Protection (and deprotection) of hydroxyl groups via tetrahydropyranylation was carried out effectively using a catalytic amount of Fe3O4 supported silica sulphuric acid nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2@SO3H) under solvent-free conditions.

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Antibiotic contamination in wastewater has become a matter of great concern due to the rapid industrial progress. The majority of antibiotic pollution in the environment occurs due to the waste from animal farms, aquaculture, sewage from antibiotic factories and hospitals. Therefore, it is vital to develop efficient and ecologically friendly photocatalysts for the degradation of such pollutants. In this paper, we report synthesis of ZnFe 2 O 4 /HAp-Sn 2 + , a novel nanocomposite by three-step processes using hydrothermal treatment followed by calcination. The as-synthesized composite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet diffused reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), polycrystalline (or power) X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The as-prepared composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity in the degradation of two antibiotics namely ofloxacin (OFL) and norfloxacin (NFL) under natural sunlight without use of any oxidizing or reducing agents. Scavenger studies were also carried out to ascertain the active radicals such as superoxide and hydroxyl radical during the photodegradation process.

Heterojunction formation has been shown to be an effective technique for tuning nanomaterial features such as chemical reactivity and optical performance.

MXene, a new member of the 2D material family, has stimulated research and been used in a variety of fields since its inception. It is a two dimensional transition metal‐based layered material made of carbides and nitrides. From the beginning of its discovery, the specific etching of the MAX phase and various predecessors have been employed to generate distinct compositions, with several compositions being theoretically envisaged. Due to their unique features, the MXene family is a prospective contender for a variety of applications, including, interference shielding by electromagnet, energy storage, electrocatalysis, water purification, environmental remediation, medicine and so on. The pure MXene as well as MXene based materials can be easily prepared from their MAX phases and easy implementation in broad range of areas. The review article includes the properties, MAX phase synthesis, selection of precursor materials, as well as commonly used preparation methods of MXene. A few applications of MXene based materials in variety of fields have been covered in this review. Additionally, the limitations and future prospects of MXene and MXene‐based compounds have been discussed.