Rahul M. Mane

Bio: Rahul M. Mane is an academic researcher from Shivaji University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Thin film & Nanocrystalline material. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 60 publications receiving 818 citations.

High performing smart electrochromic device based on honeycomb nanostructured h-WO3 thin films: hydrothermal assisted synthesis.

Abstract: Herein, we report honeycomb nanostructured single crystalline hexagonal WO3 (h-WO3) thin films in order to improve electrochromic performance. In the present investigation, honeycomb nanostructured WO3 with different unit size and nanowire array with highly nanocrystalline frameworks have been synthesized via a hydrothermal technique. The influence of hydrothermal reaction time on the honeycomb unit cells, crystallite size, lithium ion diffusion coefficient and switching time for coloration/bleaching were studied systematically. The electrochromic study reveals that the honeycomb unit cell size has a significant impact on the electrochromic performance. Small unit cells in the honeycomb lead to large optical modulation and fast switching response. A large optical modulation in the visible spectral region (60.74% at λ = 630 nm) at a potential of −1.2 V with fast switching time (4.29 s for coloration and 3.38 s for bleaching) and high coloration efficiency (87.23 cm2 C−1) is observed in the honeycomb WO3 thin films with a unit cell diameter of 1.7 μm. The variation in color on reduction of WO3 with applied potential has been plotted on an xy-chromaticity diagram and the color space coordinate shows the transition from a colorless to deep blue state.

Development of nanocoral-like Cd(SSe) thin films using an arrested precipitation technique and their application

Abstract: Nanocrystalline cadmium sulfoselenide thin films have been synthesized using a self-organized arrested precipitation technique with different deposition times using triethanolamine as a complexing agent. Optical, structural, morphological and photoelectrochemical solar cell properties were investigated as a function of deposition time. A UV-Vis-NIR absorption study suggested a direct allowed transition type and the band gap energy decreased from 2.01 to 1.86 eV with the increase in deposition time. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the thin films are nanocrystalline by nature with a pure hexagonal crystal structure and a calculated crystallite size of 51–68 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the surface morphology was altered from nanoflakes to assorted nanoflakes–nanospheres and finally to a nanocoral-like morphology. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the composition of the Cd(SSe) thin films was of good stoichiometry. Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power measurements confirmed that the deposited films were n-type semiconductors. From J–V measurements, a highest photo-conversion efficiency of 0.57% was achieved. The significant boost in the PEC performance might be due to the improved crystallinity along with lower values of the grain boundary resistance, dislocation density and the microstrain of the Cd(SSe) thin films.

Chemically Grown MoO3 Nanorods for Antibacterial Activity Study

Abstract: In the present investigation, sea urchin like morphology of h-MoO3 nanorods are successfully synthesized by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The thermal stability, structural details, morphology and compositional analysis of MoO3 was done using thermogravimetry (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques respectively. The thermal analysis reveals presence of sharp exothermic peak at 409oC indicating irreversible phase transition. X-ray diffraction pattern showed hexagonal to orthorhombic phase transition after annealing at 450oC. As synthesized h-MoO3 shows well oriented hexagonal rods with sea urchin like architecture while that of annealed MoO3 sample revealed 2D layer by layer growth. The SAED pattern confirms single crystalline nature of as synthesized h-MoO3 and polycrystalline nature of annealed α-MoO3. While XPS study of both confirms Mo+6 and O2- oxidation states of elements. Furthermore, characteristic antibacterial properties of h-MoO3 and α- MoO3 against gram positive Bacillus megaterium, Streptococcus aureus and gram negative Escherichia coli is noted.

Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes

Abstract: XI. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIABETES CARE D iabetes is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care and patient self-management education to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Diabetes care is complex and requires that many issues, beyond glycemic control, be addressed. A large body of evidence exists that supports a range of interventions to improve diabetes outcomes. These standards of care are intended to provide clinicians, patients, researchers, payors, and other interested individuals with the components of diabetes care, treatment goals, and tools to evaluate the quality of care. While individual preferences, comorbidities, and other patient factors may require modification of goals, targets that are desirable for most patients with diabetes are provided. These standards are not intended to preclude more extensive evaluation and management of the patient by other specialists as needed. For more detailed information, refer to Bode (Ed.): Medical Management of Type 1 Diabetes (1), Burant (Ed): Medical Management of Type 2 Diabetes (2), and Klingensmith (Ed): Intensive Diabetes Management (3). The recommendations included are diagnostic and therapeutic actions that are known or believed to favorably affect health outcomes of patients with diabetes. A grading system (Table 1), developed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and modeled after existing methods, was utilized to clarify and codify the evidence that forms the basis for the recommendations. The level of evidence that supports each recommendation is listed after each recommendation using the letters A, B, C, or E.

MoS2/CdS Nanosheets-on-Nanorod Heterostructure for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic H2 Generation under Visible Light Irradiation

Abstract: Semiconductor-based photocatalytic H2 generation as a direct approach of converting solar energy to fuel is attractive for tackling the global energy and environmental issues but still suffers from low efficiency. Here, we report a MoS2/CdS nanohybrid as a noble-metal-free efficient visible-light driven photocatalyst, which has the unique nanosheets-on-nanorod heterostructure with partially crystalline MoS2 nanosheets intimately but discretely growing on single-crystalline CdS nanorod. This heterostructure not only facilitates the charge separation and transfer owing to the formed heterojunction, shorter radial transfer path, and fewer defects in single-crystalline nanorod, thus effectively reducing the charge recombination, but also provides plenty of active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction due to partially crystalline structure of MoS2 as well as enough room for hole extraction. As a result, the MoS2/CdS nanosheets-on-nanorod exhibits a state-of-the-art H2 evolution rate of 49.80 mmol g–1 h–1 and a...

WO3-based photocatalysts: morphology control, activity enhancement and multifunctional applications

Abstract: WO3, a visible-light responsive photocatalyst, absorbs light up to 480 nm with several intriguing advantages such as low cost, harmlessness, and stability in acidic and oxidative conditions. In this review, the relationship between the morphology control and the photocatalytic activity of WO3 is analyzed in detail. In particular, the WO3 exposed {002}-dominant facet with high-surface-energy generally shows excellent photocatalytic performance, and the quantum-confined WO3 nanoparticles exhibit a promising future. Furthermore, some main strategies for improving the photocatalytic activity of WO3, such as surface hybridization with graphene, noble metal deposition, semiconductor coupling, and alkali hydroxide loading, are systematically summarized and highlighted. In the noble metal/WO3 composite, the noble metal always works as an electron pool and catalyzes O2 reduction through a multi-electron reduction process to form H2O2 and H2O instead of the traditional single-electron process. In addition, the preparation methods, photocatalytic enhancement factors and possible photocatalytic mechanisms for the WO3/semiconductor composites are described. Moreover, various photocatalytic applications of WO3-based photocatalysts, such as photodegradation of organics, air purification, self-cleaning, CO2 photoreduction, heavy metal ion treatment, hydrogen evolution from splitting water, and bacterial disinfection, are introduced and summarized. Finally, the main conclusions and future perspectives of WO3-based photocatalysts are pointed out. It is anticipated that this review could offer guidelines for designing novel WO3-based photocatalysts with low cost and high efficiency, which can possess promising prospects of application to meet the urgent demands of highly efficient solar energy conversion in the areas of renewable energy and environmental purification.

Electronic and Structural Properties of WO3: A Systematic Hybrid DFT Study

Abstract: Various hybrid functionals combined with both plane wave and localized basis sets have been used for a systematic study of the structural and electronic properties of all phases of WO3. It is found that hybrid functionals work at least as well as the standard DFT/GGA functional in predicting lattice constants and equilibrium volumes. However, the adoption of hybrid functionals has the advantage to considerably improve the Kohn−Sham band gap which is always severely underestimated by the standard DFT calculations. The HSE06 functional in combination with a plane wave basis set describes well the band gap of WO3, while the B3LYP functional associated with a localized basis set slightly overestimates it. The band gap can be made fully consistent with experiment by fixing the amount of Hartree−Fock exchange in the hybrid functional to 15%.