Publications by authors named "Sikandar Aftab"

This paper presents the fabrication of hierarchical hollow 3D nanowires-like cobalt nickel oxide nanowires (NWs) embedded in tungsten disulfide/reduced graphene oxide hybrid (CoNiO@WS/rGO) composite through a facile hydrothermal process.The interaction between the 3D hollow WS/rGO skeleton network and the well-defined CoNiO NWs enabled the remarkable electrochemical supercapacitor performances constructed with an enriched specific capacity (515C/g at 0.5 A/g) and superior cycling solidity (97.

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The rapid advancement of nanotechnology has sparked much interest in applying nanoscale perovskite materials for photodetection applications. These materials are promising candidates for next-generation photodetectors (PDs) due to their unique optoelectronic properties and flexible synthesis routes. This review explores the approaches used in the development and use of optoelectronic devices made of different nanoscale perovskite architectures, including quantum dots, nanosheets, nanorods, nanowires, and nanocrystals.

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In this study, we prepared a hybrid film incorporating the MnFeO-decorated conducting two-dimensional (2D) MXene sheet-suspended [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) electron transfer layer (ETL) for the perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and detectors. The incorporation of MXene-MnFeO with the PCBM ETL could drive exceptional conducting features for the PSCs. Moreover, the presence of MXene-MnFeO facilitated superior charge transfer pathways, thereby enhancing the electron extraction and collection processes.

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Laser-induced graphene (LIG) and Laser-scribed graphene (LSG) are both advanced materials with significant potential in various applications, particularly in the field of sustainable sensors. The practical uses of LIG (LSG), which include gas detection, biological process monitoring, strain assessment, and environmental variable tracking, are thoroughly examined in this review paper. Its tunable characteristics distinguish LIG (LSG), which is developed from accurate laser beam modulation on polymeric substrates, and they are essential in advancing sensing technologies in many applications.

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MXene has garnered widespread recognition in the scientific community due to its remarkable properties, including excellent thermal stability, high conductivity, good hydrophilicity and dispersibility, easy processability, tunable surface properties, and admirable flexibility. MXenes have been categorized into different families based on the number of M and X layers in MX, such as MX, MX, MX, and, recently, MX. Among these families, MX and MX, particularly TiC, have been greatly explored while limited studies have been given to MX MXene synthesis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are working on creating solar cells that are better for the environment and more reliable by using new materials that don’t have harmful elements.
  • They studied a special type of solar cell made with non-toxic and stable materials, which helps solve problems with previous designs.
  • The research showed how important certain properties, like the thickness of layers and temperature, are for making these solar cells work super well.
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Hierarchical porous nanowire-like MoS/CoNiO nanohybrids were synthesized via the hydrothermal process. CoNiO nanowires were selected due to the edge site, high surface/volume ratio, and superior electrochemical characteristics as the porous backbone for decoration of layered MoS nanoflakes to construct innovative structure hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) porous NWs MoS/CoNiO hybrids with excellent charge accumulation and efficient ion transport capabilities. Physicochemical analyses were conducted on the developed hybrid composite, revealing conclusive evidence that the CoNiO nanowires have been securely anchored onto the surface of the MoS nanoflake array.

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Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as a highly promising platform for the development of photodetectors (PDs) owing to their remarkable electronic and optoelectronic properties. Highly effective PDs can be obtained by making use of the exceptional properties of 2D materials, such as their high transparency, large charge carrier mobility, and tunable electronic structure. The photodetection mechanism in 2D TMD-based PDs is thoroughly discussed in this article, with special attention paid to the key characteristics that set them apart from PDs based on other integrated materials.

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It is crucial for early stage medical diagnostics to identify disease biomarkers at ultralow concentrations. A wide range of analytes can be identified using low-dimensional materials to build highly sensitive, targeted, label-free, field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors. Two-dimensional (2D) materials are preferable for high-performance biosensing because of their dramatic change in resistivity upon analyte adsorption or biomarker detection, tunable electronic properties, high surface activities, adequate stability, and layer-dependent semiconducting properties.

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This study examines the effects of hybrid nanoparticles made of NiO@rGO (reduced graphene oxide) and NiO@CNT (carbon nanotubes) on PCDTBT and PCBM active layers in glass/ITO/HTL/active-layer/LiF/Al structured bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) and X-ray photodetectors. These hybrid nanoparticles were used to create BHJ solar cells and photodetectors, and microscopic research was conducted to determine how they affect the structure of the devices. The findings show that compared to conventional matrices, the active layers with NiO@rGO and NiO@CNT incorporation have increased the charge carrier capacities and exciton dissociation properties.

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Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDCs) with various physical characteristics have attracted significant interest from the scientific and industrial worlds in the years following Moore's law. The p-n junction is one of the earliest electrical components to be utilized in electronics and optoelectronics, and modern research on 2D materials has renewed interest in it. In this regard, device preparation and application have evolved substantially in this decade.

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Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted much attention as promising tools in renewable energy conversion technology. This is mainly because of their beneficial qualities, such as their impressive efficiency levels and low-cost fabrication techniques. An overview of MXene-modified electrodes in DSSCs is given in this review article.

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In future solar cell technologies, the thermodynamic Shockley-Queisser limit for solar-to-current conversion in traditional p-n junctions could potentially be overcome with a bulk photovoltaic effect by creating an inversion broken symmetry in piezoelectric or ferroelectric materials. Here, we unveiled mechanical distortion-induced bulk photovoltaic behavior in a two-dimensional (2D) material, MoTe, caused by the phase transition and broken inversion symmetry in MoTe. The phase transition from single-crystalline semiconducting 2H-MoTe to semimetallic 1T'-MoTe was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

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The present study aimed to fabricate a novel polymeric spongy composite to enhance skin regeneration composed of Nystatin (antifungal agent) and Silver Nanoparticles (AgNps). Different formulations (F1-F8) were developed & characterized by using various analytical techniques. AgNps synthesized by chemical reduction method showed spherical morphology 2 µm in size showed by SEM and XRD.

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The successful deployment of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) requires high-performance sustainable and cost-effective anode materials having a high current density. In this regard, sodium disulphide (NiS) has been prepared as a composite with activated carbon (C) using a facile hydrothermal synthesis route in the past. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the as-prepared NiS/C composite material shows well-defined diffraction peaks of NiS.

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In the pursuit of developing superior energy storage devices, an integrated approach has been advocated to harness the desirable features of both batteries and supercapacitors, particularly their high energy density, and high-power density. Consequently, the emergence of hybrid supercapacitors has become a subject of increasing interest, as they offer the potential to merge the complementary attributes of these two technologies into a single device, thereby surpassing the limitations of conventional energy storage systems. In this context the Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), consisting of metal centers and organic linkers, have emerged as highly trending materials for energy storage by virtue of their high porosity.

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Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been explored in recent years to utilize in electronics due to their remarkable properties. This study reports the enhanced energy storage performance of tungsten disulfide (WS) by introducing the conductive interfacial layer of Ag between the substrate and active material (WS). The interfacial layers and WS were deposited through a binder free method of magnetron sputtering and three different prepared samples (WS and Ag-WS) were scrutinize electrochemical measurements.

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Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with high porosity and highly tunable physical/chemical properties can serve as heterogeneous catalysts for CO photoreduction, but the application is hindered by the large band gap (E) and insufficient ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT). In this study, a simple one-pot solvothermal strategy is proposed to prepare an amino-functionalized MOF (aU(Zr/In)) featuring an amino-functionalizing ligand linker and In-doped Zr-oxo clusters, which enables efficient CO reduction driven with visible light. The amino functionalization leads to a significant reduction of E as well as a charge redistribution of the framework, allowing the absorption of visible light and the efficient separation of photogenerated carriers.

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2D materials with dangling-bond-free surfaces and atomically thin layers have been shown to be capable of being incorporated into flexible electronic devices. The electronic and optical properties of 2D materials can be tuned or controlled in other ways by using the intriguing strain engineering method. The latest and encouraging techniques in regard to creating flexible 2D nanoelectronics are condensed in this review.

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Metal-organic frameworks are a complex of metal nodes and organic ligands that have attracted widespread interest in technological applications owing to their diverse characteristics. Bi-linker MOFs can prove to be more conductive and efficient than the mono-linker MOFs, however, they have been investigated less often. In this current study two distinct organic ligands , 1,2,4,5-benzene-tetra-carboxylic acid and pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid were used to synthesize a bi-linker nickel MOF.

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Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as intriguing porous materials with diverse potential applications. Herein, we synthesized a copper-based MOF (MOF-199) and investigated its use in energy storage applications. Methods were adapted to intensify the electrochemical characteristics of MOF-199 by preparing composites with graphene and polyaniline (PANI).

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Two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors are appealing materials for high-specific-power photovoltaic systems due to their unique optoelectronic properties. The 2D materials can be naturally thin, and their properties can be altered in a variety of ways. Therefore, these materials may be used to develop high-performance opto-spintronic and photovoltaic devices.

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The piezo-phototronic effect shows promise with regards to improving the performance of 2D semiconductor-based flexible optoelectronics, which will potentially open up new opportunities in the electronics field. Mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) influence the piezo-phototronic effect on a transparent, ultrasensitive, and flexible van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure, which allows the use of intrinsic semiconductors, such as 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD). The latest and most promising 2D TMD-based photodetectors and piezo-phototronic devices are discussed in this review article.

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Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructured transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) open up new possibilities for a wide range of optoelectronic applications. Interlayer couplings are responsible for several fascinating physics phenomena, which are in addition to the multifunctionalities that have been discovered in the field of optoelectronics. These couplings can influence the overall charge, or the energy transfer processes stacking, separation, and dielectric angles.

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Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) van der Waals (vdW) 1D heterostructures are recently synthesized from 2D nanosheets, which open up new opportunities for potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. The most recent and promising strategies in regards to forming 1D TMDs nanotubes (NTs) or nanoscrolls (NSs) in this review article as well as their heterostructures that are produced from 2D TMDs are summarized. In order to improve the functionality of ultrathin 1D TMDs that are coaxially combined with boron nitride nanotubes and single-walled carbon nanotubes.

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