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Abdou SM, Moustafa A, Allam NK. Patterned PCL/PGS Nanofibrous Hyaluronic Acid-Coated Scaffolds Promote Cellular Response and Modulate Gene Expression Profiles. ACS Appl Bio Mater 2024; 7:2569-2581. [PMID: 38570335 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Chronic wounds impose a significant burden on individuals and healthcare systems, necessitating the development of advanced wound management strategies. Tissue engineering, with its ability to create scaffolds that mimic native tissue structures and promote cellular responses, offers a promising approach. Electrospinning, a widely used technique, can fabricate nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue regeneration. In this study, we developed patterned nanofibrous scaffolds using a blend of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS), known for their biocompatibility and biodegradability. By employing a mesh collector, we achieved a unique fiber orientation pattern that emulated the natural tissue architecture. The average fiber diameter of PGS/PCL collected on aluminum foil and on mesh was found to be 665.2 ± 4 and 404.8 ± 16 nm, respectively. To enhance the scaffolds' bioactivity and surface properties, it was coated with hyaluronic acid (HA), a key component of the extracellular matrix known for its wound-healing properties. The HA coating improved the scaffold hydrophilicity and surface wettability, facilitating cell attachment, spreading, and migration. Furthermore, the HA-coated scaffold exhibited enhanced biocompatibility, promoting cell viability and proliferation. High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the influence of the fabricated scaffold on the gene expression levels of endothelial cells. The top-upregulated biological processes and pathways include cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation. The results revealed significant alterations in gene expression profiles, indicating the scaffold's ability to modulate cellular functions and promote wound healing processes. The developed scaffold holds great promise for advanced wound management and tissue regeneration applications. By harnessing the advantages of aligned nanofibers, biocompatible polymers, and HA coating, this scaffold represents a potential solution for improving wound healing outcomes and improving the quality of life for individuals suffering from chronic wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrouk M Abdou
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Moustafa
- Biology Department, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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2
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Shalan AE, El-Shazly AN, Rashad MM, Allam NK. Expression of concern: Tin-zinc-oxide nanocomposites (SZO) as promising electron transport layers for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells. Nanoscale Adv 2023; 5:7086. [PMID: 38059045 PMCID: PMC10697009 DOI: 10.1039/d3na90114a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Expression of concern for 'Tin-zinc-oxide nanocomposites (SZO) as promising electron transport layers for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells' by Ahmed E. Shalan et al., Nanoscale Adv., 2019, 1, 2654-2662, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C9NA00182D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed E Shalan
- Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI) P. O. Box 87 11422 Helwan Cairo Egypt
| | - Ayat N El-Shazly
- Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI) P. O. Box 87 11422 Helwan Cairo Egypt
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC) 11835 New Cairo Egypt
| | - Mohamed M Rashad
- Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI) P. O. Box 87 11422 Helwan Cairo Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC) 11835 New Cairo Egypt
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3
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Ghanem LG, Taha MM, Shaheen BS, Allam NK. Unleashing the Full Potential of Electrochromic Heterostructured Nickel-Cobalt Phosphate for Optically Active High-Performance Asymmetric Quasi-Solid-State Supercapacitor Devices. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023. [PMID: 37773759 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The rational design of hybrid systems that combine capacitor and battery merits is crucial to enable the fabrication of high energy and power density devices. However, the development of such systems remains a significant barrier to overcome. Herein, we report the design of a Ni-Co phosphate (Ni3-xCox(PO4)2·8H2O) nanoplatelet-based system via a facile coprecipitation method at ambient conditions. The nanoplatelets exhibit multicomponent synergy, exceptional charge storage capabilities, rich redox active sites (ameliorating the redox reaction activity), and high ionic diffusion rate/electron transfer kinetics. The designed Ni3-xCox(PO4)2·8H2O offered a respectable gravimetric specific capacity and marvelous capability rate (966 and 595 C g-1 at 1 and 15 A g-1) over the Ni3(PO4)2·8H2O (327.3 C g-1) and Co3(PO4)2·8H2O (68 C g-1) counterparts. Additionally, the nanoplatelets showed enhanced photoactive storage performance with a 9.7% increase in the recorded photocurrent density. Upon integration of Ni3-xCox(PO4)2·8H2O as a positive pole and commercial activated carbon as a negative pole, the constructed hybrid supercapacitor device with PVA@KOH quasi-gel electrolyte exhibits great energy and power densities of 77.7 Wh kg-1 and 15998.54 W kg-1 with remarkable cycling stability of 6000 charging/discharging cycles and prominent Coulombic efficiency of 100%. Interestingly, two assembled devices are capable of glowing a red LED bulb for nearly 180 s. This research paves the way to design and fabricate electroactive species via a facile approach for boosting the design of a plethora of supercapattery devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loujain G Ghanem
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Manar M Taha
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Basamat S Shaheen
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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4
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Basyoni M, Jiao Y, Allam NK. A novel machine learning approach for surface roughness quantification and optimization of cast-on-strap lead-antimony alloy via two-point correlation function. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13369. [PMID: 37591994 PMCID: PMC10435582 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39619-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface roughness has a negative impact on the materials' lifetime. It accelerates pitting corrosion, increases effective heat transfer, and increases the rate of effective charge loss. However, controlled surface roughness is desirable in many applications. The automotive lead-acid battery is very sensitive to such effects. In our case study, the cast-on-strap machine has the largest effect on the surface roughness of the lead-antimony alloy. In this regard, statistical correlation functions are commonly used as statistical morphological descriptors for heterogeneous correlation functions. Two-point correlation functions are fruitful tools to quantify the microstructure of two-phase material structures. Herein, we demonstrate the use of the two-point correlation function to quantify surface roughness and optimize lead-antimony poles and straps used in the lead-acid battery as a solution to reduce their electrochemical corrosion when used in highly corrosive media. However, we infer that this method can be used in surface roughness mapping in a wide range of applications, such as pipes submerged in seawater as well as laser cutting. The possibility of using information obtained from the two-point correlation function and applying the simulated annealing procedure to optimize the surface micro-irregularities is investigated. The results showed successful surface representation and optimization that agree with the initially proposed hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Basyoni
- Materials Science and Engineering Department, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- German Co. for Manufacturing Batteries, New Salheya, Egypt
| | - Yang Jiao
- Materials Science and Engineering Department, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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5
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Al-Qodami BA, Sayed SY, Alalawy HH, Al-Akraa IM, Allam NK, Mohammad AM. Boosted formic acid electro-oxidation on platinum nanoparticles and "mixed-valence" iron and nickel oxides. RSC Adv 2023; 13:20799-20809. [PMID: 37441028 PMCID: PMC10333810 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra03350c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The modification of Pt nanoparticles (nano-Pt, assembled electrochemically onto a glassy carbon (GC) substrate) with hybrid multivalent nickel (nano-NiOx) and iron (nano-FeOx) oxide nanostructures was intended to steer the mechanism of the formic acid electro-oxidation (FAO) in the desirable dehydrogenation pathway. This binary modification with inexpensive oxides succeeded in mediating the reaction mechanism of FAO by boosting reaction kinetics "electron transfer" and amending the surface geometry of the catalyst against poisoning. The sequence of deposition was optimized where the a-FeOx/NiOx/Pt/GC catalyst (where "a" denotes a post-activation step for the catalyst at -0.5 V in 0.5 mol L-1 NaOH) reserved the best hierarchy. Morphologically, while nano-Pt appeared to be spherical (ca. 100 nm in average diameter), nano-NiOx appeared as flowered nanoaggregates (ca. 56 nm in average diameter) and nano-FeOx (after activation) retained a plate-like nanostructure (ca. 38 nm in average diameter and 167 nm in average length). This a-FeOx/NiOx/Pt/GC catalyst demonstrated a remarkable catalytic efficiency (125 mA mgPt-1) for FAO that was ca. 12.5 times that of the pristine Pt/GC catalyst with up to five times improvement in the catalytic tolerance against poisoning and up to -214 mV shift in the FAO's onset potential. Evidences for equipping the a-FeOx/NiOx/Pt/GC catalyst with the least charge transfer resistance and the highest stability among the whole investigated catalysts are provided and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilquis Ali Al-Qodami
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Cairo 12613 Egypt
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Education and Applied Science, Hajjah University Yemen
| | - Sayed Youssef Sayed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Cairo 12613 Egypt
| | - Hafsa H Alalawy
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Cairo 12613 Egypt
| | - Islam M Al-Akraa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The British University in Egypt Cairo 11837 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Ahmad M Mohammad
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Cairo 12613 Egypt
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6
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Badawy IM, Khedr GE, Hafez A, Ashour EA, Allam NK. Boosting selectivity towards formate production using CuAl alloy nanowires by altering the CO 2 reduction reaction pathway. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023. [PMID: 37282985 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc02235h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the fundamentals behind an electrocatalyst's selectivity enables the ability to steer product formation. Herein, we study Cu nanowires doped with a small amount of Al (12%) for CO2R, which enhances formate production by 16.9% over pure Cu nanowires. Density functional theory calculations and COR were employed to posit the preference of the formate formation pathway as a result of the Al doping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim M Badawy
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
| | - Ghada E Khedr
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
- Department of Analysis and Evaluation, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Cairo, 11727, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Hafez
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
| | - Elsayed A Ashour
- Physical Chemistry Department, Advanced Materials Technology and Mineral Resources Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki 12622, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
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7
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Mohamed AM, Sayed DM, Allam NK. Optimized Fabrication of Bimetallic ZnCo Metal-Organic Framework at NiCo-Layered Double Hydroxides for Multiple Storage and Capability Synergy All-Solid-State Supercapacitors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:16755-16767. [PMID: 36947435 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Rational design and structural regulation of hybrid nanomaterials with superior electrochemical performance are crucial for developing sustainable energy storage platforms. Among these materials, NiCo-layered double hydroxides (NiCo-LDHs) demonstrate an exceptional charge storage capabilities owing to their tunable 2D lamellar structure, large interlayer spacing, and rich redox electrochemically active sites. However, NiCo-LDHs still suffer from sever agglomeration of their particles with limited charge transfer rates, resulting in an inadequate rate capability. In this study, bimetallic ZnCo-metal organic framework (MOF) tripods were grown on the surface of NiCo-LDH nanowires, which significantly reduced the self-agglomeration and stacking of the NiCo-LDH nanowire arrays, offering more accessible active sites for charge transfer and shortening the path for ion diffusion. The fabricated hybrid ZnCo-MOF@NiCo-LDH and its individual counterparts were tested as supercapacitor electrodes. The ZnCo-MOF@NiCo-LDH electrode demonstrated a remarkable specific capacitance of 1611 F g-1 at 2 A g-1 with an enhanced rate capability of 66% from 2 to 20 A g-1. Moreover, an asymmetric all solid-state supercapacitor device was constructed using ZnCo-MOF@NiCo-LDH and palm tree-derived activated carbon (P-AC) as positive and negative poles, respectively. The constructed device can store a high specific energy of 44.5 Wh Kg-1 and deliver a specific power of 876.7 W Kg-1 with outstanding Columbic efficiency over 10,000 charging/discharging cycles at 15 A g-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya M Mohamed
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Doha M Sayed
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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8
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Seif R, Salem FZ, Allam NK. E-waste recycled materials as efficient catalysts for renewable energy technologies and better environmental sustainability. Environ Dev Sustain 2023:1-36. [PMID: 36691418 PMCID: PMC9848041 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-02925-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Waste from electrical and electronic equipment exponentially increased due to the innovation and the ever-increasing demand for electronic products in our life. The quantities of electronic waste (e-waste) produced are expected to reach 44.4 million metric tons over the next five years. Consequently, the global market for electronics recycling is expected to reach $65.8 billion by 2026. However, electronic waste management in developing countries is not appropriately handled, as only 17.4% has been collected and recycled. The inadequate electronic waste treatment causes significant environmental and health issues and a systematic depletion of natural resources in secondary material recycling and extracting valuable materials. Electronic waste contains numerous valuable materials that can be recovered and reused to create renewable energy technologies to overcome the shortage of raw materials and the adverse effects of using non-renewable energy resources. Several approaches were devoted to mitigate the impact of climate change. The cooperate social responsibilities supported integrating informal collection and recycling agencies into a well-structured management program. Moreover, the emission reductions resulting from recycling and proper management systems significantly impact climate change solutions. This emission reduction will create a channel in carbon market mechanisms by trading the CO2 emission reductions. This review provides an up-to-date overview and discussion of the different categories of electronic waste, the recycling methods, and the use of high recycled value-added (HAV) materials from various e-waste components in green renewable energy technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania Seif
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835 Egypt
| | - Fatma Zakaria Salem
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835 Egypt
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9
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Elfarargy RG, Saleh MA, Abodouh MM, Hamza MA, Allam NK. Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanoheterostructures as Novel Platforms for the Electrochemical Sensing of the Chemotherapeutic and Immunomodulator Agent MTX. Biosensors (Basel) 2022; 13:51. [PMID: 36671888 PMCID: PMC9856071 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We report on the electrochemical determination of one the most effective and widely used chemotherapeutic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulator agents, methotrexate (MTX), using low-cost, green, and facile one-pot prepared graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN ) nanosheets. The g-CN nanosheets have been characterized utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and density functional theory (DFT). In comparison to the bare carbon paste electrode (CPE), the g-CN -modified electrode showed a spectacular enhancement in the electrochemical oxidation and detection abilities of MTX. The proposed material exhibits very low limits of detection (12.45 nM) and quantification (41.5 nM), while possessing a wide linear range of 0.22-1.11 μM and 1.11-27.03 μM under optimized conditions at pH 7.0. Due to the ease of preparation of g-CN, it can be adopted for the cost-effective detection of MTX in industrial and clinical analyses.
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10
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Deyab N, Ekram B, Badr KR, Abd El-Hady BM, Allam NK. Antiviral Electrospun Polyamide Three-Layered Mask Filter Containing Metal Oxide Nanoparticles and Black Seed Oil. ACS Omega 2022; 7:44438-44447. [PMID: 36506173 PMCID: PMC9730509 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Upon the tremendous spread of coronavirus, there is a need to develop biodegradable, multifunctional, antiviral masks that can be safely used without polluting the environment as conventional surgical masks do. In this study, a three-layered mask filter is designed and fabricated. The first two layers contain electrospun polyamide with dispersed nanoparticles (NPs) of TiO2 and ZnO prepared via breakdown anodization. The third layer is composed of Nigella sativa oil (black seed oil) electrospun with polyamide and blended with chitosan to form an effective antiviral three-layered mask filter. The morphological characterization revealed the nanoscale features of the fabricated nanofibers with the ZnO and TiO2 NPs being embedded in the polymeric matrix. The specimens showed good wettability, which is necessary for virus attachment and its subsequent decay. The assembled mask has shown very good mechanical properties. The cytotoxicity results revealed that the proposed mask filter has less cytotoxic effect on the A549 cell line than the commercial KN95 mask filter with maintaining a cell viability of 65.3%. The antiviral activity test showed a variable virucidal effect against human adenovirus on A549 cells. The proposed mask showed the highest effect on the virus followed by PA-ZnO and PA-TiO2 films, which supports the assumption that the used NPs may have broad and promising effects on viruses when combined with the electrospun films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan
M. Deyab
- Physical
Chemistry Department, Advanced Materials Technology and Mineral Resources
Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622Cairo, Egypt
| | - Basma Ekram
- Polymers
and Pigments Department, Chemical Industries Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622Cairo, Egypt
| | - Kareem R. Badr
- Environmental
Virology Laboratory, Water 593 Pollution Research Department, Environment
and Climate Change Research Institute, National
Research Centre, Dokki, 12622Cairo, Egypt
| | - Bothaina M. Abd El-Hady
- Polymers
and Pigments Department, Chemical Industries Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy
Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo11835, Egypt
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11
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Hassaneen FY, Abdallah RZ, Abdallah MS, Ahmed N, Abd Elaziz SMM, El‐Mokhtar MA, Badary MS, Siam R, Allam NK. Impact of innovative nanoadditives on biodigesters microbiome. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 16:128-138. [PMID: 36415905 PMCID: PMC9803333 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) supplementation to biodigesters improves the digestibility of biowaste and the generation of biogas. This study investigates the impact of innovative nanoadditives on the microbiome of biodigesters. Fresh cow manure was anaerobically incubated in a water bath under mesophilic conditions for 30 days. Three different NPs (zinc ferrite, zinc ferrite with 10% carbon nanotubes and zinc ferrite with 10% C76 fullerene) were separately supplemented to the biodigesters at the beginning of the incubation period. Methane and hydrogen production were monitored daily. Manure samples were collected from the digesters at different time points and the microbial communities inside the biodigesters were investigated via real-time PCR and 16 S rRNA gene amplicon-sequencing. The results indicate that zinc ferrite NPs enhanced biogas production the most. The microbial community was significantly affected by NPs addition in terms of archaeal and bacterial 16 S rRNAgene copy numbers. The three ZF formulations NPs augmented the abundance of members within the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic phyla Methanobacteriaceae. While Methanomassiliicoccacaea were enriched in ZF/C76 supplemented biodigester due to a significant increase in hydrogen partial pressure, probably caused by the enrichment of Spirochaetaceae (genus Treponema). Overall, NPs supplementation significantly enriched acetate-producing members within Hungateiclostridiaceae in ZF/CNTs, Dysgonomonadaceae in ZF and Spirochaetaceae ZF/C76 biodigesters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Y. Hassaneen
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of PharmacyAssiut UniversityAssiutEgypt,Biology department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt
| | - Rehab Z. Abdallah
- Biology department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt,Max Planck institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | - Muhammed S. Abdallah
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt
| | - Nashaat Ahmed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt
| | - Shereen M. M. Abd Elaziz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of MedicineAssiut UniversityAssiutEgypt
| | - Mohamed A. El‐Mokhtar
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of MedicineAssiut UniversityAssiutEgypt
| | - Mohamed S. Badary
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of MedicineAssiut UniversityAssiutEgypt
| | - Rania Siam
- Biology department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in CairoNew CairoEgypt
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12
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Bahnasawy N, Elbanna AM, Ramadan M, Allam NK. Fabrication of polyhedral Cu-Zn oxide nanoparticles by dealloying and anodic oxidation of German silver alloy for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16785. [PMID: 36202917 PMCID: PMC9537281 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant effort has been dedicated to the synthesis of Cu-Zn oxide nanoparticles as a robust photocathode material for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Cu-Zn oxide nanoparticles were formed by controlled anodization of German silver (Cu-Zn-Ni) alloy in an aqueous electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrates the dependence of the obtained nanostructures on the anodization time. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed the formation of copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with good stability. This was also confirmed by the compositional X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The obtained polyhedral nanoparticles showed high optical activity with adequate bandgap energy. These optimized nanoparticles achieved boosted photocurrent of - 0.55 mA/cm2 at - 0.6 V vs. SCE under AM 1.5 illumination, confirming the role of the optimized dealloying and thermal treatment in tuning the photoelectrochemical performance of the material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Bahnasawy
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Abdussalam M Elbanna
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ramadan
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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13
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Mohamed AM, Abbas WA, Khedr GE, Abass W, Allam NK. Computational and experimental elucidation of the boosted stability and antibacterial activity of ZIF-67 upon optimized encapsulation with polyoxometalates. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15989. [PMID: 36163449 PMCID: PMC9512935 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20392-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Water microbial purification is one of the hottest topics that threats human morbidity and mortality. It is indispensable to purify water using antimicrobial agents combined with several technologies and systems. Herein, we introduce a class of nanosized metal organic framework; Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) cages encapsulated with polyoxometalates synthesized via facile one-step co-precipitation method. We employed two types of polyoxometalates bioactive agents; phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) that act as novel antibacterial purification agents. Several characterization techniques were utilized to investigate the morphological, structural, chemical, and physical properties such as FESEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD, and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms techniques. The antibacterial assessment was evaluated using colony forming unit (CFU) against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as models of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. The PTA@ZIF-67 showed higher microbial inhibition against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by 98.8% and 84.6%, respectively. Furthermore, computational modeling using density functional theory was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of PTA when compared to PMA. The computational and experimental findings demonstrate that the fabricated POM@ZIF-67 materials exhibited outstanding bactericidal effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and effectively purify contaminated water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya M Mohamed
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, 12613, Egypt
| | - Walaa A Abbas
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Ghada E Khedr
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.,Department of Evaluation and Analysis, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Cairo, 11727, Egypt
| | - Wessam Abass
- Sustainable Development Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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14
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Badawy IM, Ismail AM, Khedr GE, Taha MM, Allam NK. Selective electrochemical reduction of CO 2 on compositionally variant bimetallic Cu-Zn electrocatalysts derived from scrap brass alloys. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13456. [PMID: 35931804 PMCID: PMC9355942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17317-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) into value-added fuels is a promising initiative to overcome the adverse effects of CO2 on climate change. Most electrocatalysts studied, however, overlook the harmful mining practices used to extract these catalysts in pursuit of achieving high-performance. Repurposing scrap metals to use as alternative electrocatalysts would thus hold high privilege even at the compromise of high performance. In this work, we demonstrated the repurposing of scrap brass alloys with different Zn content for the conversion of CO2 into carbon monoxide and formate. The scrap alloys were activated towards CO2RR via simple annealing in air and made more selective towards CO production through galvanic replacement with Ag. Upon galvanic replacement with Ag, the scrap brass-based electrocatalysts showed enhanced current density for CO production with better selectivity towards the formation of CO. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to elucidate the potential mechanism and selectivity of the scrap brass catalysts towards CO2RR. The d-band center in the different brass samples with different Zn content was elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim M Badawy
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Mohsen Ismail
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Ghada E Khedr
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.,Department of Analysis and Evaluation, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Cairo, 11727, Egypt
| | - Manar M Taha
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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15
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Sayed DM, Salem KE, Allam NK. Optimized Lithography-Free Fabrication of Sub-100 nm Nb 2O 5 Nanotube Films as Negative Supercapacitor Electrodes: Tuned Oxygen Vacancies and Cationic Intercalation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:25545-25555. [PMID: 35604325 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The direct growth of sub-100 nm thin-film metal oxides has witnessed a sustained interest as a superlative approach for the fabrication of smart energy storage platforms. Herein, sub-100 nm Zr-doped orthorhombic Nb2O5 nanotube films are synthesized directly on the Nb-Zr substrate and tested as negative supercapacitor electrode materials. To boost the pseudocapacitive performance of the fabricated films, supplement Nb4+ active sites (defects) are subtly induced into the metal oxide lattice, resulting in 13% improvement in the diffusion current at 100 m V/s over that of the defect-free counterpart. The defective sub-100 nm film (H-NbZr) exhibits areal and volumetric capacitances of 6.8 mF/cm2 and 758.3 F/cm3, respectively. The presence of oxygen-deficient states enhances the intrinsic conductivity of the thin film, resulting in a reduction in the band gap energy from 3.25 to 2.5 eV. The assembled supercapacitor device made of nitrogen-doped activated carbon (N-AC) and H-NbZr (N-AC//H-NbZr) is able to retain 93, 83, 78, and 66% of its first cycle capacitance after 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4500 successive charge/discharge cycles, respectively. An eminent energy record of approximately 0.77 μW h/cm2 at a power of 0.9 mW/cm2 is achieved at 1 mA/cm2 with superb capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doha M Sayed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Kholoud E Salem
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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16
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Sanad MF, Franklin HM, Ali BA, Puente Santiago AR, Nair AN, Chava VSN, Fernandez-Delgado O, Allam NK, Stevenson S, Sreenivasan ST, Echegoyen L. Cylindrical C 96 Fullertubes: A Highly Active Metal-Free O 2 -Reduction Electrocatalyst. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202116727. [PMID: 35254698 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202116727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A new isolation protocol was recently reported for highly purified metallic Fullertubes D5h -C90 , D3d -C96 , and D5d -C100, which exhibit unique electronic features. Here, we report the oxygen reduction electrocatalytic behavior of C60 , C70 (spheroidal fullerenes), and C90 , C96 , and C100 (tubular fullerenes) using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. C96 (a metal-free catalyst) displayed remarkable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, with an onset potential of 0.85 V and a halfway potential of 0.75 V, which are close to the state-of-the-art Pt/C benchmark catalyst values. We achieved an excellent power density of 0.75 W cm-2 using C96 as a modified cathode in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell, comparable to other recently reported efficient metal-free catalysts. Combined band structure (experimentally calculated) and free-energy (DFT) investigations show that both favorable energy-level alignment active catalytic sites on the carbon cage are responsible for the superior activity of C96 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Fathi Sanad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Hannah M Franklin
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, USA
| | - Basant A Ali
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Alain R Puente Santiago
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Aruna N Nair
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Venkata S N Chava
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Olivia Fernandez-Delgado
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Steven Stevenson
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, USA
| | - Sreeprasad T Sreenivasan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Luis Echegoyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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17
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Sanad MF, Franklin HM, Ali BA, Puente Santiago AR, Nair AN, Chava VSN, Fernandez‐Delgado O, Allam NK, Stevenson S, Sreenivasan ST, Echegoyen L. Cylindrical C
96
Fullertubes: A Highly Active Metal‐Free O
2
‐Reduction Electrocatalyst. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202116727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Fathi Sanad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Environmental Sciences and Engineering The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | | | - Basant A. Ali
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Alain R. Puente Santiago
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Aruna N. Nair
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Venkata S. N. Chava
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Olivia Fernandez‐Delgado
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Steven Stevenson
- Department of Chemistry Purdue University Fort Wayne IN 46805 USA
| | - Sreeprasad T. Sreenivasan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
| | - Luis Echegoyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Avenue El Paso TX 79968 USA
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18
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Deyab NM, Taha MM, Allam NK. A mesoporous ternary transition metal oxide nanoparticle composite for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor devices with high specific energy. Nanoscale Adv 2022; 4:1387-1393. [PMID: 36133682 PMCID: PMC9418259 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00694k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We report on the optimized fabrication and electrochemical properties of ternary metal oxide (Ti-Mo-Ni-O) nanoparticles as electrochemical supercapacitor electrode materials. The structural, morphological, and elemental composition of the fabricated Ti-Mo-Ni-O via rapid breakdown anodization are elucidated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The Ti-Mo-Ni-O nanoparticles reveal pseudocapacitive behavior with a specific capacitance of 255.4 F g-1. Moreover, the supercapacitor device Ti-Mo-Ni-O NPs//mesoporous doped-carbon (TMN NPs//MPDC) device exhibited a superior specific energy of 68.47 W h kg-1 with a corresponding power density of 2058 W kg-1. The supercapacitor device shows 100% coulombic efficiency with 96.8% capacitance retention over 11 000 prolonged charge/discharge cycles at 10 A g-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan M Deyab
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
- Physical Chemistry Department, National Research Centre Dokki Giza Egypt
| | - Manar M Taha
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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19
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Badawy IM, Elbanna AM, Ramadan M, Allam NK. Propping the electrochemical impedance spectra at different voltages reveals the untapped supercapacitive performance of materials. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.139932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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20
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elAttar MM, Allam NK. Untapped potential of 2D charge density wave chalcogenides as negative supercapacitor electrode materials. RSC Adv 2022; 12:6433-6439. [PMID: 35424643 PMCID: PMC8982093 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00457g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) materials have opened new avenues for the fabrication of ultrathin, transparent, and flexible functional devices. However, the conventional inorganic graphene analogues are either semiconductors or insulators with low electronic conductivity, hindering their use as supercapacitor electrode materials, which require high conductivity and large surface area. Recently, 2D charge density wave (CDW) materials, such as 2D chalcogenides, have attracted extensive attention as high performance functional nanomaterials in sensors, energy conversion, and spintronic devices. Herein, TaS2 is investigated as a potential CDW material for supercapacitors. The quantum capacitance (C Q) of the different TaS2 polymorphs (1T, 2H, and 3R) was estimated using density functional theory calculations for different numbers of TaS2 layers and alkali-metal ion (Li, Na and K) intercalants. The results demonstrate the potential of 2H- and 3R-polymorphs as efficient negative electrode materials for supercapacitor devices. The intercalation of K and Na ions in 1T-TaS2 led to an increase in the CQ with the intercalation of Li ions resulting in a decrease in the C Q. In contrast, Li ions were found to be the best intercalant for the 2H-TaS2 phase (highest C Q), while K ion intercalation was the best for the 3R-TaS2 phase. Moreover, increasing the number of layers of the1T-TaS2 resulted in the highest CQ. In contrast, C Q increases upon decreasing the number of layers of 2H-TaS2. Both 1T-MoS2 and 2H-TaS2 can be combined to construct a highly performing supercapacitor device as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud M elAttar
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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21
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Al-Qodami BA, Alalawy HH, Sayed SY, Al-Akraa IM, Allam NK, Mohammad AM. Tailor-designed nanowire-structured iron and nickel oxides on platinum catalyst for formic acid electro-oxidation. RSC Adv 2022; 12:20395-20402. [PMID: 35919593 PMCID: PMC9277714 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra03386k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This investigation is concerned with designing efficient catalysts for direct formic acid fuel cells. A ternary catalyst containing iron (nano-FeOx) and nickel (nano-NiOx) nanowire oxides assembled sequentially onto a bare platinum (bare-Pt) substrate was recommended for the formic acid electro-oxidation reaction (FAOR). While nano-NiOx appeared as fibrillar nanowire bundles (ca. 82 nm and 4.2 μm average diameter and length, respectively), nano-FeOx was deposited as intersecting nanowires (ca. 74 nm and 400 nm average diameter and length, respectively). The electrocatalytic activity of the catalyst toward the FAOR depended on its composition and loading sequence. The FeOx/NiOx/Pt catalyst exhibited ca. 4.8 and 1.6 times increases in the catalytic activity and tolerance against CO poisoning, respectively, during the FAOR, relative to the bare-Pt catalyst. Interestingly, with a simple activation of the FeOx/NiOx/Pt catalyst at −0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl/KCl (sat.) in 0.2 mol L−1 NaOH, a favorable Fe2+/Fe3+ transformation succeeded in mitigating the permanent CO poisoning of the Pt-based catalysts. Interestingly, this activated a-FeOx/NiOx/Pt catalyst had an activity 7 times higher than that of bare-Pt with an ca. −122 mV shift in the onset potential of the FAOR. The presence of nano-FeOx and nano-NiOx enriched the catalyst surface with extra oxygen moieties that counteracted the CO poisoning of the Pt substrate and electronically facilitated the kinetics of the FAOR, as revealed from CO stripping and impedance spectra. A FeOx/NiOx/Pt catalyst was recommended for formic acid electro-oxidation; the essential anodic reaction in direct formic acid fuel cells.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilquis Ali Al-Qodami
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Education and Applied Science, Hajjah University, Yemen
| | - Hafsa H. Alalawy
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Sayed Youssef Sayed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Islam M. Al-Akraa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The British University in Egypt, Cairo 11837, Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmad M. Mohammad
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
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22
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Handal HT, Abdel Ghany NA, Elsherif SA, Siebel A, Allam NK. Unraveling the structure and electrochemical supercapacitive performance of novel tungsten bronze synthesized by facile template-free hydrothermal method. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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23
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Saleh M, Mohamed MA, Shahat A, Allam NK. Sensitive Determination of SARS-COV-2 and the Anti-hepatitis C Virus Agent Velpatasvir Enabled by Novel Metal-Organic Frameworks. ACS Omega 2021; 6:26791-26798. [PMID: 34661033 PMCID: PMC8515823 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we report on the electrochemical determination of velpatasvir (VLP) as the main constituent of Epclusa, a SARS-COV-2 and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) agent, using a novel metal-organic framework (MOF). The NH2-MIL-53(Al) MOF was successfully modified with 5-bromo-salicylaldehyde to synthesize 5-BSA=N-MIL-53(Al) MOF. The synthesized MOF has been characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The modified MOF showed higher electrochemical activity and response than the bare NH2-MIL-53(Al) MOF. Compared to the bare carbon paste electrode (CPE), the 5-BSA=N-MIL-53(Al)/CPE platform was shown to enhance the electrochemical oxidation and detection of the anti-SARS-COV-2 and anti-HCV agent. Under optimized conditions, the 5-BSA=N-MIL-53(Al)/CPE platform showed a linear range of 1.11 × 10-6 to 1.11 × 10-7 and 1.11 × 10-7 to 25.97 × 10-6 M Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 7) with a detection limit and limit of quantification of 8.776 × 10-9 and 2.924 × 10-8 M, respectively. Repeatability, storage stability, and reproducibility in addition to selectivity studies and interference studies were conducted to illustrate the superiority of the electrode material. The study also included a highly accurate platform for the determination of VLP concentrations in both urine and plasma samples with reasonable recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud
A. Saleh
- Energy
Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Sciences and
Engineering, The American University in
Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Mona A. Mohamed
- Energy
Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Sciences and
Engineering, The American University in
Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Shahat
- Chemistry
Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, Suez 43518, Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy
Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, School of Sciences and
Engineering, The American University in
Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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24
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Al Najjar T, Allam NK, El Sawy EN. Anionic/nonionic surfactants for controlled synthesis of highly concentrated sub-50 nm polystyrene spheres. Nanoscale Adv 2021; 3:5626-5635. [PMID: 36133261 PMCID: PMC9417686 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00438g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Polystyrene nanospheres are of great importance in 3D hard templating along with many other fields like pharmaceuticals and coatings. Therefore, it is important to be able to prepare polystyrene beads with different sphere sizes that suit each application. In this work, the emulsion polymerization method was used to prepare monodispersed polystyrene (PS) spheres with an average size of 50 nm, using styrene monomer, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as surfactants, and potassium persulfate (KPS) as the initiator. The average size and size distribution of the PS spheres were controlled by optimizing the synthesis parameters such as the concentration of the monomer, initiator, and surfactant, the type of surfactant, and the time and temperature of polymerization. The shape, size, and size distribution of the prepared PS spheres were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The preparation of perfectly spherical PS spheres as small as 50 nm with a narrow size distribution is obtained using 8% styrene with (5% SDS and 2% KPS of the styrene amount) at 90 °C, with the monomer and surfactant molar ratio and concentration and the polymerization temperature being the dominating factors that affect the PS bead size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taher Al Najjar
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Ehab N El Sawy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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25
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Hashem EM, Hamza MA, El-Shazly AN, Abd El-Rahman SA, El-Tanany EM, Mohamed RT, Allam NK. Novel Z-Scheme/Type-II CdS@ZnO/g-C 3N 4 ternary nanocomposites for the durable photodegradation of organics: Kinetic and mechanistic insights. Chemosphere 2021; 277:128730. [PMID: 33189399 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Visible-light-driven photocatalysis is a green and efficient strategy for wastewater treatment, where graphitic carbon nitride-based semiconductors showed excellent performance in this regard. Consequently, we report on the development of a green and facile one-pot room-temperature ultrasonic route for the preparation of novel ternary nanocomposite of cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (g-C3N4 NSs). The proposed materials had been characterized by several physicochemical techniques such as PXRD, XPS, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, PL, and DRS. The photocatalytic efficiency of the proposed photocatalysts was assessed towards the photodegradation of Rhodamine B dye as a water pollutant model using spectrophotometric measurements. The as-synthesized novel ternary nanocomposite (CdS@ZnO/g-C3N4) exhibited perfect photocatalytic activity, where almost complete degradation was achieved in only 2 h under UV-irradiation or 3 h under visible-irradiation. Various methods were used to elucidate the kinetics of the photocatalytic process. Moreover, CdS@ZnO/g-C3N4 exhibited a unique synergetic performance when compared to the corresponding binary composites or the individual components. This synergetic performance could be ascribed to the perfect electronic band configuration of the three components, leading to the establishment of several combined synergetic Z-Scheme/Type-II photocatalytic heterojunctions, which is the proposed mechanism for the observed synergetic photocatalytic reactivity of the as-synthesized CdS@ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite when compared to the single and binary nanocomposite counterparts. Furthermore, the effects of both the type and concentration of various scavengers on the photocatalytic activity were assessed to investigate the most reactive species, where the reductive degradation pathway was found to be the predominant route. Finally, the photocatalytic efficiency of the as-synthesized CdS@ZnO/g-C3N4 composite showed promising and competing results when compared to other photocatalysts reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elhussein M Hashem
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain-Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A Hamza
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain-Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt; Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Ayat N El-Shazly
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt; Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute, P.O. Box 87, Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Esraa M El-Tanany
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain-Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rahma T Mohamed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain-Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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Fawzy SM, Mahmoud AM, Ismail YI, Allam NK. Novel silicon bipodal cylinders with controlled resonances and their use as beam steering metasurfaces. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13635. [PMID: 34211014 PMCID: PMC8249426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93041-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Metasurfaces have paved the way for high performance wavefront shaping and beam steering applications. Phase-gradient metasurfaces (PGM) are of high importance owing to the powerful and relatively systematic tool they offer for manipulating electromagnetic wave fronts and achieving various functionalities. Herein, we numerically present a novel unit cell known as bipodal cylinders (BPC), made of Silicon (Si) and placed on a Silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrate to be compatible with CMOS fabrication techniques and to avoid field leakage into a high index substrate. Owing to its geometrical structure, the BPC structure provides a promising unit cell for electromagnetic wave manipulation. We show that BPC offers a way to shift the electric dipole mode to a frequency higher than that of the magnetic dipole mode. We investigate the effect of varying different geometrical parameters on the performance of such unit cell. Building on that, a metasurface is then presented that can achieve efficient electromagnetic beam steering with high transmission of 0.84 and steering angle of 15.2°; with very good agreement with the theoretically predicted angle covering the whole phase range from 0 to 2[Formula: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar M Fawzy
- Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Mahmoud
- Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Yehea I Ismail
- Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Center of Nanoelectronics and Devices (CND), Zewail City of Science Technology and Innovation, Cairo, 12578, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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27
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Saleh AA, Ahmed N, Biby AH, Allam NK. Supercapattery electrode materials by Design: Plasma-induced defect engineering of bimetallic oxyphosphides for energy storage. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 603:478-490. [PMID: 34216948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.06.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although transition metal hydroxides are promising candidates as advanced supercapattery materials, they suffer from poor electrical conductivity. In this regard, previous studies have typically analyzed separately the impacts of defect engineering at the atomic level and the conversion of hydroxides to phosphides on conductivity and the overall electrochemical performance. Meanwhile, this paper uniquely studies the aforementioned methodologies simultaneously inside an all-in-one simple plasma treatment for nickel cobalt carbonate hydroxide, examines the effect of altering the nickel-to-cobalt ratio in the binder-free defect-engineered bimetallic Ni-Co system, and estimates the respective quantum capacitance. Results show that the concurrent defect-engineering and phosphidation of nickel cobalt carbonate hydroxide boost the amount of effective redox and adsorption sites and increase the conductivity and the operating potential window. The electrodes exhibit ultra-high-capacity of 1462 C g-1, which is among the highest reported for a nickel-cobalt phosphide/phosphate system. Besides, a hybrid supercapacitor device was fabricated that can deliver an energy density of 48 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 800 W kg-1, along with an outstanding cycling performance, using the best performing electrode as the positive electrode and graphene hydrogel as the negative electrode. These results outperform most Ni-Co-based materials, demonstrating that plasma-assisted defect-engineered Ni-Co-P/POx is a promising material for use to assemble efficient energy storage devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina A Saleh
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nashaat Ahmed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed H Biby
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
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28
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Abbas WA, Shaheen BS, Ghanem LG, Badawy IM, Abodouh MM, Abdou SM, Zada S, Allam NK. Cost-Effective Face Mask Filter Based on Hybrid Composite Nanofibrous Layers with High Filtration Efficiency. Langmuir 2021; 37:7492-7502. [PMID: 34101479 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
One of the main protective measures against COVID-19's spread is the use of face masks. It is therefore of the utmost importance for face masks to be high functioning in terms of their filtration ability and comfort. Notwithstanding the prevalence of the commercial polypropylene face masks, its effectiveness is under contention, leaving vast room for improvement. During the pandemic, the use of at least one mask per day for each individual results in a massive number of masks that need to be safely disposed of. Fabricating biodegradable filters of high efficiency not only can protect individuals and save the environment but also can be sewed on reusable/washable cloth masks to reduce expenses. Wearing surgical masks for long periods of time, especially in hot regions, causes discomfort by irritating sensitive facial skin and warmed inhaled air. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of novel electrospun composites layers as face mask filters for protection against pathogens and tiny particulates. The combinatorial filter layers are made by integrating TiO2 nanotubes as fillers into chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) polymeric electrospun nanofibers as the outer layer. The other two filler-free layers, chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) and silk/poly(vinyl alcohol) as the middle and inner composite layers, respectively, were used for controlled protection, contamination prevention, and comfort for prolonged usage. The ASTM standards evaluation tests were adopted to evaluate the efficacy of the assembled filter, revealing high filtration efficiency compared to that of commercial surgical masks. The TiO2/Cs/PVA outer layer significantly reduced Staphylococcus aureus bacteria by 44.8% compared to the control, revealing the dual effect of TiO2 and chitosan toward the infectious bacterial colonies. Additionally, molecular dynamics calculations were used to assess the mechanical properties of the filter layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walaa A Abbas
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Basamat S Shaheen
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Loujain G Ghanem
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Badawy
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M Abodouh
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Shrouk M Abdou
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Suher Zada
- Biology Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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29
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Ghanem LG, Sayed DM, Ahmed N, Ramadan M, Allam NK. Binder-Free Electrospun Ni-Mn-O Nanofibers Embedded in Carbon Shells with Ultrahigh Energy and Power Densities for Highly Stable Next-Generation Energy Storage Devices. Langmuir 2021; 37:5161-5171. [PMID: 33876646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the fabrication of binder-free electrospun nickel-manganese oxides embedded into carbon-shell fibrous electrodes. The morphological and structural properties of the assembled electrode materials were elucidated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and glancing-angle X-ray diffraction. The fibrous structure of the electrodes was retained even after annealing at high temperatures. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and HR-TEM analyses revealed the formation of nickel and manganese oxides in multiple oxidation states (Ni2+, Ni3+, Mn2+, Mn3+, and Mn4+) embedded in the carbon shell. The embedded nickel-manganese oxides into the carbon matrix fibrous electrodes exhibit an excellent capacitance (1082 F/g) in 1 M K2SO4 at 1 A/g and possess a high rate capability of 73% at 5 A/g. The high rate capability and capacitance can be attributed to the presence of carbon cross-linked channels, the binder-free nature of the electrodes, and various oxidation states of the Ni-Mn oxides. The asymmetric supercapacitor device constructed of the as-fabricated nanofibers and the bio-derived microporous carbon as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, sustains up to 1.9 V with a high specific capacitance at 1.5 A/g of 108 F/g. The nanofibrous//bio-derived device exhibits an outstanding specific energy of 54.2 W h/kg with a high specific power of 1425 W/kg. Interestingly, the tested device maintains a high capacitive retention of 92% upon cycling over 10,000 charging/discharging cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loujain G Ghanem
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Doha M Sayed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nashaat Ahmed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ramadan
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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30
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Saleh MA, Taha MM, Mohamed MA, Allam NK. A novel and ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor based on MnO2-V2O5 nanorods for the detection of the antiplatelet prodrug agent Cilostazol in pharmaceutical formulations. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.105946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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31
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El-Shazly AN, El-Sayyad GS, Hegazy AH, Hamza MA, Fathy RM, El Shenawy ET, Allam NK. Superior visible light antimicrobial performance of facet engineered cobalt doped TiO 2 mesocrystals in pathogenic bacterium and fungi. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5609. [PMID: 33692424 PMCID: PMC7946932 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Pristine and Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals have been synthesized via a simple sol-gel method and their antimicrobial activity has been investigated. The antimicrobial performance was evaluated in terms of zone of inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), antibiofilm activity, and effect of UV illumination in liquid media. The Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals showed very promising MIC of 0.390 μg/mL and 0.781 μg/mL for P. mirabilis and P. mirabilis, respectively. Additionally, the material showed an MIC of 12.5 μg/mL against C. albicans, suggesting its use as antifungal agent. Upon the addition of 10.0 µg/mL of Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals, the biofilm inhibition% reaches 84.43% for P. aeruginosa, 78.58% for P. mirabilis, and 77.81% for S. typhi, which can be ascribed to the created active oxygen species that decompose the tested microbial cells upon illumination. Thus the fabricated Co-doped TiO2 mesocrystals exhibit sufficient antimicrobial features under visible light, qualifying them for use as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic bacteria and fungi and subsequently inhibit their hazardous effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayat N El-Shazly
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute, Helwan, P.O. Box 87, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Gharieb S El-Sayyad
- Drug Microbiology Lab., Drug Radiation Research Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Aiat H Hegazy
- Solar Energy Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Dokki, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A Hamza
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha M Fathy
- Drug Microbiology Lab., Drug Radiation Research Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Cairo, Egypt
| | - E T El Shenawy
- Solar Energy Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Dokki, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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32
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Sanad MF, Puente Santiago AR, Tolba SA, Ahsan MA, Fernandez-Delgado O, Shawky Adly M, Hashem EM, Mahrous Abodouh M, El-Shall MS, Sreenivasan ST, Allam NK, Echegoyen L. Co-Cu Bimetallic Metal Organic Framework Catalyst Outperforms the Pt/C Benchmark for Oxygen Reduction. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:4064-4073. [PMID: 33661615 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c01096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Platinum (Pt)-based-nanomaterials are currently the most successful catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in electrochemical energy conversion devices such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Nonetheless, Pt catalysts have serious drawbacks, including low abundance in nature, sluggish kinetics, and very high costs, which limit their practical applications. Herein, we report the first rationally designed nonprecious Co-Cu bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF) using a low-temperature hydrothermal method that outperforms the electrocatalytic activity of Pt/C for ORR in alkaline environments. The MOF catalyst surpassed the ORR performance of Pt/C, exhibiting an onset potential of 1.06 V vs RHE, a half-wave potential of 0.95 V vs RHE, and a higher electrochemical stability (ΔE1/2 = 30 mV) after 1000 ORR cycles in 0.1 M NaOH. Additionally, it outperformed Pt/C in terms of power density and cyclability in zinc-air batteries. This outstanding behavior was attributed to the unique electronic synergy of the Co-Cu bimetallic centers in the MOF network, which was revealed by XPS and PDOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Fathi Sanad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States.,Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Alain R Puente Santiago
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Sarah A Tolba
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Md Ariful Ahsan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Olivia Fernandez-Delgado
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Mina Shawky Adly
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284-2006, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Al-Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Elhussein M Hashem
- FabLab, Centre for Emerging Learning Technologies (CELT), The British University in Egypt (BUE), Elshrouk City, Cairo Egypt
| | - Mohamed Mahrous Abodouh
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - M Samy El-Shall
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284-2006, United States
| | - Sreeprasad T Sreenivasan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Luis Echegoyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
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33
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Ali BA, Biby AH, Allam NK. Towards Cs-ion supercapacitors: Cs intercalation in polymorph MoS2 as a model 2D electrode material. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:3231-3234. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cc07887e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Intercalation of Cs cation has proved to be an effective approach for the enhancement of the energy storage performance in layered-2D materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basant A. Ali
- Energy Materials Laboratory
- School of Sciences and Engineering
- The American University in Cairo
- New Cairo 11835
- Egypt
| | - Ahmed H. Biby
- Energy Materials Laboratory
- School of Sciences and Engineering
- The American University in Cairo
- New Cairo 11835
- Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory
- School of Sciences and Engineering
- The American University in Cairo
- New Cairo 11835
- Egypt
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34
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El-Gendy DM, Wahab RMAE, Selim MM, Allam NK. A facile synthesis of zeolitic analcime/spongy graphene nanocomposites as novel hybrid electrodes for symmetric supercapacitors. Journal of Energy Storage 2020; 32:101953. [DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2020.101953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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35
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Sharmoukh W, Al Kiey SA, Ali BA, Menon L, Allam NK. Recent progress in the development of hole-transport materials to boost the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells. Sustainable Materials and Technologies 2020; 26:e00210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.susmat.2020.e00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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36
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Shalan AE, Sharmoukh W, Elshazly AN, Elnagar MM, Al Kiey SA, Rashad MM, Allam NK. Dopant-free hole-transporting polymers for efficient, stable, and hysteresis-less perovskite solar cells. Sustainable Materials and Technologies 2020; 26:e00226. [DOI: 10.1016/j.susmat.2020.e00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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37
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Abbas WA, Ibrahim ME, El-Naggar M, Abass WA, Abdullah IH, Awad BI, Allam NK. Recent Advances in the Regenerative Approaches for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Materials Perspective. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:6490-6509. [PMID: 33320628 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating health condition that may lead to permanent disabilities and death. Understanding the pathophysiological perspectives of traumatic SCI is essential to define mechanisms that can help in designing recovery strategies. Since central nervous system tissues are notorious for their deficient ability to heal, efforts have been made to identify solutions to aid in restoration of the spinal cord tissues and thus its function. The two main approaches proposed to address this issue are neuroprotection and neuro-regeneration. Neuroprotection involves administering drugs to restore the injured microenvironment to normal after SCI. As for the neuro-regeneration approach, it focuses on axonal sprouting for functional recovery of the injured neural tissues and damaged axons. Despite the progress made in the field, neural regeneration treatment after SCI is still unsatisfactory owing to the disorganized way of axonal growth and extension. Nanomedicine and tissue engineering are considered promising therapeutic approaches that enhance axonal growth and directionality through implanting or injecting of the biomaterial scaffolds. One of these recent approaches is nanofibrous scaffolds that are used to provide physical support to maintain directional axonal growth in the lesion site. Furthermore, these preferable tissue-engineered substrates can afford axonal regeneration by mimicking the extracellular matrix of the neural tissues in terms of biological, chemical, and architectural characteristics. In this review, we discuss the regenerative approach using nanofibrous scaffolds with a focus on their fabrication methods and their properties that define their functionality performed to heal the neural tissue efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walaa A Abbas
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Maha E Ibrahim
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Manar El-Naggar
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Wessam A Abass
- Center of Sustainable Development, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Abdullah
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Basem I Awad
- Mansoura Experimental Research Center (MERC), Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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38
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Deyab NM, Salem KE, Mokhtar AM, Ramadan M, Steegstra P, Hubin A, Delplancke M, Rahier H, Allam NK. Electrochemical Fabrication of Ternary Black Ti‐Mo‐Ni Oxide Nanotube Arrays for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation. ChemistrySelect 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202003491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan M. Deyab
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
- Department of Materials and Chemistry Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - Kholoud E. Salem
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Abdelrahman M. Mokhtar
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ramadan
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Patrick Steegstra
- Department of Materials and Chemistry Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - Annick Hubin
- Department of Materials and Chemistry Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - Marie‐Paule Delplancke
- 4MAT, Université Libre de Bruxelles ULB, avenue Roosevelt 50, CP 165/63, 1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - Hubert Rahier
- Department of Materials and Chemistry Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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Elnaggar MA, El-Fawal HAN, Allam NK. Biocompatible PCL-nanofibers scaffold with immobilized fibronectin and laminin for neuronal tissue regeneration. Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl 2020; 119:111550. [PMID: 33321614 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in regenerative medicine have given hope in overcoming and rehabilitating complex medical conditions. In this regard, the biopolymer poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) may be a promising candidate for tissue regeneration, despite lacking the essential bioactivity. The present study used PCL nanofibers (NFs) scaffold decorated with the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and laminin combined for neuronal regeneration. The potential for the dual proteins to support neuronal cells and promote axonal growth was investigated. Two NFs scaffolds were produced with PLC concentrations of 12% or 15%. Under scanning electron microscopy, both scaffolds evidenced uniform diameter distribution in the range of 358 nm and 887 nm, respectively, with >80% porosity. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) test confirmed that the fabricated NFs mats had a high surface area, especially for the 12% NFs with 652 m2/g compared to 254 m2/g for the 15% NFs. The proteins of interest were successfully conjugated to the 12% PCL scaffold through chemical carbodiimide reaction as confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The addition of fibronectin and laminin together was shown to be the most favorable for cellular attachment and elongation of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells compared to other formulations. Light microscopy revealed longer neurite outgrowth, higher cellular projected area, and lower shape index for the cells cultured on the combined proteins conjugated fibers, indicating enhanced cellular spread on the scaffold. This preliminary study suggests that PCL nanoscaffolding conjugated with matrix proteins can support neuronal cell viability and neurite growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manar A Elnaggar
- Nanotechnology Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Hassan A N El-Fawal
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Nanotechnology Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
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40
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Atef N, Emara SS, Eissa DS, El‐Sayed A, Abdelraouf OAM, Allam NK. Well‐dispersed Au nanoparticles prepared via magnetron sputtering on TiO
2
nanotubes with unprecedentedly high activity for water splitting. Electrochemical Science Advances 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/elsa.202000004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nada Atef
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo Egypt
| | - Salma S. Emara
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo Egypt
| | - Dina S. Eissa
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo Egypt
| | - Ahmed El‐Sayed
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo Egypt
| | - Omar A. M. Abdelraouf
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo Egypt
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41
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Ibrahim S, Rezk MY, Ismail M, Abdelrahman T, Sharkawy M, Abdellatif A, Allam NK. Coaxial nanofibers outperform uniaxial nanofibers for the loading and release of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) for biomedical applications. Nanoscale Adv 2020; 2:3341-3349. [PMID: 36134273 PMCID: PMC9417322 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00311e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), present in breast milk and various foods, is highly recommended as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent, and a cofactor in redox reactions in several biomedical fields. Moreover, PQQ has neuroprotective effects on nervous system disorders and immunosuppressive effects on different diseases. Herein, we report on the optimum fabrication of electrospun CS/PVA coaxial, core/shell, and uniaxial nanofibers. The morphological, elemental, and chemical structure of the fabricated nanofibers were investigated and discussed. PQQ, as a drug, was loaded on the uniaxial nanofibers and in the core of the coaxial nanofibers and the sustained and controlled release of PQQ was compared and discussed. The results revealed the privilege of the coaxial over the uniaxial nanofibers in the sustained release and reduction of the initial burst of PQQ. Remarkably, the results revealed a higher degree of swelling for CS/PVA hollow nanofibers compared to that of the uniaxial and the coaxial nanofibers. The coaxial nanofibers showed a lower release rate than the uniaxial nanofibers. Moreover, the CS/PVA coaxial nanofibers loaded with PQQ were found to enhance cell viability and proliferation. Therefore, the CS/PVA coaxial nanofibers loaded with PQQ assembly is considered a superior drug delivery system for PQQ release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ibrahim
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Marwan Y Rezk
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Mohammed Ismail
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Giza 12613 Egypt
| | | | - Mona Sharkawy
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Giza 12613 Egypt
| | - Ahmed Abdellatif
- Biology Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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42
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Hassaneen FY, Abdallah MS, Ahmed N, Taha MM, Abd ElAziz SMM, El-Mokhtar MA, Badary MS, Allam NK. Innovative nanocomposite formulations for enhancing biogas and biofertilizers production from anaerobic digestion of organic waste. Bioresour Technol 2020; 309:123350. [PMID: 32289660 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Herein, the design of nanocomposite (NC) formulations that consist of metal enzyme cofactors, highly conductive carbon materials, DIET activators, to boost AD biogas production from anaerobically incubated cattle manure are investigated and discussed. Three different NC formulations were designed and synthesized: zinc ferrite (ZnFe), ZnFe with 10% carbon nanotubes (ZFCNTs), and zinc ferrite with 10% C76 fullerene (ZFC76). The structure and morphology of the nano-additives were investigated via x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NCs were supplemented to lab-scale biodigesters containing organic slurry. Biogas production was monitored daily and compared to blank biodigesters for 50 days. The maximum methane enhancement was obtained for ZnFe, which promoted methane production to 185.3%. ZFCNTs and ZFC76 showed a positive impact on the hydraulic retention time and enhanced methane production to 162% and 145.9%, respectively compared to the blank reactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Y Hassaneen
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Assiut University, Assuit 71515, Egypt
| | - Muhammed S Abdallah
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nashaat Ahmed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Manar M Taha
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | | | - Mohamed A El-Mokhtar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Assiut University, Assuit 71515, Egypt
| | - Mohamed S Badary
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Assiut University, Assuit 71515, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
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43
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El Diwany FA, Ali BA, El Sawy EN, Allam NK. Correction: Fullerene C 76 as a novel electrocatalyst for VO 2+/VO 2+ and chlorine evolution inhibitor in all-vanadium redox flow batteries. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:8496. [PMID: 32685950 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc90303e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Correction for 'Fullerene C76 as a novel electrocatalyst for VO2+/VO2+ and chlorine evolution inhibitor in all-vanadium redox flow batteries' by Farah A. El Diwany et al., Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 7569-7572, DOI: 10.1039/D0CC03544K.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah A El Diwany
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt. and Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
| | - Basant A Ali
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
| | - Ehab N El Sawy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
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44
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Sharmoukh W, Cong J, Ali BA, Allam NK, Kloo L. Comparison between Benzothiadizole-Thiophene- and Benzothiadizole-Furan-Based D-A-π-A Dyes Applied in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Experimental and Theoretical Insights. ACS Omega 2020; 5:16856-16864. [PMID: 32685855 PMCID: PMC7364726 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Three novel donor-acceptor-π-acceptor-type compounds (WS5, WS6, and WS7) were synthesized and investigated in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) exploring the effect of conjugated linkers on device performance. The new dyes showed strong light-harvesting ability in the visible region with relatively high molar absorption coefficients (>21 800 M-1 cm-1). This can be attributed to their intrinsic charge transfer (CT) from the arylamine to the acceptor group. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed a favorable lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level, allowing efficient injection into the semiconductor conduction band after excitation. Upon application in DSSC devices, the WS5 dye containing 4,7-di(furan-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole as conjugated linker mediated the highest device power conversion efficiency (PCE) amounting to 5.5%. This is higher than that of the WS6-containing dye based on the 4,7-di(thiophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole linker (3.5%) and the WS7 dye based on the 4-(thiophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole linker (4.3%) under AM 1.5 G illumination. The present results show furan-based dye linker systems to have a significant potential for improving DSSC efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walid Sharmoukh
- Inorganic
Chemistry Department, National Research
Centre, Tahrir Street, Dokki 12622, Egypt
- Center
of Molecular Devices, Department of Chemistry, Chemical Science and
Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jiayan Cong
- Applied
Physical Chemistry, Center of Molecular Devices, School of Chemical
Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Basant A. Ali
- Energy
Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy
Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Lars Kloo
- Applied
Physical Chemistry, Center of Molecular Devices, School of Chemical
Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
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45
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Abstract
The Li-ion battery (LIB) industry has rapidly developed and dominates the market of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. Special attention is devoted to achieving higher power and energy densities, along with enhancing safety and reducing cost. Therefore, critical insights should be made on the understanding of the behavior of the components of LIBs under working conditions in order to direct future research and development. The present review discusses the literature on the properties and limitations of different cathode materials for LIBs, including layered transition metal oxides, spinels, and polyanionic positive electrode materials, with critical insights on the structural, thermal, and electrochemical changes that take place during cycling. Besides, the strategies and techniques capable of overcoming current limitations are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan Mohamed
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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46
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Ibrahim DM, Sani ES, Soliman AM, Zandi N, Mostafavi E, Youssef AM, Allam NK, Annabi N. Bioactive and Elastic Nanocomposites with Antimicrobial Properties for Bone Tissue Regeneration. ACS Appl Bio Mater 2020; 3:3313-3325. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dina M. Ibrahim
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ehsan Shirzaei Sani
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Alaa M. Soliman
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Nooshin Zandi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-11155, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Mostafavi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ahmed M. Youssef
- Packaging Materials Department, National Research Centre, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Nasim Annabi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Center for Minimally Invasive Therapeutics (C-MIT), California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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47
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Mohsen AA, Zahran M, Habib SED, Allam NK. Refractory plasmonics enabling 20% efficient lead-free perovskite solar cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6732. [PMID: 32317720 PMCID: PMC7174308 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63745-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Core-shell refractory plasmonic nanoparticles are used as excellent nanoantennas to improve the efficiency of lead-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs). SiO2 is used as the shell coating due to its high refractive index and low extinction coefficient, enabling the control over the sunlight directivity. An optoelectronic model is developed using 3D finite element method (FEM) as implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics to calculate the optical and electrical parameters of plain and ZrN/SiO2-modified PSCs. For a fair comparison, ZrN-decorated PSCs are also simulated. While the decoration with ZrN nanoparticles boosts the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSC from 12.9% to 17%, the use of ZrN/SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles shows an unprecedented enhancement in the PCE to reach 20%. The enhancement in the PCE is discussed in details.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Mohsen
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Nanotechnology Laboratory, Electronics Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Zahran
- Nanotechnology Laboratory, Electronics Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | - S E D Habib
- Electronics and Communications, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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48
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Abbas WA, Sharafeldin IM, Omar MM, Allam NK. Novel mineralized electrospun chitosan/PVA/TiO 2 nanofibrous composites for potential biomedical applications: computational and experimental insights. Nanoscale Adv 2020; 2:1512-1522. [PMID: 36132310 PMCID: PMC9419788 DOI: 10.1039/d0na00042f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Electrospun nanofibrous materials serve as potential solutions for several biomedical applications as they possess the ability of mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) of tissues. Herein, we report on the fabrication of novel nanostructured composite materials for potential use in biomedical applications that require a suitable environment for cellular viability. Anodized TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) in powder form, with different concentrations, were incorporated as a filler material into a blend of chitosan (Cs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to synthesize composite polymeric electrospun nanofibrous materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nanoindentation, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and MTT assay for cell viability techniques were used to characterize the architectural, structural, mechanical, physical, and biological properties of the fabricated materials. Additionally, molecular dynamics (MD) modelling was performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the polymeric PVA/chitosan matrix upon reinforcing the structure with TiO2 anatase nanotubes. The Young's modulus, shear and bulk moduli, Poisson's ratio, Lame's constants, and compressibility of these composites have been computed using the COMPASS molecular mechanics force fields. The MD simulations demonstrated that the inclusion of anatase TiO2 improves the mechanical properties of the composite, which is consistent with our experimental findings. The results revealed that the mineralized material improved the mechanical strength and the physical properties of the composite. Hence, the composite material has potential for use in biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walaa A Abbas
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE), The American University in Cairo (AUC) New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Icell M Sharafeldin
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE), The American University in Cairo (AUC) New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Mostafa M Omar
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE), The American University in Cairo (AUC) New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE), The American University in Cairo (AUC) New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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49
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Ali BA, Biby AH, Allam NK. Fullerene C
76
: An Unexplored Superior Electrode Material with Wide Operating Potential Window for High‐Performance Supercapacitors. ChemElectroChem 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202000192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Basant A. Ali
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Ahmed H. Biby
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and Engineering The American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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50
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Mesbah YI, Ahmed N, Ali BA, Allam NK. Recycling of Li−Ni−Mn−Co Hydroxide from Spent Batteries to Produce High‐Performance Supercapacitors with Exceptional Stability. ChemElectroChem 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202000081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine I. Mesbah
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nashaat Ahmed
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Basant A. Ali
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
| | - Nageh K. Allam
- Energy Materials Laboratory School of Sciences and EngineeringThe American University in Cairo New Cairo 11835 Egypt
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