P. Sharma

Ag-doped ZnO nanoellipsoids: Potential scaffold for photocatalytic and sensing applications

Well-crystalline Ag-doped ZnO nanoellipsoids (NEs) were synthesized in large quantity and used as effective photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) and efficient electron mediator for the fabrication of highly sensitive, reliable and robust hydrazine chemical sensor. The Ag-doped NEs were synthesized by facile low-temperature (~60°C) solution process and characterized in detail using various characterization techniques. The characterizations revealed that the synthesized nanostructures are well-crystalline, possessing ellipsoidal shapes and were grown in very high density. The photocatalytic activities of these Ag-doped NEs were evaluated by measuring the rate of photodegradation reaction of hazardous methyl orange (MO) dye under UV light irradiation. By comparing the photocatalytic performance of Ag-doped ZnO NEs with those of ZnO nanoflowers, the former was found to be a much superior photocatalyst than the later. Further, Ag-doped ZnO NEs based hydrazine sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of ~9.46 µA/cm(2)µM and detection limit of 0.07 µM in a response time of <10s. Thus we find that Ag-doped ZnO nanomaterials synthesized by simple solution process holds potential as efficient photocatalysts and efficient electron mediators for the fabrication of robust and highly sensitive chemical sensors.

Hexagonal cadmium oxide nanodisks: Efficient scaffold for cyanide ion sensing and photo-catalytic applications

Herein, we report the large-scale low-temperature aqueous solution based synthesis of hexagonal-shaped cadmium oxide (CdO) nanodisks. The synthesized nanodisks were characterized in detail to investigate the morphological, structural, optical and compositional properties using various analytical tools. The detailed characterizations revealed that the synthesized CdO nanodisks are grown in high-density, possessing well-crystallinity with cubic crystal phase and exhibiting good optical properties. Further, the prepared CdO nanodisks were used as efficient scaffold for cyanide ion sensor and photocatalyst applications. A luminescent sensor for the determination of cyanide ion in aqueous solution was fabricated based on synthesized CdO nanodisks. The fabricated luminescent sensor exhibited an extremely low detection limit (~1.40μmolL(-1)) towards cyanide ion which is significantly lower than the maximum permitted value of cyanide ion by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for drinking water (7.69μmolL(-1)). The interference studies of the fabricated sensor also demonstrate excellent selectivity towards cyanide ions compared to other coexisting ions. As a photocatalyst, the synthesized CdO nanodisks exhibited high photodegradation (~99.7%) of toxic methyl orange dye just in 90min using 0.25g of CdO nanodisks.

Legislators in an Indian State: A Study in Social Characteristics

Successive elections in a democratic polity can bring about a qualitative change in the interaction between politics and society. Continuation of the democratic process in a society, and especially in a transitional one such as India where the traditional society is transforming itself according to the demands of a new state system, brings changes in values that are manifested in the composition and working of various political institutions. In the legislature, an institution of elected representatives, these changes are clearly visible. Through a study of the social characteristics of legislators one may gain an insight into the changes in social values, and the characteristics of legislators can also serve as an index to the changing distribution of power within a society. It is assumed that politics of agitation bring changes in the distribution of power as well as in the social characteristics of legislators, and a comparison of legislators elected in normal elections and those elected in the wake of an agitation may help in verifying that assumption. In addition, an examination of the characteristics of legislators belonging to various political parties may indicate the social bases of these parties and the pattern of leadership recruitment. Finally, the features of politics in a society can also be understood by studying its legislators. An attempt is made here to enquire into the social characteristics of legislators in the state of Haryana in India. For purposes of this study, we have taken the data on legislators elected in two successive elections, 1987 and 1991, to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly).