Lithium ferrite and vanadium-doped lithium ferrite have been extensively studied in recent research because of their potential applications in thermochromic materials, optoelectronic devices, and as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. In the present investigation, lithium ferrite and lithium vanadium ferrite are synthesized by sol–gel process. According to the Scherrer formula, the average particle size of lithium ferrite is 22 nm and that of vanadium-doped lithium ferrite is 29 nm. The lattice parameters and dislocation density are calculated from the X-ray diffraction results. According to the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, ferrites were formed that exhibit strong absorption bands. According to the energy-dispersive X-ray analysis spectrum, the predicted elements are present in the sample. With the use of a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), the materials’ magnetic behavior is investigated.

The demand for hybrid composite materials has been expanding globally in all kinds of mechanical industries. Drilling is one of the basic operations required in manufacturing of various components and choosing optimum parameters of drilling is vital for getting good quality holes. The main objective of our work is to determine the ideal parameters of drilling and tool coatings required to minimize the thrust force and torque in drilling and to maximize the material removal rate (MRR) using Grey–Taguchi technique. Hybrid composite specimen made by reinforcing Al7075 alloy with 4% of aluminum oxide and 2% of boron nitride in stir casting process and drilling was carried out in a sequence at different drilling feed rates (40, 80, and 120 mm/min) and spindle speeds (1,200, 2,400, and 3,600 rpm) in a vertical machining center attached with drill tool dynamometer, using twist drills of diameter 5 mm and point angle 118° made of uncoated carbide, diamond-like carbon (DLC)-coated carbide and high carbon (HC)-coated carbide. The recorded thrust force and torque from the dynamometer and the computed MRRs during each drilling operation are tabulated as per Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array and the results are analyzed using hybrid Grey–Taguchi technique. In our analysis, the optimum thrust force of 62.12 N and torque of 0.766 Nm were obtained when using a DLC-coated tool at a maximum speed of 3,600 rpm and minimum feed rate of 40 mm/min. An optimum MRR of 178.79 mm3/s was obtained while using DLC coated at a maximum speed of 3,600 rpm and a maximum feed rate of 120 mm/min.

Concrete is a material made from cement that is widely used because it has a high compressive strength, is resistant to water, is easy to mold, and is cheap to make. But concrete’s biggest problem is that it’s easy to break because it does not resist cracking well, has low tensile strength, and cannot take a lot of stress. Researchers have been successful in enhancing the quality of cement composites by using fibers, admixtures, and other cementitious materials. When it comes to building objects, nanotechnology could open up a whole new world. Building materials have made nanosized materials that are used to make cementitious materials stronger and last longer. For example, they stop microcracks from starting and spreading. One of the most well-known graphene derivative nanomaterials is graphene oxide (GO), which has a lot of active oxygen-containing groups on its surface, outstanding mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity. Researchers have found that adding small amounts of GO in various dosages increases the flexural, tensile, and compressive strengths of cement paste and mortar. The majority of studies have looked at cement paste and mortar. There are few GO-concrete studies. One of the most characteristic graphene derivative nanomaterials, graphene oxide (GO), has a huge specific surface area, outstanding mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and a lot of active oxygen-containing groups on its surface. Small amounts of GO at various dosages boost the flexural, tensile, and compressive strengths of cement paste and mortar, according to researchers. Most researches have examined cement paste and mortar. There are few GO-concrete studies. This article review paper will be useful for engineers and researchers investigating the impact of GO on mechanical qualities and advanced nanomaterials in cement-based materials like concrete. It will also be a point of reference for further research.

An AA-7475 is coated with superhydrophobic (SH) polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), emphasizing the coating’s manufacturing, characterization, and anticorrosive qualities. Coating AA-7475 alloy with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), copper stearate (CS), and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles produces the desired superhydrophobic. Using an X-ray diffractometer, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, ZrO2 nanoparticles, CS, and PVC PNCs are analyzed structurally and molecularly. The atomic force microscope picture was analyzed to determine how the surface roughness affected the SH behavior reached by changing the weight percentage of ZrO2 nanoparticles from 0.6 to 3.0 wt%. PNC-5 with 3.0 wt% ZrO2 nanoparticles is used as resistance to corrosion coating for AA-7475 due to its water contact angle of 154°. In a 3.5% NaCl solution, uncoated and PNC-5-coated AA-7475 are examined using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical spectroscopy. PNC-5 coating reduces AA-7475 corrosion rate from 23.75 to 0.2253 mpy. In this study, we use polarization resistance, corrosion resistance efficiency, double layer capacitance, corrosion current density, and charge transfer resistance to demonstrate that the SH surface air trapping phenomena are responsible for effective corrosion resistance.

Hybrid composites made of natural and synthetic fibers are stronger, lighter, cheaper, biodegradable, and greener than conventional metals, and they are replacing conventional metals. The primary objective of the study was to examine the mechanical properties of interwoven hybrid composite laminates. Kevlar and glass fiber are used as reinforcement for this work. The fibers are woven together using various weaving techniques. 1 × 1, 3 × 3, and 5 × 5 weaving patterns are considered to explore the properties of the laminates. The composites are woven using a conventional handloom method. As a matrix, LY556 resin and HY951 hardener are combined at a ratio of 10 : 1. The composites are cured using compression molding. The cured composites are assessed for their tensile strength, flexural strength, compressive strength, interlaminar shear strength, impact strength, and fracture toughness. The highest tensile, compressive, and flexural strength were found in the 1 × 1 pattern, shear strength and fracture toughness were found in the 5 × 5 pattern, which finds applications in aerospace and defense sectors, and 3 × 3 dominated in impact strength; as a result, it can be used in bulletproof applications. At last, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to visualize the matrix-reinforcement bonding. The microscopic images show the ripped-out fibers because of the tensile test. The shards in SEM are evident that impact force breaks the matrix elements in a brittle manner.

Every year, ∼2,000 people are killed by lightning in India, with rural areas accounting for 94% of all lightning deaths. In rural locations, a weather and lightning alert system is crucial for alerting and raising awareness about severe weather and lightning. Only a few states in India have expensive lightning alert systems that send out alerts via SMS and mobile apps. Due to a lack of information about weather alert apps, poor network facility, low literacy, and less usage of smartphones, existing alert mechanisms is not reaching all rural populations. As a result, there is a need to build a low-cost lightning alert system in rural areas that alerts and creates awareness in advance about lightning to rural residents using a variety of alerting methods, such as announcements, sirens, WhatsApp, voice call alerts, and email, in addition to existing alert methods to overcome limitations of existing systems. In order to achieve this, we have developed an IoT- and long range (LoRa)-based weather stations, gateways, and announcement systems using ESP32, nanosensors (DHT11, BMP180, rain sensor, and LDR), lightning detector (AS3935), lightning emulator, Arduino Nano, SD card module, and speakers. This prototype is tested in real time by creating lightning radiation using an emulator shield and by monitoring environmental parameters. It sends an alert to authorized persons/village government officials/rural communities through WhatsApp, email, and voice call about abnormal weather situations with the help of cloud platforms. It also alerts and creates safety awareness to rural people in advance about lightning/critical weather condition through announcement system using loudspeakers. In the future, the proposed system will be trained using artificial intelligence to predict the lightning and other hazardous weather situations in advance and alert rural residents about critical weather conditions in early.

In recent years, research on nanoparticles (NPs) has brought a new phase in the development of medicine. The term “NPs” refers to nanoscale particles, typically between 10 and 1,000 nm in size, that are within the range of cellular and molecular structures. Compared with traditional ophthalmic drugs, NPs can carry drugs to overcome obstacles, target drug delivery, prolong drug release, reduce drug toxicity, and can be used in gene therapy. After a brief introduction to the classification of NPs, we will focus on the potential applications of different NPs in the diagnosis and treatment of different retinal diseases and introduce innovative methods derived from NPs.

Degradation of organic pollutants using photocatalysts has gained utmost importance, due to the increasing environmental pollution. Despite various attempts to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of well-known photocatalysts such as titanium dioxide (TiO2), by making them visible light active, various issues need to be resolved. In this work, attempts have been made to improve the visible light absorption capacities of the electrospun TiO2 nanofibers by modification using squaric acid (SqA). An interfacial charge transfer complex is formed by the condensation reaction between the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the TiO2 nanofibers and the SqA ligand. Various characterizations confirmed that the modification using SqA had led to the formation of the interfacial charge transfer layer, without affecting the crystallinity or morphology of the TiO2 nanofibers. The modified TiO2 nanofibers showed sensitivity to visible light with red shift in the optical absorption. It exhibited an improved photocatalytic efficiency of 85% against the degradation of tetracycline, compared with 60% for unmodified TiO2 nanofibers. It also showed an increased rate of degradation of 0.21 mg/L/min, when compared with the 0.13 mg/L/min of unmodified TiO2 nanofibers.

Recently, hybrid (organic–inorganic) metal halide perovskites have gained significant attention due to their excellent performance in optoelectronics and photovoltaics (PV). Single-junction PV cells made from these materials have achieved record efficiencies of over 25%, with the potential for further improvement in the future. The crystal structure of organohalide perovskite semiconductors plays a crucial role in the success of perovskites. In this study, we used classical all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the dynamics of ionic precursors as they form organic halide perovskite units in the presence of water as a solvent. During the analysis of radial distribution functions, interaction energies, hydrogen bonding, and diffusion coefficients, it was confirmed that organic precursors aggregate in the absence of water and disperse in the presence of water. The interaction energies also showed that the organic precursors of the perovskite have weaker interactions with Pb than the other components of the perovskite. The hydrogen bonding analysis revealed that the number of hydrogen bonds between the organic precursors and Cl decreases in the presence of water, but hydrogen bonds form between the organic precursors/water and Cl/water. Additionally, the diffusion coefficients of the organic precursors were found to be in the following increasing order: 2,2-(ethylenedioxy) bis ethylammonium (EDBE2+) < guanidium (GA+) < phenethylammonium (PEA+) < iso-butylammonium (Iso-BA+).

TiO2 photoanodes have gained significant attention for the removal of organic pollutants through photoelectrocatalytic processes, with the aim of developing a cost-effective and efficient method for improving the degradation of pollutants in surface water. This study investigated the effects of adding titanium nanooxide (Degussa P25) containing 70% anatase and 30% rutile phases on the properties of nanostructured TiO2 photoanodes prepared on glass substrates (indium tin oxide (ITO)) using sol–gel/dip coating techniques The results obtained from ultraviolet–visible transmittance spectroscopy, electrochemical (EC) impedance spectroscopy, photocurrent, and atomic force microscopy analyses revealed that the addition of Degussa P25 improved the electrical conductivity of the TiO2/ITO anode and reduced the optical bandgap from 3.50 to 3.35 eV, while the size of the titanium oxide particles decreased to about 75 nm. The EC impedance spectra measurement confirms that the addition of titanium nanooxide Degussa P25 improved the electrical conductivity for TiO2/ITO anode. The photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) performance of the TiO2 photoanodes was investigated via the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UVA light irradiation. The AB photoanode (with the addition of Degussa P25) exhibited excellent PEC performance, with 95.9% color removal efficiency and 63% total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency, compared to 92% color removal efficiency and 56% TOC removal efficiency for the A photoanode (without the addition of Degussa P25). The kinetic constants (k) were 134 × 10−4, 110 × 10−4 (min−1) for A and AB anodes, respectively, and the degradation of MB followed first-order kinetics for all anodes. The A and AB anodes were compared as electrodes for the degradation of MB using PEC, photocatalysis (PC), and EC technologies. Subsequently, The A and AB anodes were utilized as electrodes to compare the performance of PEC, PC, and EC technologies for the degradation of MB. The results showed that the AB anode exhibited higher efficiency in all PC technologies, with color removal (%) efficiencies of 95.9% (PEC), 33% (PC), and 21% (EC) compared to 92% (PEC), 28% (PC), and 19% (EC) for the A anode. Additionally, the photooxidation process had a 2.1% effect on the degradation of the initial MB concentration.

The main aim of this research is to analyze the mechanical performances of the influence of silicon carbide (SiC) particles with AA6351 aluminum alloy. The aluminum metal matrix composites were prepared with liquefying stir casting to produce the metal matrix composites (MMCs). The following weight fractions are AA6351-0% SiC, AA6351-2.5% SiC, AA6351-5% SiC, and AA6351-7.5% SiC utilized to compose the MMCs. The mechanical performances like hardness, flexural, impact, compressive, and tensile studies were investigated on the processed MMCs. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to examine the strengthened particle of SiC. During the SEM examinations, uniformly dispersed SiC-strengthened particles were analyzed. The entire MMCs specimens achieve greater mechanical characteristics; the specimen fabricated with a maximum volume fraction of 7.5 wt% of SiC accumulates higher strength than the other volume fractions samples. The SiC plays a very tedious role in improving mechanical attributes. The fabricated MMCs were highly utilized in the applications of automotive and aerospace usages. This application is fully employed with lesser weight and maximum strength conditions to fulfill the mechanical performances. The stir-casting process was a highly efficient technique to compose better MMCs to achieve greater strength.

Due to its outstanding physical, chemical, and thermal properties, an increasing consideration has been paid to produce copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs). Various methods are accessible for producing Cu NPs by conceiving the top–down and bottom–up approaches. Electrodeposition is a bottom–up method to synthesize high-quality Cu NPs at a low cost. The attributes of Cu NPs rely on their way of deduction and electrochemical process parameters. This work aims to deduce the mean size of Cu NPs. Artificial neural networks (ANN) and nature-inspired algorithms, namely genetic algorithm (GA), firefly algorithm (FA), and cuckoo search (CS) algorithm were used to predict and optimize the electrochemical parameters. The results obtained from ANN prediction agreed with data from the electrodeposition process. All nature-inspired algorithms reveal similar operating conditions as optimal parameters. The minimum NP size of 20 nm was obtained for the process parameters of 4 g·l−1 of CuSO4 concentration, electrode distance of 3 cm, and a potential difference of 27 V. The synthesized NP size was in line with the anticipated NP size. The scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were performed to analyze the nanoparticle size and morphology.

Cu1–xNixO/Fe2O3 (with x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 wt%) were synthesized by plant extraction technique. The absorbance and degradation performance of Ni-doped CuO and Fe2O3 nanocomposite against methylene blue (MB) was analyzed, and the 2% Ni-doped CuO yielded an optimum result, and the optical bandgap of CuO, 2NCO, Fe2O3, and (60%) 2NCO/40% Fe2O3 was found to be 1.88, 1.73, 2.1, and 1.80 eV, respectively. Hence, the 2% Ni-doped CuO (2NCO) was further used for the establishment of a composite with Fe2O3. The lowest composition of the oxide composite was (1−x) 2NCO/(x) Fe2O3 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5). The degradation performance of those oxide composites was determined against (MB) with the nominal composition of sample (60%) 2NCO/40% Fe2O3 resulted in an optimum degradation of MB with a percentage of 94% at 120 min. The recyclability takes a look at was performed for five cycles at the start of 94%; after five cycles, the sample remained stable at 120 min. Therefore, 2NCO/40% Fe2O3 composite is going to be the selection material for waste product treatment.

The fabrication of SS (stainless steel)-UO2 cermet-type advanced nuclear fuel pellets suitable for use in power reactors depends on the development of metallic (SS), ceramic (UO2), and cermet (SS-UO2) microspheres with special characteristics. In this work, a nonconventional powder metallurgy process was developed to produce porous SS microspheres aiming to contribute to solve the bottlenecks found in the SS-UO2 cermet pellet manufacturing. SS, UO2, and SS-UO2 microspheres and SS-UO2 cermet pellets were fabricated and characterized (XRD, EDX, EDS, and SEM). Hard (153 ± 5 µm; 132.2 ± 24.7 MPa; 72% TD) and soft (216 ± 10 µm; 1.3 ± 0.4 MPa; 17% TD) SS, hard (176 ± 6 µm; 147.4 ± 25.0 MPa; 99% TD) UO2, and cermet (SS-UO2) microspheres were obtained. The soft porous SS microspheres did not micronize properly in situ, but their high compressibility favors the compaction of the green SS-UO2 cermet pellet; in this pellet, the UO2 microspheres behaved as rigid inclusions. This favored the obtainment of sintered SS-UO2 cermet pellets with high geometric densities (93% TD), excellent metal–ceramic interaction, and the preservation of the physical integrity of the UO2 microspheres. The usage of high fractions of the SS-UO2 cermet microspheres obtained mixed with low fractions of the said soft porous SS microspheres is already under development. This will enable the fabrication of SS-UO2 cermet pellets with a volume fraction greater than 42 vol% UO2, a homogeneous distribution of UO2 microspheres in the metallic matrix, and null connection between them. The oxide–metal reduction mechanisms were discussed. The applicability of the process is already being explored in the manufacture of porous NdFeB microspheres.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (KR-TTS) as a titanate coupling agent (TCA) on surface modification of TiO2 nanotube (TNT) material. From the physical and chemical studies that have been performed on the modified TiO2 nanotube, scanning electron microscope micrographs, energy-dispersive X-ray and viscosity indicated that there was significant reduction in particle aggregation of the modified TiO2 Nanotube. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the functional group of the TCA reacted with the hydroxyl groups present on the surface of TiO2 nanotube resulting in an altered surface property from being hydrophilic to hydrophobic. X-ray diffraction indicated that crystalline structure did not change upon the modification with the coupling agent. Isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (KR-TTS) is found to be superior in performance and has a significant effect on the dispersion and resolving of agglomeration. This paper presents the effect of surface modification with the TCA of isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (KR-TTS) type on the TiO2 nanotube material.

Aluminum metal matrix composites (AMCs) have been employed in automobile manufacturing to reduce weight. Also this research concentrates on the tribological performances on the processed AMCs by the stir casting liquefying method. The aluminum alloy Al2024 was employed to nanoparticles of aluminum oxide for the preparation of AMCs with constant processing condition of stirring speed to produce the homogeneous dispersion. The processed composites were further investigated to identify the wear characteristics. Therefore, the dry sliding condition was achieved on the processed composites. The input parameters of dry sliding conditions are sliding distance, functional load, and sliding velocity, and the output characteristics are wear rate and coefficient of friction (COF). Those input parameters are framed by the Taguchi L9 array and parameters were further employed to optimize with grey relational analysis. From the L9 parameters, the better wear rate and COF were accumulated in the following parameter: 2,100 mm of sliding distance, 25 N of functional load, and 2.5 m/s of sliding velocity, respectively. Then the wear rates and COF values are subjected to produce the predicted responses with supporting of artificial neural network. Most of the predicted values are much higher than the actual wear response vales. The wear resistance of all the samples composed better performances with dispersion of nanoaluminum oxide particles on the Al2024 alloy.

Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes are broadly used to investigate the impact of environmental factors on animal physiology and behavior. Here, C. elegans with internalized paramagnetic nanoparticles were placed inside a magnetic field (MF) to explore its effects on locomotion. We hypothesized that internalized paramagnetic nanoparticles combined with external MF affect C. elegans’ locomotion machinery. To test our hypothesis, we used adult C. elegans fed on bacteria mixed with paramagnetic nanoparticles of 1 μm, 100, and 40 nm diameter. The presence of nanoparticles inside the worms’ body (alimentary canal, body muscle) was verified by fluorescent and electron microscopy. A custom-made software was used to track freely moving C. elegans in the absence or presence of MF, sequentially, for 200 + 200 s. We used established metrics to quantify locomotion-related parameters, including posture, motion, and path features. Key attributes of C. elegans locomotion (stay ratio, forward over backward motion, speed) were affected only in worms with internalized nanoparticles of 100 nm in the presence of MF (reduced speed, increased stay ratio, decreased forward/backward ratio), in contrast to untreated worms. Our work shows that internalized particles of specific properties affect C. elegans locomotion under MF. Hence, it contributes to clarifying the effects of MF and activated nanoparticles on C. elegans locomotion, thus fueling further research.

The present work reports the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) by applying an aqueous aerial extract of Ranunculus multifidus plant. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the prepared ZnO NPs are stable from 480 to 800°C. The diffraction study confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure for the synthesized ZnO NPs with the typical crystallite sizes of 47.92, 22.70, and 15.35 nm the volume ratios (extract to precursor) of 1 : 1, 3 : 2, and 2 : 3, respectively. The experimentally deduced Eg values are 1.82, 3.1, and 2.57 eV for 1 : 1, 3 : 2, and 2 : 3 ZnO NPs, respectively. The spherical and rod-like morphologies were confirmed for the NPs by the images taken using electron microscopy. The reducing agents in the aqueous extracts of R. multifidus converted the ionic zinc to zinc nanoparticles, and these NPs exhibit credible antibacterial effects against tested bacterial species. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs revealed significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The order of the antibacterial potential of the NPs was found to follow the order: S. aureus (17.10 ± 0.45 mm) > B. subtilis (16.10 ± 0.15 mm) > E. coli (14.5 ± 0.32 mm) > P. aeruginosa (13 ± 0.0 mm). The antioxidant activities of the produced ZnO NPs in various ratios showed the potentiality of phytochemicals to scavenge the free radicals, which is encouraging for the discovery of novel compounds for the treatment of cancer diseases.

Magnesium-based alloys were more prevalent in automobile applications owing to their mechanical properties, low mass, and density. However, its poor mechanical properties are restricting its applications. Therefore, the present study focuses on improving the mechanical properties of AZ31D alloy by reinforcing silicon carbide (SiC) and graphite (Gr) nanoparticles with weight fractions of 2%, 4%, and 6% using stir-casting technique. The microstructure analysis was performed using a scanning electron microscope. The elemental analysis was confirmed using energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction was used to study various phases in the nanocomposites. Further, the mechanical properties, such as microhardness, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and compression strength of the nanocomposites, were significantly improved by 53%, 59%, 62%, and 82%, respectively, as compared with base alloy.

One of the most fundamental subjects in nanoscience and nanotechnology is structural analysis. We employed a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the manufactured Gd3+/13X/DOX/FA nanocomposite in this study. The size, dimensions, and morphology of nanocomposite materials were studied to ensure the uniformity and homogeneity of SEM images. This is the first study to look at segmented SEM images for fractal dimension (FD) and other statistical criteria, including average, maximum, minimum, skewness, and range for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nanocomposite. The average of FD (FDavg), the standard deviation of FD (FDsd), and the lacunarity of FD (FDlac) fractal data analysis criteria were also employed. The findings show that particle sizes and shapes vary because the minimum-to-maximum range is not zero, and our data provide a reasonable range. This interpretation is further supported by an analysis of the nanocomposite’s SEM image. At first glance, the image seemed to be uniform. However, when the calculations were performed, it was discovered that the generated particles were not particularly uniform. The particles were uniformly dispersed throughout all surfaces, although their sizes, dimensions, and morphologies varied. In conclusion, the study was supported by fractal data analysis, emphasizing the importance of structural analysis for future research, particularly for medical applications like MRI.