Facile synthesis of Nickel-iron based electrocatalyst anodes for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

OJC-Vol. 3 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 6 – 12 Open Access Full-Text PDF
Aisha Batool, Farah Kanwal, Shahzad Ahmad, Sumreen Asim, Murtaza Saleem
Abstract: In this research, we reported facile synthesis of efficient \(Ni_3Fe\) electrocatalyst nanostructures deposited on conducting carbon fibers surface by a simple chemical bath deposition method at moderate temperature. The composition, phase and electrocatalytic property of as-prepared binder-free electrocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and electrochemical measurements. The as-synthesized \(Ni_3Fe@t-CF\) presented excellent performance and durability as water oxidation electrocatalyst in alkaline electrolyte owing to non-segregated deposition of \(Ni_3Fe\) nanostructures on conducting surface of carbon, high electrochemical surface area, and the fast absorption and desorption of water molecules during oxygen evolution reaction due to the \(3D\) architecture of conducting interlaced carbon fibers template.
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Chemical composition and Antioxidant activity of essential oil from flowers of Couroupita guianensis Aubl. from El Salvador

OJC-Vol. 3 (2020), Issue 1, pp. 1 – 6 Open Access Full-Text PDF
Francesco Saverio Robustelli della Cuna, Ilaria Bruni, Morena L. Martínez, Marvin J. Núnez
Abstract: Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae) “Cannonball tree” is a tropical plant with ethnobotanical uses. The present study is focused on analyzing the essential oil composition of Couroupita guianensis (C. guianensi) fresh flowers collected in El Salvador. Steam distillation, coupled with GC/FID and GC/MS analysis were employed to characterize the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant activity study were carried out using DPPH assay. Eugenol was identified to be the most abundant constituent and quantified as \(46.20\)% of the total volatiles. Other constituents were found to be \(2\)-phenylethanol \((34.82\)%), \((E)-(E)\)-farnesol \((5.53\)%), nerol \((3.95\)%), geraniol \((3.20\)%), benzyl alcohol \((1.77\)%). \(DPPH\) assay showed a dose-dependent antioxidant activity. The study demonstrated that C. guianensis essential oil from El Salvador is a rich source of eugenol, which may be responsible for its antioxidant properties. Based on these results, further studies on the antibacterial and antifungal activity of C. guianensis essential oil are of fundamental importance.
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