Muhammad Bilal Tahir

Nanostructured-based WO 3 photocatalysts: recent development, activity enhancement, perspectives and applications for wastewater treatment

The growth of highly ordered architectures of semiconductor metallic oxide photocatalyst has acknowledged great consideration due to natural growth along with exceptional morphology properties and potential application ways to resolve the problem of freshwater shortages in this world. Tungsten trioxide (WO3) is a well-known semiconductor photocatalyst due to its better response in solar spectrum, fine metal interactions, mechanical strength, high efficiency, harmlessness and cost-effectiveness. This review focuses on a precise and overall description of the recent literature relating pure and doped/composite WO3 catalyst, photocatalytic enhancement mechanism. Moreover, it will also elaborate the experimental conditions used photocatalyst synthesis processes, optimization of the parameters affecting the degradation efficiency of various dyes. Furthermore, strategies for improving photocatalytic activity of WO3 like metal doping, semiconductor coupling, metal sulfides and metal nitrides coupling are systematically summarized and highlighted. After this, future perspectives about advancement and applications are reviewed. It is expected that this review article could offer strategies for designing novel WO3-based photocatalysts which can have promising prospects of multifunctional applications to meet the imperative demands of highly efficient solar energy conversion.

A Review on Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Copper Nanoparticles Using Green Method

To address accosts of this modern age, the synthesis of metal nanoparticles is more important than ever. Copper has been recognized as a nontoxic, safe inorganic material, cheaper antibacterial/ant...

Potential of Biological Agents in Decontamination of Agricultural Soil.

Pesticides are widely used for the control of weeds, diseases, and pests of cultivated plants all over the world, mainly since the period after the Second World War. The use of pesticides is very extensive to control harm of pests all over the globe. Persistent nature of most of the synthetic pesticides causes serious environmental concerns. Decontamination of these hazardous chemicals is very essential. This review paper elaborates the potential of various biological agents in decontamination of agricultural soils. The agricultural crop fields are contaminated by the periodic applications of pesticides. Biodegradation is an ecofriendly, cost-effective, highly efficient approach compared to the physical and chemical methods which are expensive as well as unfriendly towards environment. Biodegradation is sensitive to the concentration levels of hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen along with microbial community, temperature, and pH changes. Experimental work for optimum conditions at lab scale can provide very fruitful results about specific bacterial, fungal strains. This study revealed an upper hand of bioremediation over physicochemical approaches. Further studies should be carried out to understand mechanisms of biotransformation.

Wet Chemical Co-precipitation Synthesis of Nickel Ferrite Nanoparticles and Their Characterization

In this study, wet chemical co-precipitation method was employed for the synthesis of pure and doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles at low temperature whereas the concentration of nickel varies from 2, 4, 6 and 8%. Optical absorption and transmission, Surface morphology, and structural properties of material are characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, ultra-violet visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction respectively. It is observed that the transmission, size and band gap energy increases by increasing the amount of nickel. Red shift of the peaks is observed in the UV–visible spectra which is associated with the increase in size of the nickel ferrite. It can be used to fabricate devices intended to store data, for the classification of inorganic materials which plays a very important role in the different aspects of life due to their outstanding magnetic, electronic and optical properties.

Efficient biosensing through 1D silver nanostructured devices using plasmonic effect

The current work explores the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a one dimensional (1D) silver nano-grating device, simulated on glass substrate, which can sense a very small change in the refractive index of an analyte adjacent to it. The most recent modeling technique finite element analysis is applied in this work by using a COMSOL RF module. The models of 1D grating devices of different slit widths with fixed periodicity and film thickness are simulated. The data is collected and then used to study higher refractive index unit per nanometer (RIU/nm) as well as the effect of the widths of the slits on the RIU. A number of investigations are done by the simulated data, like a dip in the transmission spectra of p-polarized light. This dip is due to SPP resonance with the variation of slit width. Furthermore, the most fascinating part of the research is the COMSOL modeling that provides an opportunity to look into factors affecting higher RIU/nm, while visualizing the cross-sectional view of the grating device and strong electric field enhancement at the surface of the metallic device. When the slit width is almost equal to half of the periodicity of the grating device, SPP resonance increases and it is at maximum for the slit width equal to two-thirds of the periodicity, because the coupling efficiency is at maximum.

CO2 Capture, Storage, and Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications

Abstract CO 2 -EOR gained the attention of industry as one of the most practical choices of oil recovery approaches. In addition to the oil production boost, enhanced oil recovery by means of CO 2 offers a channel to store the enormous volumes of CO 2 permanently under the subsurface in depleted crude oil reservoirs. Here we discussed the potential and operational mechanisms of CO 2 -EOR applications for trapped oil recovery as well as CO 2 sequestration.

ZnO THIN FILMS: RECENT DEVELOPMENT, FUTURE PERSPECTIVES AND APPLICATIONS FOR DYE SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) provide promisingly, organic–inorganic, clean hybrid, cost effective and efficient molecular solar cell devices. Due to their distinct and multifunctional qualities, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are promising materials used to create photoanodes for DSSCs due to the availability of larger surface area than bulk sheet substance, effectual light-dispersing centers, and when mixed with titanium dioxide they produce a core–shell formation that diminishes the coalition rate and provide direct charge. Moreover, ZnO thin sheets have been broadly observed due of its potential application in various fields i.e. piezoelectric, photovoltaic, pyroelectric and optoelectronic utilization. This review studies the recent advances in the fabrication of zinc oxide-based photovoltaics; synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with variable morphologies including thin sheets, nanotubes, nanorods, nanoflowers, nanofibers and factors that control the growth and morphologies of these nanospecies and part of crystallographic planes for the fabrication of various zinc oxide nanoshapes. In the next part of this paper, numerous fabrication routes — doped and undoped ZnO thin films — are discussed and different parameters of photovoltaics are investigated, e.g. efficiency pre and post annealing temperatures, fill factors spinning speed and coating time, additives, nature of precursor which impacts on morphological and optical parameters of these sheets. In short, this review is dedicated to the ZnO photoanode, its properties, issues related to ZnO photoanode, various improvement approaches, fabrication methods successfully trialled so far followed by market potential of the DSSC technology, conclusion and recommendations