02352nas a2200205 4500008004100000022001400041245017900055210006900234260000900303300001400312490000600326520155500332100002401887700001801911700002301929700002301952700001801975700002101993856013202014 2020 eng d a2516-023000aAgro-waste extracted cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostructures as a green photocatalyst for improved photodegradation of RhB dye and industrial fertilizer effluents0 aAgrowaste extracted cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostr cJUL  a2870-28840 v23 a

The efficiency and reusability of photocatalysts are the dominant factors for their pragmatic use. The visible light induced semiconductor silver phosphate is a superior photocatalyst effective under visible light but its stability is still an undiscussed issue. To overcome this stability issue in this present manuscript, eco-friendly agro-waste extracted cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostructures have been designed for the first time through a simple chemical process. At first, silver phosphate nanostructures were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. Then, different weights of cellulose were added to the silver nitrate solution to form cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostructures. The photodegradation efficiency for each weight ratio was examined in which the photocatalyst Ag-8 nanostructures showed a high rate (0.024 min(-1)) for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) using a low intensity tungsten bulb. Real sample analysis has also been carried out using this photocatalyst for the degradation of industrial fertilizer effluents. The degradation rate of all the nanostructures was found to be high in comparison to pristine silver phosphate as well as the extracted bare cellulose. The photocatalytic activity is enhanced because of the participation of cellulose as a support which makes an interface for silver phosphate and assists it in delaying the charge recombination period under visible light. To understand the photochemical reaction of electrons and holes, scavenger studies were also performed.

1 aDwivedi, Pravin, K.1 aNair, Aathira1 aMehare, Rupali, S.1 aChaturvedi, Vikash1 aJoshi, Kavita1 aShelke, Manjusha uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/agro-waste-extracted-cellulose-supported-silver-phosphate-nanostructures-green-photocatalyst02245nas a2200205 4500008004100000022001400041245022100055210006900276260000900345300001400354490000600368520142800374100002401802700001801826700002301844700002301867700001801890700000501908856012601913 2020 eng d a2516-023000aExperimental and theoretical investigations of the effect of heteroatom-doped carbon microsphere supports on the stability and storage capacity of nano-Co3O4 conversion anodes for application in lithium-ion batteries0 aExperimental and theoretical investigations of the effect of het cJUL  a2914-29240 v23 a

Conversion-type anode materials have been intensely studied for application in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their potentially higher capacities than current graphite-based anodes. This work reports the development of a high-capacity and stable anode from a nanocomposite of N and S co-doped carbon spheres (NSCSs) with Co3O4 (NSCS-Co3O4). A hydrothermal reaction of saccharose withl-cysteine was carried out, followed by its carbonization. CSs when used as supports for conversion-type materials provide efficient electron/ion transfer channels, enhancing the overall electrochemical performance of the electrodes. Additionally, the heteroatoms doped in a carbon matrix alter the electronic properties, often increasing the reactivity of the carbon surface, and they are reported to be effective for anchoring metal oxide nanoparticles. Consequently, the NSCS-Co3O4 nanocomposites developed in this work exhibit enhanced and stable reversible specific capacity over several cycles. Stable cycling behavior was observed at 1 A g(-1)with 1285 mA h g(-1) of specific capacity retained after 350 cycles along with more than 99% of coulombic efficiency. This material shows excellent rate capability with a specific capacity of 745 mA h g(-1) retained even at a high current density of 5 A g(-1). Detailed DFT-based calculations revealed the role of doped supports in controlling the volume expansion upon lithiation.

1 aDwivedi, Pravin, K.1 aNair, Aathira1 aMehare, Rupali, S.1 aChaturvedi, Vikash1 aJoshi, Kavita1 a uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/experimental-and-theoretical-investigations-effect-heteroatom-doped-carbon-microsphere02781nas a2200229 4500008004100000022001400041245012800055210006900183260000800252300001600260490000700276520196500283100003002248700002102278700002002299700002302319700001802342700001802360700001802378700002402396856013102420 2022 eng d a2050-748800aPseudo-boehmite AlOOH supported NGr composite-based air electrode for mechanically rechargeable Zn-air battery applications0 aPseudoboehmite AlOOH supported NGr compositebased air electrode  cMAY a10014-100250 v103 a

Both mechanically and electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have received much interest due to their high energy density and suitability for mobile and stationary applications. However, their commercialization has been impeded by the lack of robust, low-cost and environmentally benign catalyst materials that can be easily scaled up. In this context, the present work introduces a new type of transition metal-free catalytic material (AlOOH/NGr) by anchoring the pseudo-boehmite phase of aluminium oxyhydroxide (AlOOH) nanosheets over nitrogen-doped graphene (NGr) via a single-step and straightforward hydrothermal process. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) based computation demonstrates that the nucleation of AlOOH starts from the N-sites and points towards the strong surface interaction between AlOOH and NGr via doped nitrogen. AlOOH/NGr consisting of thin layered pseudo-boehmite sheets uniformly distributed over NGr has displayed an oxygen reduction reaction onset potential of 0.83 V and a half-wave potential of 0.72 V, along with good catalytic durability in alkaline medium. With this, AlOOH/NGr, when used as an air electrode for fabricating a primary Zn-air battery, the system has exhibited an open circuit voltage of similar to 1.27 V with a flat discharge profile at a current rate of 10 mA cm(-2). The fabricated system delivered a specific capacity of similar to 720 mA h g(-1) and a high power density of 204 mW cm(-2) and is comparable to the counterpart system based on the state-of-the-art Pt/C (20 wt% Pt) cathode. Additionally, the homemade battery was able to maintain its performance after 4 times of mechanical recharging of the battery, which lasted for more than 35 h at a discharge current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Thus, we have uncovered the potential of an earth-abundant metal-based catalytic system for fabricating and demonstrating a robust mechanically rechargeable zinc-air battery.

1 aKharabe, Geeta, Pandurang1 aManna, Narugopal1 aNadeema, Ayasha1 aSingh, Santosh, K.1 aMehta, Shweta1 aNair, Aathira1 aJoshi, Kavita1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/pseudo-boehmite-alooh-supported-ngr-composite-based-air-electrode-mechanically-rechargeable02009nas a2200241 4500008004100000022001400041245006900055210006900124260000800193300001100201490000800212520131900220653001201539653001201551653000801563653001601571653002501587653000801612100001801620700002001638700001801658856009101676 2022 eng d a0039-602800aRole of facet in the competitive pathway of ethylene epoxidation0 aRole of facet in the competitive pathway of ethylene epoxidation cFEB a1219540 v7163 aEthylene epoxide (EtO) is used as raw material for a broad range of products from pharmaceuticals and plastics to paints and adhesives. Although the reaction of ethylene interacting with preadsorbed oxygen on Ag surface is known for decades, the underlying mechanism of EtO formation is not completely understood. Successful investigation of oxametallacycle (OMC) intermediate common to selective as well as non-selective pathways has ensured at least 50% selectivity. The current study brings out the electronic signatures of distinct conformers of OMC stabilised on two different facets of Ag viz. (100) and (111). There are subtle differences between OMC conformers observed on these two facets with near-eclipsed on Ag(100) and near-staggered on Ag(111). A detailed analysis of Ag-O, C-O, C-C, and Ag-C interactions along with projected Density of States (pDOS) and projected Crystal Orbital Hamilton Population (pCOHP) imply towards ring closure on Ag(100) and hydrogen transfer on Ag(111). Finally, our understanding based on electronic and structural signatures are backed up by activation barriers computed through NEB calculations. Activation barrier for EtO is lower on (100) as compared to (111) facet. Thus, our study sheds light on how these differences between OMC affect the selectivity towards EtO.10aAg(100)10aAg(111)10aDFT10aepoxidation10aEthylene Oxide (EtO)10aOMC1 aNair, Aathira1 aKenge, Nivedita1 aJoshi, Kavita uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/role-facet-competitive-pathway-ethylene-epoxidation03376nas a2200337 4500008004100000022001400041245023000055210006900285260000800354490000700362520209900369653000702468653002602475653001402501653002702515653001802542653003002560653003002590653003402620653003402654100003002688700002002718700003302738700001802771700002702789700002002816700001802836700003602854700002402890856012402914 2024 eng d a1613-681000aAluminium, nitrogen-dual-doped reduced graphene oxide Co-existing with cobalt-encapsulated graphitic carbon nanotube as an activity modulated electrocatalyst for oxygen electrocatalyst for oxygen electrochemistry applications0 aAluminium nitrogendualdoped reduced graphene oxide Coexisting wi cAUG0 v203 a

There is a rising need to create high-performing, affordable electrocatalysts in the new field of oxygen electrochemistry. Here, a cost-effective, activity-modulated electrocatalyst with the capacity to trigger both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline environment is presented. The catalyst (Al, Co/N-rGCNT) is made up of aluminium, nitrogen-dual-doped reduced graphene oxide sheets co-existing with cobalt-encapsulated carbon nanotube units. Based on X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) studies, it is established that the superior reaction kinetics in Al, Co/N-rGCNT over their bulk counterparts can be attributed to their electronic regulation. The Al, Co/N-rGCNT performs as a versatile bifunctional electrocatalyst for zinc-air battery (ZAB), delivering an open circuit potential approximate to 1.35 V and peak power density of 106.3 mW cm-2, which are comparable to the system based on Pt/C. The Al, Co/N-rGCNT-based system showed a specific capacity of 737 mAh gZn-1 compared to 696 mAh gZn-1 delivered by the system based on Pt/C. The DFT calculations indicate that the adsorption of Co in the presence of Al doping in NGr improves the electronic properties favoring ORR. Thus, the Al, Co/N-rGCNT-based rechargeable ZAB (RZAB) emerges as a highly viable and affordable option for the development of RZAB for practical applications. This manuscript reports the development of a new bifunctional catalyst that exhibits high activity and stability under practical operating conditions. The catalyst (Al, Co/N-rGCNT) is made up of aluminium, nitrogen-dual-doped reduced graphene oxide sheets co-existing with the in situ formed cobalt-encapsulated CNT units is synthesized by a scalable pyrolysis method in an inert Ar atmosphere. The developed electrocatalyst achieved enhanced the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction OER activity as a result of the favorable synergistic modulations and the system can serve as a process-friendly air-electrode for rechargeable zinc-air battery (RZAB). image

10aAl10aBifunctional catalyst10aDFT study10aencapsulated structure10aN-dual doping10aOxygen Evolution Reaction10aoxygen reduction reaction10arechargeable zinc-air battery10aX-ray absorption spectroscopy1 aKharabe, Geeta, Pandurang1 aBarik, Sidharth1 aVeeranmaril, Sudheesh, Kumar1 aNair, Aathira1 aIllathvalappil, Rajith1 aYoyakki, Athira1 aJoshi, Kavita1 aVinod, Chathakudath, Prabhakara1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/aluminium-nitrogen-dual-doped-reduced-graphene-oxide-co-existing-cobalt-encapsulated02221nas a2200241 4500008004100000022001400041245015300055210006900208260000800277520129500285653004401580653000801624653002401632653002701656653002901683100004001712700001801752700001901770700001801789700001801807700002401825856013001849 2024 eng d a1613-681000aInsights on prussian blue analogue cathode material engineered with polypyrrole surface protection layer for aqueous rechargeable zinc metal battery0 aInsights on prussian blue analogue cathode material engineered w cNOV3 a

One of the key intricacies against using Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) in aqueous batteries is their gradual dissolution in aqueous electrolytes, resulting in inadequate cycling stability. Besides, the rate capability of PBAs is limited due to their poor electrical conductivity. To overcome these challenges, it is essential to tune the physical and chemical properties of PBAs at the nano regime without affecting the inherent charge storage properties, especially at high-voltage operating conditions. Through this work, a strategy is demonstrated to enhance the electrochemical performance of vanadium-based PBA (V-PBA) by surface engineering using a conducting polymer nano-skin (V-PBA/PPy) for aqueous zinc metal batteries. The polypyrrole (PPy) nano-skin over the V-PBA nanoparticles acts as an electron percolation path to ameliorate the poor electronic conductivity of the otherwise pristine V-PBA. Interestingly, the V-PBA with an optimized polypyrrole coating (V-PBA/PPy-2) exhibits an enhanced specific capacity (173 mAh g-1 at 0.10 A g-1) than the pristine V-PBA counterpart (80 mAh g-1) and 85% capacity retention up to 500 cycles. The DFT calculation confirms the synergistic interaction between PPy and V-PBA and the presence of PPy favors the adsorption of Zn.

10aaqueous rechargeable zinc metal battery10aDFT10apolypyrrole coating10aPrussian blue analogue10asurface protection layer1 aPuthiyaveetil, Priyanka, Pandinhare1 aNair, Aathira1 aDilwale, Swati1 aKurian, Maria1 aJoshi, Kavita1 aKurungot, Sreekumar uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/insights-prussian-blue-analogue-cathode-material-engineered-polypyrrole-surface-protection01990nas a2200217 4500008004100000022001400041245013800055210006900193260000800262490000800270520122900278653001201507653000801519653002301527653002501550653002501575653000801600100001801608700001801626856012801644 2024 eng d a0927-025600aWhat leads to direct epoxidation? an exhaustive DFT investigation of electrophilic oxygen mediated epoxidation of ethylene on Ag(100)0 aWhat leads to direct epoxidation an exhaustive DFT investigation cAPR0 v2393 a

Extensive research has contributed to a better understanding of the commercially important epoxidation reaction. Selectivity, a crucial aspect of this reaction, has received significant attention in both experimental and theoretical investigations. However, a consensus regarding the role of electrophilic oxygen in epoxidation is yet to be reached. The present study is a theoretical examination of the prerequisites necessary for direct epoxidation to occur on the Ag(100) surface, at varied monolayer concentrations. Additionally, the study investigates the characteristics of various oxygen species interacting with ethylene to promote the direct epoxidation pathway. Based on the effective charges and projected density of states (pDOS) analysis, three oxygen variants were identified on the Ag(100) surface: atomic oxygen, dissociatively adsorbed molecular oxygen, and O 3 . The investigation reveals that all oxygen species, despite their physical and electronic differences, are electrophilic and undergo direct epoxidation. This work provides insights into the complex nature of epoxidation reaction and discusses electronic factors influencing the selective oxidation route on different Ag-O complexes.

10aAg(100)10aDFT10aDirect epoxidation10aElectrophilic oxygen10aEthylene Oxide (EtO)10aOMC1 aNair, Aathira1 aJoshi, Kavita uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/what-leads-direct-epoxidation-exhaustive-dft-investigation-electrophilic-oxygen-mediated02252nas a2200265 4500008004100000022001400041245012200055210006900177260000800246300001200254490000700266520136800273653002101641653002301662653002001685653002401705653002301729100001701752700002001769700001801789700001701807700001801824700001701842856012701859 2025 eng d a1613-681000aChlorophobic iron hydrogen phosphite as OER-active electrocatalyst in anion exchange membrane (sea)water electrolysis0 aChlorophobic iron hydrogen phosphite as OERactive electrocatalys cAUG a25057810 v213 a

Seawater electrolysis is recognized as a promising technology to cater to the worldwide drive for sustainable hydrogen production; however, its practical viability is often hindered by the inevitable anode corrosion arising from the electrode side reactions owing to the presence of high chloride content which eventually degrade the electrode performance eventually. Herein, the design of unprecedented ammonium iron hydrogen phosphite (FeHPhi) along with a trace amount of Cu, is reported as the unique and much desired electrode material for seawater electrolysis due to its special chloride repellant nature along with great electrocatalytic activity toward water oxidation. The [HPO3](2-) oxoanion as Lewis base in the structure effectively restricts chloride ions, while the Fe center acts as Lewis acid offering an active site for water oxidation, also well-supported theoretically. Leveraging this frustrated Lewis pair combination, the electrocatalyst achieves a high current density of 500 mA cm(-2) at 344 mV overpotential in alkaline real seawater with impressive robustness to sustain for 200 h when operated under chlorine evolution reaction dominating region (>2 V). The electrocatalyst also demonstrates superior performance in anion exchange membrane freshwater and seawater electrolysis, demonstrating its potential applicability.

10aAEM electrolyzer10achloride repellant10aelectrocatalyst10ahydrogen production10aseawater oxidation1 aDas, Chandni1 aSinha, Nibedita1 aNair, Aathira1 aPal, Santanu1 aJoshi, Kavita1 aRoy, Poulomi uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/chlorophobic-iron-hydrogen-phosphite-oer-active-electrocatalyst-anion-exchange-membrane