The potential use of cost-effective carbon anodes, as an alternative to expensive platinum, in the reduction of oxides within LiCl-Li2O molten salt at elevated cell potentials presents a promising avenue. However, this elevated potential gives rise to the generation of a complex mixture of anodic gases, including hazardous and corrosive species such as chlorine (Cl2), oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). In this study, we investigate the influence of applied potential and salt composition on the composition of the generated gas mixture. Real-time gas analysis was conducted during the TiO reduction reaction in the molten salt at 650°C using a MAX-300-LG gas analyzer. Simultaneously, electronic signals, including current, potential, and salt composition, were monitored throughout the oxide reduction process. Additionally, XRD investigations were performed to verify the crystal structure of the resulting products. This research provides valuable insights into optimizing carbon anode-based reduction processes for improved efficiency and safety.

An optical fluorescence quenching sensor based on functionally modified iron-doped carbon nanoparticles was designed for the selective and sensitive Cr(VI) ion detection. Multifunctional iron-doped carbon nanoparticles were enclosed in the scaffolds of a promising stable nanocarrier system called hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), which has been fluorescently modified with 1-pyrene butyric acid using the Steglich esterification procedure. The therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities were boosted when these nanoparticles were enclosed in the fluorescently modified dendritic structure, HPG. Iron-doped carbon nanoparticles coupled with fluorescently modified hyperbranched polyglycerol can be used as a sensor for metal ions and can then be used to successfully remove them from a sample. Moreover, the synthesised nanoparticles demonstrated promising antimicrobial efficacy against bacteria and fungi. These results are also discussed in detail.

In this work, norepinephrine (NE) was determined by an electrochemical sensor represented by a carbon paste electrode boosted using nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NDPC) derived from Spirulina Platensis microalga anchored CoFe2O4@ NiO and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIM Ac) ionic liquid. The morphological characteristics of the catalyst were recorded by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images. Moreover, the electrochemical behavior of norepinephrine on the fabricated electrode was checked using various voltammetric methods. All tests were done at pH 7.0 as the optimized condition in phosphate buffer solution. The results from linear sweep voltammetry revealed that the electro-oxidation of norepinephrine was diffusion, and the diffusion coefficient value was obtained by chronoamperometry (D⁓6.195 × 10– 4). The linear concentration of the modified electrode was obtained from 10 to 500 μM with a limit of detection of 2.26 μM using the square wave voltammetry (SWV) method. The sensor selectivity was investigated using various species, and the results from stability and reproducibility tests showed acceptable values. The sensor's efficiency was tested in urine and pharmaceutical as real samples with recovery percentages between 97.1% and 102.82%.

We produced an activated carbon using sodium-lignosulfonate, in which we investigated how the sodium salt in lignin served as the activating agent during heat treatment. Our process resulted in a product with a high specific surface area of 1324 m2/ g at 800 °C and microporous structure. During the activation process, we observed the consumption of carbon due to the dehydration reaction of NaOH and the reduction of Na2CO3 to metallic Na, which created pores through oxidation/ reduction reactions. The intercalation of metallic Na between the lattices at high temperatures formed additional pores and increased the specific surface area. Our proposed mechanism holds promise for enhancing the control of the microstructure and porosity of activated carbons through the thermal treatment of biomass.

The thermocatalytic decomposition of methane is a promising method for hydrogen production. To determine the cause of carbonaceous catalyst deactivation and to produce high-value carbon, methane decomposition behavior and deactivated catalysts were analyzed. The surface properties and crystallinity of a commercial activated carbon material, MSP20, used as a methane decomposition catalyst, varied with the reaction time at a reaction temperature of 900 °C. During the initial reaction, MSP20 provided a methane conversion of ≥ 50%; however, the catalyst exhibited rapid deactivation as crystalline carbon grew at surface defects; after 15 min of reaction, approximately 33% methane conversion was maintained. With increasing reaction time, the specific surface area of the catalyst decreased, whereas crystallinity increased. The R-square value of the conversion–crystallinity relationship was significantly higher than that of the conversion–specific surface area relationship; however, neither profile was linear. The activity of the activated carbon catalyst for methane decomposition is mainly determined by the complex actions of the specific surface area and defect sites. The activity was maintained after an initial sharp decline caused by the continuous growth of crystalline carbon product. This study presents the application of carbonaceous catalysts for the decomposition reaction of methane to form COx- free hydrogen, while simultaneously yielding porous carbon materials with an improved electrical conductivity.

Characteristics and useful effects for human health of antioxidant carbon nanodots contained in microwave-assisted Opuntia humifusa extract (MA-OHE(CD)) were investigated in this work. MA-OHE(CD) was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. Besides, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of MA-OHE(CD) were measured. It was revealed that the MA-OHE(CD) increases aquaporin-3 expression in human epidermal keratinocytes cell with hydrophilic characteristics. Moreover, the bio-active compound extraction efficacy and antioxidant activity of microwave-assisted extraction were great when compared to maceration.

In recent years, supercapacitors have attracted extensive attention due to their advantages such as fast charge and discharge rate, high power density and long cycle life. Because of its unique porous structure and excellent electrochemical properties, heteroatom-doped porous carbon (HPC) is deemed as a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. However, it is a great challenge to synthesize electrode materials with large surface area, ultra-high porosity and good electrochemical performance. In this work, two-dimensional conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) containing ketones were synthesized by a simple one-step coupling reaction and used as carbon precursors. A series of samples (CMP-Ts) were prepared with the procedures of coupling reaction and carbonization. The optimized carbon material has high specific surface area (up to 2229.85 m2 g− 1), porous structure, high specific capacitance (375 F g− 1 at 0.5 A g− 1), and good cycling stability (capacitance retention of 98.8% after 1000 cycles at 5 A g− 1). Further, the supercapacitor has an energy density of 28.8 Wh kg− 1 at a power density of 5000 W kg− 1. This work lays a foundation for the preparation of carbon materials using microporous polymer as a precursor system, provides a new way of thinking, and demonstrates a great potential of high-performance supercapacitors.

Refined structured tin dioxide gets the amount of attraction because of its low cost and stability. The C@SnO2 nanospheres with mesoporous structures were produced using the hard template method in this work. The C@SnO2 is primarily gained attributed to the dehydration condensation of C6H12O6 and the hydrolysis of SnCl4 ·5H2O. The morphology of the C@SnO2 was analyzed by physical characterization and the diameter of the obtained C@SnO2 was around 138 nm. When C@SnO2 was applied to lithium-ion batteries as anode material, it performed outstanding electrochemical properties, with a capacity of 735 and 539 mA h g− 1 maintained at 1000 and 2000 mA g− 1, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibits favorable discharge/ charge cycle stability. This is probably because of the more chemically redox active sites provided by C@SnO2 nanocomposites and it also allows fast ion diffusion and electron migration.

In this research, synergetic and separate influence of nano-carbon black (C.Bn) and SiC on the microstructure and flexural strength of ZrB2 were investigated. So, ZrB2 and ZrB2- 30vol%-based composites containing 10 and 15 vol% C.Bn as well as ZrB2- 15 vol% SiC were fabricated via spark plasma sintering at 1850 °C for soaking time of 8 min under the applied pressure of 35 MPa. Relative density was measured by Archimedes method. Microstructural evaluation was carried out by applying the field emission electron microscopy (FESEM), and flexural strength was measured by three-point bending test. It was found the relative density improves in the presence of C.Bn and SiC especially in synergetic state so that the full densification was gained in Z30Si10C.Bn and Z30Si15C.Bn composites through their reactions with impurities at 1850 °C. In the monolithic ZrB2 system, the C.Bn addition improves the flexural strength slightly to 300 MPa and 315 MPa from 290 MPa. However, co-doped 10 vol% C.Bn with 30 vol% SiC resulted to achieve maximum flexural strength of 486 MPa in comparison with individually applying each of them (395 MPa for Z30Si and 300 MPa for Z10 C.Bn).

In this study, we successfully grafted chitosan (CS) onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to enhance their properties and potential applications in the biomedical field. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the successful covalent bonding of CS onto MWCNTs, indicated by the new absorption peak of the amide bond (–CONH–). Thermal analysis showed that the modified MWCNTs (MWCNT-CS) had significant weight loss around 260 °C, suggesting the decomposition of hydroxypropyl chitosan, and confirming its presence in the nanocomposite. SEM images revealed that CS grafting improved the dispersibility of MWCNTs, a property crucial for their use as nanofillers in polymers. Moreover, the micro-tensile bond strength of dentin surface increased with increasing MWCNT-CS concentrations, indicating the potential of MWCNT-CS as a pretreatment for dentin bonding. After simulated aging, the bond strength remained significantly higher for MWCNT-CS groups compared to those without pretreatment. In biocompatibility assessment using the MTT assay, MWCNT-CS showed higher cell viability than MWCNT, suggesting improved biocompatibility after CS modification. The results of this study suggest that CS-modified MWCNTs could be promising materials for applications in dentin bonding, dentin mineralization, bone scaffolding, implants, and drug delivery systems.

Flexible supercapacitors (FS) are ideal as power backups for upcoming stretchable electronics due to their high power density and good mechanical compliance. However, lacking technology for FS mass manufacturing is still a significant obstacle. The present study describes a novel method for preparing FS based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using the N+ plasma technique, in which N+ reduces graphene oxide on the surface of a cotton/polyester substrate. The effect of aloe vera (AV) as a natural reducing & capping agent and carbon nanotubes (CNT) as nanoconductors on the electrochemical performance of the electrodes is studied. FESEM and XPS were employed to investigate the electrodes' structural and chemical composition of electrodes. The galvanostatic charge–discharge curves of electrodes revealed the enhancement of the electrochemical activity of the as-prepared electrode upon additions of AV and CNT. The areal capacitance of the RGO, RGO/AV, and RGO/ AV/CNT supercapacitors at 5 mV/s was 511, 1244.5, and 1879 mF/cm2, respectively. The RGO electrode showed capacitive retention of 80.9% after 2000 cycles enhanced to 89.7% and 92% for RGO/AV and RGO/AV/CNT electrodes, respectively. The equivalent series resistance of the RGO electrode was 126.28 Ω, decreased to 56.62 and 40.06 Ω for RGO/AV and RGO/ AV/CNT electrodes, respectively.

Sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (NSCDs) were quickly synthesized by the microwave-assisted method from triammonium citrate and thiourea. NSCDs showed a quantum yield of 11.5% with excitation and emission bands at 355 and 432 nm, respectively. Also, a fluorescence quenching was observed in the presence of Pb(II) ions, and the as-synthesized CDs were used as a sensitive probe for detecting Pb(II) in water and food samples. The results showed the optimal conditions for Pb(II) determination were CDs concentration of 0.02 mg mL− 1 at pH 6.0–7.0 and an incubation time of 20 min. The relative fluorescence intensity of NSCDs was proportional to Pb(II) concentrations in the range of 0.029–2.40 and 2.40–14.4 μmol L− 1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.998 and 0.955, respectively, and a detection limit of 9.2 × 10– 3 μmol L− 1. Responses were highly repeatable, with a standard deviation below 3.5%. The suggested method demonstrates the potential of a green, fast, and low-cost approach for Pb(II) determination in water, tea, and rice samples with satisfying results.

Nitrogen and phosphorous dual-doped carbon nanotubes (N,P/CNT) have been grown in a single-step direct synthesis process by CVD method using iron-loaded mesoporous SBA-15 support, as an electrode material for the energy storage device. For comparison, pristine nanotubes, nitrogen and phosphorous individually doped nanotubes were also prepared. The basic characterization studies clarify the formation of nanotubes and the elemental mapping tells about the presence of the dopant. Under three-electrode investigations, N,P/CNT produced a maximum specific capacitance of about 358.2 F/g at 0.5 A/g current density. The electrochemical performance of N,P/CNT was further extended by fabricating as a symmetric supercapacitor device, which delivers 108.6 F/g of specific capacitance for 0.5 A/g with 15 Wh/kg energy density and 250 W/kg power density. The observed energy efficiency of the device was 92.3%. The capacitance retention and coulombic efficiency were 96.2% and 90.6%, respectively, calculated over 5000 charge–discharge cycles.

This study presents the synthesis, characterization, and utilization of marine macroalgae-derived bio-carbon catalysts (BC and KOH-AC) for the efficient conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) into biodiesel. The biochar (BC) was produced through slow pyrolysis of macroalgal biomass, which was subsequently activated with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to produce a KOH-modified activated carbon (KOH-AC) catalyst. Advanced characterization techniques, including SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, and TGA, were used to examine the physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts. The synthesized catalysts were utilized to produce biodiesel from WCO, and the results revealed that the highest biodiesel yields, 98.96%, and 47.54%, were obtained using KOH-AC and BC catalysts, respectively, under optimal reaction conditions of 66 °C temperature, 12.3 M/O molar ratio, 130 min time, and 3.08 wt.% catalyst loading via RSM optimization. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, such as k, Ea, ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG, were determined to be 0.0346 min− 1, 43.31 kJ mol− 1, 38.98 kJ mol− 1, − 158.38 J K− 1 mol− 1, and 92.58 kJ mol− 1, respectively. The KOH-AC catalyst was recycled up to five times, with a significant biodiesel yield of 80.37%. The fuel properties of the biodiesel met ASTM (D6751) specifications, ensuring that it has excellent fuel characteristics and can be used as an alternative fuel.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are an auspicious energy conversion technology with the potential to address rising energy demands while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The stack’s performance, durability, and economy scale are greatly influenced by the materials used for the PEMFC, viz., the membrane electrocatalyst assembly (MEA) and bipolar flow plates (BPPs). Despite extensive study, carbon-based materials have outstanding physicochemical, electrical, and structural attributes crucial to stack performance, making them an excellent choice for PEMFC manufacturers. Carbon materials substantially impact the cost, performance, and durability of PEMFCs since they are prevalently sought for and widely employed in the construction of BPPs and gas diffusion layers (GDLs)) and in electrocatalysts as a support material. Consequently, it is essential to assemble a review that centers on utilizing such material potential, focusing on its research development, applications, problems, and future possibilities. The prime focus of this assessment is to offer a clear understanding of the potential roles of carbon and its allotropes in PEMFC applications. Consequently, this article comprehensively evaluates the applicability, functionality, recent advancements, and ambiguous concerns associated with carbonbased materials in PEMFCs.

The need for high-performance environmental remediation has increased due to the environment’s ongoing degradation in the form of significant growth in industrialization and urbanization. Therefore, the toxic heavy metals can easily enter into environmental as well as foods and thus the search of clean water for drinking, household and irrigation purposes is of crucial importance. To meet this challenge, microelectrodes are flexible, low-cost and easier for fabrication has become the strong role in the detection of heavy metals with high sensitivity towards higher adsorption of heavy metals from contaminated water. To improve the sensitivity of the microelectrodes, carbon-based microelectrodes decorated with nanomaterials have been explored for the detection of metal ions thereby their presence in trace levels can be estimated. The aim of the present review is to summarize the recent developments in carbon-based microelectrodes for the electrochemical determination of heavy metals. It is followed by the various nanomaterials decorated on the carbon microelectrodes for detection of heavy metals was systematically discussed. Finally, the application and the future perspectives in the development of smart electrochemical sensing is provided. This short review will provide the useful information for the recent development in microelectrodes and also guide the pathway for the detection of heavy metals.

Tomatoes in greenhouse are a widely cultivated horticultural crop worldwide, accounting for high production and production value. When greenhouse ventilation is minimized during low temperature periods, CO2 enrichment is often used to increase tomato photosynthetic rate and yield. Plant-induced electrical signal (PIES) can be used as a technology to monitor changes in the biological response of crops due to environmental changes by using the principle of measuring the resistance value, or impedance, within the crop. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between tomato growth data, vital response, and PIES resulting from CO2 enrichment in greenhouse tomatoes. The growth of tomato treated with CO2 enrichment in the morning was significantly better in all items except stem diameter compared to the control, and PIES values were also higher. The growth of tomato continuously applied with CO2 was better in the treatment groups than control, and there was no significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthesis. However, PIES and SPAD values were higher in the CO2 treatment group than control. CO2 enrichment have a direct relationship with PIES, growth increased, and transpiration increased due to the increased leaf area, resulting in increased water absorption, which appears to be reflected in PIES, which measures vascular impedance. Through this, this study suggests that PIES can be used to monitor crops due to environmental changes, and that PIES is a useful method for non-destructively and continuously monitoring changes of crops.

In this study, we synthesized pH-controlled resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) gels through the polymerization of two starting materials: resorcinol and formaldehyde. The prepared RF gels were dried using an acetone substitution method, and they were subsequently carbonized under nitrogen atmosphere to obtain carbon xerogels (CX_Y) prepared at different pH (Y). The carbon xerogels were utilized as active materials for coin-type organic supercapacitor electrodes to investigate the influence of pH on the electrochemical properties of the carbon xerogels. The carbon xerogels prepared at lower pH (CX_9.5 and CX_10) exhibited sufficient particle growth, with a three-dimensional network of particles during the RF gel formation, resulting in the development of abundant mesopores. Conversely, the carbon xerogels prepared at higher pH (CX_11 and CX_12) retained densely packed structures of small particles, leading to pore collapse and low specific surface areas. Consequently, CX_9.5 and CX_10 showed high specific surface areas, and provided ample adsorption sites for the formation of electric double layers with electrolyte ions. Moreover, the three-dimensional particle network in CX_9.5 and CX_10 significantly enhanced electrical conductivity. The presence of well-developed mesopores in these materials further facilitated the effective transport of electrolyte ions, contributing to their superior performance as organic supercapacitor electrodes. This study confirmed that pH-controlled carbon xerogels are one of the promising active materials for organic supercapacitor electrodes. Furthermore, we concluded that pH during RF gel formation is a crucial factor determining the electrode performance of the carbon xerogels, highlighting the need for precise pH control to obtain high-performance carbon xerogel electrodes.