WSe2crystals on paper: flexible, large area and broadband photodetectors.

The paper-based photodetector has recently captivated a great deal of attention in various opto-electronics applications because of facile, cost effective and green synthesis. Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides materials are promising for photodetection under the broad spectral range. In this work, we have fabricated paper-based device by rubbing the tungsten di-selenide (WSe2) crystals on paper substrate. Low-cost, facile and green synthesis technique was employed to make a high-performance paper-based WSe2photodetector. Paper-based photodetector was fabricated via non-toxic simply rubbing process of WSe2nanosheets on low-cost bio-degradable paper. The photodetector shows good responsivity of 72.5 µA W-1and detectivity at around 2.4 × 107Jones at very low bias (1.0 V) at wavelength of 780 nm, respectively. Due to good photo-absorption strength, photodetector exhibits excellent photo-response over wide wavelength range from visible to near infrared. This device also shows very good flexibility with a stable photo-response. This device shows a general and reliable study for the design of photodetectors that is eco-friendly and cost-effective. Overall studied results of the fabricated device indicate that they have the ability to be used in large-scale preparation of the device.

Photosensitive electrocatalysts based on Ni-WS2nanohybrids for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Efficient hydrogen evolution by electrolysis plays an indispensable role for hydrogen fuel generation in green energy devices. In order to implement high-performance electrocatalytic activity, it is usually necessary to design economically viable, effective and stable electrocatalysts to reduce activation potential barriers. Herein, we report the photosensitive Ni-WS2nanohybrids for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Optimisation of chemical composition in catalysts has resulted in the rapid water electrolysis which was further promoted by illumination of 532 nm light. Obvious HER has been achieved at over potential of as low as -210 mV versus RHE without and -190 mV versus RHE (at -10 mA cm-2) with illumination. Being a photosensitive electrocatalysts, Ni-WS2Nanohybrids have demonstrated stable time-resolved photoresponse with photocurrent of 12.7 mA cm-2at -250 mV V versus RHE as well as self-powered photodetection with current 0.68 mA cm-2. Finally, HER with improvement under visible light illumination has shown considerable development in clean energy generation by using renewable energy sources.

Enhanced Antifungal Activity of WS2/ZnO Nanohybrid against Candida albicans.

Candida albicans forms persistent infections through the formation of biofilms that confer resistance to existing antifungal drugs. Biofilm targeting is therefore a promising strategy to combat Candida albicans infections. The WS2/ZnO nanohybrids exhibits considerably improved antibiofilm activity and inhibited the biofilm formation by 91%, which is quite better than that for pristine WS2, which is only 74%. The physical blend prepared by mixing WS2 nanosheets and WS2/ZnO in the ratio of 70:30 showed an antibiofilm activity of 58%, which was intermediate to that observed for pristine materials. The as-synthesized nanohybrid also demonstrates dose-dependent antifungal activity as calculated using the disc diffusion test. WS2/ZnO nanohybrid shows 1.5 times higher activity compared to pristine WS2 nanosheets suggesting that the nanohybrid materials are more effective as novel antifungal materials.