The microstructure and cation distribution of Co1−xMnxFe2O4 were investigated and correlated with their electrical properties. Here, Mn substitution enhances the resistive properties which make them favorable for high-frequency applications.
A highly cost-effective recycled biomaterial extracted from lime peel has been made biocompatible and has been coated on a commercial fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate of glass using the spin coating method. Structural, morphologic, electronic, and antibacterial measurements were thoroughly characterized as a green biomaterial thin film using X-rays (XRD), PL, FTIR, Raman, SEM, HRTEM, AFM, I–V, and antibacterial diffusion techniques. The comprehensive analysis of structures of recyclable waste in the form of lime peel extract (LPE) as thin films showed the crystalline cellulose structure that corresponds to the lattice fringe (0.342 nm) exposed by HRTEM. The K+1 interstitial active sites or vacancies in LPE/FTO thin films are confirmed by the PL spectra that show important evidence about conduction mechanisms, and hence facilitates Ag+1 ion migration from the top to the bottom electrode. The AFM investigations revealed the minor surface roughness (169.61 nm) of the LPE/FTO film, which controls the current leakage that is associated with surface defects. The designed memory cell (Ag/LPE/FTO) exhibits stable, reproducible electrical switching under low operational voltage and is equipped with excellent retention over 5 × 103 s. Furthermore, owing to presence of flavonoids and their superior antioxidant nature, lime peel extract powder shows tremendous antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains.
Solar-driven evaporation is a promising technology for desalinating seawater and wastewater without mechanical or electrical energy. The approaches to obtaining fresh water with higher evaporation efficiency are essential to address the water-scarcity issue in remote sensing areas. Herein, we report a highly efficient solar evaporator derived from the nanocomposite of anatase TiO2/activated carbon (TiO2/AC), which was coated on washable cotton fabric using the dip-dry technique for solar water evaporation. The ultra-black fabric offers enhanced solar absorption (93.03%), hydrophilic water transport, and an efficient evaporation rate of 1.65 kg/m2h under 1 kW m−2 or one sun solar intensity. More importantly, the sideways water channels and centralized thermal insulation of the designed TiO2/AC solar evaporator accumulated photothermal heat at the liquid and air interface along with an enhanced surface temperature of 40.98 °C under one sun. The fabricated solar evaporator desalinated seawater (3.5 wt%) without affecting the evaporation rates, and the collected condensed water met the standard of drinking water set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This approach eventually enabled the engineering design groups to develop the technology pathways as well as optimum conditions for low-cost, scalable, efficient, and sustainable solar-driven steam generators to cope with global water scarcity.