Browsing by Author "Shenoy, S."

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A robust photocatalyst using silver quantum clusters grafted in titanium dioxide nanotubes
(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Shenoy, S.; Sridharan, K.
Enhanced photocatalytic activity resulting from the direct electron transfer from noble metal nanoparticles coupled with semiconductor nanostructures is well reported. However, studies on the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor nanostructures coupled with noble metal clusters that exhibit fascinating chemical, optical, and electronic properties are still limited. In this context, we herein report the fabrication of silver quantum clusters grafted on titanium dioxide nanotubes (AgQCs-TNT) towards the photodegradation of ibuprofen and photoreduction of hexavalent chromium ions under visible light irradiation. The structural, chemical, morphological, and optical properties of the as-synthesized samples were studied through X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Interestingly, AgQCs-TNT exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of ibuprofen and the reduction of hexavalent chromium ions under visible light irradiation in comparison to their pristine counterparts. Role of scavengers and plausible mechanisms pertaining to the improved photocatalytic activity of AgQCs-TNT due to the synergy between the pristine counterparts are discussed. © 2022
A simple single-step approach towards synthesis of nanofluids containing cuboctahedral cuprous oxide particles using glucose reduction
(Higher Education Press, 2018) Shenoy, S.; Nityananda Shetty, A.
Enhancement of thermal properties of conventional heat transfer fluids has become one of the important technical challenges. Since nanofluids offer a promising help in this regard, development of simpler and hassle free routes for their synthesis is of utmost importance. Synthesis of nanofluids using a hassle free route with greener chemicals has been reported. The single-step chemical approach reported here overcomes the drawbacks of the two-step procedures in the synthesis of nanofluids. The resulting Newtonian nanofluids prepared contained cuboctahedral particles of cuprous oxide and exhibited a thermal conductivity of 2.852 W·m-1·K-1. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) used during the synthesis acted as a stabilizing agent rendering the nanofluid a stability of 9 weeks. © 2018, Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Advanced two-dimensional heterojunction photocatalysts of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric bismuth oxyhalides with graphitic carbon nitride for sustainable energy and environmental applications
(MDPI, 2021) Sridharan, K.; Shenoy, S.; Girish Kumar, S.G.; Terashima, C.; Fujishima, A.; Pitchaimuthu, S.
Semiconductor-based photocatalysis has been identified as an encouraging approach for solving the two main challenging problems, viz., remedying our polluted environment and the generation of sustainable chemical energy. Stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX and BixOyXz where X = Cl, Br, and I) are a relatively new class of semiconductors that have attracted considerable interest for photocatalysis applications due to attributes, viz., high stability, suitable band structure, modifiable energy bandgap and two-dimensional layered structure capable of generating an internal electric field. Recently, the construction of heterojunction photocatalysts, especially 2D/2D systems, has convincingly drawn momentous attention practicably owing to the productive influence of having two dissimilar layered semiconductors in face-to-face contact with each other. This review has systematically summarized the recent progress on the 2D/2D heterojunction constructed between BiOX/BixOyXz with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). The band structure of individual components, various fabrication methods, different strategies developed for improving the photocatalytic performance and their applications in the degradation of various organic contaminants, hydrogen (H2) evolution, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, nitrogen (N2) fixation and the organic synthesis of clean chemicals are summarized. The perspectives and plausible opportunities for developing high performance BiOX/BixOyXz-g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalysts are also discussed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Bimetallic nanoparticles grafted ZnO hierarchical structures as efficient visible light driven photocatalyst: An experimental and theoretical study
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Shenoy, S.; Tarafder, K.; Sridharan, K.
Bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) exhibiting novel properties due to synergy between the individual elements have sparkled significant interest as a co-catalyst in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of semiconductor materials. Here, we report the photocatalytic activity of NiAg NPs embedded on hierarchical ZnO structures (NiAg-ZnO). Structural and morphological investigations through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of NiAg-ZnO. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy revealed the decrease in the bandgap energy of NiAg-ZnO (2.65 eV) in comparison to pristine ZnO (3.1 eV). Interestingly, the rate of photodegradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B dye molecules under visible light irradiation are two to three times enhanced with NiAg-ZnO in comparison to Ag-ZnO. Enhanced visible light absorption and effective charge separation due to the synergistic metal-semiconductor interface formed by the embedment of NiAg bimetallic NPs on ZnO led to the improved photocatalytic activity. Experimental results are further confirmed through the first principle electronic band structure calculations. © 2021
Bismuth oxybromide nanoplates embedded on activated charcoal as effective visible light driven photocatalyst
(Elsevier B.V., 2020) Shenoy, S.; Sridharan, K.
Nanostructured bismuth oxybromide (BiOBr) are one among the most significantly researched visible light driven photocatalyst, but their low specific surface area hinders higher rate of photodegradation. Herein, a single-step solution based synthesis technique is adopted to embed BiOBr on very little quantities of activated charcoal (AC), thereby improving its specific surface area and visible light absorption range. Nanoplate morphology of BiOBr and their embedment on AC are confirmed from electron microscopy. Interestingly, the embedment of BiOBr on just 0.5 wt% of AC (BiOBr-AC0.5) significantly enhanced the rate of salicylic acid photodegradation, which was six-fold higher than that of pristine BiOBr. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Cadmium sulfide nanostructures: Influence of morphology on the photocatalytic degradation of erioglaucine and hydrogen generation
(2019) Shenoy, S.; Jang, E.; Park, T.J.; Gopinath, C.S.; Sridharan, K.
Size and shape of inorganic materials are known to have great effects on their physical and chemical properties. Here, for the first time we report the visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of erioglaucine a stable organic dye molecule in the presence of chemically synthesized nanoscale CdS with 1D (nanorods), 2D (nanosheets) and 3D (hierarchical) morphology. Visible light driven photocatalytic degradation efficiency of both 1D and 3D CdS in the removal of erioglaucine are identical. Surprisingly, with 5 min of sonication, the highly crystalline 3D CdS stacked with many thin nanowires containing numerous active surface sites exhibited four-fold enhanced photodegradation efficiency in comparison to 1D and 2D CdS. Scavenger studies revealed that electrons and superoxide radicals are primary reactive species involved in the photodegradation of erioglaucine, while cyclic photodegradation studies revealed the good stability of 3D CdS against photocorrosion. Further, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution studies also revealed the excellent activity of 3D CdS in comparison to 1D and 2D CdS. Thus, we find that the morphology indeed influences the photocatalytic activity. These results reveal that 3D CdS nanostructures investigated in the present work are efficient photocatalysts that could be fine-tuned for both environmental remediation and hydrogen generation applications. 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Cadmium sulfide nanostructures: Influence of morphology on the photocatalytic degradation of erioglaucine and hydrogen generation
(Elsevier B.V., 2019) Shenoy, S.; Jang, E.; Park, T.J.; Gopinath, C.S.; Sridharan, K.
Size and shape of inorganic materials are known to have great effects on their physical and chemical properties. Here, for the first time we report the visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of erioglaucine – a stable organic dye molecule in the presence of chemically synthesized nanoscale CdS with 1D (nanorods), 2D (nanosheets) and 3D (hierarchical) morphology. Visible light driven photocatalytic degradation efficiency of both 1D and 3D CdS in the removal of erioglaucine are identical. Surprisingly, with 5 min of sonication, the highly crystalline 3D CdS stacked with many thin nanowires containing numerous active surface sites exhibited four-fold enhanced photodegradation efficiency in comparison to 1D and 2D CdS. Scavenger studies revealed that electrons and superoxide radicals are primary reactive species involved in the photodegradation of erioglaucine, while cyclic photodegradation studies revealed the good stability of 3D CdS against photocorrosion. Further, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution studies also revealed the excellent activity of 3D CdS in comparison to 1D and 2D CdS. Thus, we find that the morphology indeed influences the photocatalytic activity. These results reveal that 3D CdS nanostructures investigated in the present work are efficient photocatalysts that could be fine-tuned for both environmental remediation and hydrogen generation applications. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Effect of Fe3+ substitution on the structural modification and band structure modulated UV absorption of hydroxyapatite
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2021) Hadagalli, K.; Shenoy, S.; Shakya, K.R.; Manjunath, G.; Tarafder, K.; Mandal, S.; Basu, B.
The effect of Fe3+ ionic substitution in hydroxyapatite (Ca10-xFex(PO4)6(OH)2) was studied using structural modifications, resulting in an improvement in UV absorption through a tailored optical band structure. Ca2+ of HA being larger compared to Fe3+ contributes to the shrinkage of the lattice. Undoped HA has a peak at 1085 cm?1 (?3 PO43?) which is shifted to 1033 cm?1 for Fe-HA, because of the perturbation in HA structure. An improvement of UV absorption in the entire UVA and UVB range with an increase in Fe content because of a decrease in bandgap from 5.9 eV to 2.1 eV with undoped and doped HA. Theoretically obtained band gap and optical behaviour of the systems are well correlated with the experimental findings. Moreover, the use of marine biowaste from cuttlefish bone, as the source of HA; low cost and promising UV absorption can have a potential application as UV protective sunscreen filters. © 2020 The American Ceramic Society
Enhanced Bulk Thermoelectric Performance of Pb0.6Sn0.4Te: Effect of Magnesium Doping
(2017) Shenoy, S.; Bhat, D.K.
Thermoelectric (TE) materials are promising in the context of renewable power generation as they can directly convert waste heat into electricity. Although PbTe is the best known TE material, its use is not encouraged due to concerns of environmental toxicity of lead. A combination of modified self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) and field-assisted sintering technique (FAST) is employed for the very first time to synthesize a solid solution of PbTe and SnTe. We show that doping of Pb0.6Sn0.4Te with Mg breaks crystal mirror symmetry and opens up band gap. This results in suppression of bipolar diffusion. Also the increase in degeneracy of valence sub-bands improves Seebeck coefficient. Both these synergistically leads to remarkable enhancement in figure of merit ZT (?2 at 840 K) and ZTavg (?1.2 between 500 and 840 K) rendering it into high-performance thermoelectric material by successfully engineering electronic structure. Most importantly, the ZT here is comparable to that of Mg-doped PbTe but has lesser lead content and hence is more environment friendly. The most probable configuration of Pb0.6Sn0.4Te was also determined for the very first time using site occupancy disorder (SOD) technique. 2017 American Chemical Society.
Enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of layered CdS/CdSe heterostructures: Insights from first principles electronic structure calculations
(Institute of Physics Publishing helen.craven@iop.org, 2020) Shenoy, S.; Tarafder, K.
Metal sulfides are emerging as an important class of materials for photocatalytic applications, because of their high photo responsive nature in the wide visible light range. In this class of materials, CdS with a direct band gap of 2.4 eV, has gained special attention due to the relative position of its conduction band minimum, which is very close to the energies of the reduced protons. However, the photogenerated holes in the valence band of CdS are prone to oxidation and destroy its structure during photocatalysis. Thus constructing a CdS based heterostructure would be an effective strategy for improving the photocatalytic performance. In this work we have done a detail theoretical investigation based on hybrid density functional theory calculation to get insight into the energy band structure, mobility and charge transfer across the CdS/CdSe heterojunction. The results indicate that CdS/CdSe forms type-II heterostructure that has several advantages in improving the photocatalytic efficiency under visible light irradiation. © 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Enhanced thermoelectric performance of bulk tin telluride: Synergistic effect of calcium and indium co-doping
(Elsevier Ltd, 2018) Bhat, D.K.; Shenoy, S.
SnTe based materials are considered recently as a lead-free replacement of the well-known PbTe based thermoelectric (TE) materials in addressing the energy crisis worldwide. Herein we report both experimental and theoretical study on the effect of co-doping of calcium and indium on electronic structure and TE properties of SnTe. We show that the resonant levels introduced by indium and band gap opening caused by calcium, valence band convergence induced by both calcium and indium, synergistically increases the Seebeck coefficient for a wide range of temperatures. The co-doped SnTe with a high ZT of ?1.65 at 840 K and record high power factor of ?47 ?Wcm?1K?2 for SnTe based materials make it a promising material for TE applications. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Graphitic C3N4/CdS composite photocatalyst: Synthesis, characterization and photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light
(Elsevier B.V., 2020) Shenoy, S.; Tarafder, K.; Sridharan, K.
Design and development of heterojunction photocatalysts is one among the main strategies for improving the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor materials. Here, we report the synthesis of a heterojunction photocatalyst by the embedment of cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles on the surface of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) layers through hydrothermal approach. The g-C3N4/CdS heterojunction photocatalyst exhibited two-fold and three-fold enhancement in the photodegradation efficiency in comparison to pristine CdS and g-C3N4, respectively in the removal of 20 ppm methylene blue dye molecules under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of heterojunction and the synergistic effect of g-C3N4 and CdS in the promotion of charge separation and charge mobility that was tracked through photoluminescence spectroscopy. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Melt quenched vanadium oxide embedded in graphene oxide sheets as composite electrodes for amperometric dopamine sensing and lithium ion battery applications
(2017) Sreejesh, M.; Shenoy, S.; Sridharan, K.; Kufian, D.; Arof, A.K.; Nagaraja, H.S.
Electrochemical sensors and lithium-ion batteries are two important topics in electrochemistry that have attracted much attention owing to their extensive applications in enzyme-free biosensors and portable electronic devices. Herein, we report a simple hydrothermal approach for synthesizing composites of melt quenched vanadium oxide embedded on graphene oxide of equal proportion (MVGO50) for the fabrication of electrodes for nonenzymatic amperometic dopamine sensor and lithium-ion battery applications. The sensing performance of MVGO50 electrodes through chronoamperometry studies in 0.1 M PBS solution (at pH 7) over a wide range of dopamine concentration exhibited a highest sensitivity of 25.02 ?A mM ?1 cm ?2 with the lowest detection limit of 0.07 ?M. In addition, the selective sensing capability of MVGO50 was also tested through chronoamperometry studies by the addition of a very small concentration of dopamine (10 ?M) in the presence of a fairly higher concentration of uric acid (10 mM) as the interfering species. Furthermore, the reversible lithium cycling properties of MVGO50 are evaluated by galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling studies. MVGO50 electrodes exhibited enhanced rate capacity of up to 200 mAhg ?1 at a current of 0.1C rate and remained stable during cycling. These results indicate that MVGO composites are potential candidates for electrochemical device applications. 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Melt quenched vanadium oxide embedded in graphene oxide sheets as composite electrodes for amperometric dopamine sensing and lithium ion battery applications
(Elsevier B.V., 2017) Moolayadukkam, M.; Shenoy, S.; Sridharan, K.; Kufian, D.; Arof, A.K.; Nagaraja, H.S.
Electrochemical sensors and lithium-ion batteries are two important topics in electrochemistry that have attracted much attention owing to their extensive applications in enzyme-free biosensors and portable electronic devices. Herein, we report a simple hydrothermal approach for synthesizing composites of melt quenched vanadium oxide embedded on graphene oxide of equal proportion (MVGO50) for the fabrication of electrodes for nonenzymatic amperometic dopamine sensor and lithium-ion battery applications. The sensing performance of MVGO50 electrodes through chronoamperometry studies in 0.1 M PBS solution (at pH 7) over a wide range of dopamine concentration exhibited a highest sensitivity of 25.02 ?A mM ?1 cm ?2 with the lowest detection limit of 0.07 ?M. In addition, the selective sensing capability of MVGO50 was also tested through chronoamperometry studies by the addition of a very small concentration of dopamine (10 ?M) in the presence of a fairly higher concentration of uric acid (10 mM) as the interfering species. Furthermore, the reversible lithium cycling properties of MVGO50 are evaluated by galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling studies. MVGO50 electrodes exhibited enhanced rate capacity of up to 200 mAhg ?1 at a current of 0.1C rate and remained stable during cycling. These results indicate that MVGO composites are potential candidates for electrochemical device applications. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.
Novel Fe-Ni-Graphene composite electrode for hydrogen production
(2015) Badrayyana, S.; Bhat, D.K.; Shenoy, S.; Ullal, Y.; Hegde, A.C.
We have developed a novel, efficient and economical composite electrode for hydrogen production. The electrode has been formed by embedding graphene in the Fe-Ni matrix via room temperature electrodeposition. The obtained active coatings have been tested for their efficiency and performance as electrode surfaces for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 6 M KOH by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry techniques. The coating obtained at 60 mA cm-2 exhibited approximately 3 times higher activity for hydrogen production than that of binary Fe-Ni alloy. Addition of graphene to electrolyte bath resulted in porous 3D projections of nano-sized spheres of Fe-Ni on the surface of graphene, which effectively increased the electrochemically active surface area. XPS analysis results showed the equal distribution of both Ni metal and NiO active sites on the composite. The addition of graphene favoured the deposition of metallic nickel, which accelerated the rate determining proton discharge reaction. All these factors remarkably enhanced the HER activity of Fe-Ni-Graphene (Fe-Ni-G) composite electrode. The Tafel slope analysis showed that the HER follows Volmer-Tafel mechanism. The structure-property relationship of Fe-Ni-G coating has been discussed by interpreting field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis results. 2015 Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Novel NRGO-CoWO4-Fe2O3 nanocomposite as an efficient catalyst for dye degradation and reduction of 4-nitrophenol
(Elsevier Ltd, 2018) Mohamed, M.M.J.; Shenoy, S.; Bhat, D.K.
Novel NRGO-CoWO4-Fe2O3 (N-doped reduced graphene oxide-cobalt tungstate-iron oxide) ternary nanocomposite was prepared by using simple microwave method. The synthesized materials were thoroughly characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The nanocomposite was studied for its catalytic activity in degradation of methylene blue (MB) and reduction of 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-Aminophenol (4-AP). The observed results of catalytic efficiency and rate constants indicated that the NRGO-CoWO4-Fe2O3 nanocomposite can perform as an excellent catalyst compared to other composite materials. The detailed experimental study revealed that this ternary nanocomposite shows a great promise as a candidate for various environmental applications. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
One-Dimensional Multichannel g-C3N4.7Nanostructure Realizing an Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction and Its Theoretical Investigations
(American Chemical Society, 2021) Antil, B.; Kumar, L.; Ranjan, R.; Shenoy, S.; Tarafder, K.; Gopinath, C.S.; Deka, S.
The emerging metal-free carbon nitride (C3N4) offers prominent possibilities for realizing the highly effective hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, its poor surface conductivity and insufficient catalytic sites hinder the HER performance. Herein, a one-dimensional vermicular rope-like graphitic carbon nitride nanostructure is demonstrated that consists of multichannel tubular pores and high nitrogen content, which is fabricated through a cost-effective approach having the final stoichiometry g-C3N4.7 for HER application. The present g-C3N4.7 is unique owing to the presence of abundant channels for the diffusion process, modulated surface chemistry with rich-electroactive sites from N-electron lone pairs, greatly reduced recombination rate of photoexcited exciton pairs, and a high donor concentration (4.26 × 1017 cm3). The catalyst offers a visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 evolution rate as high as 4910 ? mol h-1 g-1 with an apparent quantum yield of 14.07% at band gap absorption (2.59 eV, 479 nm) under 7.68 mW cm-2 illumination. The number of hydrogen gas molecules produced is 1.307 × 1015 s-1 cm-2, which remained constant for a minimum of 18 h of repeated cycling in the HER without any degradation of the catalyst. In density functional theory calculations, a significant change in the band offset is observed due to N doping into the system in favor of electron catalysis. The theoretical band gap of a monolayer of g-C3N4.7 was enormously reduced because of the presence of additional densities of states from the doped N atom inside the band gap. These impurity or donor bands are formed inside the band gap region, which ultimately enhance the hydrogen ion reduction reaction enormously. © 2021 American Chemical Society.
Porous cobalt chalcogenide nanostructures as high performance pseudo-capacitor electrodes
(2017) Bhat, K.S.; Shenoy, S.; Nagaraja, H.S.; Sridharan, K.
Electrochemical supercapacitor is an essential technology that is pivotal for the development of reliable energy storage devices. Herein, we report the fabrication of supercapacitor electrodes using nanostructured porous cobalt chalcogenide (CoTe2 and CoSe2) electrodes, anticipating an enhanced performance owing to their higher contact area with electrolyte and large pore volume enabling shorter diffusion paths for ion exchange. In this regard, we synthesized CoTe2 and CoSe2 nanostructures via an anion-exchange-reaction between pre-synthesized Co(OH)2 hexagonal nanosheets and chalcogen (tellurium and selenium) ions under hydrothermal conditions. Structural, morphological and compositional properties of the as-synthesized materials are examined using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Pseudo-capacitive properties of CoTe2 and CoSe2 nanostructures as working electrodes are studied through cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge methods using an electrochemical workstation. CoSe2 electrode delivered a specific capacitance of 951 F g?1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s?1, which surprisingly is almost three times higher in comparison to CoTe2 electrode (360 F g?1). Both CoTe2 and CoSe2 electrodes exhibited good capacitance retention capability for 2500 CV cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of the nanoporous CoSe2 electrode indicate their applicability for high-performance energy storage device applications. 2017 Elsevier Ltd
Porous cobalt chalcogenide nanostructures as high performance pseudo-capacitor electrodes
(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Bhat, K.S.; Shenoy, S.; Nagaraja, H.S.; Sridharan, K.
Electrochemical supercapacitor is an essential technology that is pivotal for the development of reliable energy storage devices. Herein, we report the fabrication of supercapacitor electrodes using nanostructured porous cobalt chalcogenide (CoTe2 and CoSe2) electrodes, anticipating an enhanced performance owing to their higher contact area with electrolyte and large pore volume enabling shorter diffusion paths for ion exchange. In this regard, we synthesized CoTe2 and CoSe2 nanostructures via an anion-exchange-reaction between pre-synthesized Co(OH)2 hexagonal nanosheets and chalcogen (tellurium and selenium) ions under hydrothermal conditions. Structural, morphological and compositional properties of the as-synthesized materials are examined using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Pseudo-capacitive properties of CoTe2 and CoSe2 nanostructures as working electrodes are studied through cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge methods using an electrochemical workstation. CoSe2 electrode delivered a specific capacitance of 951 F g?1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s?1, which surprisingly is almost three times higher in comparison to CoTe2 electrode (360 F g?1). Both CoTe2 and CoSe2 electrodes exhibited good capacitance retention capability for 2500 CV cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of the nanoporous CoSe2 electrode indicate their applicability for high-performance energy storage device applications. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
Rapid sonochemical synthesis of copper doped ZnO grafted on graphene as a multi-component hierarchically structured visible-light-driven photocatalyst
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021) Shenoy, S.; Ahmed, S.; Lo, I.M.C.; Singh, S.; Sridharan, K.
Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structures (HSs) have demonstrated excellent properties for various applications that are attributable to their distinctive micro-sized architecture with nanoscale substructures. Recently, the ultrarapid sonochemical approach was found to be an effective strategy for synthesizing single component HSs with uniform morphologies in comparison to the direct precipitation technique. We here report the fabrication of copper doped zinc oxide grafted on graphene layers (ZnO-Cux-GOy) for exploring the capability of this ultrarapid approach for synthesizing multi-component HSs. Interestingly, the morphology of ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs studied through electron microscopy revealed the growth of ZnO HSs decorated with Cu nanoparticles and interconnected by graphene layers. ZnO-Cux-GOy HSs demonstrated three-fold higher efficiency in the photodegradation of ibuprofen (IBU) under visible light irradiation in comparison to pristine ZnO HSs, which is attributable to the combined influence of the doped Cu2+ ions and graphene, enabling improved visible light absorption and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated charges. Thus, the novel ultrarapid sonochemical synthesis strategy demonstrated here is anticipated to open up a new horizon for the time-saving and scalable design of multi-component HSs of various materials for a myriad of applications. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd