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As a cathode in aqueous zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs), nitrogen-doped carbon with a 2D bimetallic chalcogenide (NbMo6S8/NC) was used. The assembled ZIC demonstrated exceptional electrochemical stability and energy efficiency over thousands of charge–discharge cycles.

Multivalent aqueous Zn-ion capacitors (ZICs) are promising next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems (ESSs) owing to distinctive features including good safety characteristics, low costs, and better electrochemical parameters than those of conventional supercapacitors. The key challenge of existing ZICs is their low energy density and limited cycling ability due to carbon cathode materials and conventional electrolyte systems. This paper presents a dual strategy in which the electrode and electrolyte features are engineered to improve the overall electrochemical performance of ZICs. First, the capacitance of the cathode material is improved by engineering reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-incorporating, pseudocapacitive, layered niobium oxyphosphide (NbPO) material; second, the electrochemical stability of the Zn metal anode is improved via an additive to the traditional Zn-electrolyte. The aqueous ZIC with rGO–NbPO cathode and NaClO4 additive electrolyte exhibits the highest capacitance (191.88 F g−1), maximal energy density (56.03 Wh kg−1), and excellent energy efficiency (approximately 50% to 55%). The prepared flexible solid-state rGO–NbPO ZIC has an ultra-long lifespan of over 50,000 cycles with approximately 76.81% capacitance retention (at 4 A g−1) and excellent mechanical tractability. The results provide guidance for improving the design of safe aqueous ESSs with high-level efficiency and long-term stability.

Herein, a solution-free dry strategy for the growth of self-assembled ordered tricopper phosphide (Cu3P) nanorod arrays is developed and the product is employed as a high-energy, stable positive electrode for a solid-state hybrid supercapacitor (HSC). The ordered Cu3P nanorod arrays grown on the copper foam deliver an excellent specific capacity of 664 mA h/g with an energy efficiency of 88% at 6 A/g and an ultra-long cycling stability over 15,000 continuous charge–discharge cycles. These electrochemical features are attributed to the ordered growth of the Cu3P nanorod arrays, which offers a large number of accessible electroactive sites, a reduced number of ion transfer paths, and reversible redox activity. The potential of the Cu3P nanorod arrays is further explored by engineering solid-state HSCs in which the nanorods are paired with an activated carbon-based negative electrode. The constructed cell is shown to convey a specific energy of 76.85 Wh/kg at a specific power of 1,125 W/kg and an 88% capacitance retention over 15,000 cycles. Moreover, the superior energy storing and delivery capacity of the cell is demonstrated by an energy efficiency of around 65%. The versatile solution-free dry strategies developed here pave the way towards engineering a range of electrode materials for next-generation energy storage systems.

The limited energy storage capacities of carbon-based negative electrodes, which rely on conventional double layer charge storage mechanisms, have limited the electrochemical performances of hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). The development of nanostructured redox-active materials that serve as alternatives to carbon-based negative electrodes is crucial to overcome the limitations of current HSCs. In this work, a coordination chemistry approach is utilized to tune the nanostructure of zinc ferrite thin films on flexible stainless steel (SS) foil by using several zinc salt precursors, including ZnCl2·6H2O, Zn(NO3)2·6H2O, and ZnSO4·6H2O, while using the same iron precursor (FeCl2·4H2O). Materials prepared with the ZnCl2·6H2O metal salt form porous nanosheets with groundnut-like structures that exhibit maximum specific capacities of 544 mA h/g (454 F/g) at current density of 2.5 A/g. Redox-active solid-state HSCs are assembled by using zinc ferrite as a negative electrode, MnO2 nanoflakes as a positive electrode, and a polymer gel as the electrolyte. The developed solid-state HSC cells show excellent performance as exemplified by a maximum specific capacitance of 123.8 F/g and an energy density of 55.72 Wh/kg, both of which are superior to those of conventional carbon-based symmetric and HSCs.

The present study emulates a one-pot facile synthesis of selenium-enriched CoSe nanotube using a chemical bath deposition (CBD) procedure. Schematic incorporation of 3D Ni foam current collectors as substrates for the growth of CoSe–Se nanotubes helped us achieve a binder-less thin film coating. The controlled synthesis of CoSe–Se nanotube was carried out by optimizing the temperature and time of the deposition. CoSe–Se nanotubes were grown on a porous Ni foam substrate using lithium chloride as a shape directing agent. The study found that the one dimensional structure of the nanotubes with porous nature results in an uninterrupted network of electroactive sites. Due to the superior conductivity, the as-fabricated material exhibited excellent rate capability and a higher degree of electrolyte ion diffusion across the CoSe–Se crystal structure. The CoSe–Se@Ni foam electrodes exhibited a specific capacitance of 1750.81 F g−1 at 1 A g−1. The electrode exhibited excellent cycling stability and showed a capacitance retention of 95% after 4000 charge-discharge cycles. Finally, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device was fabricated with the as-synthesized CoSe–Se@Ni foam electrode as the cathode, activated carbon@Ni foam electrode as the anode, and a thin filter paper separator soaked in 1 M aqueous KOH electrolyte solution. The ASC device showed a specific capacitance value of 106.73 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, and achieved an energy density of 37.94 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 475.30 W kg−1. The ASC device was utilized in an extended potential window of 1.6 V. The fabricated device displayed exceptional cycling stability with a capacitance retention of 93% after 5000 charge-discharge cycles.

There are ongoing efforts to develop novel phosphors with the properties required to make an object look as natural as it does under sunlight. It has been proven that particle morphology influences the luminescent properties of a phosphor. The rare-earth pyrosilicates, such as La2Si2O7 (LSO) are currently regarded as novel promising scintillators and protective pigments because of their good chemical and thermal stabilities. However, to date, there have been no reports available on the definite morphology of the LSO matrix and the precise luminescent properties of the trivalent europium (Eu3+)-doped LSO phosphor. Herein, we report the development of Eu3+-activated dumbbell-shaped LSO nanocrystalline phosphors using a two-step solvothermal and hydrothermal approach. After regrowth, the amorphous natured LSO:Eu3+ precursor was transformed into well-defined LSO:Eu3+ dumbbell-shaped nanocrystalline phosphors (LSO-R:Eu3+) with a pure monoclinic phase. The phase purity was verified by Rietveld refinement analysis. The formation mechanism of the dumbbell-shaped particles was evaluated using surface morphological studies, and the involvement of the crystal splitting mechanism was established. The luminescence spectra revealed robust red emission at 614 nm under ultraviolet (UV) and near-UV excitations. The dipole-dipole interactions between the neighboring Eu3+ ions induced the concentration quenching in LSO host matrix. Chromaticity coordinates (0.645, 0.342) emerged in the reddish-orange region and were comparable to the standard-definition and high-definition digital television coordinates (0.640, 0.330). Therefore, these results indicate that the synthesized LSO-R:Eu3+ dumbbell-shaped nanocrystalline phosphor is a promising auxiliary red component for assembling desired white light-emitting diodes for indoor illuminations.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide due to a lack of early detection methods and appropriate drug delivery strategies. Conventional imaging techniques cannot accurately distinguish benign from malignant tissue, leading to frequent misdiagnosis or diagnosis at late stages of the disease. Novel screening tools with improved accuracy and diagnostic precision are thus required to reduce the mortality burden of this malignancy. Additionally, current therapeutic strategies, including radio- and chemotherapies carry adverse side effects and are limited by the development of drug resistance. Recent advances in nanotechnology have rendered it an attractive approach for designing novel clinical solutions for CRC. Nanoparticle-based formulations could assist early tumor detection and help to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies including poor aqueous solubility, nonspecific biodistribution and limited bioavailability. In this review, we shed light on various types of nanoparticles used for diagnosis and drug delivery in CRC. In addition, we will explore how these nanoparticles can improve diagnostic accuracy and promote selective drug targeting to tumor sites with increased efficiency and reduced cytotoxicity against healthy colon tissue.

Due to their unique optical properties like narrow emission bands, the applicability of fluorescent nanomaterials have recently been extended to various fields such as forensic science and urban farming. Herein, we report a novel fluorescent material of Mn4+ ions doped Ba2LaNbO6 (BLN:Mn4+) with nanorod-like morphology for latent fingerprint detection as well as plant growth light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through a facile citric acid-assisted sol-gel route. The crystallization, elemental composition and oxidation states present in the BLN:Mn4+ nanophosphors are confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The photoluminescence spectra reveal a promising red emission band at 685 nm wavelength region under both 351 and 510 nm excitations, which is the required far-red emission for phototropism in plants. Furthermore, the optimized BLN:0.25Mn4+ nanophosphors exhibited all the features required for three levels of latent fingerprint detection on various nonporous surfaces under 365 nm illumination. The fluctuation of the red value on pixel profile confirms the good affinity of BLN:0.25Mn4+ nanophosphors with the fingerprint ridges. Because of their excellent luminescent properties and brilliant performance in the latent fingerprint detection process, the synthesized BLN:Mn4+ nanophosphors can be considered as a promising fluorescent material for the fabrication of plant growth LEDs and latent fingerprint applications.

Due to their high capacity, nickel–cobalt-based cathode materials have attracted significant attention as potential components of hybrid solid-state supercapacitors (HSSCs). However, their poor cycling stability and low rate capability have impeded their implementation. In the present study, a single-step, binder-free potentiodynamic polarization approach is presented for the preparation of battery-type phosphorus-containing amorphous trimetal nickel–ruthenium–cobalt hydroxide (P@NRC-OH) nanofibers on Ni foam for use in high-energy, stable HSSCs. The phosphate dopant and the trimetal-rich electrode surface increase the intrinsic electron conductivity and redox activity and generate a large number of active defects. As a consequence, a P@NRC-OH electrode exhibited enhanced energy storage properties in terms of specific capacity (541.66 mA h g−1 at 3 mA cm−2), cycling durability (90.35% over 20 000 cycles), and rate capability (308.64 mA h g−1 at 20 mA cm−2). An assembled full-cell HSSC with P@NRC-OH nanofibers as the cathode material and porous activated carbon as the anode material produced a maximum specific energy of 90.02 W h kg−1 at a specific power of 1363 W kg−1 which remained as high as 37.87 W h kg−1 at a power density of 6818.18 W kg−1, with remarkable cycling stability over 15 000 charge–discharge cycles. The proposed approach thus represents a scalable and efficient strategy for the design of electrodes and devices with superior electrochemical performance.

Developing highly efficient noble-metal-free electrocatalysts with a scalable and environmentally friendly synthesis approach remains a challenge in the field of electrocatalytic water splitting. To overcome this problem, self-supported fluorine-modified 2D ultrathin nickel hydroxide (F-Ni(OH)

A porous nanostructure and high mass loading are crucial for a pseudocapacitor to achieve a good electrochemical performance. Although pseudocapacitive materials, such as MnO2 and MoS2, with record capacitances close to their theoretical values have been realized, the achieved capacitances are possible only when the electrode mass loading is less than 1 mg cm−2. Increasing the mass loading affects the capacitance as electron conduction and ion diffusion become sluggish. Achieving fast ion and electron transport at high mass loadings through all active sites remains a challenge for high-mass-loading electrodes. In this study, 2D MnO2 nanosheets supported on carbon fibers (MnO2@CF) as well as MoS2@CF with high mass loadings (6.6 and 7.2 mg cm−2, respectively) were used in a high-energy pseudocapacitor. These hierarchical 2D nanosheets yielded outstanding areal capacitances of 1187 and 495 mF cm−2 at high current densities with excellent cycling stabilities. A pliable pseudocapacitive solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor was designed using MnO2@CF and MoS2@CF as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, with a high mass loading of 14.2 mg cm−2. The assembled solid-state asymmetric cell had an energy density of 2.305 mWh cm−3 at a power density of 50 mW cm−3 and a capacitance retention of 92.25 % over 11 000 cycles and a very small diffusion resistance (1.72 Ω s−1/2). Thus, it is superior to most state-of-the-art reported pseudocapacitors. The rationally designed nanostructured electrodes with high mass loading are likely to open up new opportunities for the development of a supercapacitor device capable of supplying higher energy and power.

The demand for battery-type materials having hierarchical architectures, large surface areas, and excellent redox properties, to develop high energy density asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs), is increasing. Herein, a facile single-step wet chemical method is proposed, which allows an engineered combination of α-NiMoO4 hierarchical heterostructures to be used as advanced battery-type electrodes for ASCs. The as-synthesized architectures consist of versatile nanogeometries including nanowires, nanosheets, and nanoparticles in the form of Rhynchostylis retusa-like heterostructures, which synergistically enhance the energy storage properties; specifically, at a current density of 2 A g−1, heterostructured α-NiMoO4 exhibits a superior specific capacitance of 1061 F g−1 and an outstanding cycling stability of 96%. Moreover, an aqueous ASC is fabricated by combining such a redox-type α-NiMoO4 heterostructure and activated porous carbon as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, separated with a piece of filter paper. This device shows high energy and power densities (31.8 W h kg−1 and 786.5 W kg−1, respectively), which are useful to operate various portable electronic appliances. Together with the excellent cycling stability and energy storage properties, the synthesized heterostructured metal molybdates exemplify a new approach to develop novel electrode materials for high-performance aqueous ASCs.

Recently, organic–inorganic hybrid structures have gained significant interest and are considered as an innovative alternative for the development of multifunctional materials. Herein, we report highly reliable and reproducible protein–inorganic hybrid CaMoO4:Eu3+ microstructures as a novel photocatalyst for decontamination of environments using an energy-efficient and cost-effective green synthesis. In this synthesis process, streptavidin (SA) serves as an organic scaffold and builds covalent bonds with the amine groups of the CaMoO4:Eu3+ surface, which leads to the formation of membrane-bound-like structures. Because of the well overlapped absorption bands of tyrosine residues and CaMoO4:Eu3+, SA acts as a sensitizer and transfers more UV energy to the MoO4 moieties of CaMoO4:Eu3+, resulting in an enhanced emission intensity along with a blue shifted absorption spectrum. Compared to the commercial TiO2, the CaMoO4:Eu3+ host and SA modified CaMoO4:Eu3+ microstructures exhibit 145 and 207% higher dye removal efficiencies for methylene blue, signifying their light absorption efficiency and higher number of surface-active sites. After hybridization with SA, the CaMoO4:Eu3+ sample offers more photo-generated electrons to improve the photocatalytic activity along with an enhanced photocurrent density of 0.72 μA cm−2, which is about 1.5 times higher than that of the CaMoO4:Eu3+ host. Moreover, the SA modified CaMoO4:Eu3+ sample displayed excellent photocatalytic stability after 6 reusability cycles. Our synthesis strategy for protein–inorganic hybrid CaMoO4:Eu3+ opens a new avenue for the production of cutting-edge materials for industrial-scale catalysis and solid-state lighting applications.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most prevalent cancer around the world, and advancements in therapy continue to reduce illness and death. CRC examination and therapy with various nanotechnology-based methods have led to promising results, under scientific panel to establish novel therapeutic strategies. Today, the use of nanoparticles as a drug delivery has become the most auspicious form of cancer therapy. Many studies have revealed a keen benefit of phytochemicals and nanoparticles combined therapy for various cancers. In this chapter, we ensure a deeper discussion regarding the latest advancement of board nanoparticle drug-based phytochemical fabrication against colorectal cancer detection and treatment.

The Gastric cancer (GC) is the third deadliest malignant disease worldwide. The most common conventional therapies include the use of anticancer drugs; however, their use is ineffective and is limited due to the poor solubility of the drug and its ability to damage the immune system, since anticancer drugs have a small therapeutic drug, overdosing can lead to the toxicity in the systemic organs such as lung, liver and kidneys. Nanotechnology, which has been developed about a decade ago is considered to be a more advantageous therapy compared to the conventional methods for the therapy of cancers like GC. Varied type of nanoparticles that are multifunctional are now used to enhance the solubility and effectiveness of the drug for the treatment, prevention and diagnosis with the annual clinical trials. Moreover, they are biocompatible and less toxic to the normal healthy cells. The organic and inorganic nanoparticles that are used in the cancer diagnosis and drug delivery system include lipid, protein, metal and polymer-based materials. This chapter gives an overview on the types of nanoparticle used in the research for the GC therapy. Additionally, we have briefly described the combinational approaches, including gene therapy and immunotherapy, along with nanoparticles that includes antibody mediated, enzyme and ligand mediated strategies.

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a very promising and sustainable approach for generating hydrogen as a clean carbon-free fuel. To develop an efficient electrocatalyst for water splitting, the overpotential for this reaction must be minimized by using a capable electrocatalyst that can support the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, we prepared a unique core–shell structure, Co-metal–organic framework (MOF) derived cobalt diselenide laminated with molybdenum diselenide (MOF-CoSe2@MoSe2) and assessed its performance as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the HER and OER in alkaline media. The CC/MOF-CoSe2@MoSe2 core–shell structure fabricated directly on a flexible carbon cloth substrate demonstrated low overpotentials (η10) of 109.87 and 183.81 mV for the HER and OER, respectively, and a low voltage of 1.53 V for overall water splitting activity with an electrolyzer cell with symmetric CC/MOF-CoSe2@MoSe2 electrodes. The developed CC/MOF-CoSe2@MoSe2 catalyst had excellent stability over 24 h for OER, HER, and overall water splitting activity. These results suggest that lamination of MOF with a transition metal dichalcogenide is an effective route for developing the highly efficient and sustainable bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting activity.

At present, phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs), developed by combining an ultraviolet (UV)/near-UV (NUV) LED and a single-component white emitting phosphor, have attracted significant interest and are emerged as the new-generation green light sources. Herein, we report a highly photostable and novel Gd2TiO5 (GT):Dy3+/Eu3+ nanophosphors as single-component white emitting phosphors by sol-gel route. Based on X-ray diffraction pattern, Rietveld refinement is performed to authorize the orthorhombic phase of the GT nanophosphors. The nanosized particles with nearly spherical morphology is perceived after annealing at 1100 ℃. The Dy3+ and Eu3+ ions individually-doped GT nanophosphors exhibited pleasant white and reddish-orange emissions by monitoring with their respective excitation wavelengths. Tunable white light emission is achieved by co-doping the various concentrations of Eu3+ ions to the optimized GT:1.5Dy3+ nanophosphors under both UV (270 nm) and NUV (362 nm) excitations. The energy transfer probability is discussed and the energy transfer efficiency from Dy3+ to Eu3+ ions is calculated from the luminescence decay profiles. On rising the Eu3+ ions content from 0.25 to 6 mol%, the energy transfer efficiency is increased from 14% to 73% for co-doped GT nanophosphors. Besides, the optimized samples of Dy3+ and Eu3+ ions individually-doped and co-doped GT samples exhibited high quantum efficiencies and increased photostability. Thus, the acquired results signifying that these GT:Dy3+/Eu3+ nanophosphors can serve as potential single-component white emitting phosphors for UV and/or NUV-based pc-WLEDs.

We report the synthesis of TiO2:0.01Eu3+ spheres by a solvothermal reaction method and their utilization in the enhancement of light-extraction efficiency. The light-extraction efficiency was enhanced by increasing the extraction probability of the internal and external reflected photons in the YAG:Ce3+ yellow phosphor based white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). The crystalline structure of TiO2:0.01Eu3+ spheres was investigated by an X-ray diffraction analysis. The anatase phased TiO2:0.01Eu3+ spheres exhibited a typical red emission under 463.5 nm wavelength. The diffused reflectance spectra displayed higher reflectance for rutile phase and lower for anatase phase. However, compared to the typically, combination of YAG:Ce3+ yellow phosphor and blue LED chip, fabricated WLED, the light-extraction efficiency of WLED was improved to 80% when TiO2: 0.01Eu3+ spheres were mixed with YAG:Ce3+ phosphor in the fabrication process.

Female-specific cancers are the most common cancers in women worldwide. Early detection methods remain unavailable for most of these cancers, signifying that most of them are diagnosed at later stages. Furthermore, current treatment options for most female-specific cancers are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Although important milestones in molecularly targeted approaches have been achieved lately, current therapeutic strategies for female-specific cancers remain limited, ineffective and plagued by the emergence of chemoresistance, which aggravates prognosis. Recently, the application of nanotechnology to the medical field has allowed the development of novel nano-based approaches for the management and treatment of cancers, including female-specific cancers. These approaches promise to improve patient survival rates by reducing side effects, enabling selective delivery of drugs to tumor tissues and enhancing the uptake of therapeutic compounds, thus increasing anti-tumor activity. In this review, we focus on the application of nano-based technologies to the design of novel and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the context of female-specific cancers, highlighting their potential uses and limitations.

Cancer theranostics represents a strategy that aims at combining diagnosis with therapy through the simultaneous imaging and targeted delivery of therapeutics to cancer cells. Recently, the folate receptor alpha has emerged as an attractive theranostic target due to its overexpression in multiple solid tumors and its great functional versatility. In fact, it can be incorporated into folate-conjugated nano-systems for imaging and drug delivery. Hence, it can be used along the line of personalized clinical strategies as both an imaging tool and a delivery method ensuring the selective transport of treatments to tumor cells, thus highlighting its theranostic qualities. In this review, we will explore these theranostic characteristics in detail and assess their clinical potential. We will also discuss the technological advances that have allowed the design of sophisticated folate-based nanocarriers harboring various chemical properties and suited for the transport of various therapeutic agents.