[en] Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been well known for their applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery, etc. The surface modification of these magnetic nanoparticles has been explored extensively to achieve functionalized materials with potential application in biomedical, environmental and catalysis field. Herein, we report a novel and versatile single step methodology for developing curcumin functionalized magnetic Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles without any additional linkers, using a simple coprecipitation technique. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The developed MNPs were employed in a cellular application for protection against an inflammatory agent, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) molecule. - Graphical abstract: Novel single step curcumin coated magnetic Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles without any additional linkers for medical, environmental, and other applications. Display Omitted - Highlights: • A novel and versatile single step methodology for developing curcumin functionalized magnetic Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles is reported. • The magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were characterized using TEM, XRD, FTIR and TGA. • The developed MNPs were employed in a cellular application for protection against an inflammatory agent, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).

[en] In this article, a compact plasmonic metal-insulator-metal ring resonator has been proposed and investigated. The proposed waveguide structure can be turned into a Plasmonic optical filter through alteration in various parameters of the structure geometry, such as radius of ring resonator, width of the waveguide channel, dielectric constant of insulating material and the shifting of the output channel. It is observed that the transmission peaks exhibit redshift with increased radius of the ring resonator and decreased channel width. Several metals have been successfully trialed, in which the silver metal shows high response with near 90% transmission. For the first time, three transmission peaks have been observed in the near infrared regime with air cavity over a wide range of bandwidth, which makes it strong candidate for the significant nano-interconnect and sensing applications.

[en] Metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS)-based Pt/La₂O₃/SiO_XN_Y/p-Si/Pt structures are fabricated using ultrathin silicon oxynitride (SiO_XN_Y ~ 4 nm) interfacial layer underneath of lanthanum (III) oxide (La₂O₃ ~ 7.8 nm) with Pt as gate electrode for CMOS applications. Capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics of Pt/La₂O₃/SiO_XN_Y/p-Si/Pt at 500 kHz showed a positive gate bias threshold voltage (V_th) shift of ~ 0.43 V (~ 43.8%) and flat-band (V_fb) shift of ~ 1.24 V (~ 42.3%) as compared to Pt/La₂O₃/p-Si/Pt MIS structures, attributing to the reduction in effective positive oxide charges at La₂O₃/SiO_XN_Y/Si gate stack. Likewise, conductance–voltage (G–V) characteristics show ~ 0.56 (~ 44.4%) reduction in FWHM for Pt/La₂O₃/SiO_XN_Y/p-Si/Pt as compared to Pt/La₂O₃/p-Si/Pt MIS structures revealing the reduction in interface states at La₂O₃/SiO_XN_Y/Si interface. There is a considerable reduction of effective oxide charge concentration (N_eff) ~ 3.99 × 10¹⁰ cm⁻² by (~ 15.2%) and ~ 56.8% lower gate leakage current density ~ 4.47 × 10⁻⁷ A/cm² ( J –V) at − 1 V for SiO_XN_Y based MIS structures w.r.t its counterpart. Capacitance–time (C–t) characteristics, constant voltage stress (CVS) and temperature measurements for C–V and J –V demonstrate the considerable retention ~ 12 years, electrical improvement and reliability of MIS structures. The depth profile analysis X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for SiO_XN_Y/Si gate stack clearly reveals that less nitrogen concentration in bulk than SiO_XN_Y/Si interface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrographs of La₂O₃/Si and SiO_XN_Y/Si showed the significantly lesser r.m.s roughness of ~ 1.11 ± 0.39 nm and ~ 0.97 ± 0.11 nm, respectively. Thus, the ultrathin SiO_XN_Y interfacial layer underneath of La₂O₃ demonstrates a significantly improved electrical performance and prelude the gate stack strong potential for reliable CMOS logic devices and integrated circuits.

[en] As the global electricity systems are shaped by decentralisation, digitalisation and decarbonization, the World Energy Council's Innovation Insights Briefs explore the new frontiers in energy transitions and the challenges of keeping pace with fast moving developments. We use leadership interviews to map the state of play and case studies across the whole energy landscape and build a broader and deeper picture of new developments within and beyond the new energy technology value chain and business ecosystem. The topic of this briefing is energy storage. We interviewed energy leaders from 17 countries, exploring recent progress in terms of technology, business models and enabling policies. We showcase these in 10 case studies. While the brief addresses energy storage as a whole, most insights are focused on electrical storage. Our research highlighted that today's mainstream storage technologies are unlikely to be sufficient to meet future flexibility requirements resulting from further decentralisation and decarbonization efforts. Furthermore, a restricted focus on lithium-ion batteries is putting the development of more cost-effective alternative technologies at risk. A detailed list of the interviews with innovators, energy users and producers can be found at the end of this brief. Annex 4 provides a list of acronyms and abreviations. With major decarbonizing efforts to remove thermal electric power generation and scale up renewable energies, the widespread adoption of energy storage continues to be described as the key game changer for electricity systems. Affordable storage systems are a critical missing link between intermittent renewable power and 24/7 reliability net-zero carbon scenario. Beyond solving this salient challenge, energy storage is being increasingly considered to meet other needs such as relieving congestion or smoothing out the variations in power that occur independently of renewable-energy generation. However, whilst there is plenty of visionary thinking, recent progress has focused on short-duration and battery-based energy storage for efficiency gains and ancillary services; there is limited progress in developing daily, weekly and even seasonal cost-effective solutions which are indispensable for a global reliance on intermittent renewable energy sources. The synthesis of thought leadership interviews and case studies with 37 companies and organizations from 17 countries helped derive the following key takeaways and also provide the impetus to the solution steps that we discuss in detail later in this brief: 1 - Shared road-maps: Energy storage is a well-researched flexibility solution. However, while the benefits of energy storage are clear to the energy community, there has been limited bridge-building with policy-makers and regulators to explore the behavioural and policy changes necessary to encourage implementation. 2 - Market design - Access and stacking: Market access and the ability to stack different services simultaneously will enable cost-effective deployment of energy storage, regardless of the technology. 3 - More than batteries: Energy storage is too often reduced to battery technologies. Future-proofing our energy systems means considering alternative solutions and ensuring technologies have equal market opportunities. Demonstration projects of such technologies are necessary to disprove bias towards specific technologies. 4 - Sector coupling: Energy storage presents a sector coupling opportunity between hard-to-abate sectors, such as mobility and industry and clean electricity. Different vectors of energy can be used, including heat, electricity and hydrogen. 5 - Investment: Relying on investments by adjacent sectors such as the automotive sector is not enough. The energy sector must adopt more aggressively technologies aligned with the end-goal: affordable clean energy for all.

[en] The scenarios provides an inclusive and strategic framework that enables big-picture thinking. They are designed to be used as a set to explore and navigate what might happen and support a better-quality global strategic dialogue on the future of energy systems. These regionally focused scenarios are is produced using a World Energy Council framework, that was developed by the Council and its scenarios partners, Accenture Strategy Energy and the Paul Scherrer Institute. The report is following a medium-term time horizon of 2040 and focuses on European region, which includes EU31, Eastern Europe and Russia. It explores three plausible pathways for a region in Modern Jazz, Unfinished Symphony and Hard Rock futures, provides comparative analysis, and a broader view on 'how to use' the scenarios. The regionally focused scenarios were informed by insights from 15 deep-dive regionally focused leadership interviews, regional workshops in Paris, Berlin and Tallinn, and wide experts' engagements. The European region comprises over 30 national energy systems, including some of the world's largest importer-exporter nations. There is increasing diversity in the overall energy mix, which includes community/ district and industrial heating; centralised and decentralised electricity grids; hydrocarbon molecules; and renewable, hydro and nuclear power generation. Compared with other regions, the European region is also well endowed with both new and ageing national and cross-border energy infrastructures. Whilst the future of energy cannot be predicted with any degree of precision, managing successful energy transitions necessitates a bigger-picture perspective. The exploratory scenarios contained in this report describe three plausible alternative pathways for European regional energy systems. None of the scenarios is the preferred or most likely future. Instead, the set of scenarios can be used by energy leaders to engage constructively with uncertainty and to better prepare for emerging systemic risks and new opportunities. The three scenarios indicate the following as the main challenges facing European energy transition leaders: 1 - European energy systems are already approaching an investment cliff. 2 - New global growth opportunities are emerging in energy, whilst geostrategic competitions are intensifying. 3 - Digital energy competitiveness is key to a next era of regional prosperity. 4 - European shared values imply that there can be no energy transition without social involvement and public acceptance. 5 - New economics of whole system transition are needed that avoid increasing emotional reactions and establish a level playing field in the consideration of alternative net-zero carbon technologies transition pathways. 6 - Developing integrated energy-industrial strategies and promoting sector-coupling policies are pivotal in enabling affordable and deeper decarbonization, in parallel with creating jobs and strengthening regional economic competitiveness. 7 - There is a need to build new capabilities in dynamic resilience and cross-scale governance in order to secure the benefits of global and local flows of clean, reliable and affordable energy for everyone, anytime, anywhere. The main section of the full report presents the three regional storylines to 2040, with supporting comparative analysis of energy sector implications; additional country focused insight; and illustrative, model-based quantification. There is also a section on 'how to use' the scenarios, describing how business leaders and policy makers can effectively use these scenarios to: (1) engage in leadership dialogues; (2) enable integrating policy pathfinding; (3) stress test and translate new energy visions into action; (4) redesign energy businesses