RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D6RA00832A
Abdul Hoque, Evan L. Pannkuk, Jerome Lacombe, Sunil Bansal, Jerry Angdisen, Geraldine Vitry, Abel Encarnacion Hernandez, Nabhan M. Fakrudin, Mathew Barrett, James Helton, Jian Gu, Albert J. Fornace, Evagelia C. Laiakis and Frederic Zenhausern
{"title":"Polymeric sorbent phase sorptive extraction for radiation metabolomics","authors":"Abdul Hoque, Evan L. Pannkuk, Jerome Lacombe, Sunil Bansal, Jerry Angdisen, Geraldine Vitry, Abel Encarnacion Hernandez, Nabhan M. Fakrudin, Mathew Barrett, James Helton, Jian Gu, Albert J. Fornace, Evagelia C. Laiakis and Frederic Zenhausern","doi":"10.1039/D6RA00832A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6RA00832A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Novel biodosimetry assays are needed for potential radiological incidents to rapidly assess radiation exposure and guide medical treatments. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis using a sorptive phase extraction is a rapid and efficient method for radiation-induced biomarkers in biofluids. Here, we developed a chemically functionalized polymeric Sorbent Phase Sorptive Extraction (SPSE) method. This method employs polymeric thin film sorbents with tailored organic functional groups, which directly bind radiation-responsive biomolecules and increase sample absorption capacity. This microporous membrane system enables rapid, high-sensitivity extraction of metabolites spanning a wide polarity range from urine, serum, and whole blood. We characterized the surface morphology, chemical functionality, and hydrophilicity of multiple sorbent-coated cellulose membranes, including plasma-functionalized nylon-6. Matrix interference was evaluated using untargeted metabolomics, and analytical performance was assessed using a targeted multiplex radiation biomarker panel. Urine, serum, and whole blood were collected from male and female C57BL/6 mice (9 weeks old) exposed to X-rays at 1 day (0, 2, 8, 13 Gy) and 7 days (0, 2, 8 Gy) post-irradiation. The membrane types preserve metabolite stability at room temperature for up to two weeks; however, nylon-6-based cellulose paper membranes exhibited the highest surface porosity, absorption capacity, and metabolite recovery. Classifier performance evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity between SPSE and conventional dilute-and-shoot workflows. Collectively, these results support further development of polymeric sorbent coated paper and fabric-based substrates to increase throughput while eliminating cold-chain requirements. These environmentally conscious design features exemplify principles of green chemistry including lowering chemical waste and operational energy demand.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 24080-24094"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d6ra00832a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D5RA09223J
Xue Wen, Rui Xia, Yi-Min Zheng, Qiao-Yue Chen, Can Zhao, Xin-Yuan Zhou, Hong-Mei Yin, Li-Li Zhang and Yi-Neng Huang
{"title":"First-principles study on strain-engineered photocatalytic performance in ferroelectric K(Ta0.5Nb0.5)O3","authors":"Xue Wen, Rui Xia, Yi-Min Zheng, Qiao-Yue Chen, Can Zhao, Xin-Yuan Zhou, Hong-Mei Yin, Li-Li Zhang and Yi-Neng Huang","doi":"10.1039/D5RA09223J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA09223J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Based on first-principles calculations, this study systematically investigated the evolution of structural stability, electronic structure, and bulk photoelectric properties of K(Ta<small><sub>0.5</sub></small>Nb<small><sub>0.5</sub></small>)O<small><sub>3</sub></small> (KTN) under biaxial strain ranging from −30% to 30%. The calculation results show that KTN maintains structural integrity throughout the strain range. Tensile strain (5–30%) enhances structural stability, with the system's binding energy decreasing from −7.3 eV to −7.9 eV, accompanied by a phase transition from tetragonal to monoclinic. Under −30% compressive strain, KTN stabilizes in the monoclinic phase. The projected crystal orbital occupation numbers indicate that the overall covalent bond strength of the system increases with the increase of strain, and the electron distribution of the O–Nb bond shows a non-monotonic change, reaching a peak of 0.085 at approximately −10% strain. Strain regulation significantly enhances ferroelectric polarization intensity and promotes the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Compressive strain continuously reduces the band gap, with the calculated minimum value being 0.838 eV at −30% strain (this value may be underestimated due to the limitations of the PBE functional). The carriers exhibit a “heavy hole-light electron” characteristic <img>, which is conducive to hole migration to the surface. Compressive strain (−30% to −15%) and 5% tensile strain can induce a redshift of the absorption edge, expanding the visible light response range. Notably, monoclinic KTN under −30% compressive strain shows an optimized trend in polarization intensity, carrier mobility, and light absorption rate. Although achieving ±30% strain through standard epitaxial growth techniques is currently difficult (this technique is usually limited to ±4% or so), exploring such extreme conditions enables us to separate the correlation between electronic effects and lattice instability and clearly reveal the regularity of orbital activity. This study provides theoretical guidance for strain engineering in the design of KTN-based photocatalytic materials, but to accurately predict actual photocatalytic activity (such as hydrogen evolution efficiency), systematic research combining surface reaction energy barriers, carrier recombination kinetics, and interface band bending effects is still needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 24055-24065"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d5ra09223j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D6RA00168H
Preethika and Raghavendra Bairy
{"title":"Thickness-driven modulation of linear and nonlinear optical properties in La–Al co-doped ZnO thin films for optical limiting applications","authors":"Preethika and Raghavendra Bairy","doi":"10.1039/D6RA00168H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6RA00168H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The influence of film thickness on the structural, surface, optical, and nonlinear optical properties of Al–La co-doped ZnO thin films was systematically examined. By adjusting the number of deposition cycles, film thicknesses in the ranges of 200–300 nm, 400–500 nm, and 700–800 nm were obtained. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis confirmed a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. Slight shifts in the (002) peak position with increasing film thickness indicated lattice parameter changes, and the decrease in peak width suggested improved crystallinity. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrographs revealed that larger grain sizes developed as the films became thicker. Correspondingly, the surface roughness increased from 2.61 nm to 3.91 nm. The optical band gap exhibited a shift from 3.21 eV to 3.34 eV with increasing thickness. Z scan technique demonstrated that La–ZnO films possess self-defocusing characteristics, a positive nonlinear refractive index, and reverse saturable absorption (RSA). The third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility of the film increased from 200–300 nm to 400–500 nm thickness and decreased at 700–800 nm thickness due to the increased scattering and saturation effects associated with larger grain sizes and surface roughness at greater thicknesses, which can limit the efficiency of nonlinear interactions. Among the studied thicknesses, the 486 nm film exhibited the highest third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, indicating that this thickness offers an optimal balance of crystallinity, grain size, and surface morphology for enhanced nonlinear optical performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 27","pages":" 24280-24295"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d6ra00168h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D6RA02966C
Xinyan Gao, Xiaochuan Zha, Wenhao Liu, Jiale Xie, Jian Gao and Zonghua Luo
{"title":"Structure-based design and optimization of cyclic peptide ligands targeting delta-like ligand 3","authors":"Xinyan Gao, Xiaochuan Zha, Wenhao Liu, Jiale Xie, Jian Gao and Zonghua Luo","doi":"10.1039/D6RA02966C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6RA02966C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is a promising theranostic target due to its high and specific overexpression in small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine tumors. To develop novel targeting agents, we designed and synthesized a series of cyclic peptides targeting DLL3. We optimized three key residues: Trp9 and Gly4 on the PepSP1171 core scaffold, and Val4 on PepSP1214, through systematic amino acid substitution and incorporation of non-natural residues. This approach yielded six high-affinity peptides with dissociation constants (<em>K</em><small><sub>D</sub></small>) below 100 nM and established an initial structure–activity relationship. The most significant improvement was achieved by substituting Val4 with rigid 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid, which produced the lead peptide <strong>B5</strong> with a <em>K</em><small><sub>D</sub></small> of 12.3 nM. These results validate our rational design strategy and identify peptide <strong>B5</strong> as a promising candidate for the future development of DLL3-targeted theranostic agents.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 24218-24223"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d6ra02966c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D6RA00091F
Drisya G. Chandran and Rima Biswas
{"title":"Unravelling the selective transport of Co2+ and Hg2+ ions through functionalized graphene nanostructures from aqueous nitrate solution: a molecular dynamics simulation study","authors":"Drisya G. Chandran and Rima Biswas","doi":"10.1039/D6RA00091F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6RA00091F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to unravel the atomistic mechanisms responsible for the selective permeation of cobalt (Co<small><sup>2+</sup></small>) and mercury (Hg<small><sup>2+</sup></small>) ions through chemically functionalized nanoporous graphene (GRA) membranes. The computational framework consisted of nanoporous GRA membranes functionalized with electronegative fluorine (–F) and chlorine (–Cl) moieties and immersed in mixed aqueous nitrate environments. An external electric field applied along the membrane normal induced directed ionic migration across the pores. Detailed structural and dynamical analyses reveal that ion transport is dictated by a delicate balance among hydration free energy, ion-pore electrostatic interactions, and interfacial polarization effects. The F-functionalized nanoporous GRA membranes have been shown to promote enhanced ion transport when subjected to an external electric field. Notably, Co<small><sup>2+</sup></small> ions exhibit preferential permeation through F-functionalized pores, whereas Hg<small><sup>2+</sup></small> ions demonstrate higher permeation efficiency in Cl-functionalized pores. These findings provide a fundamental molecular-level understanding of how functional group chemistry and applied electric fields modulate ion selectivity and transport energetics in GRA-based membranes with tailored pore diameters, offering predictive insights for the rational design of next-generation nanofiltration and electroseparation systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 24040-24054"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d6ra00091f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D5RA10033J
Thi Ngoc Anh Vu, Nadezhda Polyanskaya, Svetlana Bozhenkova, Viktor Khrustalev, Andrey Utenyshev, Anton Shetnev, Igor Filenko, Minh Chin Huynh, Anh Van Nguyen and Olga Kovalchukova
{"title":"Synthesis, structure, and antimicrobial activity of a series of novel heterocyclic azo-colorants derived from α-dicarbonyl compounds","authors":"Thi Ngoc Anh Vu, Nadezhda Polyanskaya, Svetlana Bozhenkova, Viktor Khrustalev, Andrey Utenyshev, Anton Shetnev, Igor Filenko, Minh Chin Huynh, Anh Van Nguyen and Olga Kovalchukova","doi":"10.1039/D5RA10033J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA10033J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Six novel azo-compounds derived from α-dicarbonyl species, such as 9,10-phenanthrene quinone, squaric acid and ammonium 2,3,5,6-tetraoxo-4-nitropyridinate, were isolated by reactions with a series of heterocyclic hydrazides and characterized by a set of methods. The spectral studies (FT-IR and <small><sup>1</sup></small>H NMR), together with theoretical DFT modeling and X-ray structure description, of two compounds revealed the hydrazone tautomeric forms of the molecules. Antimicrobial activity against biofilm-forming bacteria was assessed using a turbidimetric method. Growth inhibition was monitored to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. The possibility of a hemolytic effect of the compounds on human red blood cells was evaluated. The ADMET analysis indicated that all the studied compounds obeyed Lipinski's and Veber's rules of the drug discovery pipeline and offered oral bioavailability and positive blood–brain barrier permeability, indicating their potential as therapeutic lead-like compounds. According to the Toxtree analysis, all investigated compounds were categorized as Class I, indicating they belong to the low-toxicity group. The molecular interactions and inhibitory potential underlying the antimicrobial activities of the selected compounds were investigated using molecular docking methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 24128-24140"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d5ra10033j?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D5RA09811D
Khansa Gull, Memoona Arshad, Sadia Jamal, Rifat Jawaria, Saif Ullah and Muhammad Imran
{"title":"Acceptor-driven synergy in dihydropyridine-based compounds reveals giant static and frequency-dependent hyperpolarizabilities: a quantum exploration","authors":"Khansa Gull, Memoona Arshad, Sadia Jamal, Rifat Jawaria, Saif Ullah and Muhammad Imran","doi":"10.1039/D5RA09811D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA09811D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Dihydropyridine carbonitrile derivatives exhibit strong nonlinear optical (NLO) performance due to efficient charge-transfer properties, making them promising for optical applications. In current study, dihydropyridine carbonitrile based compounds (<strong>CTP1–CTP6</strong>) were designed by structural modeling of reference compound (CTPR) with malononitrile-based acceptors for utilization as NLO materials. All quantum chemical calculations were performed <em>via</em> DFT and TD-DFT methods at the M06/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The designed molecules have donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) framework, and this push–pull archiecture was improved by the introduction of electron-withdrawing moiety on acceptors. FMO analysis revealed small energy gaps and effective charge transfer from donor to acceptor regions. The absorbance maxima varied from 412 to 584 nm, indicating a redshift in optical behavior. The significant NLO properties were investigated in <strong>CTP4</strong>, including average polarizability (1.443 × 10<small><sup>−22</sup></small> esu), first-order hyperpolarizability (9.279 × 10<small><sup>−28</sup></small> esu), and second hyperpolarizability (4.231 × 10<small><sup>−33</sup></small> esu), owing to its good optoelectronic properties. The first hyperpolarizability shows a remarkable enhancement, with a maximum value of 9.279 × 10<small><sup>−28</sup></small> esu (<strong>CTP4</strong>), which is nearly 10<small><sup>2</sup></small>–10<small><sup>3</sup></small> times higher than that of <em>para</em>-nitroaniline (<em>p</em>-NA), the standard reference compound. These findings qualitatively indicate that structural modification can greatly enhance the charge-transfer efficiency and quantitatively make the studied systems promising for high-performance optoelectronic and photonic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 24141-24156"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d5ra09811d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D6RA00044D
Richa Tiwari, Akhilesh Kumar, Sneha Naik, Archi Jain, Asmita Singh, Narendra Pal Lamba, Sonia Chahar Srivastava and Manmohan Singh Chauhan
{"title":"Waste water remediation through ultrafast reduction of organic dyes, nitroaromatics, and nitrofuran antibiotics employing efficient multifunctional rGO/Ni-MOF composites","authors":"Richa Tiwari, Akhilesh Kumar, Sneha Naik, Archi Jain, Asmita Singh, Narendra Pal Lamba, Sonia Chahar Srivastava and Manmohan Singh Chauhan","doi":"10.1039/D6RA00044D","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6RA00044D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Herein, we report a synthesis of a highly efficient and effective Ni-MOF/GO composite catalyst and its application in the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds, dyes, and nitrofuran antibiotics (nitrofurantoin). The composite was prepared <em>via</em> a sonication-assisted method, effectively integrating a nickel metal–organic framework (Ni-MOF) onto graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The catalytic performance of the Ni-MOF/GO composite was well evaluated in the reduction of nitroaromatics such as <em>p</em>-nitrophenol, picric acid, and <em>p</em>-nitroaniline and dyes using sodium borohydride (NaBH<small><sub>4</sub></small>) as a reducing agent, under milder conditions, thus highlighting its structural properties and potential as a highly effective catalyst for remediation of waste water from industrial processes. Furthermore, the Ni-MOF/GO composite is used for the degradation of nitro-containing antibiotics, such as nitrofurans, in medical effluents. Degraded nitrofurantoin was investigated for its antibacterial activity to assess the drug-resistant capacity of bacteria. The catalyst was characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TEM.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 26","pages":" 23922-23936"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d6ra00044d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D6RA01734G
Yang Pan, Yin Wang, Xiwei Zhou, Tengxiaoxiao Liu, Xiaoke Zhang and Tao Jiang
{"title":"Synthesis of 2-(α-trifluoromethylamino)indoles via stepwise cascade transformation of imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides with ortho-chloromethyl anilines","authors":"Yang Pan, Yin Wang, Xiwei Zhou, Tengxiaoxiao Liu, Xiaoke Zhang and Tao Jiang","doi":"10.1039/D6RA01734G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6RA01734G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >We have developed an efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of 2-(α-trifluoromethylamino)indole scaffolds from CF<small><sub>3</sub></small>-imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides and <em>ortho</em>-chloromethyl anilines. This transformation exhibits broad functional group tolerance under ambient conditions, giving yields ranging from 49–83% across 23 examples. Mechanistic investigations suggest that the reaction pathway involves an initial cyclization, which is followed by a base-mediated isomerization and rearomatization sequence. This approach offers a novel strategy for introducing α-CF<small><sub>3</sub></small> amino groups into heterocycles and presents a valuable alternative for indole synthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 27","pages":" 24400-24405"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d6ra01734g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RSC AdvancesPub Date : 2026-05-08DOI: 10.1039/D5RA08204H
Doaa Yaseen Doohee, Abas Azarian and Mohammad Reza Mozaffari
{"title":"Energy density-driven structural tuning of Al2O3/AgO films for enhanced toxic gas detection","authors":"Doaa Yaseen Doohee, Abas Azarian and Mohammad Reza Mozaffari","doi":"10.1039/D5RA08204H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA08204H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study examines how laser energy density during pulsed laser deposition (PLD) affects the structural, optical, electrical, and gas-sensing properties of Al<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small>/AgO thin films. The films were deposited at energy densities of 10.2, 21.2, 31, and 40.8 J cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small> and analyzed using XRD, FE-SEM, AFM, UV-vis, and Hall effect techniques. The results showed that increasing the energy density improves the crystallinity and conductivity up to 31 J cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small>, while excessive energy at 40.8 J cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small> induces defects and re-evaporation, enhancing the gas sensitivity due to the increased number of active sites. The optical band gaps ranged from 1.821 to 1.967 eV, varying with the grain size. All films exhibited n-type behavior. Gas sensing tests for NO<small><sub>2</sub></small> and H<small><sub>2</sub></small>S in the range of 40–250 °C revealed the highest sensitivity at 250 °C. The film deposited at 40.8 J cm<small><sup>−2</sup></small> showed the best sensing performance due to the oxygen vacancies and nanoclusters. This study confirms that optimizing laser energy enables the tailoring of Al<small><sub>2</sub></small>O<small><sub>3</sub></small>/AgO films for enhanced gas sensor applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":102,"journal":{"name":"RSC Advances","volume":" 27","pages":" 24306-24324"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ra/d5ra08204h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}