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This study focuses on the investigation of beryllium (Be) doping in V2O5 nanoparticles and the coordinated effects it has on the structural, optical, and photocatalytic characteristics of the material. XRD analysis reveals modifications in the orthorhombic structure upon Be doping, decreasing crystallite size (68.7–46.6 nm), and increased dislocation line density. Optimizing charge carrier mobility and separation is crucial for improving photocatalytic activity, and this is achieved via these adjustments. Raman spectra indicated increased crystallinity with Be doping. The optical analysis demonstrated an adjustable band gap (2.47–2.60 eV) and reduced refractive index (2.49–2.45), that enhance light absorption efficiency. More importantly, the study shows that Be-doped V2O5 nanoparticles have better photocatalytic activity for the breakdown of methylene blue, indicating its potential for environmentally friendly remediation. The present work contributes to the advancement of customized doping approaches for maximizing V2O5 functioning across a range of applications by clarifying the complex impacts of Be doping.

Linear increase in crystallite size (16–24 nm) of MnxZn1−xFe2O4 nanostructures and mixed behavior of lattice constant (8.429–8.462 Å) is reported. The system exhibits considerable promise for microwave applications due to its elevated dielectric constants and minimal dispersion losses from 20 Hz to 20 MHz. With x = 0.75, sample is good for energy storage devices like supercapacitors due to large specific surface area (53 m2/g) and dielectric constant. These samples exhibit maximum relaxation times ranging from 1.97 × 10−7 s to 2.43 × 10−4 s, with corresponding relaxation energy values spanning from 159.22 meV to 341 meV for x = 0 and x = 1 samples. The Cole-Cole plots reveal that grains exhibit conductive behavior at lower frequencies, while grain boundaries contribute significantly to the resistive behavior. Additionally, we have introduced Bode diagrams and equivalent electronic circuit models for the first time, offering valuable insights into the electrical behavior of the nanomaterial samples.

Photocatalytic responses and synergistic effects of V2O5, TiO2, and V2O5/TiO2 heterostructures with varied ratios have been investigated, revealing promising outcomes. The successful synthesis of nanostructures and heterostructures was verified through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. Notably, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectral studies confirmed that the optical band gap of V2O5/TiO2 heterostructures increases with higher TiO2 concentrations. These findings enhance our understanding of the agglomerated heterostructures of V2O5/TiO2, particularly with ratios of 1:1 and 1:3, showcasing potential applications in photocatalysis. Furthermore, their performance was subjected to Malachite Green dye degradation using a solar simulator, achieving an impressive efficiency of 93.29%. Additionally, the photocatalytic efficacy was assessed through reusability experiments over three cycles. Remarkably, the heterostructures exhibited stability across these cycles, suggesting their potential for extended use in diverse photocatalytic purposes. The importance of these results is the applicability of our fabricated V2O5/TiO2 heterostructures as a photocatalyst with high performance, especially in the realm of sustainable and efficient dye degradation processes.

This study introduces an innovative approach involving the synthesis of lead-free halide double perovskite (LFHDP) solar cell Cs2AgBiBr6 and that with the doping of trans-polyacetylene (t-PA) via the sol–gel method. Through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, we confirm the cubic structure and, in addition, an observable growth in grain size attributed to t-PA doping. A comprehensive exploration of optical parameters, including band gap, refractive index, electronegativity, extinction coefficient, and dielectric constant was conducted through UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The pristine Cs2AgBiBr6 exhibited a band gap energy (Eg) of 1.9 eV, while with t-PA doping the Eg decreased to 1.84 eV, indicating a notable enhancement in light absorption. The calculated optical electronegativity is 0.49 which suggests a shift towards a more covalent nature. The J-V curve shows parameters for pristine thin film as Jsc of 5.13 mA/cm2, Voc of 0.92 V, FF of 0.69, and the efficiency of 3.29 %. On the other hand, the t-PA doped thin film exhibits improvement of the parameters which are Jsc of 5.7 mA/cm2, Voc of 0.929 V, and FF of 0.75, leading to a significantly elevated efficiency of 3.98 %. This enhanced efficiency is 20.97 % higher than that of the pure Cs2AgBiBr6, clearly showing an uplifted performance. In addition to the experiment, computational method based on finite difference time domain technique was used to check the stability of the material. The study shows the mechanical and dynamical stability of the Cs2AgBiBr6.

Perovskite solar cells (MAPbI2Br or CH3NH3I2Br) are the subject of this thorough examination of their optical, structural, and photovoltaic properties. These MAPbI2Br cells were prepared by the sol–gel spin-coating process to make films of both undoped and Mn2+-doped materials. In addition, the band gap energy (Eg) exhibited a steady downward trend as doping levels increased. The largest drop was observed at 4 % Mn2+ doping, when UV–Vis spectroscopy measured an Eg value of 1.88 eV. This decrease in band gap energy is essential to improving MAPbI2Br's functionality. Furthermore, when compared to cells that used pure MAPbI2Br perovskite solar cells, the efficiency of the manufactured MAPbI2Br cells shown a significant improvement. Analyzing the current–voltage (J-V) characteristics revealed that the MAPbI2Br produced with a 4 % Mn2+-doped MAPbI2Br film had dramatically improved properties. These cells showed an open-circuit voltage of 1.02, a fill factor of 0.74, a short-circuit current density of 8.10 mA/cm2, and an impressive power conversion efficiency of 6.14 %.

The current study focuses the nanocomposites of Ag/WO3 was synthesized via hydrothermal method and extract of Aloe-vera gel was used. Various characterization techniques were used for the analysis of Ag/WO3 nanocomposites which includes SEM (scanning electron microscope), EDX (Energy dispersive spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared), UV (ultraviolet–visible-spectroscopy) to tell about elemental composition, shape and crystalline structure, band gap, functional group. The presence of composition of elements O, W, Ag in Ag/WO3 nanocomposites was confirmed through EDX spectrum. The hexagonal crystal structure and the border peaks in Ag/WO3 nanocomposites were examined through XRD spectra. The Anti-oxidant activity was synthesized by using (DPPH) free Radical in Ag/WO3 nanocomposites. The outcomes of present study exhibited an excellent anti-oxidant activity and also indicated the reduction of stabilized free radical DPPH analysis using Aloe vera extract. The result revealed that the anti-oxidant activity of Ag/WO3 nanocomposites is essential for biomedical application and various industries.

Recently, all inorganic double perovskites have drawn a lot of interest as promising solar materials. The optical, structural, thermoelectric, electronic, and mechanical properties of double halide perovskites A2LiGaI6 (A = Cs, Rb) are explored via first-principles calculations with the WIEN2k code, using GGA PBEsol and TB-mBJ potentials. The majority of perovskite materials utilized in the highest-performing solar cells have bandgaps ranging between 1.48 and 1.62 eV. The compounds A2LiGaI6 (A = Cs, Rb) have a direct bandgap of 1.51 eV and 1.55 eV, respectively, and are expected to be useful in solar cells. The optical study shows that there are large absorption bands in the visible region, as determined by the dielectric constant, absorption, and other dependent factors. Their potential for use in solar cells is increased by their absorption in the visible part. The BoltzTraP code has been used to perform thermoelectric studies to assess the electrical, thermal conductivities, and Seebeck coefficient. They are important for construction of thermoelectric generators that harvest heat energy because of their high figure of merit and incredibly low thermal conductivity of lattice at ambient temperature. Furthermore, by examining the spectroscopic limit maximum efficiency, up to 30 % efficiency is predicted for both compositions, which paves the way for the applicability of them in solar energy conversion.

The green synthesis approach was used to manufacture the lanthanum modified spinel ferrites, which had the formula Zn0·6Ni0·2Mg0·2Fe2-xLaxO4 and were heated at 100 °C for 2 h. Through the use of XRD, FTIR, UV–visible, RLC study, four probe I–V, and PL spectroscopy the structural, optical, dielectric, electrical, and photoluminescence features were examined. XRD results confirmed that spinel ferrite have a cubic network. The substitution of La ions causes an overall increase in sample's lattice constants, which was credited to the disparity in ionic radii between Fe3+ (0.63 Aͦ) and La3+ (1.061 Aͦ) ions. From the XRD data, it was possible to compute the cationic distributions, oxygen positional parameters, tolerance factor, interatomic distances, bond lengths, bond length angles, and positional parameters. The computed Eg from the UV–Visible spectroscopy was decreased from 2.5 to 1.8eV. FTIR results revealed octahedral absorption band having 557.32–550.57 cm−1 range. The value of force constant from FTIR was revealed in the range of 2.27–2.21 dyne cm−1. The dielectric losses and constant are decreasing, whereas ac conductivity exhibited expanding behavior with high frequency. PL test result shows that La doping improves the material's light response, so the result showed that La-doped materials are suitable for magneto-optic devices. Electrical properties show that DC electrical resistivity decreases in the range of 1.65 × 10°5–5.01 × 10°3 Ω-cm. So, they are suitable for high-frequency circuits.

ZnO, MoS2, MoS2/ZnO/glass, and ZnO/MoS2/glass thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition techniques (CBD). XRD results confirmed the formation of MoS2, ZnO, MoS2/ZnO/glass, and ZnO/MoS2/glass films. All the films have a hexagonal structure. The grain size of heterostructured (MoS2/ZnO/glass and ZnO/MoS2/glass) films is larger than pure (ZnO and MoS2) films. The band gap energy of ZnO, MoS2, MoS2/ZnO/glass and ZnO/MoS2/glass is 3.14 eV, 1.52 eV, 1.62 eV and 2.67 eV, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) emission peaks of ZnO are observed in the visible region. When ZnO film is deposited on MoS2 film, PL peaks are shifted to smaller wavelengths. A very high PL intensity peak of MoS2 is observed. When MoS2 film was deposited on ZnO film the peak intensity was reduced. The average sheet resistivity of glass/MoS2, glass/ZnO, MoS2/ZnO/glass and ZnO/MoS2/glass films is 6.44 × 104, 7.89 × 103, 5.65 × 104, and 2.45 × 103 (ohm-m), respectively. These materials have potential applications in perovskite solar cells.

This paper reports the fabrication of (0 wt. %, 0.5 wt. %, 1 wt. %, 1.5 wt. %, and 2 wt. %) cadmium-doped tin sulphide (Cd-SnS) thin films using sol-gel technique via green synthesis route. Aloe vera gel is used as a green extract to fast fabricate Cd-SnS films. X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometer, four-point probe method, and J-V measurements are used to determine the crystallographic structure, optical, electrical, and photovoltaic properties, respectively. Here, the detailed structure properties like crystallite size, dislocation line density, d-spacing, and lattice constants of pure and Cd-SnS films are calculated. XRD confirmed the Cd doping in SnS with an orthorhombic structure. The film of 1.5% Cd-SnS showed good structural properties like large crystallite size (29 nm), small d-spacing (2.82 Å), small dislocation line density (1.18 × 1015 m−2), and lattice constants (a = 11.86 Å, b = 3.92 Å, c = 4.33 Å). Optical parameters like bandgap energy (Eg), extinction coefficient (k), refractive index (n), and dielectric constants (n) are calculated by using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Cd doped decreased the Eg of SnS. The low value of Eg (1.40 eV) is observed by 1.5% of Cd doping in SnS. A four-point probe approach is used to evaluate the sheet resistivity of Cd-SnS thin films at ambient temperature. The reduced value of sheet resistivity (1.3 × 104 Ω-cm) is achieved at 1.5% Cd doping. Solar cells of these films are fabricated. The geometry of the Cd-SnS solar cell is glass/FTO/TiO2/SnS/P3HT/Au. The open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), efficiency (η), and short circuit current density (Jsc) of solar cells are determined using a J-V curve. For pure SnS based solar cells, Voc is 0.702 V, Jsc is 2.04 mA cm−2, FF is 0.578, and η is 0.82%. All the factors except Voc are increased by Cd doping. The highest efficiency (1.34%) is obtained using a 1.5% Cd-doped SnS film-based solar cell. This efficiency is 61% higher than pure SnS based solar cells. These cells have a low-cost and long life time because there is no chemical corrosion like dye-sensitized solar cells.

Bismuth tungsten oxide and vanadium pentoxide (Bi2WO6/V2O5) heterostructures are produced by a green synthesis approach using Azadirachta indica extract for photocatalytic performance. The hydrothermal method at temperatures between 120 °C and 140 °C is used to synthesize Bi2WO6. Bi2WO6 and V2O5 phases are formed in pure orthorhombic wells according to the XRD pattern. The SEM displays V2O5 nanorods, Bi2WO6 hierarchical microspheres that resemble flowers at 120 °C, and particles with a particle-like character at 140 °C. In V2O5, the asymmetric stretching vibrations of the triplely coordinated oxygen (chain oxygen) bonds and the vibration of the doubly coordinated oxygen (bridge oxygen) bonds are responsible for a peak at 611 cm−1. In FTIR spectra between 600 and 1600 cm−1, the major absorption bands in Bi2WO6 are attributed to the W-O stretching, Bi-O stretching, and W-O-W bridging stretching modes. Bi2WO6@V2O5 at 120 °C has the lowest bandgap energy (2.32 eV) and optical electronegativity (0.62), as well as the highest refractive index (2.57), extinction coefficient (2.21), and dielectric constant (εr = 0.72 and εi = 11.4) among all samples, making it a suitable material for photocatalysis. Rhodamine blue (RhB) dye degradation is used to measure the photocatalytic activity (PCA) of certain materials. The results showed that heterostructure V2O5@Bi2WO6 synthesized at 120 °C is more attractive among all samples due to high degradation of RhB dye under sunlight irradiation in 90 min.

Every day, the risk of water pollution grows. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of the population of poor countries suffers from health problems linked to chemically or microbially contaminating drinkable water. Here in the present study, powder of taro-rhizome was used for preparation of supported bimetallic catalyst (Ag-Cu/TP). Characterization techniques used for analysis were XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR and EDS. The prepared catalyst was then used in the catalytic reduction of chemical pollutants, including 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP), 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), methyl orange (MO), Acid Red 27 or amaranth (AM), Congo red (CR), Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl red (MR). Turnover frequency was calculated for nitrophenol reductions, which were 0.98 min−1 for 2-NP and 3.45 min−1 for 4-NP. The Ag-Cu/TP catalyst shows outstanding performance and 99.4% of 4-NP was reduced just in 5 min with pseudo-first order constant of 5.24 × 10−3s−1, while 97% reduction of 2-NP took 17 min with the pseudo-first order constant of 1.01 × 10−3s−1. The prepared Ag-Cu/TP catalyst was packed into a glass column and organic dyes containing water were filtered through it to test the cleaning effectiveness of water from dyes. Excellent dye reduction was achieved. The prepared column reactor works excellent in the remediation of dyes and reduces about 68.7% CR. In addition, stability and reusability study showed exceptional reusability up to 5 times with very small loss of activity and was stable for up to 10 days.

The Eucalyptus globulus is one of the important forest tree species which reveals enhanced tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. The enhanced tolerance of E. globulus against low temperature is linked to the presence of enhanced accumulation of lysine-rich dehydrin proteins. The accumulation of dehydrin protein of Mr 10 kDa in response to multiple abiotic stresses prevents cells from dehydration. It is encoded by a novel dehydrin-10 (DHN-10) gene. In the present study, we have used the DHN-10 gene of E. globulus of Pakistani origin, which was cloned in a bacterial expression vector pET30(a) and sequenced. We have found the 315 bp long coding sequence of this gene which has been enrolled as Eucalyptus GZJ-2018 DHN-10 gene under GenBank accession number MG948256.1. The in silico studies have identified several differences of this gene from the earlier enrolled DHN-10 genes: the studied gene possessed higher amphipathic character because of the presence of five additional electrically charged amino acids (two positively charged histidine, one negatively charged glutamate, and two negatively charged aspartate residues) and one extra lysine residue. The studied DHN-10 gene has been successfully expressed in the BL21-DE3 expression strain of Escherichia coli and 10 kDa protein has been detected on the nitrocellulose membrane. Our study is the first report of the sub-cloning of the DHN-10 gene and its expression outside the Eucalyptus cell.

Pollution problem increases with the same face as the industrial development. One of the toxic ingredients of these industrial effluents is the organic dyes. Zinc oxide/Graphene oxide nanocomposite (ZnO-GNc) was synthesized in aqueous solution by mixing ultrasonically various compositions. The prepared ZnO-GNc nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX and TEM. XRD of Graphene oxide (GO) showed their crystalline nature and the average size was 3.54, 18.98 and 15.47 nm for GO, ZnO, and ZnO-GNc respectively. An active toxic and stable dye, Methyl red (MR) was employed as the target pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of ZnO-GNc. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO-GNc nanocomposite was compared with that of zinc oxide (ZnO) and GO. The effect of some parameters, dye concentration, pH and temperature of dye solution were studied. The kinetic studies show that the process of MR photocatalytic discoloration by ZnO-GNc followed first-order reaction kinetics under different conditions with the rate constant of 2.2 × 10−2 s−1. The possible reasons for the high values of photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO-GNc may be due to the improved charge passage and separation.

In the present investigation, ZnO nanoflakes was prepared via sonochemical synthesis route. Effect of ultrasonic treatment time was studied based on structural, morphological and optical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the formation of wurtzite hexagonal crystalline structure of ZnO nanoflakes. Ultrasonic treatments affected the crystallite size and the density of dislocation, which is due to increased nucleation and growth rates of nanoflakes. The samples synthesized at 40–50 min ultrasonic treatment showed a strong absorption band at 605 and 650 (cm−1) versus other treatments, which is an indication of 2D nanostructure (nanoflakes). FE-SEM analysis further confirms the formation of 2D nanostructures of the ZnO. The composition and purity was confirmed by the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, which displays the occurrence of Zn and O elements in the sample. Photocatalytic activity (PCA) of ZnO nanoflakes was studied for methyl orange (MO) dye degradation under UV light exposure and up to 93.13 % dye degradation is achieved within 90 min. Effect of various parameters (dye concentration, mass of photocatalytic material) and kinetic study was also performed. Results revealed that the ultrasonic treatment affected the optical and photocatalytic properties of the of ZnO nanoflakes, which could be employed for the remediation of dyes in textile effluents.

Pure and palladium (Pd) doped Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by using KrF Excimer laser having 248 nm wavelength. The doping concentration of Pd in DLC is 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%. Internal structure, surface morphology, mechanical and electrical characteristics have been carried out by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Vickers hardening and four point probes, respectively. Using Raman spectra an improved graphitic behavior of DLC has been observed with increase of Pd contents. Some nano rods were observed at the surface of pure and Pd doped DLC thin films. With increase of Pd concentration in DLC, initially there is an accumulation of particles is observed and when the doping concentration is high i.e. at 2%, cracks formation takes place. The electrical resistivity is decreased by adding Pd into DLC thin films. Further, doping of Pd decreased the hardness of films. These characteristics of Pd doped DLC with increased hardness and electrical conductivity make it potential candidate for electronic devices. Also, doping enhance the graphitic behavior, therefore this material can be used for anti-bacterial and anti- cancerous activities.

Green versus sol-gel synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were carried out and antimicrobial activity was evaluated against a wide panel of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Five plants seed extracts were used for green synthesis from Brassicaceae family, whereas the sol-gel method was adopted in the case of chemical synthesis. The ZnO NPs were characterized using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. The antimicrobial potential of the synthesized NPs was assessed against bacterial and fungal strains by disc diffusion method. The size of the ZnO NPs was in the range of 100–150 nm. The ZnO NPs showed promising antimicrobial activity and zones of inhibition were in the range of 10–20 mm, whereas Streptomycin (standard drug) showed the zone of inhibition of 25 mm. The synthesized ZnO NPs furnished promising antibacterial and antifungal potential. The green route of synthesis is rather safe and eco-friendly when compared to chemical route and could be used for the fabrication of ZnO NPs as an antimicrobial agent.

Nanotechnology gained much attention and nanomaterials have diverse applications in every field of life and researchers are consistently working on the methodology for the fabrication of NPs. Different chemical, biological and physical methods are in practice for the fabrication of NPs and under the current scenario of pollution, the application of eco-benign methods is of paramount importance. Biogenic synthesis versus other methods proved to be highly efficient for the fabrication of NPs at the nano-scale. It is also an eco-friendly, cost-effective and one-pot synthesis procedure. The use of less energy, less reaction time and ambient conditions are other advantages of the green synthesis. The NPs have been successfully prepared biogenically and employed in different fields, i.e., medicine, biosensors, electrochemistry, biomedicine, water treatment, electronics, photo-electronics and catalysis. Among, noble metal based NPs, Pt has diverse applications and the biogenic synthesis, characterization and applications of Pt NPs have been discussed in this study. The biogenic synthetic route includes plant extract (leaves, roots, flower, peels, stem, bark) and biological derivatives. The plant extracts contain flavonoids, polyphenolics, cannabinoids, terpenes, glycosides, sugars, amine, carbonyl, proteins, aldehyde, amide and alcohols, which reduce, cap and stabilize the metal ions in the solution. The reaction conditions effect on biogenic fabrication of Pt is discussed; the structure and sizes were also compared. The applications of the biogenic Pt NPs in different fields along with future prospects are discussed.

The presence of dyes in industrial effluents is of public health concern. A considerable attention was paid to remove the dyes from the aquatic environment. This study focusses on the degradation of reactive red (RR-147) dye under UV irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nano photo catalyst (TiO2). Effect of different parameters like dye concentration, pH, H2O2, UV irradiation time and TiO2 was studied. The maximum degradation of 92% for 50 ppm dye concentration, pH 3.4, H2O2 0.9 mL, TiO2 0.6 g and UV irradiation time 60 min was observed. The UV/Vis spectrophotometer was used to investigate the change in absorbance after UV irradiation. The 57 % reduction in COD was achieved when the dye aqueous solution was exposed to UV/H2O2/TiO2 process under optimized conditions. The FTIR was used for the identification of degraded product after UV irradiation treatment. The FTIR study showed that most of the functional group peaks were disappeared after the UV/H2O2/TiO2 treatment. LCMS/GCMS analyses scrutinized the intermediates and a mechanistic degradation pathway has also been proposed. The cytotoxicity of the irradiated dye samples was assessed using hemolytic test while mutagenic evaluation was carried out using the Ames test before and after treatment. The UV/H2O2/TiO2 is proved to be more capable and efficient system for the degradation of the RR-147 dye as compared to UV/H2O2 alone.

Plasmonic metal nanoparticles are known to work as light-harvesting antennae and to enhance photocurrents of photovoltaic cells. Therefore, in this work, the effect of gold (Au) ions distribution on the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been investigated. Thin films of TiO2 have been deposited on FTO glass substrates by the doctor tape method. Au ions were then implanted on these films with different fluence rates (i.e., 2 × 1014, 4 × 1014 and 6 × 1014 ions/cm2). XRD results confirmed that TiO2 is present in the anatase phase up to a 4 × 104 ions/cm2 fluence rate. At a 6 × 1014 ions/cm2 fluence rate, one peak of rutile is obtained which confirmed that the film has mixed phases of TiO2. UV results show that dye is adsorbed into all photoanodes. Maximum dye absorption is seen at a fluence rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2. The energy conversion efficiency of DSSC is highly dependent on the fluence rate of Au. At a fluence rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2, the cell has a high short circuit current density (JSC) of 7.21 mA/cm2, resulting in a high efficiency (×) of 2.92%. Impedance spectroscopy shows that the cell formed by Au ions fluence rate of 4 × 1014 ions/cm2 has a low recombination rate of electron/hole pairs.

Pure and copper-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized via chemical co-precipitation method where hydrazine is used as reducing agent and aqueous extract of Euphorbia milii plant as capping agent. Main objectives of the reported work are to investigate the effect of copper doping on crystal structure of ZnO nanoparticles; to study the effect of copper doping on optical band gap of ZnO nanoparticles and photoluminescence (PL) study of pure and copper-doped ZnO nanoparticles. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, XRD and SEM tests were performed for the identification and confirmation of crystal structure and morphology of the prepared samples. From XRD data the average grain size for pure ZnO was observed to be 24.62 nm which was first decreased to 18.95 nm for 5 wt% Cu-doped sample and then it was found to increase up to 37.80 nm as the Cu doping was increased to 7 wt%. Optical band gap of pure and Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles was calculated from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) spectra and was found to decrease from 3.13 eV to 2.94 eV as the amount of Cu increases up to 7 wt%. In photoluminescence study, PL technique was used and enhanced visible spectrum was observed. For further characterization FT-IR and EDX tests were also carried out. Keywords: Copper-doped ZnO nanoparticles, Co-precipitation method, Band gap studies and photoluminescence

To use the visible portion of solar light, 2% cobalt doped TiO2 (Co: TiO2) multilayer thin films having 1, 2, 3 and 4 stacked layers have been deposited on FTO substrates using spray pyrolysis technique. XRD results show that 1 and 2 layers of films have anatase phase. Brookite phase has been appeared at the 3 and 4 layered films. The average grain size of 1, 2, 3 and 4 layers of films are 14.4, 23.5, 29.7 and 33.6 nm respectively. UV–Vis results show that 4th layer film has high absorption in the visible region. The calculated Eg of 1, 2, 3 and 4 layers is 3.54, 3.42, 3.30 and 3.03 eV respectively. The calculated average sheet resistivity of 1, 2, 3 and 4 layers of films is 7.68 × 104, 4.54 × 104, 8.85 × 103 and 7.95 × 102 (ohm-m) respectively, according to four point probe technique. Solar simulator results show that highest solar conversion efficiency (5.6%) has been obtained by using 3 stacked layers photoanode. This new structure in the form of stack layers provides a way to improve the efficiency of optoelectronic devices. Keywords: Co, TiO2, Multilayer thin films, DSSCs

The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, morphological and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO (TZ) thin films has been observed. Bilayer thin films of TiO2/ZnO are deposited on FTO glass substrate by spray pyrolysis method. After deposition, these films are annealed at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K. XRD shows that TiO2 is present in anatase phase only and ZnO is present in hexagonal phase. No other phases of TiO2 and ZnO are present. Also, there is no evidence of other compounds like Zn-Ti etc. It also shows that the average grain size of TiO2/ZnO films is increased by increasing annealing temperature. AFM (Atomic force microscope) showed that the average roughness of TiO2/ZnO films is decreased at temperature 573–723 K and then increased at 873 K. The calculated average sheet resistivity of thin films annealed at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K is 152.28 × 102, 75.29 × 102 and 63.34 × 102 ohm-m respectively. This decrease in sheet resistivity might be due to the increment of electron concentration with increasing thickness and the temperature of thin films. Keywords: ZnO, TiO2, XRD, AFM, Electrical properties

The outcomes of the research in modern cementitious composites have paved the way for their wide use in construction industry. The introduction of short, discontinuous and randomly distributed fibers to these composites has altered their inherent brittleness. Extensive research has been carried out on the effects of using of mono-fibers in a cementitious composite. However, limited reports in the approachable references on the use of hybrid fibers are available. The synergetic interaction between hybrid fibers have beneficial impact on cementitious composites. The incorporation of micro- and nano-pozzolanic materials, such as fly ash and silica fume have been used to develop high performance cementitious composites such as reactive powder concrete, DUCTAL and CEMTEC multiscale. Further developments were recently achieved by the development of ultra-high performance cementitious composites. The matter of developing high and ultrahigh cementitious composites using various kinds of fibers and particles has received enormous attention from the scientific community. This paper presents a comprehensive critical literature review on the area of high and ultra-high performance cement-based materials.

In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) multilayer thin films are deposited on glass substrate using sol-gel spin coating technique and the effect of these multilayer films on optical, electrical and structural properties are investigated. It is observed that these multilayer films have great impact on the properties of ZnO. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) confirms that ZnO has hexagonal wurtzite structure. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed the crack-free films which have uniformly distributed grains structures. Both micro and nano particles of ZnO are present on thin films. Four point probe measured the electrical properties showed the decreasing trend between the average resistivity and the number of layers. The optical absorption spectra measured using UV–Vis. showed the average transmittance in the visible region of all films is 80% which is good for solar spectra. The performance of the multilayer as transparent conducting material is better than the single layer of ZnO. This work provides a low cost, environment friendly and well abandoned material for solar cells applications. Keywords: Multilayer films, Semiconductor, ZnO, XRD, SEM, Optoelectronic properties

The aim of this research work is presented a comparison study of Cu:ZnO/TiO2/ZnO (Cu:ZTZ) and Cu:TiO2/ZnO/TiO2 (Cu:TZT) thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique on FTO substrates. After deposition, these films are annealed at 500 °C. XRD confirms the anatase phase of TiO2 and Hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO. SEM shows that Cu:TZT has more porous surface than Cu:ZTZ and also the root mean square (RMS) roughness of Cu:TZT film is 48.96 and Cu:ZTZ film is 32.69. The calculated optical band gaps of Cu:TZT and Cu:ZTZ thin films are 2.65 eV and 2.6 eV respectively, measured by UV–Vis spectrophotometer. This work provides an environment friendly and low cost use of an abundant material for highly efficient dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Keywords: Multilayer films, ZnO, TiO2, Cu

Multilayer thin films (3, 5 and 7) of 20% copper doped titanium dioxide (Cu:TiO2) have been deposited on glass substrates by sol-gel spin coating method. After deposition, films have been irradiated by a beam of continuous wave diode laser (532 nm) for two minutes at the angle of 45°. Structural, surface morphology and electrical properties of films have been investigated by X-rays diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and four point probe technique respectively. XRD shows the formation of titanium copper oxide. Surface morphology of thin films indicated that the average grain size is increased by increasing the number of layers. The average sheet resistivity of 3, 5 and 7 layers of thin films measured by four point probe technique is 2.2 × 104, 1.2 × 104 and 1.0 × 104 (Ohm-cm) respectively. The present study will facilitate a cost effective and environmental friendly study for several properties of materials. Keywords: Cu:TiO2, Multilayer thin films, Diode laser

TiO2 thin film is deposited on glass substrate by sol-gel dip coating technique. After deposition, films were irradiated by continuous wave (CW) diode laser at an angle of 45°. XRD shows both the anatase and brookite phases of TiO2. Nano particles of regular and control sizes are appeared in SEM micrographs. Therefore, shape and size of nano particles can be control by using Laser irradiation. The average sheet resistivity of TiO2 thin film irradiated by 0, 2, 4 and 6 min are 6.72 × 105, 5.32 × 105, 3.44 × 105 and 4.95 × 105 (ohm-m) respectively, according to four point probe. Keywords: TiO2, Diode laser, XRD, SEM

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are attracting immense academic and industrial attention as a simple, low cost and potential photovoltaic device from last two decades. In a DSSC, photo-electrode is suggested as an important component which collects as well as transports the photo-excited electrons from sensitizer dye to external circuit. In this research, photoanodes of 1% copper doped Titanium dioxide (Cu-TiO2) have been prepared by doctor blade method on FTO-glass substrates. These photoanodes are implanted by Gold (Au) ions of energy 900 keV along with different exposure rate (1 × 104 and 4 × 104 ions/cm2). XRD pattern confirmed that all the photoanodes consist of anatase phase of TiO2. N719 dye is used as sensitizer in all films. UV–Visible absorption results show the absorbance peak of all films at 524 nm which confirmed the absorption of dye in photoanodes and the intensity of peaks increases with Cu doping and Au ions implantation. Solar simulation result showed that a maximum efficiency of about 2.15% is achieved by implanting gold ions with flounce rate of 4x104 ions/cm2 in Cu-TiO2 film. The present work suggest that optimization of the gold nanoparticles in the Cu: TiO2 layer plays a vital role in enhancing efficiency of DSSC. Keywords: Solar cell, Dye, Spectroscopy, Absorption

Investigations of the structural, morphological and electrical properties of multilayer ZnO/TiO2 thin films deposited by sol–gel technique on glass substrate. Sol–gel is a technique in which compound is dissolved in a liquid in order to bring it back as a solid in a controlled manner. TiO2 solution was obtained by dissolving 0.4 g of TiO2 nano powder in 5 ml ethanol and 5 ml diethylene glycol. ZnO solution was obtained by dissolving 0.88 g zinc acetate in 20 ml of 2-methoxyethanol. X-ray diffraction (XRD) (PW 3050/60 PANalytical X’Pert PRO diffractometer) results showed that the crystallinity is improved when the number of ZnO/TiO2 layers increased. Also it shows the three phases (rutile, anatase and brookite) of TiO2. Surface morphology measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Quanta 250 fei) revealed that Crakes are present on the surface of ZnO/TiO2 thin films which are decreased when the number of ZnO/TiO2 layers increased. Four point probe (KIETHLEY instrument) technique used to investigate the electrical properties of ZnO/TiO2 showed the average resistivity decreased by increasing the number of ZnO/TiO2 layers. These results indicated that the multilayer thin films improved the quality of film crystallinity and electrical properties as compared to single layer. Keywords: Semiconductors, Sol–gel, XRD, SEM, Four point probe

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) multilayer thin films having 1, 2, 3 and 4 layers have been deposited on glass substrate by using “sol–gel spin coating” technique. TiO2 has anatase crystal structure and the grain size is increased when the coating layers have been increased, according to XRD results. Four point probe measures the electrical properties showed that the average resistivity is decreased with increasing the stacked layers. “Optical properties” of the films were measured by “UV–Vis spectroscopy” which showed the high transmittance in the visible region. The “optical band gap energies” of 1, 2, 3 and 4 layers of TiO2 films were 3.65, 3.60, 3.59 and 3.40 eV, respectively. These properties showed that the multilayer films of TiO2 can be enhanced the properties of optoelectronic devices. Keywords: Multilayer films, TiO2, XRD, Optoelectronics

ABSTRACT: Chickpea is the third most important crop of rainfed areas of Pakistan, and it is severely affected by noxious weed Asphodelus tenuifolius. Therefore, a field trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of different allelopathic weed extracts, herbicides and mulches in controlling A. tenuifolius and other associated weeds in chickpea at “District Karak” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. The experiment was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated thrice using a chickpea cultivar (Chattan) which was grown for the experimental trial. There were 9 treatments along with control for comparison. The treatments Stomp 330 EC (Pre-emergence) at 2.5 L ha-1, Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, Bromoxanil+MCPA (Tank mix), Starane-M, mulching (Eucalyptus leaves), mulching (Wheat straw mulch), allelopathic weed extract (A. tenuifolius) + Stomp, allelopathic weed extract (Cyperus rotundus), allelopathic weed extract (Sorghum halepense) and control treatment were used in this trial. Data were recorded on A. tenuifolius density m-2 before and after application of weed management practices (m-2), A.tenuifolius fresh weight (m-2), seed yield (kg.ha-1), biological yield (kg ha-1) and cost-benefit ratio. Weed density before weed management was found to be non-significant. The data showed that minimum A. tenuifolius density after weed management and fresh weight (m-2) were found for Stomp 330 EC (6.33 m-2 and 1.98 kg m-2), which is statistically similar to Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 6.9 EC (10.33 m-2 and 3.03 kg m-2) while maximum A. tenuifolius density and fresh weight (m-2) were recorded for control plots (74.33 m-2 and 287.46 kg m-2). Maximum seed yield (1,781.7 kg ha-1), biological yield (3,823 kg ha-1) and cost-benefit ratio (3.47) were recorded for plots treated with Stomp 330 EC, while the lowest seed yield (851.7 kg ha-1), biological yield (3,126.3 kg ha-1) and cost-benefit ratio (1.53) were observed for the control plot. Among the nutritive parameters in chickpea, maximum crude protein (17.40%), crude fat content (4.90%) and oil content (5.98%) were recorded for plots treated with Stomp 330 EC, while minimum crude protein (16.18%), crude fat content (4.12%) and oil content (5.01%) were found in the control plots. Thus, it is recommended that herbicides Stomp 330 EC and Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl should be used at pre-emergence at their recommended doses for control of A.tenuifolius and other associated weeds in chickpea crops.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) are the most pathogenic and economically important mycoplasma pathogens that infect chickens. The development of rapid and innovative molecular diagnostic techniques is of pivotal importance for their effective control. The aim of the present study was to develop a novel duplex TaqMan real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of MG and MS. This duplex real-time PCR assay incorporates TaqMan (FAM/NED) labelled minor groove binder (MGB) probes that target the cytadhesin encoding surface protein (mgc2) gene and the haemagglutinin surface protein (vlhA) gene of MG and MS, respectively. The assay also contained a TaqMan exogenous internal positive control (Exo IPC), to avoid false negative results that might happen due to failure in DNA extraction/PCR inhibition. The TaqMan MGB probe-based duplex RT-PCR incorporating Exo IPC was then applied to DNA from culture isolates for the simultaneous detection of MG (mgc2 gene) and MS (vlhA gene). For duplex RT-PCR the sensitivity recorded was 10-3 CFU/ml and 10-2 CFU/ml for MG and MS template DNA, respectively. The specificity of the real-time PCR assay was 100% for MG- and MS-specific probes in detecting both single as well as double infections. In conclusion, the use of TaqMan MGB probes for the detection of mgc2 and vlhA genes confers extra specificity and the incorporation of Exo IPC simplifies the assay, allowing the detection of double infections with low-copy target DNAs.

ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence and hematological effects of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep and goat in district Dera Ghazi Khan. Blood samples (n=204) were collected comprise goats (n=101) and sheep (n=103) alongwith age, gender and breeds of animals. Samples were collected randomly from 25 flocks of 7 different union council Viz. Vehova, Tibbi Qaisrani, Lakhani, Kohar, Tuman Qaisrani, Nutkani and Kot Qaisrani of Tehsil Taunsa Sharif at least 4 animals from each flock. All ruminants divide into three groups based on age, breed and gender. The prevalence was detected through two different kits Viz. LAT and ELISA kit. The overall prevalence suspected in goats through LAT and ELISA kit was (35.64%), (32.67%) and in sheep was (25.24%), (23.30%) respectively. The Toxoplasma gondii had a significant effect on goats in age groups and non-significant all other groups of goats and sheep. Toxoplasma gondii had a significant effect on all hematological parameters like Hemoglobin, total leukocyte cells, granulocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, and red blood cells, except monocytes. In conclusion of the current study, toxoplasmosis is prevalent among ruminants, reveals the possibility of transmission to humans on the use of host animals as protein source.