy storage applications.

Next-generation portable flexible electronic appliances require liquid-free energy storage supercapacitor devices to eliminate leakage and to support mechanical bending that is compatible with roll-to-roll technologies. Hence, a state-of-the-art process is presented to design a solid-state, wide-potential and flexible supercapacitor through the use of nano-pebbles of cerium selenide via a simple successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method that could allow an industry scalable route. We strongly believe that this is the first approach amongst physical and chemical routes not only for synthesizing cerium selenide in thin-film form but also using it for device-grade supercapacitor applications. The designed solid-state symmetric supercapacitor assembled from cerium selenide electrodes sandwiched by PVA-LiClO 4 gel electrolyte attains a wide potential window of 1.8 V with capacitance of 48.8 F g -1 at 2 mV s -1 and reveals excellent power density of 4.89 kW kg -1 at an energy density of 11.63 W h kg -1 . The formed device is capable of 87% capacitive retention even at a mechanical bending angle of 175°. Lighting up a strip of 21 parallel connected red LEDs clearly demonstrates the practical use of the designed symmetric solid-state supercapacitor, aiming towards the commercialization of the product in the future., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Electrode materials having high capacitance with outstanding stability are the critical issues for the development of flexible supercapacitors (SCs), which have recently received increasing attention. To meet these demands, coating of CeO 2 nanoparticles have been performed onto MWCNTs by using facile chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The formed CeO 2 /MWCNTs nanocomposite exhibits excellent electrochemical specific capacitance of 1215.7 F/g with 92.3% remarkable cyclic stability at 10000 cycles. Light-weight flexible symmetric solid-state supercapacitor (FSSC) device have been engineered by sandwiching PVA-LiClO 4 gel between two CeO 2 /MWCNTs electrodes which exhibit an excellent supercapacitive performance owing to the integration of pseudocapacitive CeO 2 nanoparticles onto electrochemical double layer capacitance (EDLC) behaved MWCNTs complex web-like structure. Remarkable specific capacitance of 486.5 F/g with much higher energy density of 85.7 Wh/kg shows the inherent potential of the fabricated device. Moreover, the low internal resistance adds exceptional stability along with unperturbed behavior even under high mechanical stress which can explore its applicability towards high-performance flexible supercapacitor for advanced portable electronic devices.

Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) embedded with a carbon network are gaining much attention because of their high power capability, which can be easily integrated to portable electronic devices. Facile chemical route has been explored to synthesize hexagonal structured VS 2 nanoparticles onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) matrix. Such surface-modified VS 2 /MWCNTs electrode has boosted the electrochemical performance to reach high capacitance to 830 F/g and excellent stability to 95.9% over 10 000 cycles. Designed flexible solid-state symmetric supercapacitor device (FSSD) with a wide voltage window of 1.6 V exhibited maximum gain in specific capacitance value of 182 F/g at scan rate of 2 mV/s along with specific energy of 42 Wh/kg and a superb stability of 93.2% over 5000 cycles. As a practical approach, FSSD has lightened up "VNIT" panel consisting of 21 red LEDs.

Low-cost, easily synthesized, and high energy/power density embedded stable supercapacitive electrodes are the demands for today's renewable and green energy dependent generation. In search of that, Bi 2 S 3 :PbS solid solution in thin film form has been synthesized by modest successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method and characterized by XRD, FESEM, and HRTEM. Formation of solid solution in the form of nanoparticles gilded thin film exposes sufficient electroactive cavities for electroactive ions to incorporate. The composite exhibited excellent specific capacitance of 402.4F/g at current density of 1mA/cm 2 with modest charge-discharge cycles. In terms of energy storage, it exhibited maximum specific power of 20.1Wh/kg with accepting specific power of 1.2kW/kg. The combination of two nanoparticles in nanocomposites thin film supplies new tactic for energy storage applications., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A simple and scalable approach has been reported for V 2 O 5 encapsulation over interconnected multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) network using chemical bath deposition method. Chemically synthesized V 2 O 5 /MWCNTs electrode exhibited excellent charge-discharge capability with extraordinary cycling retention of 93% over 4000 cycles in liquid-electrolyte. Electrochemical investigations have been performed to evaluate the origin of capacitive behavior from dual contribution of surface-controlled and diffusion-controlled charge components. Furthermore, a complete flexible solid-state, flexible symmetric supercapacitor (FSS-SSC) device was assembled with V 2 O 5 /MWCNTs electrodes which yield remarkable values of specific power and energy densities along with enhanced cyclic stability over liquid configuration. As a practical demonstration, the constructed device was used to lit the 'VNIT' acronym assembled using 21 LED's.

One-step, simple and inexpensive successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method has been used to synthesize porous network of zinc cobaltite (ZnCo 2 O 4 ) in 2D form on stainless steel (SS) substrate. Porous structure of ZnCo 2 O 4 electrode enables electrochemical specific capacitance of 675Fg -1 at 5mVs -1 sweep rate with high rate capability and cycling performance of 69% over 2000 cycles. Furthermore, fabricated ZnCo 2 O 4 solid-state supercapacitor cell in symmetric mode using PVA-KOH gel electrolyte exhibited a specific capacitance of 69.65Fg -1 with specific energy of 9.67Whkg -1 and specific power of 1.45kWkg -1 at a current density of 1.07Ag -1 . The results clearly demonstrate the facile method for the synthesis of porous network of ZnCo 2 O 4 and make them promising electrode material for energy storage application., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)