Himanshu Sekhar Panda

The strategic compositional design of transition-metal phosphates is a proven and efficient approach to tuning their structures and electrochemical behavior to obtain high-performing supercapacitors.

The electrochemical properties of transition‐metal phosphates could be considerably improved through structural and morphological tuning. In this work, Li‐assisted Ni–Co phosphate (Li‐NCP) electrodes were grown directly onto nickel foam via a straightforward one‐pot hydrothermal technique, and the influence of Li ⁺ assistance on the structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties was studied in detail. Structural tuning and variations in the local coordination environments resulting from Li ⁺ ‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis were analyzed using XRD and FTIR spectroscopy. The morphological tuning of the electrode from stacked platelets to flower‐like structures made up of interconnected needle‐like nanostructures was observed by FESEM. Among all the electrodes fabricated in this study, the Li‐2 electrode showed exceptional electrochemical performance, with areal capacitances of 10,828 mF cm ⁻² at 3 mA cm ⁻² and 4144 mF cm ⁻² at 20 mA cm ⁻² . The charge‐transfer resistance determined by EIS was extremely low (0.0571 Ω), indicating superior charge‐transfer kinetics. The optimized electrode retains 70% of its capacitance after 5000 cycles. A hybrid Li‐2//graphite solid‐state supercapacitor worked stably within a 1.2 V potential window, and two devices in series successfully powered a red LED, demonstrating the practical potential of the developed electrode for advanced energy storage applications.

Quantum dots (QDs) provide a nanoscopic solution with nearly macroscopic potential in a time when accuracy and customization continue to advance healthcare. These fluorescent nanocrystals are revolutionizing drug delivery by integrating treatment accuracy, real‐time imaging, and intelligent responsiveness into a single platform. This review examines how advances in QD design have transformed these materials from passive imaging probes into smart nanocarriers capable of adaptive and precision‐controlled therapeutic intervention. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between QD composition, surface engineering, and biological performance. The review highlights how these factors govern drug loading, targeting efficiency, stimuli responsiveness, and theranostic capability. Modern advances in pH‐, redox‐, enzyme‐, and light‐responsive QDs, as well as more sophisticated multi‐stimuli and logic‐gate systems, are considered. This integrates multiple pathological signals to improve therapeutic precision. Beyond summarizing technological advances, critical attention is given to the trade‐offs between multifunctionality and clinical translatability. The challenges associated with toxicity, reproducibility, scalability, and regulatory acceptance are also discussed. The review also explores how machine learning (ML) is now accelerating the optimization of QD designs. Overall, the recent developments can be considered as an important step toward the creation of a next‐generation QD‐based multifunctional, intelligent, and flexible therapeutic system.

Multifunctional ferroelectric composites are increasingly regarded as promising sustainable energy solutions in modern industry. Lead-free ferroelectric perovskite ceramics are gaining attention as potential ceramic materials for electronic applications. In this paper, promising lead-free ferroelectric ceramic materials are considered as fillers in a polymer matrix to prepare flexible composites for sensing applications. This study reports the development of a lead-free ceramic system incorporated into a PVDF polymer matrix to fabricate flexible KNN-BT/PVDF composite films. The incorporation of nanofiller into the PVDF polymer matrix resulted in an enhancement of interfacial polarisation, which subsequently improved the dielectric, ferroelectric and sensing properties of the composite ceramic-polymer samples compared to the PVDF film. The permittivity of the ceramic-polymer composite sample (ε = 15.2) was enhanced significantly compared to PVDF (ε = 9.6), and the sensing value increased by a factor of 1.3 with respect to the pristine PVDF film. The activation energy for the composite film (Eact=0.36 eV) is found to be higher than PVDF (Eact=0.28 eV).