Electronic and optical properties of Sr3X2 (X=N,P, As,Sb and Bi) compounds: first principles study

ABSTRACT

Direct bandgap semiconductors are very essential to fulfil the demand for the advancement in optoelectronic devices. Therefore it is important to predict new potential candidates having such unique features. In current work, Sr₃X₂ (X=N, P, As, Sb and Bi) compounds have been reported for the first time by well trusted FP-APW+lo method. For the better prediction of the energy band gap, mBJ is used alongwith routine generalised gradient approximation (GGA). The results show small and direct energy band gaps at Γ-Γ symmetry points with magnitude in the range from 0.62?eV (Sr₃P₂) to zero energy band gap (Sr₃Bi₂). In partial density of state Sr-d state and X-p state are contributed in the band structure. The compounds show mostly covalent bonding nature. The frequecy dependent optical properties in the linear optical range are also investigated.     

Organometallic assembling of chitosan‐Iron oxide nanoparticles with their antifungal evaluation against Rhizopus oryzae

The ever‐increasing resistance of plant microbes towards fungicides and bactericides has been causing serious threat to plant production in recent years. For the development of an effective antifungal agent, we introduce a novel hydrothermal protocol for synthesis of chitosan iron oxide nanoparticles (CH‐Fe₂O₃ NPs) using acetate buffer of low pH 5.0 for intermolecular interaction of Fe₂O₃ NPs and CH. The composite structure and elemental elucidation were carried out by using X‐ray power diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X‐ray (EDX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet Visible Absorption Spectroscopy (UV–vis spectroscopy). Additionally, antifungal activity was evaluated both In vitro and In vivo against Rhizopus oryzae which is causing fruit rot disease of strawberry. We compared different concentrations (0.25%, 0.50%, 075% and 1%) of CH‐Fe₂O₃ NPs and 50% synthetic fungicide (Matalyxal Mancozab) to figure out suitable concentration for application in the field. XRD analysis showed a high crystalline nature of the NPs with average size of 52 nanometer (nm). SEM images revealed spherical shape with size range of 50–70 nm, whereas, TEM also revealed spherical shape, size ranging from 0 nm to 80 nm. EDX and FTIR results revealed presence of CH on surface of Fe₂O₃ NPs. The band gap measurement showed peak 317–318 nm for bare Fe₂O₃ NPs and CH‐Fe₂O₃ NPs respectively. Antifungal activity in both In vitro and In vivo significantly increased with increase in concentration. The overall results revealed high synergetic antifungal potential of organometallic CH‐Fe₂O₃ NPs against Rhizopus oryzae and suggest the use of CH‐Fe₂O₃ NPs against other Phyto‐pathological diseases due to biodegradable nature.     

A mathematical model for bioconvection flow of Williamson nanofluid over a stretching cylinder featuring variable thermal conductivity,activation energy and second-order slip

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The significant bioconvection phenomenon with the utilization of nanoparticles encountered fundamental industrial and technological applications in...     

Rapid reductive degradation of dye contaminated water by using a core-shell nano zerovalent iron (nZVI)

We report on the synthesis of zero valent iron nano particles (nZVI) via chemical reduction method. The large peak visible in the XRD pattern reveals the presence of an amorphous phase of iron. SEM and TEM images signify the dendritic morphology and core-shell-like structure of manufactured nZVI particles respectively. Methylene blue dye (MB) was used as model contaminant to assess the reductive degradation proficiency of nZVI. With complete elimination of MB, the fresh synthesized nZVI exhibited the best performance (97%), while the regenerated nZVI had an 85.1% MB removal efficiency after five regenerations. The equilibrium data of adsorption were fitted to eight different kinetic and isothermal models. The effects of critical operating factors such as pH, varied amounts of nZVI and dye concentration, adsorption temperature, and adsorption time were also studied. A presumptive reaction mechanism and function of core-shell construction in contaminant sequestration has also been investigated.     

Synthesis and Single Crystal X-ray Studies of 3-(3,5-Bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) Quinoline and 3-(4-Fluoro-3-methylphenyl) Quinoline

The title compounds 3-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)quinoline(1) and 3-(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)quinoline(2) were synthesized through Suzuki-Miyaura Cross coupling reaction of 3-bromoquinoloine with aryl boronic acids.The title compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction,1H NMR,13C NMR,EI-MS,elemental analysis and IR.The crystals of 3-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)quinoline(C17H9F6N,Mr = 341.25) belongs to the monoclinic system,space group P21n,a = 12.3072(13),b = 4.9378(6),c = 24.493(2) ,V = 1473.1(3) 3,Z = 4,Dc = 1.539 Mg m-3,λ = 0.71073 ,μ = 0.144 mm-1,F(000) = 688,the final R = 0.0715 and wR = 0.1873 for 1875 observed reflections with I 2σ(I) and the crystal of 3-(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)quinoline(C16H12FN,Mr = 237.27) belongs to the orthorhombic system,space group Pca21,a = 23.794(2),b = 3.9094(3),c = 25.669(2) ,V = 2387.7(4) 3,Z = 8,Dc = 1.320 Mg m-3,λ = 0.71073 ,μ = 0.088 mm-1,F(000) = 992,the final R = 0.0534 and wR = 0.1188 for 2270 observed reflections with I 2σ(I).     

Tuning the properties of a black TiO2-Ag visible light photocatalyst produced by a rapid one-pot chemical reduction

A highly efficient black TiO₂-Ag photocatalytic nanocomposite, active under both UV and visible light illumination, was synthesized by decorating the surface of 25 nm TiO₂ particles with Ag nanoparticles. The material was obtained via a rapid, one-pot, simple (surfactant and complexing agent free) chemical reduction method using silver nitrate and formaldehyde as a metal salt and reducing agent, respectively. The nanocomposite shows an increase of over 800% in the rate of photocatalytic methylene blue dye degradation, compared to commercial unmodified TiO_2, under UV-VIS illumination. Unlike pure TiO₂, the nanocomposite exhibits visible light activation, with a corresponding drop in optical reflectance from 100% to less than 10%. The photocatalytic properties were shown to be strongly enhanced by post-reduction annealing heat treatments in air, which were observed to decrease, rather than coarsen, silver particle size, and increase particle distribution. This, accompanied by a variation in the silver surface oxidation states, appear to dramatically affect the photocatalytic efficiency under both UV and visible light. This highly active photocatalyst could have wide ranging applications in water and air pollution remediation and solar fuel production.     

Copolymerization of Carbonyl Sulfide and Propylene Oxide via a Heterogeneous Prussian Blue Analogue Catalyst with High Productivity and Selectivity

This study demonstrates the superiority of a stable and well-defined heterogeneous cobalt hexacyanocobaltate (Co₃[Co(CN)₆]₂), a typical cobalt Prussian Blue Analogue (CoCo-PBA) that catalyzes the copolymerization of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and propylene oxide (PO) to produce poly(propylene monothiocarbonate)s (PPMTC). The number-average molecular weights of the PPMTC were 66.4 to 139.4 kg/mol, with a polydispersity of 2.0–3.9. The catalyst productivity reached 1040 g polymer/g catalyst (12.0 h). The oxygen-sulfur exchange reaction (O/S ER), which would generate random thiocarbonate and carbonate units, was effectively suppressed, and thus the selectivity of the monothiocarbonate over carbonate linkages was up to >99%. It was shown that no cyclic thiocarbonate byproduct was produced during the heterogeneous catalysis of COS/PO copolymerization using CoCo-PBA as the catalyst. The content of monothiocarbonate and ether units in the copolymer chain could be regulated by tuning the feeding amount of COS.     

On model for Darcy–Forchheimer 3D nanofluid flow subject to heat flux boundary condition

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - This paper provides a theoretical study of 3D nanofluid flow with zero nanoparticles mass and constant heat fluxes conditions. An incompressible...     

Palatability Enhancement Potential of Hermetia illucens Larvae Protein Hydrolysate in Litopenaeus vannamei Diets

Marine feed ingredients derived from cephalopods (e.g., squid) and crustaceans (e.g., krill) are commercially used to improve the palatability of shrimp diets. Increase in global demand for shrimps has resulted in overfishing of these marine organisms and is a matter of concern. Insect protein hydrolysate could be a sustainable alternative for the possible replacement of these marine feed ingredients. During this study, four formulations: diet A (control: not containing any palatability enhancer), diet B (containing squid meal and krill oil), diet C (containing 1% insect protein hydrolysate), and diet D (containing 2% insect protein hydrolysate) were tested for (1) time required by first subject to begin feeding (time to strike) and (2) palatability in Litopenaeus vannamei. Additionally, the chemical composition of all four diet formulations was also analyzed. Results indicate that all diets had similar crude composition. The major essential amino acids in all diets were leucine and lysine, whereas eicosapentaenoic acid was the major omega-3 fatty acid in all diets. There were no significant differences between the mean time to strike for all the tested formulations. Palatability of tested formulations was found in the following order: diet D > diet C > diet B = diet A (p < 0.05), indicating that addition of squid meal and krill oil has no effect on palatability in comparison to control, whereas inclusion of insect protein hydrolysates significantly improves the palatability of formulations. Palatability enhancement potential of insect protein hydrolysate could be attributed to the high free amino acid content and water solubility in comparison to squid meal.