Next Materials最新文献

{"title":"Eco-friendly synthesis of red fluorescent graphene quantum dots from Alstonia scholaris for optoelectronic detection of nitroaromatic compounds","authors":"Rachita Newar ,&nbsp;Nasrin Sultana ,&nbsp;Kalpajit Dutta ,&nbsp;Hemen Sarma ,&nbsp;Arabinda Baruah","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) using green precursors has garnered significant attention due to its efficiency in various applications. Herein, we have synthesized red fluorescent graphene quantum dots (RGQDs) using GO and a bio-precursor, <em>Alstonia scholaris (AS)</em> leaf extract, as capping and stabilizing agents. AS leaves are rich in polyphenols, which can serve as an effective bio-reagent for the synthesis of RGQDs. For the synthesis of RGQDs, we have adopted a simple hydrothermal approach. After the successful synthesis of the material, we developed a fluorometric and electrical sensing platform for detecting picric acid (PA) and para-nitrophenol (PnPh). Both PA and PnPh are hazardous environmental pollutants. The RGQDs exhibited exceptional sensitivity and selectivity towards PA and PnPh, with optical sensing limits of 0.288 µM and 0.322 µM, respectively. Additionally, a biodegradable and cost-effective electrical sensor was also fabricated for detecting the same, achieving a lower detection limit of 1.17 µM and 0.71 µM for PA and PnPh, respectively, which exemplifies the superior analytical precision and sensitivity of the sensor. In addition to developing the sensing platforms, we investigated the antibacterial activity of RGQDs against both <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (a Gram-positive bacterium) and <em>Escherichia coli</em> (a Gram-negative bacterium). Antibacterial activity was evaluated through standard microbiological analysis, including minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurements. The MIC estimations against <em>S. aureus</em> and <em>E. coli</em> are 24.76 ± 1.53 µg/mL-1 and 21.966 ± 1.104 µg/mL-1, respectively. The RGQDs demonstrated potent antibacterial effects, with significant growth inhibition capacity for both bacterial strains. In summary, this work presents a novel method for synthesizing RGQDs with dual-mode detection capabilities and significant antibacterial properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100995"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Customizing the elastic, thermodynamic and optical properties of Cu, Zn and Mn transition metal doped Zr2B4 ceramics: A first-principles perspective","authors":"Israt Sarmin ,&nbsp;Kamal Hossain ,&nbsp;Mohammad Tanvir Ahmed ,&nbsp;Hind Adawi ,&nbsp;H. Akther ,&nbsp;Amun Amri ,&nbsp;M.Mahbubur Rahman","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100942","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100942","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a first-principles-based analysis using density functional theory (DFT) to realize the impact of doping Cu, Zn and Mn transition metals on the structural, elastic, thermodynamic, and optical properties of Zr₂B₄ ceramics. The lattice parameters of Zr₂B₄ ceramics were altered due to the metal doping. Mulliken charge, Hirshfeld charge and bond lengths of all the ceramic structures were also significantly modified due to the dopants. The doping elements strongly influenced the bulk and shear modulus of Zr₂B₄ ceramics. We found that Zr₂B₄, ZrZnB₄, and ZrMnB4 are brittle, while ZrCuB₄ ceramic was ductile. Band gap is absent in the Fermi energy level of the parent and doped ceramics, resulting in metallic characteristics. The PDOS analysis showed that Mn-doped Zr₂B₄ ceramics contribute most at the Fermi level of ZrMnB₄, and B contributes the most to the ZrCuB₄ and ZrZnB₄ ceramics. The Debye temperature follows an ascending order of the form ZrCuB₄ &lt;ZrMnB₄ &lt;Zr₂B₄ &lt;ZrZnB₄. A maximum Debye temperature of 1244 K was observed for ZrZnB₄ ceramics. This makes it suitable for high-temperature applications, such as thermal protection systems, hot gas valve parts, and aero-engine components. The pristine and doped Zr₂B₄ ceramics exhibited high optical conductivity in the lowest energy range. The highest static refractive index <em>n</em>(0) = 9.06 was recorded for ZrM<em>n</em>B₄ ceramics. The metallic elements Cu, Mn, and Zn are believed to be beneficial in improving the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Zr₂B₄ ceramics. Doping with Mn improves the ductile characteristic more than doping with Zn. Thus, Mn-doped Zr₂B₄ can be used in the construction, automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing industries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100942"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomechanics of interfaces for cemented joint replacements: A systematic review","authors":"Ajay Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100943","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100943","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fixation of cemented implants in joint replacement procedures involves two critical interfaces: the bone-cement interface and the cement-implant interface. Although cemented implants—such as those used in hip, shoulder, elbow, vertebrae, knee, and ankle arthroplasty—are often preferred over uncemented ones in specific patient populations, failure can still occur due to suboptimal interfacial conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the interfacial factors influencing mechanical integrity and long-term implant performance is essential for orthopaedic surgeons, clinicians, and biomedical researchers. This review focuses on evaluating the role of key factors in relation to interfacial failure mechanisms, debonding strength, fracture behaviour, implant stability, and revision rates of cemented implants. Key interfacial characteristics, including interfacial friction, surface coatings, surface roughness, groove geometry, porosity, cement spacers, implant design, cement viscosity, mantle thickness, and penetration depth, have been identified as major contributors to the interfacial mechanical integrity of cemented implants. Emphasizing the mechanical behaviour and structural integrity of the bone-cement and cement-implant interfaces, this study presents a biomechanical perspective to enhance the understanding of orthopaedic applications. The review incorporates findings from experimental, computational, and clinical follow-up studies, highlighting the role of PMMA bone cement in improving interfacial biomechanics. Moreover, it identifies critical research gaps and methodological limitations within existing literature. Addressing these gaps through future investigations will contribute to optimizing the fixation, stability, and long-term performance of cemented implants in clinical settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100943"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis and characterization of hybrid mesoporous silica-iron oxide nanocomposite as a potential contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging","authors":"Ana C.A.R. Vale ,&nbsp;Rubênia S. Monte ,&nbsp;Avishek Das ,&nbsp;Leandro A. de Azevedo ,&nbsp;Rodolfo B. Silva ,&nbsp;Anderson S.L. Gomes ,&nbsp;Severino A. Júnior","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100992","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the synthesis and characterization of a hybrid mesoporous silica-iron oxide nanocomposite (MCM-48/FeNPs), with the goal of exploring its potential application as a contrast agent in photoacoustic imaging. The FeNPs were grown on the MCM-48 structure by in situ methodology performed by wet impregnation with Fe (III). Detailed structural and morphological analyses were conducted, revealing the successful integration of iron oxide within the silica matrix and the preservation of the mesoporous structure. Scanning and transmission micrographs showed FeNPs in the internal and external areas of MCM-48, increasing the size of the silica pores. The MCM-48/FeNPs had an average size of 260 nm and were spherical. The photoacoustic imaging study of the hybrid nanocomposite using a 532 nm and 1064 nm laser produced images with high contrast, excellent spatial resolution, and strong signal intensity. It is hypothesized that the mesoporous silica matrix contributes to the amplification of the generated signal. These results highlight the promising potential of these nanoparticles for obtaining biomedical images with both spatial and depth resolution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100992"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ag2CdP2S6 2D semiconductor photocatalyst: Pioneering efficient green hydrogen production through solar water splitting","authors":"A. Chafai","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100933","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100933","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The escalating global pollution crisis, largely driven by fossil fuel consumption in industrial sectors responsible for approximately 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, underscores the urgent need for sustainable clean energy solutions to achieve decarbonization targets. This study explores the potential of Ag&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;CdP&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S&lt;sub&gt;6&lt;/sub&gt;, a novel two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor, as an effective photocatalyst for green hydrogen production through solar water splitting. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we confirm the material’s dynamic and thermal stability via phonon analysis and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. Band structure analyses reveal a semiconducting nature with a direct band gap of approximately &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;1&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;95&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; and &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;15&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; at DFT-PBE and DFT-HSE06 levels, respectively. Notably, absorption coefficient analysis demonstrates significant peaks in the ultraviolet region &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;(&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;149620&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;cm&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;1&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;mo&gt;,&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;8&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;57&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mo&gt;)&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; alongside considerable visible light absorption &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;(&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;11564&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;cm&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;1&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;mo&gt;,&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;26&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mo&gt;)&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. The conduction band minimum (CBM) is calculated at &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;69&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;, and the valence band maximum (VBM) at &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;6&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;84&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;, satisfying the criteria for effective hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Under acidic conditions, optimal HER kinetics are observed at phosphorus (P) atom sites with a near-ideal Gibbs free energy change (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;Δ&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;msubsup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;G&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;H&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;∗&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msubsup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) of approximately &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;0&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;02&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. Meanwhile, tilted sulfur (S) sites exhibit superior water splitting efficiency at neutral (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;p&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;H&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mo&gt;=&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;7&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) and slightly alkaline conditions (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;p&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;H&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mo&gt;=&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;8&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;), with &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;Δ&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;msubsup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;G&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;H&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;∗&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msubsup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; values of &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;0&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;66&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;eV&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; and &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;m","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100933"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental investigation on physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological behaviour of silane-modified Borassus flabellifer leaflet fibre reinforced polymer nanocomposites","authors":"Jitesh Kumar Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Borassus flabellifer</em> leaflet fibres (BFLF) have indeed been found to be an excellent material for producing low-cost nanocomposites. In this study, the stalk leaflet of <em>Borassus flabellifer</em> was employed to derive an emerging category of fibre. To address the disadvantages of hydroxyl bonding, the extracted leaflet strips were treated with NaOH solution. For the formation of nanoparticles, treated rice husk (RH) samples were ground utilizing stainless steel balls in a mild steel ball mill pot. Rice husk nanoparticles (RHN) were integrated onto the treated bi-lateral leaflet fibre surface with 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 wt percent, utilizing silane coupling agent (KH-171). The composite samples were developed using the hand lay-up method. The developed samples were evaluated to assess the physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological behaviour of the nanocomposites. FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and EDX analysis were used to examine the properties of BFLF. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) of RHN with an average size of 86–95 nm were employed in this study. The density analysis revealed that the RHN integrated BFLF composites contained fewer voids (1.578 %) as compared to the untreated fibre composites (2.906 %). The findings of the investigation confirm the integration of RHN onto the fibre surface improved the mechanical properties of nanocomposites in terms of tensile strength (13.37 ± 0.66–19.90 ± 0.79 MPa), tensile modulus (1.56 ± 0.07–2.39 ± 0.11 GPa), flexural modulus (2.25 ± 0.11–3.39 ± 0.16 GPa), and Barcol hardness (30.40 ± 1.32–36.00 ± 1.68 HB). The thermogravimetric (TG) investigation verified that the modified nanocomposites had superior thermal stability (315–384 °C). The developed nanocomposites are to be employed in door panels, household appliances, building construction, and room partitions, among other applications, as low-cost, light-weight composites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100989"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation and characterization of sulfate cancrinite, a synthetic analog of vishnevite, obtained under mild hydrothermal conditions","authors":"Julio Colmenares-Zerpa ,&nbsp;Analio Dugarte-Dugarte ,&nbsp;José Miguel Delgado ,&nbsp;Pedro Rodríguez-Sulbarán","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100948","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100948","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vishnevite is a mineral classified within the cancrinite group of the feldspathoid family. Literature about the preparation of vishnevite synthetic analogs, recognized as sulfate cancrinite, is limited so far. Furthermore, it is well documented that the synthesis of materials from the cancrinite group exhibits certain difficulties that include structural disorder, intergrowths, and co-crystallization of the sodalite group. Thus, it is necessary to assess synthetic conditions that allow for solving these problems. In this work, a study of the influence of benzyldodecyldimethylammonium bromide (BDDAB) as a structure-directing agent (SDA) in the hydrothermal preparation of sulfate cancrinite materials, synthetic analogs of vishnevite, is presented. The materials were characterized by XRPD, FT-IR, SEM-EDX, and N₂-physisorption. A pure phase of the vishnevite-type structure was obtained in the presence of BDDAB (<em>VIS-24G</em> and <em>VIS-48G</em> samples), while traces of impurities accompanied the vishnevite-type structure in the absence of BDDAB (<em>VIS-24W</em> and <em>VIS-48W</em> samples). Synthesized materials crystallized in hexagonal unit cells with space group <em>P</em>6₃, as shown by the Pawley refinement of powder diffraction patterns recorded, confirming the vishnevite-type structure. SEM results showed small and irregular particles that form spherical aggregates in botryoidal habits, and the N₂-physisorption indicated low values of surface area and pore volume. In this work, synthetic analogs of pure vishnevite were obtained at lower crystallization temperatures than those previously reported using BDDAB as SDA under mild hydrothermal conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100948"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative study on photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance of modified-TiO2 nanotube arrays","authors":"Md. Arif Hossen ,&nbsp;Riyadh Ramadhan Ikreedeegh ,&nbsp;Azrina Abd Aziz ,&nbsp;Muhammad Tahir","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100951","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100951","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effective conversion of CO₂ into solar fuels using a photocatalytic (PC) technique is one of the most promising strategies to support sustainable energy production and meet the global energy requirements. In this work, with surface modification approach, TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNTAs) were modified using noble metals (Au, Ag), carbon-based materials (RGO, g-C₃N₄) and MOF (NH₂-MIL-125 (Ti)) for the enhancement of PC CO₂ reduction. The surface of TNTAs was decorated with noble metals using a simple electrochemical deposition approach, while RGO, g-C₃N₄, and MOF were deposited using a dispersion method. Enhanced optical and chemical properties of modified photocatalysts were confirmed by various characterizations. Controlled architecture of TNTAs with excellent morphology was obtained, providing outstanding performance of electron transferring with enhanced sorption process. Compared to pristine TNTAs, the modified TNTAs exhibited significantly improved CO₂ reduction under visible light irradiation. And the composite photocatalyst constructed by the incorporation of g-C₃N₄ showed the highest CO₂ photoreduction with the CO and CH₄ yields of 29.69 and 2.88 µmol/cm²/h, which were 12.5 and 7-times higher that of TNTAs, respectively. The higher CO₂ photoreduction of the g-C₃N₃/TNTAs binary composite was ascribed to the synergistic action between g-C₃N₄ and TNTAs which substantially reduced the band gap energy. The modified-TNTAs' stability and recyclability also showed that there was no discernible change in photocatalytic performance throughout several cycle runs, resulting in continuous CO and CH₄ generation. The encouraging PC activity for CO₂ conversion exhibits that TNTAs photocatalysts modified by carbon-based materials provided a feasible route to boost CO₂ reduction rate utilizing abundant solar light.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100951"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eco-friendly fabrication and characterization of copper nanoparticles via Cymodocea serrulata (R.Br.) Asch. & Magnus extract: Evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities","authors":"Murugeswaran Santhiya Selvam ,&nbsp;Pious Soris Tresina ,&nbsp;Veerabahu Ramasamy Mohan ,&nbsp;Sundaramani Alci Rani ,&nbsp;Solomon Jeeva","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100963","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100963","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) employing a whole plant extract from <em>Cymodocea serrulata</em> (CS) has been accounted in the present research work. The presence of coumarin, flavonoid, phenol, saponin, tannin, carbohydrate and xanthoprotein were approved by the phytochemical analysis of the plant aqueous extract and these chemicals can be employed as stabilizing, reducing and capping agents. The CS-CuNPs were illustrated by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Significant absorption was observed at 274 nm resulting from the surface plasmon resonance (SPR). FTIR was exploited to distinguish the specific functional groups accountable for reducing ion copper to copper nanoparticles and the capping agents available in the plant extract. SEM image showed triangular pyramid shape of CS-CuNPs and size of 23.30 nm. The XRD results revealed a crystalline nature of CS-CuNPs with an average size of 23.24 nm. The surface morphology was confirmed by AFM techniques. The CS-CuNPs had shown strong 2,2’-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. It also showed high antibacterial activity against <em>Proteus mirabilis</em> and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa.</em> The eco-friendly, rapid, and cost-effective synthesis of copper nanoparticles from <em>C. serrulata</em> (CS-CuNPs) whole plant extract yielded particles with remarkable broad-spectrum antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. These CS-CuNPs showed strong activity against DPPH radicals and gram-negative bacteria, indicating significant potential for various biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100963"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Studies on the preparation of rare-earth-doped alkaline borosilicate glass and its optical properties","authors":"Qimin Liu ,&nbsp;Min Qian ,&nbsp;Yaosong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100969","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100969","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigated the preparation of rare-earth doped alkali borosilicate glass that exhibited high ultraviolet transmittance and excellent photoluminescence properties. The effects of incorporating three rare earth elements—praseodymium (Pr), europium (Eu), and lutetium (Lu)- on the microstructure and ultraviolet transmittance of alkali borosilicate glass were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy and UV–VIS–IR spectrophotometry. The photoluminescence properties were examined using a fluorescence spectrometer. The results indicated that in the glass samples prepared by a high-temperature melting method, the addition of the rare earth element Lu, along with an appropriate amount of Pr, enhances the ultraviolet transmittance of the alkali borosilicate glass. Furthermore, the luminescence performance of the glass increases with the higher concentration of doped Pr, while it decreased with an increasing concentration of Eu. The glass with the composition of 5.0 wt% B₂O₃, 59.9 wt% SiO₂, 11.2 wt% Na₂O, 5.5 wt% K₂O, 3.5 wt% CaO, 14.8 wt% Al₂O₃, and 0.1 wt% Pr₂O₃ exhibits excellent ultraviolet transmittance and photoluminescence properties at the current experimental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100958,"journal":{"name":"Next Materials","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100969"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144685933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}