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Conducting polymer hydrogels represent a unique class of materials that possess enormous application in flexible electronic devices. In the present work, conducting carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-co-polyacrylamide (PAAm)/polyaniline was synthesized by a two-step interpenetrating network solution polymerization technique. The synthesized CMC-co-PAAm/polyaniline with interpenetrating network structure was prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline to enhance conductivity. The molecular structure and morphology of the copolymer hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The novel conducting polymer hydrogels show good electrical and electrochemical behavior, which makes them potentially useful in electronic devices such as supercapacitors, biosensors, bioelectronics, solar cells and memory devices.

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Solid-state electrolytes have emerged as a promising alternative material for next-generation Li-ion batteries due to their safety and reliability. In this investigation, we report the synthesis of Cerium(Ce) doped Li7La3Zr2O12(LLZO) ceramic oxide which has a garnet-like structure and in which Ce3+ typically occupies La3+ sites. The synthesised LLZO ceramic oxide is doped with various weight percentages of cerium(Ce3+) by sol-gel method using oxalic acid as a complexing agent and ethane-1,2-diol as a surface-active agent. The synthesised Li7La3-xCexZr2O12 garnet is screened for surface morphology, chemical composition, and phase transition by various analytical techniques. The surface morphology and composition were analysed by HR-SEM with EDX analysis respectively. The cubic face formed was confirmed by XRD results. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates the thermal stability of the prepared materials. The effect of addition of various weight percentages of cerium with LLZO on ionic conductivity was analysed using ac impedance spectroscopy and compared. The maximum ionic conductivity measured was 6.34×10-5Scm-1. The potential window was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), which showed that the lithium deposition and dissolution peak appeared around 0V.Li+/Li and no further reaction beyond 5.8V vs Li+/Li.The results showed that these materials could be used as a potential alternative material in the fabrication of lithium-ion batteries.

The present study reported the isolation of cellulose from various plant biomass sources such as jackfruit peel, pineapple leaf, corn cob and hemp. The selected plant materials were treated with sequence of chemical and mechanical methods to remove non-cellulosic components such as lignin, pectin, holo-cellulose and hemi-cellulose. The lignin present was safely removed by treatment with peroxide and acetic acid and then isolated cellulose materials were characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. The peaks observed in the FTIR spectral analysis shows the presence of α-cellulose and absence of other biomass fractions. The morphology and average crystallinity of cellulose were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The inhibitory effect of isolated cellulose against certain bacteria and fungi indicated good antibacterial and antifungal activities.