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Comprehensive investigation of environmental degradation pathways and stability enhancement in FAPbI₃ perovskite films incorporating polyionic liquid (PIL) additives
No full textThis study investigates the environmental stability and degradation behavior of FAPbI₃ perovskite films under exposure to moisture, UV irradiation, and elevated temperatures. The analysis compares pristine FAPbI₃ films with those modified by polyionic liquid (PIL) additives. Two PIL additives were used: a Li-based additive (PIL 1) and an imidazolium-based additive (PIL 2). A combination of characterization techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), was employed to monitor optical, structural, and morphological changes during degradation. Results reveal that pristine FAPbI₃ rapidly converts into the non-conductive δ-phase under humid conditions, while the films containing PILs exhibit significantly improved stability. Under UV exposure the PIL-modified films retain the perovskite α-phase longer and show slower spectral and morphological changes. Thermal degradation tests revealed that films containing PIL additives exhibited prolonged stability, with PbI₂ formation, an indicator of degradation, occurring only after an extended exposure period. Both additives markedly improve the stability and morphology of the films under different environmental stress conditions, confirming the stabilizing role of polyionic liquids in enhancing the environmental resilience of FAPbI₃ perovskite films.Twenty-Third Young Researchers' Conference Materials Science and Engineering, December 3-5, 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
Neuroprotection by Flaxseed Oil in a Model of Hippocampal Injury Induced by Trimethyltin Involves Purinergic System Modulation
No full textA large body of evidence suggests that flaxseed oil (FSO), one of the richest sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids, has neuroprotective properties. Purinergic signaling plays a crucial role in pathophysiological processes in the nervous system. There is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of FSO on the purinergic system under both physiological and neurotoxic conditions. Here we report the effects of dietary FSO consumption in a rat model of trimethyltin (TMT) intoxication. Exposure to TMT selectively induces hippocampal neuronal damage and glial reactivation associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, causing severe behavioral impairments. When administered orally (1 mL/kg) before and during TMT intoxication (single dose 8 mg/kg, i.p.) to female Wistar rats, FSO effectively prevented the behavioral disturbances induced by TMT. FSO selectively increased CAT-mRNA level in both healthy and TMT-intoxicated animals, while preventing TMT-induced upregulation of Nrf2, NF-κB, and GPx1 without affecting SOD2 or Gsr-mRNA levels. FSO prevented microgliosis, microglial NTPDase1-eN upregulation, and the increase in purinergic receptors involved in microglial reactivity. Pretreatment with FSO in TMT-intoxicated rats maintained the activity and expression of NTPDase1 at control level, while the activity and expression of eN and ADA were increased. FSO upregulated eN, A1R, A2BR, A3R, ADA, and NGF, while downregulating NTPDase1, A2AR, and ENT1 in TMT-intoxicated rats. This suggests complex modulation of purinergic signaling, particularly the adenosine system. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the effects of FSO, highlighting the impact of the dietary intake of this oil on the brain
Tailoring multipurpose capabilities of jute (Corchorus) with a focus on the cleaner production and “zero waste” concept
No full textThis paper explores obtaining multipurpose jute fabrics via sodium periodate oxidation (0.2% or 0.4% NaIO4 for 60 or 120 min) and alginate coating, emphasizing the principles of cleaner production and the “zero waste” concept. Assessment of the suitability of raw and oxidized fabrics for carpet backings was conducted based on their abrasion resistance, volume electrical resistivity, and compression resilience. Fabric quality test revealed that both fabrics oxidized for 60 min (characterized by 4.3–6.9% mass loss after 1000 abrasion cycles, resistivity of 13.2–21.6 GΩcm at 50–40% relative air humidity, and compression resilience of 24.2–25.5%) are the most suitable for producing carpet backing. A separate segment of the manuscript focuses on developing geo-prebiotic supports with high water retention by alginate coating of studied fabrics. The highest water retention (146.8%) has alginate-coated fabric oxidized with 0.4% NaIO4 for 120 min, suggesting significant potential for supporting the growth of cyanobacteria, thereby facilitating the restoration of degraded terrains. Furthermore, the paper underscores the imperative of waste minimization, whereby waste of fabric identified as most suitable for carpet backing and geo-prebiotic supports was tested as an adsorbent for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. To accomplish the “zero waste” concept, and to mitigate secondary pollution from ciprofloxacin-saturated adsorbents, conversion to activated carbon was pursued, enabling the exploration of new application such as charge storage devices—supercapacitors. Specific capacitance values of the resulting activated carbons ranged between 126 and 210 F/g for one electrode at a current density of 0.3 A/g. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025
Defect Engineering and Opening of the Ion tracks in the Swift Heavy Ion Irradiated Thin Films of Bismuth Vanadate: Impact on Oxygen Evolution Reaction for Solar Water Splitting
No full textSwift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation (Xe ions, 150 MeV, 5 × 109 – 5 × 1011 ions cm-2) is utilized to engineer defect landscape in hydrothermally synthesized BiVO4 (BVO) thin films, aiming to understand its role in photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Our findings show that SHI irradiation, from individual to overlapping ion tracks, induces residual stress and amorphization in BVO, accompanied by the formation of bismuth-rich hillocks above oxygen-depleted ion tracks. While high fluence irradiation results in the irreversible reduction of PEC activity, the lower fluences (5 × 109 ions cm-2 and 1 × 1010 ions cm-2), induce defects that initially trap charge carriers, but over time lead to 58.6 % and 25.2 % increase in the photocurrent density, respectively. Detailed post-PEC morphological analysis reveals opening of ions tracks and the formation of nanoscale holes, reaching up to 30 nm in diameter and up to 200 nm in depth. Our study establishes a link between defect creation and PEC performance in BVO thin films, paving the way for innovative approaches to its morpho-structural manipulation and nano-structuring while simultaneously contributing to the fundamental understanding of SHI-induced phenomena in BVO films.This is the peer-reviewed version of the paper: Jelić, M., Jovanovic, Z., Kornieieva, K., Daneu, N., Gupta, S., O’Connell, J., Vershinina, T., Kirilkin, N., Orelovitch, O. L., Stojković Simatović, I., Skuratov, V., & Jovanović, S. (2025). Defect Engineering and Opening of the Ion tracks in the Swift Heavy Ion Irradiated Thin Films of Bismuth Vanadate: Impact on Oxygen Evolution Reaction for Solar Water Splitting. J. Mater. Chem. A. [https://doi.org/10.1039/D4TA09066G
Tetrahydropyrazolopyrazolones: Synthesis, X-ray crystallography and antimicrobial activity
No full text1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition is a valuable reaction for synthesizing heterocycles which form the core of pharmacophores with diverse bioactivities. In this study, structurally intriguing cis/trans pairs of 6-acyl-5-aryltetrahydropyrazolo[1,2-a]pyrazol-1(5H)-ones were synthesized via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N,N’-cyclic azomethine imines and vinyl-containing enones to assess their antimicrobial activity. The crystal structures of two cis and two trans tetrahydropyrazolopyrazolone derivatives were analyzed and their geometrical features were compared with structurally related compounds from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). The antimicrobial activity evaluation of the synthesized tetrahydropyrazolopyrazolones against bacteria and fungi revealed weak to moderate efficacy, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 2 to 8 mM for most species. Notably, the compounds exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect on mold growth compared to Candida albicans. Furthermore, the tested compounds demonstrated greater efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. © 202
With or Without You?—A Critical Review on Pesticides in Food
No full textPesticides are very important in modern agriculture, protecting crops against pests and diseases to ensure food safety. However, the use of pesticides in food production has raised significant concerns regarding their potential impacts on human health and the environment. This review provides comprehensive insights into the current status, future projections, and debates surrounding pesticides in food. Beginning with a historical overview of pesticide use in agriculture, the types of pesticides commonly used and the presence of their residues in food commodities are explored. The health and environmental impacts associated with pesticide exposure are examined, including both human health effects and ecological consequences. An analysis of the regulatory frameworks governing pesticide management at international and national levels is presented, along with emerging trends and future projections in pesticide technologies and agricultural practices. Strategies for mitigating pesticide risks, such as Integrated Pest Management and alternative approaches to conventional pesticide use, are discussed. Finally, the controversies surrounding pesticide use, including public perception, consumer concerns, and policy debates, are addressed. Through a critical examination of these issues, this review underscores a growing need for innovative solutions that can effectively balance agricultural demands with human health and the environment, enabling more resilient and sustainable food production
Image analysis method combined with machine learning for the prediction of soil and air quality
No full textThe pressing need for rapid, cost-effective, in-situ and non-destructive methods for assessing soil and air quality is driven by increasing environmental concerns and the limitations of traditional laboratory-based analyses. These conventional techniques are often time-consuming, resource-intensive, and may not provide the spatial resolution required for comprehensive environmental monitoring. This work introduces a novel framework for predicting soil and air quality parameters by leveraging the non-destructive power of image analysis coupled with the predictive capabilities of neural network models. The study's novelty lies in establishing a direct relationship between readily obtainable pixel intensity data from images of soil and air filters and key environmental indicators such as humus, total organic carbon in soil, and deposited particulate matter in air. The results showed a good relationship between the pixel intensity values obtained by image analysis and measured concentrations of humus and total organic carbon in soil and deposited particulate matter from the air onto filters. Furthermore, the developed neural network models demonstrate significantly enhanced predictive accuracy (99 % for soil TOC and 90 % for air particulate matter) compared to traditional linear regression approaches reported herein and in existing literature. The application of this methodology to predict metal ion concentrations in air with moderate to high accuracy (64–83 %) also highlights the potential of this approach for broader environmental monitoring applications. © 2025 Elsevier B.V
Energy landscape of new hybrid organicinorganic perovskites: Guanidinium-BX3 substituted by B=(Be2+, Ba2+, Zn2+, Ge2+, Sn2+) and X=(I-, F-)
No full textThe development of perovskite solar cells (PSC) has attracted great attention as a “green” energy source that might even replace fossil fuels soon [1]. Conventional perovskite solar cells mostly contain toxic lead, which contributes to environmental pollution, so the solution was found to substitute lead with some non-toxic metal [2]. Our investigation of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites aims to increase the chemical stability as well as to decrease the band gap value of crystal perovskites, which enables better conductivity and shifts the absorbance range, in order to produce the most efficient perovskite solar cells. The ab initio calculations of GABX3, where GA is the guanidinium cation C(NH2)3 + , with several different inorganic cations and anions - specifically: B = (Be2+, Ba2+, Zn2+, Ge2+, Sn2+) and X = (I− , F− ) have been performed using Density Functional Theory (DFT), with several functionals, Local Density Approximation (LDA) and Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE), as well as HSE06 (Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof) hybrid functional. Further investigations of structural and electronic properties will provide insights into the potential applications of these new hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite structures.Programme and the Book of Abstracts / 8th Conference of The Serbian Society for Ceramic Materials, 8CSCS-2025, June 14-16, 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
Exploring the structural diversity and energy landscape of CrSi2N4
No full textThe energy landscape of CrSi2N4 was explored using Global optimization, Data mining, and the Primitive Cell for Atom Exchange method (PCAE), generating ten promising structural candidates [1]. Similar to the previously investigated Cr2SiN4 system [2], data mining identified the global minimum (TiMn2O4 structure type) with the lowest energy, confirmed using both, the GGA-PBE and LDA-PZ functionals. Seven other favorable modifications were found through global optimization, and one each through data mining and the PCAE. Decomposition into CrN, Si3N4, and N2 was also analyzed, revealing that the global minimum phase remains stable at low temperatures. Due to the absence of experimental data, two functionals were employed to validate the energy rankings and structural predictions, demonstrating strong agreement. These results suggest the identified candidates are likely (meta)stable phases of CrSi2N4, offering promising targets for future experimental synthesis and further studies on their properties and applications.Programme and the Book of Abstracts / 8th Conference of The Serbian Society for Ceramic Materials, 8CSCS-2025, June 14-16, 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
Energy landscape of glutamine (L) ON Au / Ag / Cu doped TiO2 surfaces and potential biomedical applications
No full textA better understanding of the molecular inorganic-organic interactions in biological environments is of key importance for understanding physiological processes, and the safe application of medical implants, medicaments, drug delivery systems, etc. In this study, Glutamine (L) was selected as the model molecule for the investigation of inorganic-organic interactions due to its important role in cancer metabolism - it serves as an alternative to glucose for fueling the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in cancer cells, with many tumor cells relying on extracellular glutamine for survival [1,2], while one of the inorganic materials that show antitumor properties is titanium dioxide, and Au / Ag / Cu doped TiO2 particles showed toxic effects on several cancer cell lines. To simulate the interactions between nanoparticles and an amino acid molecule in a vacuum, we constructed systems with different glutamine conformations onto 2D slab surfaces of anatase TiO2, oriented along the (001) and (101) planes, both in their pristine form and doped with Au, Ag, or Cu. Ab initio calculations were performed using Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the LDA and GGA-PBE functionals, employing two different computational codes-CRYSTAL17 and Quantum Espresso [3]. To optimize the search for low-energy configurations of molecule on ceramic-type surfaces, we implemented an iterative approach that alternated between doped and undoped surfaces, which proved to be highly efficient for identifying stable structures in inorganic–organic systems of this nature. We observed 3 different types of molecule adsorption on the surfaces - the physical interaction, chemical interaction, and breaking up of a molecule/separation of H atoms from a molecule, with significant deformations. The presented results can contribute to general investigations of biomolecules on metal-oxide surfaces, as well as to the potential design of new anticancer materials and drug delivery systems, nanoscale therapeutics, environmental remediation, catalytic, and corrosion-resistant materials [3].Programme and the Book of Abstracts / 8th Conference of The Serbian Society for Ceramic Materials, 8CSCS-2025, June 14-16, 2025, Belgrade, Serbia