Experimental optical properties explained by density functional theory of the natural red algae for dye-sensitized solar cells application.

The present study investigates the usage of a novel natural dye derived from red algae of Morocco in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time. The main pigments responsible for sensitizing the semiconductor TiO2 coatings in the red algae were identified as phycoerythrin, carotenoid, and chlorophyll. The efficiency of a DSSC made from red algae was compared to that of a solar cell made from chlorophyll alone. The photovoltaic performance of the DSSC was evaluated through photocurrent density to photovoltage (J-V) characteristic analysis, and the efficiency was found to be 0.93%. To gain insights into its behavior, the absorbance and photoluminescence in a broad range were studied. Both absorbance and photoluminescence exhibited a broad-spectrum range. Additionally, electronic properties, such as HOMO, LUMO, energy gap, and chemical reactivity parameters, were studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Optical and morphological properties of Curcuma longa dye for dye-sensitized solar cells.

New experimental results of morphological and optical properties of Curcuma longa dye thin film were investigated. The thin films were deposited by physical vapor deposition technique. Morphological properties were measured using atomic force microscopy technique and they show a granular structure which above there are nanotubes shapes. Photoluminescence of Curcuma longa at low temperature was investigated and discussed for the first time. The temperature effect from 77 to 300 K of Curcuma longa thin film has been shown and luminescence was strongly observed. Photoelectrochemical parameters of the dye-sensitized solar cell based on Curcuma longa have been computed via the finite element method. The power conversion efficiency is about 0.86% obtained from short circuit current, open-circuit voltage, and fill factor of 0.13 mA/cm2, 0.52 mV, and 0.83, respectively. As a result, Curcuma longa dye can be applied to dye-sensitized solar cells.

Physiological effects of thiamethoxam on Zea mays and its electrochemical detection using a silver electrode.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this work is the detection and quantification of bioaccumulated thiamethoxam (THM) in Zea mays at a silver electrode using square-wave voltammetry. Thiamethoxam bioaccumulation and plant development were followed for 10 days from germination to seedling growth. Germination rate, accumulation rate, root length, and plant length were used as indicators. All experiments were carried out using several concentrations of THM (5.0 × 10-4 , 1.0 × 10-3 , 5.0 × 10-3 , 3.4 × 10-2 and 5.0 × 10-2 mol L-1 ). RESULTS: The results confirm that Zea mays was sensitive to this insecticide and that germination and growth inhibition were dose dependent. The efficiency and utility of the proposed method were discussed. The current intensity increases linearly with an increase in the THM bioaccumulated in Zea mays. After 10 days,the recovery results of the extraction of THM from zea Mayes samples spiked with different concentrations were encouraging. The detection and quantification limits were found to be 9.58 × 10-6 mol L-1 (3*SD/B) and 3.13 × 10-5 mol L-1 (10*SD/B). The precision was 2.67% for eight repetitions in a solution of 3.5 × 10-4 mol L-1 THM. Histological tests were also performed to confirm the effect of THM on the plant and showed that exposure to THM induced a net histological modification in the primary root tissue of Zea mays. CONCLUSION: The use of THM can affect the quality of the plant crop yield, and its accumulation in edible plants could pose a potential risk for human and animal health if the insecticide intake were to exceed the recommended tolerable limits. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Electrocatalytic activity of the metallic silver electrode for thiamethoxam reduction: application for the detection of a neonicotinoid in tomato and orange samples.

BACKGROUND: Thiamethoxam (3-[(2-chloro-5-thiazolyl)methyl]tetrahydro-5-methyl-N-nitro-4H-1,3,5-oxadiazin-4-imine) belongs to a relatively new class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids, which can block irreversibly nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the nervous system of insects. Its determination at trace levels is an acute analytical problem. Therefore, chromatography, spectroscopy, and electrochemical technics were reported. These last have several advantages (simple sensitive and less expensive). This work investigated the electro-reduction of Thiamethoxam using simple and rapid method in real samples using metallic silver electrode. RESULTS: Silver particles, known as effective catalysts in the reduction of nitro groups, were studied to explore their roles in the shift of thiamethoxam peak potential. Cyclic voltammetry, Tafel plot and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis suggest that metallic silver electrodes have a significantly greater electrocatalytic activity in thiamethoxam electroreduction than glassy carbon electrodes and carbon paste electrodes. The electrocatalytic activity of metallic silver electrodes in thiamethoxam reduction was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. A linear variation in cathodic current with the square root of the scan rate was observed, suggesting that the process is diffusion controlled. Several supporting electrolytes were tested, and the best results were obtained with Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer, pH 10.4. A linear relationship between peak current and concentration was found in the range from 1.0 × 10-5 to 1.0 × 10-4  mol L-1 using square wave voltammetry (SWV) with a correlation coefficient of 0.994. The detection limit and quantification limit were 5.49 × 10-6 and 1.83 × 10-5  mol L-1 , respectively. CONCLUSION: Silve metallic electrode exhibits efficient catalytic activity towards the Thiamethoxam reduction. The proposed electrode was then used for the determination of thiamethoxam in tomato anad orage juice samples. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Electrochemical determination of paraquat in citric fruit based on electrodeposition of silver particles onto carbon paste electrode.

Carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) modified with silver particles present an interesting tool in the determination of paraquat (PQ) using square wave voltammetry. Metallic silver particle deposits have been obtained via electrochemical deposition in acidic media using cyclic voltammetry. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements show that the silver particles are deposited onto carbon surfaces in aggregate form. The response of PQ with modified electrode (Ag-CPE) related to Ag/CP loading, preconcentration time, and measuring solution pH was investigated. The result shows that the increase in the two cathodic peak currents (Peak 1 and Peak 2), under optimized conditions, was linear with the increase in PQ concentration in the range 1.0 × 10-7 mol/L to 1.0 × 10-3 mol/L. The detection limit and quantification limit were 2.01 × 10-8 mol/L and 6.073 × 10-8 mol/L, respectively for Peak 1. The precision expressed as relative standard deviation for the concentration level 1.0 × 10-5 mol/L (n = 8) was found to be 1.45%. The methodology was satisfactorily applied for the determination of PQ in citric fruit cultures.