Abstract This research investigates the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency for nitric oxide (NO) oxidation under solar irradiation by exploiting the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). The SPR effect of Pd NPs extended the light absorption range from 357 nm to 432 nm, facilitated charge separation, and reduced electron-hole recombination, directly enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. Pd NPs were successfully deposited onto ZnSn(OH)6 (ZHS) cubic structures, narrowing the band gap from 3.54 eV to 2.83 eV and significantly boosting photocatalytic activity. The Pd-ZHS composite achieved an NO oxidation efficiency of 59 % under visible light and 77.9 % under solar light, with minimal NO2 production and excellent stability even after five cycles. Notably, the kinetic...

Abstract This study investigated a combination of PbS quantum dots (QDs) and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) layers in photodiodes for photodetection. Oxygen vacancies in ZnO NPs have been known to be recombination trap sites, hindering carrier transportation. We used various amines to passivate the oxygen vacancy of ZnO NPs. It is found that ethanolamine (EA) is the most effective in reducing the surface oxygen vacancies of ZnO, exhibiting a five-fold increase in electron mobility, enhancing PbS QD photodiode responsivity to 278.8 A/W and achieving an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 36,700% under bias, and increasing the detectivity ∼ 15.5 folds to 8.14 × 10¹² Jones compared with the pure ZnO device. This demonstrates the...

Abstract When fly ash is used in construction materials, it can increase exposure to gamma radiation and radon. This study aimed to evaluate the radioactive concentrations and exposure doses in concrete samples of grades M300 and M400 with added fly ash. We utilized an HPGe spectrometer and the RESRAD-BUILD simulation program for this purpose. The results indicated that the average activities of 226Ra and 232Th were below the reference values, while the average activity of 40K exceeded the UNSCEAR limit. The findings for M300 and M400 were 1.5 and 1.6 times higher, respectively, than the global average for indoor absorbed gamma dose. However, the annual...

Abstract Lead acid batteries operate more efficiently by increasing hydrogen evolution overpotential. Battery performance is enhanced by adding graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and carbon black (CB). The CB-g-C3N4 composite material inhibited hydrogen gas evolution by increasing the overpotential of the reaction. The bilayer configuration of g-C3N4 stabilized nitrogen defect sites in a planar arrangement, introducing an additional energy barrier. The 25% and 50% g-C3N4 exhibited elevated overpotential relative to pure carbon material, as elucidated by density functional theory. The research revealed a high rate-partial state of charge (HR-PSoC) cycle life of 58,000 and 47,000 cycles for 25% g-C3N4 and 50% g-C3N4, respectively, at 50% depth of discharge. These findings present an innovative enhancement for lead-acid batteries, specifically for Idle-Stop-Go (ISG) cars, resulting...

Abstract Various transition metal sulfides have been considered alternatives for graphite in the anode of lithium-ion batteries. However, poor cycling property caused by polysulfide dissolution and structure devastation hinders their practical applications. In this work, the NiS2 has been coated by a g-C3N4 layer using a facile gas-solid state reaction for a durable-cycling-performance anode for lithium-ion batteries. The composite anode delivered a specific capacity of 972.4 mAh·g−1 after 500 cycles. This improvement was regarded as a result of enhanced charge transfer by the local internal electric field formation and the key role of g-C3N4 in polysulfide hosting and solid electrolyte interphase stabilization, clarifying via ultra-violet electron spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations,...

Abstract Extrapolation on Temporal Knowledge Graphs (TKGs) poses a critical obstacle, garnering significant attention in the academic sphere due to its far-reaching implications across various domains and areas of study. Predicting upcoming events through the analysis of historical data involves a complex task that requires the integration of structural patterns from historical graph data and temporal dynamics, which has been the focus of various recent research efforts. However, existing methods face significant limitations. Many approaches fail to effectively differentiate the importance of historical knowledge, leading to suboptimal message passing. Others struggle to capture both local and global temporal dependencies simultaneously,...

Abstract As global production and consumption of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) becomes higher, so does the amount of waste PET. Several methods of waste PET reduction like mechanical and chemical recycling have been investigated. In this report, we selected the new chemical recycling of PET by transesterification reaction with adipic acid to regain terephthalic acid and oligo(ethylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (OEAT). Terephthalic acid can also be recovered from PET by hydrolysis in the presence of acid or base catalysts at high temperature and pressure, then sophisticated equipment is required. The advantage of the transesterification over hydrolysis process is performing at atmospheric pressure. OEAT contains...

Abstract Despite recent advancements in materials and strategies for oil spill remediation, challenges remain in handling the harsh conditions of oil–water separation and enabling the efficient recovery of oil-adsorbing materials. This study reports a facile and effective method to functionalize green-based polyurethane sponge (g-PUS), offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polyurethane sponge (p-PUS), making it with superhydrophobicity, fire resistance, and enhanced stability in water. Accordingly, dodecyltrimethoxysilane-functionalized Fe3O4@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles (FSiRhD), derived from rice husk, were synthesized via a precipitation method. The sponges were then coated with a graphene oxide/diammonium hydrogen phosphate (GD) system, followed by surface functionalization with FSiRhD and polydimethylsiloxane...

Abstract In this study, S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts composed of SnO2 and ZnSn(OH)6 (ZHS) were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. The resulting ZHS/SnO2 (ZS) composites exhibited high crystallinity, enhanced light-harvesting capability, and a well-defined interfacial architecture, all of which synergistically facilitated efficient charge carrier separation through an n–n type step-scheme (S-scheme) mechanism. The enhanced photocurrent response confirmed accelerated charge transport, while the broadened absorption range indicated improved photon utilization. Among the composites, the 10 % ZS sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity toward nitric oxide (NO) oxidation (76.95 %), with a reaction rate constant of 0.16982 min⁻1, which is approximately ten times higher than that of...

Abstract This study investigated the modification of TiO2 photoanodes using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to enhance electron transport channels and prevent recombination processes, thereby improving the photovoltaic performance. Through the ultraviolet (UV)-assisted photoreduction of GO on TiO2 coated on a fluoride tin oxide substrate (FTO|TiO2), we demonstrated the successful integration of rGO. This was evidenced by the increased Csp2 content observed during X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reduced photogenerated electron–hole recombination observed during photoluminescence spectroscopy. The incorporation of rGO significantly improved the photocurrent density and power conversion efficiency (PCE). A 12 % increase was observed in the PCE, which reached 8.5 % when the UV irradiation time was optimized from 10 to 15 min compared with...