Oxygen and hydrogen generated by water electrolysis may be utilized as a clean chemical fuel with high gravimetric energy density and energy conversion efficiency. The hydrogen fuel will be the alternative to traditional fossil fuels in the future, which are near to exhaustion and cause pollution. In the present study, flowery-shaped In₂MnSe₄ nanoelectrocatalyst is fabricated by anion exchange reaction directly grown on nickel foam (NF) in 1.0 M KOH medium for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The physiochemical and electrical characterization techniques are used to investigate the chemical structure, morphology, and electrical properties of the In₂MnSe₄ material. The electrochemical result indicates that synthesized material exhibits a smaller value of Tafel slope (86 mV/dec), lower overpotential (259 mV), and high stability for 37 h with small deterioration in the current density for a long time. Hence, the fabricated material responds with an extraordinary performance for the OER process and for many other applications in the future.

The optical properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer nanocomposite films incorporating SrTiO₃/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as nanofillers are investigated. PVDF/SrTiO₃/CNTs films were prepared by the solution casting technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed the incorporation of SrTiO₃/CNTs into the PVDF matrix. The addition of nanofillers influenced the crystalline structure, morphology, and optical properties of the films. SEM images showed spherulite morphology, which is a spherical aggregate of crystalline polymer chains. The addition of a SrTiO₃/CNTs nanofiller modified the polymer’s electronic structure, causing a variation in the energy gap. The addition of SrTiO₃/CNTs at 0.1 wt% increased the band gap, refractive index, and nonlinear optical properties of the PVDF films. These improvements indicate the potential of these nanocomposite films in optoelectronic applications such as solar cells, image sensors, and organic light-emitting diodes.

Light-driven heterogeneous photocatalysis has gained great significance for generating solar fuel; the challenging charge separation process and sluggish surface catalytic reactions significantly restrict the progress of solar energy conversion using a semiconductor photocatalyst. Herein, we propose a novel and feasible strategy to incorporate dihydroxy benzene (DHB) as a conjugated monomer within the framework of urea containing CN (CNU-DHBx) to tune the electronic conductivity and charge separation due to the aromaticity of the benzene ring, which acts as an electron-donating species. Systematic characterizations such as SPV, PL, XPS, DRS, and TRPL demonstrated that the incorporation of the DHB monomer greatly enhanced the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction of CN due to the enhanced charge separation and modulation of the ionic mobility. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity of CNU–DHB_15.0 in comparison with parental CN was 85 µmol/h for CO and 19.92 µmol/h of the H₂ source. It can be attributed to the electron–hole pair separation and enhance the optical adsorption due to the presence of DHB. Furthermore, this remarkable modification affected the chemical composition, bandgap, and surface area, encouraging the controlled detachment of light-produced photons and making it the ideal choice for CO₂ photoreduction. Our research findings potentially offer a solution for tuning complex charge separation and catalytic reactions in photocatalysis that could practically lead to the generation of artificial photocatalysts for efficient solar energy into chemical energy conversion.

In light of the variety of industrial uses and economic relevance of mild steel, corrosion resistance is a serious topic. Utilization of inhibitors serves as one of the most essential methods for corrosion control. Two thiadiazole compounds, namely, 2-amino-5-(4-bromobenzyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (a1) and 2-amino-5-(3-nitrophenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (a2), were synthesized. The structure of the prepared compounds was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR). In a 0.50 M H₂SO₄ solution, the effectiveness of two synthetic thiadiazole derivatives as mild steel corrosion inhibitors were investigated. In this evaluation, various electrochemical methodologies have been utilized, such as potentiodynamic polarization, open circuit potential (OCP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results confirm the efficiency of the inhibition increases by raising concentrations of a1 and a2. The inhibitory behavior was explained by the notion that the adsorption of thiadiazole molecules, a1 and a2, on the surface of mild steel causes a blockage of charge and mass transfer, protecting the mild steel from offensive ions. Furthermore, the synthesized molecules a1 and a2 were analyzed using density functional theory (DFT).

Silica extracted from rice straw was utilized to synthesize nanoscale ZSM-5 zeolite, which was further modified with platinum (Pt) or gold (Au). The structural properties of the materials were examined using XRD, SEM, and BET analysis, while acidity distribution was determined by in situ FT-IR through pyridine adsorption. The zeolitic samples were evaluated as catalysts for isopropanol conversion in the temperature range of 150–275 °C. Modification of HZSM-5 with Au and Pt introduced additional active metal sites and enhanced the acidity of the catalyst, thereby lowering the activation energy for dehydration reactions and improving catalytic performance. Both acetone and propene were produced from isopropanol conversion across all catalysts, with oligomerization occurring at temperatures above 200 °C. Among the catalysts, HZSM-5 modified with 4% Pt or 4% Au exhibited superior conversion rates and selectivity to propene, achieving 92% selectivity at 200 °C. The enhanced propylene selectivity and stability of Au/HZSM-5 are associated with preserved medium-strength acid sites, as evidenced by in situ FT-IR pyridine adsorption, particularly the band at 1457 cm⁻¹. Theoretical studies indicated that incorporating noble metals such as Au and Pt enhances the stability of the zeolite structure, which is consistent with the experimental results, suggesting new potential for advanced catalysis and material science applications.

Background/Objectives: Cancer remains one of the most significant challenges in modern medicine, requiring the continuous development of novel molecular scaffolds with anticancer potential that act through multiple pathways. Heterocyclic compounds incorporating indole, triazole, oxadiazole, and thiadiazine motifs have attracted considerable attention due to their diverse pharmacological activities. This study aimed to design, synthesize, and evaluate new hybrid heterocyclic systems, including 1,2,4-triazole, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and thiadiazine motifs, targeting liver and breast cancer. Methods: A series of indolyl-based heterocyclic compounds was synthesized using efficient and environmentally friendly protocols. Indolyl-triazol-thiadiazin-6-ol 5 was prepared via solvent-free fusion of esters 2 and 3 or the corresponding acid 4. Oxadiazole derivatives were produced by reacting hydrazide intermediates with carbon disulfide. Triazole derivatives were synthesized via cylization of thiosemicarbazide 9 in aqueous KOH (4.0 N). Structural characterization was performed using Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR), ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and electron impact mass spectrometry (EIMS). Cytotoxic activity was evaluated against liver and breast cancer cell lines, and VEGFR-2 kinase inhibition was assessed for selected derivatives. Results: The synthesized compounds demonstrated notable cytotoxicity activity, with compounds 4, 5, and 9 exhibiting IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar range. Enzymatic assays revealed that compounds 4 and 9 showed strong VEGFR-2 inhibition (97.9% and 96.4%, respectively), indicating apoptosis-inducing effects. Conclusions: The synthesized indolyl-based hybrid heterocycles represent a promising chemotype with in vitro cytotoxic activity and VEGFR-2 inhibitory effects, supporting further investigation, optimization, and mechanistic studies to evaluate their potential lead for anticancer drug development.