Polymers are ideal solutions for architects and constructors in the marine field who require materials that can achieve light and stable structures owing to their unique advantages. For instance, they possess a high strength-to-weight ratio, high wear resistance and fatigue strength, resistance to corrosion, ease of fabrication, and superior vibration damping behavior. These properties make polymers well suited for marine-based applications. However, polymers have their disadvantages, such as contributing to plastic pollution, which has a detrimental impact on the environment. In recent times, various concurrent methods have been employed to advance the future of polymers. This review explores (i) an overall view of polymers used in marine industries, (ii) a focus on reducing plastic wastage, (iii) challenges involved in recycling polymers and ensuring their sustainability, and (iv) the development of renewable plastics.

Water resources are vital for humanity, but their quality has degraded in recent years due to increasing industrial activities. One significant issue is fluoride contamination, prevalent worldwide. Fluorides exist in combined states such as calcium fluoride, fluorapatite, and cryolite, originating from industrial processes like aluminum and fertilizer manufacturing. The World Health Organization warns against fluoride levels above 1.5 mg/L in drinking water due to health risks, including dental and skeletal fluorosis. Industrial activities also release fluoride-containing wastes into the environment, endangering ecosystems and human health. Overexposure to fluoride leads to disorders affecting organs including the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. Despite fluoride’s benefits in controlled doses, excessive intake causes health problems, as evidenced by rising dental fluorosis cases in Brazil. Thus, effective and affordable fluoride removal strategies are crucial. Various methods exist, including adsorption, membrane technology, ion exchange process, electrodialysis, and electrocoagulation. Regulation of fluoride levels in drinking water is imperative to safeguard public health from its detrimental long-term effects.

Nickel oxide (NiO), a wide bandgap p-type semiconductor, has emerged as a promising material for electrochemical sensing owing to its excellent redox properties, chemical stability, and facile synthesis. Its strong electrocatalytic activity enables effective detection of diverse analytes, including glucose, hydrogen peroxide, environmental pollutants, and biomolecules. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the development of NiO-based nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanoflakes, which offer enhanced surface area and improved electron transfer. Integration with conductive materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) further enhance sensor performance through synergistic effects. Innovations in synthesis techniques, including hydrothermal, sol–gel, and green approaches, have expanded the applicability of NiO in next-generation sensing platforms. This review summarizes recent progress in the structural engineering, composite formation, and electrochemical mechanisms of NiO-based materials for advanced electrochemical sensing applications.

The introduction of external surface features on mating contact surfaces is an effective method to reduce friction and wear between the contact surfaces. The tribological properties of the contact surfaces can be improved by controlling the geometrical parameters (shape, size, depth) of the surface texture effectively. In the present study, the tribological properties of Al6061-T6 cylindrical workpieces with various micro-dimple-texture geometries and an AISI 52100 steel stationery block are tested experimentally, in a rotating cylinder-on-pin configuration of the friction test. The dual-frequency surface texturing method is employed to create micro-dimple textures using a polycrystalline diamond tool. The effect of a hierarchical micro-dimple texture is then investigated under boundary lubrication conditions. Hierarchical micro-dimples, with an increase in length, show a lower friction coefficient under high load and sliding speed conditions. Secondary hierarchical nano-structures help in improving the tribological characteristics by generating an additional hydrodynamic lift effect.

At present, lead halide PVSKSCs are promising photovoltaic cells but have some limitations, including their low stability in ambient conditions and the toxicity of lead. Thus, it will be of great significance to explore lead-free perovskite materials as an alternative absorber layer. In recent years, the numerical simulation of perovskite solar cells (PVSKSCs) via the solar cell capacitance simulation (SCAPS) method has attracted the attention of the scientific community. In this work, we adopted SCAPS for the theoretical study of lead (Pb)-free PVSKSCs. A cesium bismuth iodide (CsBi₃I₁₀; CBI) perovskite-like material was used as an absorber layer. The thickness of the CBI layer was optimized. In addition, different electron transport layers (ETLs), such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂), tin oxide (SnO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO), and zinc selenide (ZnSe), and different hole transport layers, such as spiro-OMeTAD (2,2,7,7-tetrakis(N,N-di(4-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene), poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P₃HT), poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine (PTAA), and copper oxide (Cu₂O), were explored for the simulation of CBI-based PVSKSCs. A device structure of FTO/ETL/CBI/HTL/Au was adopted for simulation studies. The simulation studies showed the improved photovoltaic performance of CBI-based PVSKSCs using spiro-OMeTAD and TiO₂ as the HTL and ETL, respectively. An acceptable PCE of 11.98% with a photocurrent density (J_sc) of 17.360258 mA/cm², a fill factor (FF) of 67.10%, and an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 1.0282 V were achieved under the optimized conditions. It is expected that the present study will be beneficial for researchers working towards the development of CBI-based PVSKSCs.