The pursuit of novel anode materials that offer high storage capacity, hasty ionic transport, good cyclic stability, and material recyclability is at the core of the research activities. In this study, we uncovered the potential of 2D puckered chromium ditelluride (CrTe₂) as a novel anode material for multivalent metal‐ion batteries employing Li ions, Mg ions, and Al ions. The structural and dynamical stability of the material was ensured via formation energy and phonon dispersion curves. The optimal anodic properties of the material were systematically analyzed, with a focus on its structural properties, electronic characteristics, adsorption sites, diffusion barriers, and storage capability. The exothermic interactions of Li, Mg, and Al with host CrTe₂ demonstrated its suitability for the intercalation process in respective monovalent, divalent, and trivalent ion batteries. The storage capacity of the material appeared as 1745 mAh g^–1 for LIBs, 872 mAh g^‐1 for MIBs, and 785 mAh g^–1 for AIBs. The open‐circuit voltage is found as 0.76 V for Li, 0.97 V for Mg, and 0.62 V for Al. The diffusion barriers faced by Li, Mg, and Al atoms are found to be low at 0.26 eV, 0.55 eV, and 0.42 eV, respectively, which points to the rapid charging capability of the battery. Furthermore, the electronic transport properties of the host material are also studied using a combined density functional theory (DFT) and Green's function method (DFT‐GF). The findings of this study indicate that CrTe₂ has the potential for utilization as a promising anode material for the development of high‐performance Li, Mg, and Al‐ion batteries.

This study reports the utilization of indium oxychloride (InOCl) as a promising electrode material for rechargeable lithium‐ion battery (LIB), magnesium ion battery (MIB), and aluminum ion battery (AIB). The anodic properties of InOCl are carefully investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations to explore structural, electronic, transport, and electrochemical characteristics. The results reveal that InOCl stores more metal ions than the commercially used anode materials. The values of the charge capacity are found as 3604, 4700, 2820 mAhg⁻¹ for LIBs, MIBs and AIBs,respectively which shows that InOCl could be a capable anode material. The open circuit voltage of the host material is given as 2.05 V for Li, 1.7 V for Mg and 0.95 V for Al, respectively. The volume expansion is calculated as 9.12%, 3.6% and 15.5% for LIBs, MIBs and AIBs, respectively which points to resilience of the host against swelling during charge/discharge cycles. The electrochemical performance of the host is studied on the basis of diffusion kinetics and transition barrier faced by Li‐ions, Mg‐ions and Al‐ions. The minimum energy barrier is calculated as 0.20, 0.80, and 0.44 eV whereas the values of diffusion coefficient are calculated as 1.14 × 10⁻⁹, 1.1 × 10^–11, and 0.88 × 10⁻⁹ m²/s for LIBs, MIBs and AIBs, respectively. Furthermore, the respective values of ionic conductivity are calculated as 10.32 × 10⁻², 1.1 × 10⁻², and for 8.50 × 10⁻³ S/m.

In this research, silica nano-particles are deposited over the borosilicate glass and silicon wafer substrates by indigenously developed Aerosol impact deposition assembly using SiH₄, oxygen, and helium as precursors. The coating process involves deionization of gases leading towards nucleation sites for silica in the presence of plasma, while tuning the pressure difference between reaction and deposition chamber controls the coating thickness, porosity, and refractive index. The deposited coating layer on the substrate enhanced the transmittance to 99.6% at 600 nm wavelength. The induced porous nature and the graded index of the coated layer as observed from the AFM and SEM resulted in superhydrophilic behavior with a water contact angle of near to 0°. The super-hydrophilicity of the coating contains self-cleaning properties, suggesting an improvement of the performance of solar PV modules as well.

The release of heavy metals and organic pollutants from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources presents a serious threat to water bodies and ecosystems. Removing contaminants from refinery wastewater is essential for protecting water quality and the environment. This study developed silver nanoparticles using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a magnetic field, which were subsequently coated with graphene oxide (GO) to create an effective adsorbent. The beads have been tested for their effectiveness in removing heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, as well as organic contaminants like naphthalene, phenol, and fluorene from wastewater. At an optimal pH of 7, a contact time of 6 h, and a temperature of 298 K, the as-developed Ag-GONA beads exhibited maximum adsorption capacities of 326.77 mg/g for lead Pb, 300.37 mg/g for mercury Hg, 219.13 mg/g for cadmium Cd, 71.93 mg/g for naphthalene, 67.77 mg/g for fluorene, and 58.11 mg/g for phenol. Kinetic analysis suggested that the process involved chemisorption following a pseudo-second order (PSO) mechanism, while equilibrium data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption took place via hydrogen bonding, pore filling, and electrostatic attraction. The Ag-GONA beads showed remarkable reusability, with the removal rate of Pb(II) decreasing from 99.9% to 78% after six cycles. In contrast, the removal rates for Hg(II) and Cd(II) remained consistent, staying between 75% and 80%. The removal of naphthalene, phenol, and fluorene demonstrated a reduction of about 20% over six consecutive adsorption and desorption cycles. This novel adsorbent presents a promising, sustainable approach for refinery wastewater treatment, advancing environmental conservation strategies.

The development of electrode material is a top priority to meet the requirements of high storage capacity, longer cyclic stability, and rapid transportation of ions in rechargeable metal-ion batteries. In this research, first-principles investigations are carried out to examine the suitability of lithium titanate oxide as an anode material in a series of metal-ion batteries, including Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and various multivalent-ion batteries such as Al-ion batteries (AIBs), Mg-ion batteries (MIBs), Ca-ion batteries (CIBs), and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs). The proposed material is comprehensively investigated to study the structural properties, thermal stability, metal atom storage capacity, and adsorption energy. The ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation is used to ensure the thermal stability of the host material. The ideal anodic properties of the material are examined by modeling the adsorption of Li, Mg, Ca, K, and Al on the host material, thereby monitoring the exothermic reaction to explore its suitability for the relevant batteries. The calculated values of the storage capacity for LIBs, AIBs, MIBs, CIBs, and KIBs are 240 mAhg^–1, 1131 mAhg^–1, 1302 mAhg^–1, 411 mAhg^–1, 171 mAhg^–1, respectively. The structural integrity of the material under full loading ensures its longer cyclic life as an anode. The respective values of open circuit voltage (OCV) are calculated as 3.31, 4.12, 1.09, 1.24, and 1.43 V for LIBs, KIBs, MIBs, CIBs, and AIBs, indicating the performance of LTO as an electrode in these batteries. Additionally, the migration paths of Li ions and vacancies were studied using the Cl-NEB , indicating low energy barriers and revealing the stability of the host. The minimum energy barriers faced by diffusing metal atoms are calculated as 0.52 eV (LIBs), 0.28 eV (KIBs), 0.43 eV (MIBs), 0.01 eV (AIBs), and 1.51 eV (CIBs). The vacancy migration pathways of the metal ions in the host material are also determined. Furthermore, the MD simulations at 300K to 900 K are studied to determine the diffusion coefficient and rate performance of LTO as an electrode, which appeared as 1.04 × 10^–12 m²/s (LIBs), 0.83 × 10^–5 m²/s (MIBs), 0.66 × 10^–9 m²/s (AIBs), 0.07 × 10^–11 m²/s (CIBs), and 7.65 × 10^–9 m²/s (KIBs), respectively. The ionic conductivity of LIBs, MIBs, CIBs, KIBs, and AIBs appeared as 2.32 × 10^–3 Sm^–1, 1.19 × 10^–2 Sm^–1, 8.32 × 10^–2 Sm^–1, 6.33 × 10^–3 Sm^–1, and 0.21 × 10^–2 Sm^–1, respectively. The calculated properties point to the suitability of LTO as a promising electrode material in these batteries. Furthermore, to model the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase, the nonequilibrium Green’s function technique was used to study the transportation of electrons and current–voltage characteristics. The findings of the study suggest that LTO is a potential candidate for use as an anode in multivalent metal-ion batteries.

Social constructivism theory embraces peer-to-peer communication that helps students understand, examine, and discern the process of knowledge construction. The Social Constructivism Flipped-Classroom Model (SCFCM) inverts the traditional classroom paradigm by providing content outside of class, often through online materials, and devoting in-class time to active learning and discussion. This study aims to investigate the impact of the SCFCM on the conceptual understanding of photocatalysis, a crucial process in environmental science and chemistry, particularly in relation to sustainability and sustainable development. Photocatalysis, being a self-sustained process, holds potential for addressing global challenges such as renewable energy and pollution reduction, both of which are central to achieving sustainable development goals. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed at a public sector university, involving forty-three (43) students in each of the flipped- and non-flipped-classroom groups. Assessment tools, including pre- and post-tests and an interest survey, were used to gauge students’ conceptual understanding of photocatalysis and their degree of learning interest. The same chemistry teacher, one who had eight years of teaching experience, taught both groups. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results comparing students’ performance showed a significant difference in the performance of students in the experimental group compared to the control group. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results, however, revealed substantial differences in attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction between the experimental and control groups. The findings highlight that the SCFCM improved students’ understanding of complex photocatalysis concepts and demonstrated its relevance to sustainable development, offering valuable insights into the potential of this teaching approach for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education, especially in addressing sustainability challenges.