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The goal of this research is to show that epoxy resin (ER) / coir fiber mats (CFM) hybrid composite laminates with nano-silica particle (NP) reinforcement improve mechanical characteristics and water absorption. Lately, it has been employed in automotive, aerospace, and structural industries where coir fiber-reinforced polymers are safe for ecologically friendly composite applications. The Compression - Hand layup technique is used to make the epoxy composites reinforced with natural coir fibres and nano-silica particles in various weight fractions (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% by weight). Mechanical parameters such as tensile, flexural, compressive, impact strength, thermal conductivity and also water absorption of composites are evaluated in this study. Scanning electron microscopy is also used to analyze the surface morphology of cracked surfaces (SEM). Hybrid nanosilica-coir fiber mat reinforced epoxy resin has decreased water absorption (percent) suggesting better mechanical qualities. Furthermore, the hybrid epoxy-containing 20% nano-silica coir mat improves all the said mechanical properties.

Controlling the morphology of sensitizer on a TiO2 nanocrystalline surface is beneficial to facilitating electron injection and suppressing charge recombination. Given that the N,N-dimethylaniline-substituted imidazole-fused-indole on the middle segment for preventing π aggregation can deteriorate its intrinsic photostability, we incorporate a promising building block of fused-indole-imidazole [(1,4-dihydroimidazo[4,5-b]indole) DHII)] ring as the additional acceptor to construct a novel TD2, TD3 and YD3 with D–(A)π-D, D–(DA2)π-D, D–π-D(A)-π-D architecture, which exhibits several characteristics: (i) possible chelation of imidazole ring (through N) to the titanium ions on the TiO2 surface which can assist in increasing the electron injection into the conduction band of photoanode, (ii) showing a moderate electron-withdrawing capability for an ideal push-pull balance in both promising photocurrent and photovoltage; (iii) endowing an ideal morphology control with strong capability of restraining the intermolecular aggregation and facilitating the formation of a compact sensitizer layer via N,N-dimethylaniline groups grafted onto the fused-indole-imidazole unit. The co-adsorbent-free dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on dye TD3 exhibits very promising conversion efficiency as high as 6.04 ± 0.01%, with a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 13.57 mA cm−2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.80 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.774 under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW cm−2). TD3-based device showed better performance because of the two anchoring groups, which play a significant role for better adsorption on the TiO2 surface along with the enhanced kinetics of photoexcited electron injection.

Background: The range of thermoneutral zone of chickens is narrow, and they become easily susceptible to environmental stress, a common and major concern for poultry causing a production loss. Objective: The present study was designed to comparatively evaluate anti-stress activity of Phytocee™ and Vitamin C in chickens reared under heat stress. Materials and Methods: A total of 600-day-old chicks of Cobb 400 were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 6 replicates comprising 25 birds each (n = 150). G1 served as a normal control (NC) and supplemented with Vitamin C at 100 g/ton of feed. G2 served as a heat stress control (HSC), subjected to heat stress (34°C–36°C) without Vitamin C supplementation. G3 and G4 served as positive control and treatment group (TC), subjected to heat stress and supplemented with Vitamin C and Phytocee™ at 100 g/ton of feed, respectively. The impact on zootechnical parameters and cloacal temperature was assessed at regular intervals, and blood was collected at the end of the experiment for evaluation of stress parameters, namely heterophil lymphocyte ratio (H:L ratio) and serum corticosterone. Results: Exposure of chickens to heat stress caused a significant decrease in body weight, worsening of feed conversion ratio, higher mortality, and poor production efficiency. Moreover, serum corticosterone level, H:L ratio, and cloacal temperature were significantly increased in HSC as compared to NC. However, supplementation of Phytocee™ in feed significantly ameliorated the negative impact of heat stress in broiler birds. Conclusion: The supplementation of Phytocee™ demonstrated an anti-stress effect in chickens through restoration of serum corticosterone level, H:L ratio, and thermoregulatory mechanism. SUMMARY Combating heat stress remains a challenge for the broiler industry in the tropics and subtropics, which is even aggravated by the changing climatic conditionsThe present study was designed to evaluate the anti-stressor activity of Phytocee™, a polyherbal formulation containing Emblica officinalis, Ocimum sanctum, and Withania somnifera in broiler using heat stress model in comparison with Vitamin CPhytocee™ demonstrated an anti-stress effect in the current study by ameliorating the negative effects of heat stress on zootechnical parameters, serum corticosterone, heterophil lymphocyte ratio, and cloacal temperature of broilers through modulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and thermoregulatory mechanismHence, Phytocee™ could be recommended in broilers and livestock animals for modulating and combating adverse effects of heat stress and thereby reducing the economic losses incurred by farmers. Abbreviations Used: HPA axis: Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.

Two fluorene- and carbazole fused triphenylamine-based metal-free organic polymer sensitizers that use 2-nitropyridine as a new acceptor anchoring mode but with different π-bridges of fluorene ( FT04 ) and carbazole ( CT04 ) have been designed, synthesized, and used as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Introduction of an imine unit into the π-bridge and extension of the π-bridge can dramatically improve the light-harvesting ability of DSSCs and suppress the electron recombination, thus uplifting their performance. The solar cell based on FT04 exhibited a broad incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency spectrum and high conversion efficiency ( η = 4.95%). However, under the same measuring conditions, the polymer sensitizer CT04 , which has a similar structure as that of FT04 but without the imine unit in the conjugated π-bridge, gave an η value of 3.50%, indicating that the sensitizers are promising candidates to improve the performance of DSSCs. The better cell performance of FT04 than that of CT04 can be attributed to better light harvesting and better dark current suppression.

In this study, we report three new metal-free molecularly engineered pendant chromophore bearing polymers, coded POTZP1, POTZP2 and POTZP3. Push-pull methacrylate polymer-sensitizers consisting of phenothiazine as donor and oxindole as π-conjugating linker and tetrazole as anchoring/acceptor, were designed and synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Optical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of the three polymers were systematically investigated. POTZP3-polymer incorporated di-anchoring tetrazole unit exhibited more effective inhibition of charge recombination and greater conducive to electron injection into TiO 2 conduction band than the reference polymer (POTZP1) with only single anchor. Under AM 1.5 solar radiation (100 mW cm ─2 ), the POTZP3-based DSSC device exhibited an attractive power conversion efficiency (PCE, η) up to 5.91%, compared to 3.97% for the POTZP1-based device. The results indicate that the solar cell (TiO 2 /polymer) performance can be finely modulated through structural engineering of the polymer side-chain.