Defect influences on the photoactivity of ZnO nanoparticles prepared by a powdered coconut water (ACP) assisted synthesis have been studied. The crystalline phase and morphology of ZnO nanoparticles were effectively controlled by adjusting the calcination temperature (400−700 °C). An induced transition of hybrid Zn 5 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 6 /ZnO nanoparticles to single-phase ZnO nanoparticles was obtained at 480 °C. The morphological analysis revealed a formation of ZnO nanoparticles with semispherical (∼6.5 nm)-and rod-like (∼96 nm) shapes when the calcination temperatures were 400 and 700 °C, respectively. Photoluminescence characterizations revealed several defects types in the samples with V Zn and V O + being in the selfassembly of semispherical-and rod-like ZnO nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO nanoparticles was examined by assessing the degradation of methylene blue in an aqueous solution under low-intensity visible-light irradiation (∼3 W m −2 ). The results point toward the self-assembly of semispherical-and rod-like ZnO nanoparticles that had significantly better photocatalytic activity (∼31%) in comparison to that of spherical-agglomerated-or near-spherical-like species within 120 min of irradiation. The possible photocatalytic mechanism is discussed in detail, and the morphology-driven intrinsic [V Zn +V O + ] defects are proposed to be among the active sites of the ZnO nanoparticles enhancing the photocatalytic activity.

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The development of new magnetic refrigerants demands an effective investigation of materials with a large magnetocaloric effect in a wide temperature range. Herein, we report on the structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of the two-site disordered double perovskite GdSrCoFeO 6 prepared by the modified solid-state synthesis method. Temperature-dependent synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that GdSrCoFeO 6 crystallizes in the orthorhombic phase (Pnma), with Gd 3+ /Sr 2+ and Co 2+/3+ /Fe 3+/4+ ions randomly distributed on the A-and B-sites, respectively. An observed lattice parameter anomaly around 60 K indicates the occurrence of the magnetoelastic coupling, which coincides with the presence of ferro/ferrimagnetic (FM/FiM) ordering below T C ≈ 65 K from the magnetic measurements. These results match well with our first-principles calculation prediction of low-temperature magnetic (FM/FiM) and electronic (insulating/metal) transitions related to a combined effect of Co and Fe shortand long-range competitions, crossings of spin state at Co ions, and the hybridization degree between Gd-4f and Co-3d states. Additionally, a modified Arrott plot and Kouvel−Fisher analysis were used to establish the nature of the magnetic phase transition in GdSrCoFeO 6 , yielding the critical exponent β = 1.46(6)/1.45(6), γ = 1.48(5)/1.17(2), and δ = 2.01(3)/1.80(5), respectively. The specific heat analysis reveals two well-defined broad peaks (∼10 and ∼70 K), which match well with a Schottky anomaly (Gd-4f) and the magnetic transition of FM/FiM to paramagnetic order, respectively. The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) analysis reveals a maximum magnetic entropy change ΔS M max ≈ 13 J kg −1 K −1 (at ∼8 K) under a field of 0−7 T. These results evidence that the Schottky anomaly and the magnetoelastic coupling seem to be key factors for driving further enhancements to the MCE in GdSrCoFeO 6 , making it a possible candidate for cryogenic applications.

Intercalation compounds based on layered TiS2 sulfide are gaining much attention since the incorporation of transition metals often dramatically change the physical properties and unlocks new intriguing phenomena. Here, we...

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