The motivation of this work is to identify structural, optical, magnetic properties of ZnFe
2
O
4
/CeO
2
nanocomposites and their potential use in removal of water-polluting dye. The cost-effective ...hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize ZnFe
2
O
4
/CeO
2
nanocomposites of different weight ratio (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4). XRD pattern of synthesized samples show two different phases corresponding to ZnFe
2
O
4
and CeO
2
, respectively. FTIR spectra enlightened Zn–O, Fe–O, and O–Ce–O bonds in synthesized nanocomposites. Further UV–Vis spectroscopy demonstrated that band gap varies from 2.17 to 3.12 eV. This change may be attributed to creation of new sub-band gap energy levels upon addition of wide band gap semiconductor (CeO
2
). Magnetic investigations showed that pure ZnFe
2
O
4
has greater magnetic character than other synthesized materials, with a maximum magnetization of 1.42 emu/g. HRTEM analysis showed spherical morphology of synthesized samples. In comparison to single metal oxides (ZnFe
2
O
4
and CeO
2
), maximum photodegradation efficiency of ZnFe
2
O
4
/CeO
2
(1:4) nanocomposites for Rose Bengal dye was observed to be 95% in 75 min. Furthermore, photocatalytic activity remains unchanged after four runs for this photocatalyst, allowing the reusability of catalysts. In nanocomposites, Ce
4+
/Ce
3+
redox couple and heterojunction interfaces have encouraged electron transport and photo-excited electron–hole recombination which ultimately affects photodegradation efficiency of nanocomposites.
Zinc (Zn) doped hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles with varying concentrations (pure, 2%, 4% and 6%) were synthesized via sol-gel method. The influence of divalent Zn ions on structural, optical and ...dielectric behavior of hematite were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of synthesized samples were indexed to rhombohedral R3c space group of hematite with 14–21 nm crystallite size. The lattice parameter (a and c) values increase upto Zn 4% and decrease afterwards. The surface morphology of prepared nanoparticles were explored using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The band gap measured from Tauc’s plot, using UV-Vis spectroscopy, showed reduction in its values upto Zn 4% and the reverse trend was obtained in higher concentrations. The dielectric properties of pure and Zn doped hematite were investigated at room temperature and followed the same trends as that of XRD parameters and band gap. Photocatalytic properties of nanoparticles were performed for hazardous Rose bengal dye and showed effective degradation in the presence of UV light. Hence, Zn2+ doped hematite can be considered as an efficient material for the potential applications in the domain of photocatalysis and also higher value of dielectric constant at room temperature makes them applicable in high energy storage devices.
Postburn neck contractures are frequent sequelae after deep thermal burns. They are a significant cause of morbidity and pose a serious challenge for anesthesia. In developing countries, lack of ...adequate burn care infrastructure, training, and workforce leads to the occurrence of multiple postburn deformities. Wound healing can never occur without wound bed contraction. Therefore, the best treatment for any problem related to burn wound contraction is to prevent or at least reduce its severity. The same is the case with postburn contractures and deformities. The use of simple measures can prevent or at least limit the severity of deformities even when used by trained paramedics and nursing staff.
Spinel ferrites (MFe
2
O
4
, M divalent metallic ion) and their nanocomposites with specific metallic oxides (ZnO, TiO
2
, CeO
2
) have attracted the interest of researchers for studying the ...decontamination of wastewater using photocatalysts, due to the fact MFe
2
O
4
nanoparticles (NPs) are stable and handy to separate after being used due to its incredible magnetic behavior. With this background, the latest growth on photocatalytic performances of MFe
2
O
4
-based binary nanocomposites have been comprehensively revised. Particularly, a much interest rising on MFe
2
O
4
/metal NPs, MFe
2
O
4
/metal oxides, MFe
2
O
4
/polymers, MFe
2
O
4
/carbon-based materials, and MFe
2
O
4
/other compounds for the photocatalytic decomposition of dyes. In this review, nanocomposites of MFe
2
O
4
as photocatalysts are discussed in detail. This review paper has explained the advantageous pathway for the generation of free radicals with the help of these catalysts in the presence of visible and UV light. This review sums up that MFe
2
O
4
-based nanocomposites with metal oxide have valuable application in purification of water. Nevertheless, their sensible consumption in wastewater treatment plants still needs additional studies.
Graphene monolayer of sub-nanometer thickness shows strong metallic and plasmonic behavior in terahertz (THz) frequency range. This plasmonic effect varies considerably when graphene layer is placed ...under a magnetic field of appropriate strength. The strong adsorption characteristic of graphene layer is another advantage. In this work, a photonic spin Hall effect (PSHE)-based plasmonic sensor consisting of germanium prism, organic dielectric layer, and graphene monolayer is simulated and analyzed in THz aiming at highly sensitive and reliable sensing under variable magnetic field. Modified Otto configuration and magneto-optic effect in graphene are considered. The sensor’s performance is examined in terms of sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), and figure of merit (FOM). The analysis indicates that LOD of the order of 10
−5
RIU for gas sensing is achievable, which is finer than recently reported gas sensors based on different techniques. Further, the FOM improves when a larger magnitude of magnetic field is applied. The FOM is even greater for rarer gaseous media, which can make the sensor extremely useful in early detection of airborne viruses such as SARS-Cov-2 (while using appropriate specificity method) and to measure the concentration of a particular gas in a given gaseous mixture. The results further indicate that the same sensor design can be used for magnetic field detection while the FOM of magnetic field detection is significantly greater for rarer gaseous medium (e.g., air), which may enable the probe to be used in early detection of radiation leakage in nuclear reactors. For larger magnitudes of magnetic field, the corresponding LOD becomes finer.
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