The fascinating features of 2D nanomaterials for various applications have prompted increasing research into single and few-layer metal dichalcogenides nanosheets using improved nanofabrication and characterization techniques. MoS₂ has recently been intensively examined among layered metal dichalcogenides and other diverse transition metal-based materials, that have previously been studied in various applications. In this research, we report mixed-phase Mn-doped MoS₂ nanoflowers for supercapacitor performance studies. The confirmation of the successfully prepared Mn-doped MoS₂ nanoflowers was characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, RAMAN, and BET research techniques. The mixed-phase of the as-synthesized electrode material was confirmed by the structural changes observed in the XRD and RAMAN studies. The surface area from the BET measurement was calculated to be 46.0628 m²/g, and the adsorption average pore size of the electrode material was 11.26607 nm. The electrochemical performance of the Mn-doped MoS₂ electrode material showed a pseudo-capacitive behavior, with a specific capacitance of 70.37 Fg⁻¹, and with a corresponding energy density of 3.14 Whkg⁻¹ and a power density of 4346.35 Wkg⁻¹. The performance of this metal-doped MoS₂-based supercapacitor device can be attributed to its mixed phase, which requires further optimization in future works.

In this article, we demonstrate the surface effect and optoelectronic properties of holmium (Ho3+)-doped ZnO in P3HT polymer nanocomposite. We incorporated ZnO:Ho3+ (0.5 mol% Ho) nanostructures in the pristine P3HT-conjugated polymer and systematically studied the effect of the nanostructures on the optical characteristics. Detailed UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis revealed enhanced absorption coefficient and optical conductivity in the P3HT-ZnO:Ho3+ film as compared to the pristine P3HT. Moreover, the obtained photoluminescence (PL) results established the improvement of exciton dissociation as a result of ZnO:Ho3+ nanostructures inclusion. The occurrence of PL quenching is the result of enhanced charge transfer due to ZnO:Ho3+ nanostructures in the polymer, whereas energy transfer from ZnO:Ho3+ to P3HT was verified. Overall, the current investigation revealed a systematic tailoring of the optoelectronic properties of pristine P3HT after inclusion of ZnO:Ho3+ nanostructures, thus opening brilliant perspectives for applications in various optoelectronic devices.

Lanthanum (La) nanocomposites LaFeO₃, LaNiO₃, and LaCoO₃ were synthesized using a sol-gel method, and different La to-metal (Fe, Ni, or Co) ratios were attained using various concentrations of salts. The resulting composites were calcined at 540 °C and characterized by XRD, SEM-EDX, FT-IR spectroscopy, XPS, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and PL spectroscopy. The activity of the lanthanum composites (LaFeO₃, LaNiO₃, and LaCoO₃) was studied using the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and ortho-toluidine blue (o-TB) under visible light with a wavelength below 420 nm. The change in the concentration of dyes was monitored by using the UV-Vis spectroscopy technique. All composites appeared to have some degree of photocatalytic activity, with composites possessing an orthorhombic crystal structure having higher photocatalytic activity. The LaCoO₃ composite is more efficient compared with LaFeO₃ and LaNiO₃ for both dyes. High degradation percentages were observed for the La composites with a 1:1 metal ratio.

Energy is the driving force behind the upcoming industrial revolution, characterized by connected devices and objects that will be perpetually supplied with energy. Moreover, the global massive energy consumption increase requires appropriate measures, such as the development of novel and improved renewable energy technologies for connecting remote areas to the grid. Considering the current prominent market share of unsustainable energy generation sources, inexhaustible and clean solar energy resources offer tremendous opportunities that, if optimally exploited, might considerably help to lessen the ever-growing pressure experienced on the grid nowadays. The R&D drive to develop and produce socio-economically viable solar cell technologies is currently realigning itself to manufacture advanced thin films deposition techniques for Photovoltaic solar cells. Typically, the quest for the wide space needed to deploy PV systems has driven scientists to design multifunctional nanostructured materials for semitransparent solar cells (STSCs) technologies that can fit in available household environmental and architectural spaces. Specifically, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique demonstrated the ability to produce highly transparent coatings with the desired charge carrier mobility. The aim of the present article is to review the latest semi-transparent PV technologies that were impactful during the past decade with special emphasis on PECVD-related technologies. We finally draw some key recommendations for further technological improvements and sustainability.

Manganese oxide (α-MnO₂) nanoparticles are highly recognised for their use in supercapacitor applications. This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of flower-like and nanorods hollandite α-MnO₂ by a simple one-pot hydrothermal technique at various reaction times. The synthesised nanoparticles were characterised by various physicochemical and electrochemical characterisation techniques. The influence of the various reaction times on the structural and morphological properties was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope. XRD patterns revealed that the synthesized MnO₂ nanoparticles are tetragonal structures with crystallite sizes ranging from 13.69 to 20.37 nm estimated from the Williamson–Hall method. Moreover, the functional groups and surface area were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Bruner–Emmert–Teller, respectively. Furthermore, the compositional elements were studied by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the electrochemical performances were studied using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The GCD characteristics revealed that the optimised α-MnO₂ has a good capacitive behaviour, which predicts the potential application in energy storage. Electrochemical studies revealed that the 3 h-MnO₂ sample exhibited a superior electrochemical behaviour and demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 132 F/g at a current density of 1A/g.

The crucial role of In as a dopant on the structural, optical, and thermogravimetric characteristics of the zinc selenite (ZnSeO₃) nanopowders has been investigated in detail using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The structural analysis indicates that all patterns are assigned to the ZnSeO₃ orthorhombic structure. Also, XRD analysis shows that In³⁺ ions may have replaced Zn²⁺ ions, which causes lattice expansion. Both the Debye–Scherrer method, and the Williamson–Hall method have also been applied to study the influence of strain on the calculation of the crystallite size. The crystallite size was observed to increase with an increase in dopant concentration. The FE-SEM corroborated that the prepared samples are orthorhombic, with the EDS and mapping confirming the presence of In as a dopant. Raman spectroscopy results corroborated the XRD results indicating an expansion in the crystal structure of ZnSeO₃ with the introduction of dopants. Based on DRS data, the introduction of In decreases the energy band gap of the synthesized ZnSeO₃ nanopowder samples from 3.305 to 3.276. PL spectra confirm the presence of indium with the green emission band attributed to dopants dominating the emission. The TGA investigation shows an improvement in the mass loss with the introduction of dopants. EIS results indicated an improvement in the conductivity as the charge transfer resistance decreased from 525.04 to 21.95 kΩ for the undoped ZnSeO₃ and 0.75% In–ZnSeO₃ thin films showing improvement in charge mobility.