No abstract

We present here a new approach for the synthesis of nitrogendoped porous graphitic carbon (g-NC) with a stoichiometry of C 6.3 H 3.6 N 1.0 O 1.2 , using layered silicate as a hard sacrificial template. Autogenous exfoliation is achieved due to the heterostacking of 2D silicate and nitrogendoped carbon layers. Micro-and meso-porosity is induced by melamine and cetyltrimethylammonium (C 16 TMA). Our density functional calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) observations confirm that the most dominant nitrogen configuration in g-CN is graphitic, while pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogens are thermodynamically less favored. Our large-scale lattice dynamics calculations show that surface termination with H and OH groups at pores accounts for the observed H and O in the composition of the synthesized g-NC. We further evaluate the electrocatalytic and the supercapacitance activities of g-NC. Interestingly, this material exhibits a specific capacitance of ca. 202 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 , retaining 90% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles.

Herein, a feasible chemical reduction method followed by intensive mixing was applied for the preparation of an attractive material based on graphite studded with cuprous oxide nanoparticle-based cubes (Cu2ONPs–C@G). Transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were utilized for characterization. Cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu2ONPs), with a diameter range mainly distributed from 4 to 20 nm, aggregate to form microcubes (Cu2ONPs–C) with an average diameter of about 367 nm. Paste electrode was prepared using Cu2ONPs–C@G (Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE) for voltametric quantification of the musculotropic antispasmodic drug: mebeverine hydrochloride (MEB). The electrochemical behavior of MEB was studied using CV, and the optimum analytical parameters were investigated using square wave adsorptive anodic stripping voltammetry (SWAdASV). Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) was used to emphasize the ability of MEB to form a complex with Cu2+, confirming the suggested electrochemical behavior of MEB at Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE. With good stability and high reproducibility, SWAdASV of Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE shows successful quantification of MEB over the concentration range of 5.00 × 10−11–1.10 × 10−9 M with lower limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) values of 2.41 × 10−11 M and 8.05 × 10−11 M, respectively. Finally, accurate quantification of MEB in dosage forms (tablets) and biological fluids (spiked human urine and plasma samples) was achieved using Cu2ONPs-C@G/PE.