Abstract: A method of detecting an imidacloprid compound including: contacting an electrochemical sensor with a solution; applying a potential across the electrochemical sensor in the solution. The method further includes measuring the current output of the electrochemical sensor; and determining if the imidacloprid compound is present in the solution based on the current output. The electrochemical sensor includes at least one layer of a nanocomposite at least partially coating a substrate surface. The nanocomposite includes silver nanoparticles, mesoporous carbon, and hematite ore.

Abstract: A nanocomposite photocatalyst is provided. The nanocomposite photocatalyst contains carbon nitride particles, a polymer composite comprising a conducting polymer and a carbon nanomaterial, the polymer composite being disposed on the carbon nitride particles, and noble metal nanoparticles disposed on both the polymer composite and the carbon nitride particles. Also provided is a method of forming the nanocomposite photocatalyst and a method of photodegrading an organic pollutant in water using the nanocomposite photocatalyst and visible light irradiation.

Abstract: A nanocomposite photocatalyst is provided. The nanocomposite photocatalyst contains carbon nitride particles, a polymer composite comprising a conducting polymer and a carbon nanomaterial, the polymer composite being disposed on the carbon nitride particles, and noble metal nanoparticles disposed on both the polymer composite and the carbon nitride particles. Also provided is a method of forming the nanocomposite photocatalyst and a method of photodegrading an organic pollutant in water using the nanocomposite photocatalyst and visible light irradiation.

Abstract: Provided here nontoxic CuGaS2/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals with free-self-reabsorption losses and large Stokes shift synthesized on an industrially gram-scale. The nanocrystals exhibited a typical energy-down-shift that absorbs only ultraviolet light and emits the whole range of visible light with a high photoluminescence-quantum yield. The straightforward application of these energy-down-shift nanocrystals on the front surface of a monocrystalline p-type silicon solar cell significantly enhanced the short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency. The significant improvement in the external quantum efficiency and that decreasing in the surface reflectance in the ultraviolet region clearly manifest the photovoltaic enhancement.