Dr. Valdés-Morales, Héctor

This study reports the synthesis of erbium (Er)-doped bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3/BFO) nanoparticles at varying molar concentrations (5, 10, and 15 %) using a sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals a structural transformation from rhombohedral to orthorhombic upon Er3+ doping, confirming the successful incorporation of Er3+ ions into the BFO lattice. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images show that Er-doping leads to a reduction in particle size and a modification of the surface morphology. The bandgap of the Er-doped BFO samples decreases from 2.34 to 2.15 eV with increasing Er content, attributed to the formation of new Er 4f energy levels within the band structure. The magnetic properties of the samples also improve with increasing Er concentration. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show reduced PL intensity for the 10 % Er-doped BFO sample, indicating a decrease in recombination rates, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) reveals a reduction in charge transfer resistance. Among the samples, the 10 % Er-doped BFO photocatalyst exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency. This enhanced activity is attributed to two key factors: efficient separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers, and a reduced recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, both driven by the rare-earth doping in BFO. Radical trapping experiments further identify hydroxyl (OH•) radicals as the primary species responsible for photocatalytic degradation. This study provides valuable insights into the tunability of BFO's bandgap energy and photocatalytic properties through Er doping.

In recent years, infections and the escalating resistance to antimicrobial drugs have emerged as significant health concerns. Due to their remarkable effectiveness and minimal potential for bacteria to develop resistance, copper-based nanomaterials are being considered as prospective alternatives to conventional antibiotics. In this study, copper pyrophosphate nanoflakes were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal technique with an inorganic phosphate source. These nanoflakes, characterized by a high aspect ratio, exert a substantial impact on bacterial cell walls, effectively eliminating microbial pathogens. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the monoclinic phase of the copper pyrophosphate nanomaterial, while the band gap energy of 2.7 eV was estimated from the Tauc plot. Additionally, the antimicrobial efficacy of Cu2P2O7 was evaluated against various gram-negative, gram-positive, and fungal pathogens at different concentrations. Notably, all tested bacterial strains exhibited moderate antimicrobial effects at concentrations of 5 mg/mL. For instance, S. aureus and E. coli displayed a 13 mm zone of inhibition, demonstrating excellent activity and lower cytotoxicity. These findings underscore the potential of Cu2P2O7 as a promising candidate for the development of novel drugs targeting pathogenic bacteria affecting human health.

There is an enormous demand for energy storage applications with a high specific capacity, superior energy and power density, and long-life cycles because of the increase in portable electronic appliances. The use of ternary metal oxide electrode materials for energy storage applications in supercapacitors based on multi-redox sites has gained more attention from researchers due to their outstanding specific capacitance and numerous redox sites. Copper cobalt ferrites (CuCoFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesised by the simple microwave combustion method and employed as a positive electrode material for energy storage in supercapacitors (SCs). To study the physical and electrochemical properties of the prepared nanoparticles by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, HR-TEM, and electrochemical analysis have been carried out. X-ray diffraction planes indicating the cubic spinel structure with a space group of Fd-3m and the crystalline phase purity of the synthesised CuCoFe2O4 NPs were also characterized by Rietveld refinement. HR-TEM analysis of the existing agglomeration of particles and SAED pattern shows the excellent crystalline nature of the materials. The CuCoFe2O4 electrode obtained an outstanding specific capacitance of 237.5 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 current density in a 3 M KOH electrolyte in a standard three-electrode system. Further fabricated of a solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device by using CuCoFe2O4 NPs and activated carbon (AC) as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. This ASC device offers a superior energy density value of 16 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 8048 W kg−1. In addition, the ASCs device exhibits cycle stability of 82 % after 10,000 GCD charge and discharge cycles at a current density of 40 A g−1, displaying its high cycling stability.