Indian Institute of Technology Indore

The growing Perovskite solar cells (PSC) reached a power conversion efficiency of up to 25% within a decade and demonstrated capabilities to replace traditional silicon-based solar cells. However, the major...

N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) mediated transition metal and solvent-free, regioselective multicomponent cascade reaction is developed for the C-3 alkylation of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines via a three-component reaction of styrenes, diaryl dichalcogenides and pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines. This...

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are known for their high porosity and stability, making them ideal for various applications, including energy harvesting. A simple synthesis method was used to synthesize zinc‐based metal–organic frameworks (Zn‐MOFs) and introduce them into an ultra‐stretchable Ecoflex polymer as functional fillers. We developed triboelectric nano generator (TENG) devices using Ecoflex, both pristine and modified with different Zn‐MOF concentrations, to evaluate their performance. The output voltage, current, and instantaneous power of Zn‐MOF‐modified Ecoflex TENG devices were 3, 4, and 5 times higher than pristine Ecoflex TENGs. This improvement is due to Zn‐MOF's large surface area, porous structure, charge trapping sites, improved surface roughness, and electron cloud conduction. The improved TENG device achieved 36 mW of maximum power and 40 mW m⁻² power density. The Flexible TENG device powered LEDs and stored energy in capacitors by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. We integrated flexible TENG device into cardiac patients' shoes to monitor running speeds and identify dangerous velocities using wireless IoT cloud monitoring. Real‐time notifications and wireless data transmission to families and emergency personnel allowed immediate assistance.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted the world’s economy and impacted people’s lives significantly. Humanity struggled to combat this pandemic, simultaneously resuming normalcy in techno-economical activities. From a sustainability and energy conservation perspective, curbing the transmission of these respiratory diseases in indoor environments is challenging. To reduce the transmission of these respiratory diseases, the factors affecting the transmission of droplets in indoor spaces, along with proper mathematical modelling and their physics, need serious consideration. Hence, this review discusses the factors influencing indoor transmission, the factors responsible for the virus transmission, and probabilistic research methods. The paper also discusses some deterministic approaches, like CFD models with Eulerian and Lagrangian methods, taken by the researchers to understand the transmission of the particles observing the trajectories of the evaporating droplets. The present finding suggests that Eulerian and Lagrangian provide the spatial distribution of the particle concentration in the air. However, the Lagrangian is preferred over the Eulerian approach as it can track the evaporating droplets and give their trajectories in the air. The focus is on engineering recommendations to mitigate the transmission of SARS-COV-2 in indoor spaces. Appropriate engineering controls like sufficient ventilation, filtration of pathogen aerosols, use of purifiers in synchronisation with ventilation systems, and personal protective equipment are effective ways to reduce the risk of transmission in indoor environments. The major challenge is optimising energy consumption in indoor environments with existing infrastructure. This review will be helpful to both the public and agencies in combating respiratory disease transmission in indoor environments.

To overcome the undesirable side effects and acquired resistance associated with platinum based chemotherapeutics, scientists are searching for alternative strategies involving novel metal-based compounds having improved pharmacological properties. Ruthenium complexes...

Despite minimally invasive surgeries and advancements in aseptic techniques, implant-associated infections are a significant complication in post-surgical implantation of medical devices. The standard practice of systemic antibiotic administration is often...

Ammonium ions (NH4⁺) are promising non-metallic charge carriers for sustainable and cost-effective advanced electrochemical energy storage. However, the development of electrode materials with well-defined structural features to facilitate rapid NH4⁺ diffusion kinetics remains a significant challenge. In this study, we demonstrate the design of a novel oxygen-rich cobalt-based metal–organic framework (Co-MOF) showcasing unique (O4–CoN2) coordination geometry. This distinctive structure of Co-MOF contributes to high stability, abundant active sites, and enhanced electrochemical performance. To further boost performance, Co-MOF nanoflowers were uniformly integrated with Ti3C2Tx MXene carbonized nanofibers (MXCNF), forming advanced Co-MOF@MXCNF heterostructures. These heterostructures exhibit a highly porous, nanofibrous morphology, delivering a notable specific capacitance of 980 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹ and excellent cycling stability, retaining 91.1% capacitance after 16 000 cycles. When paired with a porous MXCNF anode, the ammonium-ion hybrid supercapacitors (AIHSCs) delivered an impressive energy density of 41.5 mW h kg⁻¹ with the corresponding power density of 800 mW kg⁻¹, retaining 87% of their capacitance after 16 000 cycles. This study highlights the synergistic advantages of integrating stable MOFs with MXene nanofibers for remarkable ammonium-ion storage. It establishes a framework for designing high-performance energy storage materials, paving the way for next-generation sustainable energy storage devices.

3D printing or additive manufacturing has gained popularity due to its high innovation potential, process improvement, and design freedom in industries such as aerospace, dental, medical, and automotive. A detailed investigation into thin film as a feedstock for printing maskless MEMS structures is an important area of current research. In this work, we explore the selective positioning of ZnO ceramic over a NiTi interdigitated structure on an ITO-coated glass substrate using the laser decal transfer technique. A CO2 laser (λ = 10.6 µm) is employed, and the effects of laser processing parameters—including laser fluence, laser pulse overlaps, and stand-off distance—are systematically analyzed. Key experimental findings indicate that a laser fluence of 75 J/cm2 optimally facilitates ZnO transfer while avoiding material burning. A stand-off distance of 12.5 cm allows effective material transfer, whereas off-focus conditions hinder ZnO deposition. Additionally, an optimal laser pulse overlaps of 65% achieves a balance between continuous material transfer and minimal heat-affected zone. The transferred ZnO seed layer, approximately 5 µm thick, is further hydrothermally grown into well-structured ZnO nano-rods, confirmed through SEM and XRD analysis, which identifies a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. Finally, using optimized parameters, the feasibility of multi-material transfer is demonstrated, with successful ZnO deposition on a NiTi interdigitated structure (600 µm feature size), forming a layered structure. The proposed laser micro-3D printing via laser decal transfer offers significant advantages for fabricating complex sensors with controlled gradient-based properties.

Handling the threats of intellectual property (IP) piracy and false IP ownership claim, are central from the perspective of IP vendor’ right as well as reliability of system-on-chip (SoC) designs. IP design piracy has become an emergent concern for the digital hardware design community, in the last few years. This paper presents a novel behavioral synthesis based hardware IP Protection methodology that exploits IP vendor’s proteogenomic Bio-marker as digital Watermark (BioW-IPP), for detective countermeasure against IP piracy and quashing false IP ownership claim. The proposed approach is capable of exploiting the IP vendor’s bio-watermark (proteogenomic signature) as secret digital evidence (BW-ID) to generate a robust hardware watermark for embedding into the IP design during behavioral synthesis/high level synthesis (HLS) process. The generated proteogenomic signature bio-watermark is embedded into the register allocation phase of behavioral synthesis (HLS) that ensures negligible design overhead post-embedding. The proposed approach on comparison with prior behavioral synthesis based watermarking techniques achieved greater security in terms of lower probability of coincidence (watermark collision) and higher tamper tolerance, at nominal design overhead.

In recent years, the systems comprising of bosonic atoms confined to optical lattices at ultra-cold temperatures have demonstrated tremendous potential to unveil novel quantum mechanical effects appearing in lattice boson models with various kinds of interactions. In this progress report, we aim to provide an exposition to recent advancements in quantum simulations of such systems, modeled by different ‘non-standard’ Bose–Hubbard models, focusing primarily on long-range systems with dipole–dipole or cavity-mediated interactions. Through a carefully curated selection of topics, which includes the emergence of quantum criticality beyond Landau paradigm, bond-order wave insulators, the role of interaction-induced tunneling, the influence of transverse confinement on observed phases, or the effect of cavity-mediated all-to-all interactions, we report both theoretical and experimental developments from the last few years. Additionally, we discuss the real-time evolution of systems with long-range interactions, where sufficiently strong interactions render the dynamics non-ergodic. And finally to cap our discussions off, we survey recent experimental achievements in this rapidly evolving field, underscoring its interdisciplinary significance and potential for groundbreaking discoveries.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are emerging as remarkably versatile devices functioning as energy harvester and vibration sensors, which can harvest electrical energy from waste mechanical energy. This study investigates the effect of laser texturing on the performance of Contact–Separation TENG (CS-TENG) and Sliding TENG (S-TENG) devices. Laser texturing was performed using a 532 nm wavelength Nd3+YAG-pulsed laser, with different spot overlap percentages to optimize the surface morphology for maximum enhancement TENG output. It was observed that laser texturing significantly enhanced the electrical output, due to increased surface roughness and surface charge density. The CS-TENG and S-TENG achieved 35% and 59% enhancement, respectively, in open-circuit voltage and 34% and 38% enhancement, in short-circuit current, Furthermore, for laser-textured S-TENG, the effect of the orientation of laser textures relative to the sliding direction was investigated. The laser-textured S-TENG was tested with textures parallel, inclined, and perpendicular to the sliding direction. The parallel orientation shows maximum enhancement compared to the other orientations, due to increase in effective area of contact for triboelectrification. To confirm its potential as vibration sensor, the laser-textured S-TENG was mounted on an air compressor, and the S-TENG was able to detect the working condition of the air compressor.

Nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery has revolutionized nano-therapeutics. It ensures improved biodistribution, longer blood circulation, and improved bioavailability inside the body. The loading efficiency and stability of the drug within the carrier are the major challenges for ideal drug delivery. In this study, we have synthesized indocyanine green (ICG) loaded Poly-L-Lysine (PLL) nanoparticles by a two-step self-assembly process using a green chemistry approach, where water-based solvents were used for fabrication such as phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4), deionized water (DI), and Milli-Q water (MQ). The effect of these solvents on the morphology, stability and loading efficiency of ICG was investigated using UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The results demonstrated that nanoparticles can be fabricated using all the three solvents, however, there was a huge difference between their functional and morphological properties. These functional and morphological properties play important role in their biomedical applications. It was found that PBS-based NPs showed the maximum loading of ICG followed by DI water and MQ water respectively. The PBS suspended ICG-loaded PLL nanoparticles were highly monodispersed with the mean diameter of ∼200 nm and showed highest photothermal efficiency. The green synthesized biocompatible and biodegradable NPs were designed to treat solid tumors via local hyperthermia due to photothermal property of these NPs. The photothermal cytotoxicity assessment of PBS-based PLL-ICG NPs in both 2D and 3D in vitro cultures displayed notable efficacy. Therefore, we conclusively demonstrate that selection of right solvent is crucial to realize the full potential of green-synthesized polymeric nanoparticles.

A novel metal‐ and base‐free approach for the synthesis of benzoxazino and benzoxazepino fused isoquinoline derivatives from ortho‐alkynyl aldehydes and amines under mild reaction conditions has been described. The formation of new C−O and C−N bonds via metal‐free cyclization with internal alkyne aided by water molecules without using external ligands and bases has been described. In addition, a series of control experiments are performed, and mechanistic studies are discussed elaborately by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation. Furthermore, gram‐scale synthesis and photophysical studies of the synthesized compounds and their quantum yield calculation have been demonstrated.

Nanoscale optical functionalities are promising for unconventional computing, including neuromorphic and quantum information processing. Resistive switching devices with optical readability have drawn significant research interest for high-density non-volatile memory and...

Wrinkles, with regular periodic patterns in thin elastomeric membranes, occur to relax in-plane compressive stresses through out-of-plane deformations. Existing studies on such wrinkling have primarily ignored the thermo-electro-magnetostrictive unequal-biaxial taut states, focusing instead on the equal-biaxial deformations of thin membranes. Soft actuators made of electro-magneto-active (EMA) membranes, used mainly in soft robotics, often exhibit a variety of instabilities, which may adversely affect their performance and lead to actuator failure. Conversely, fine-tuned wrinkles in their regular periodic patterns can be used proactively in specific applications that necessitate an intentional loading transformation and dual responsiveness to electromagnetic fields. This paper theoretically develops a physics-based thermo-electro-magnetostrictive unequal-biaxial deformation model of thin EMA membranes, incorporating classical tension field theory to predict the thresholds on the taut domains in the plane of principal stretches. The model solution is then experimentally verified for a readily available thin membrane. In addition, the analytical findings tie an unanswered ideal remark on the deviations of taut states with the biaxiality ratio of the unequal-biaxially deformed wrinkle appearance in thin EMA-based smart membranes.

A bstract The p T -differential cross section of ω meson production in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ s = 13 TeV at midrapidity ( |y| < 0 . 5) was measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC, covering an unprecedented transverse-momentum range of 1 . 6 < p T < 50 GeV/ c . The meson is reconstructed via the ω → π ⁺ π − π ⁰ decay channel. The results are compared with various theoretical calculations: PYTHIA8.2 with the Monash 2013 tune overestimates the data by up to 50%, whereas good agreement is observed with Next-to-Leading Order (NLO) calculations incorporating ω fragmentation using a broken SU(3) model. The ω/π ⁰ ratio is presented and compared with theoretical calculations and the available measurements at lower collision energies. The presented data triples the p T ranges of previously available measurements. A constant ratio of C ω/π 0 = 0 . 578 ± 0 . 006 (stat.) ± 0 . 013 (syst.) is found above a transverse momentum of 4 GeV/ c , which is in agreement with previous findings at lower collision energies within the systematic and statistical uncertainties.

The significant challenge of wastewater generation is a global concern that necessitates mitigation through sustainable approaches. Identifying remedies before each unspoiled water reservoir succumbs to contamination resulting from the indiscriminate discharge of wastewater is crucial. Constructed wetlands integrated bio-electrochemical technologies (CW-BES) stand out as a recently devised sustainable technology that holds promise in addressing the challenge of wastewater treatment while concurrently facilitating the recovery of bioelectricity as a secondary byproduct. This chapter extensively delves into the intricacies of CW-BES, exploring their development, fundamental electron transfer mechanisms, various configurations such as constructed wetland integrated microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs), MET lands, or electroactive wetlands employed to date, the diverse range of media/electrodes utilized, as well as the identified microbial diversification. The focus extends to comprehensively understanding the factors influencing CW-BES performance. Further, the chapter highlights the practical feasibility of deploying such sustainable technology in real-world applications on a larger commercial scale and the challenges associated with their implementation and operation. Finally, a techno-economic assessment of CW-BES technologies is discussed to evaluate the economic feasibility of scaling up these systems.

Molecules exhibiting phosphorescence emission, with variation in its emission wavelength or intensity upon external mechanical force, are known as a phosphorescent mechanochromic materials (PMC). This review focuses on the development of organic mechanophosphorescent molecules and their emission in response to a mechanical stimulus, which can be used as smart materials in the field of luminescent switches, mechanosensors, security papers, data storage, and biological applications. In addition, the review provides clear understanding of underlying mechanism, exploring how the intermolecular interactions, crystal packing and suitable molecular design facilitate the RTP enhancement. The disruption of intermolecular interactions or crystal packing by external stimuli such as mechanical force, results in either RTP on/off or after glow intensity change. In the present review, the recent progress in the organic mechano‐phosphorescent molecules have been highlighted along with mechanism and molecular design.

This work demonstrates the tuning of crystal‐field parameters of Nd rare Earth ion in NdAlO3 through lanthanum (La) substitution; for this purpose, this work has prepared the polycrystalline samples of pure and La‐substituted NdAlO3 using the sol–gel synthesis method. The purity of the phase of Nd1–xLaxAlO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) samples has been confirmed via X‐ray diffraction measurements. This work found that with La substitution, the lattice parameters systematically increase. The values of lattice parameters “a” and “b” changed from 5.315 Å (x = 0) to 5.339 Å (x = 0.5). The lattice parameter “c” also increased from 12.926 to 13.025 Å in these samples. Additionally, the Nd/LaO bond length increased from 2.419 to 2.469 Å. The NdONd bond angle shifted from 169.7° to 171.4°, whereas the AlOAl bond angle varies from 165.5° to 167.8° and the value of the tolerance factor from 0.9640 to 0.9700, indicating improvement in the structural distortion. The crystal‐field transitions are investigated using optical absorption spectroscopy; this work found that La‐substitution leads to changes in the transition peak 4F9/2, which is shifted from 676.99 nm for sample (x = 0) to 675.44 nm for sample (x = 0.5).