Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Articles Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Cocos nucifera L.-derived porous carbon nanospheres/ZnO composites for energy harvesting and antibacterial applications Subject The topic of the resource Antibacterial activity; Carbon nanomaterials; Counter electrode; DSSC; Green synthesis Description An account of the resource Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been the subject of extensive research for their potential applications in various fields, including photovoltaics and medicine. In recent years, researchers have focused their attention on CNMs as their high electrical conductivity, low cost, and large surface area are promising in replacing traditional platinum-based counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). In addition to their electrical properties, CNMs have also displayed antibacterial activity, making them an attractive option for medical applications. The combination of CNMs with metal oxides to form composite materials represents a promising approach with significant potential in various fields, including energy and biology. Here, we introduce porous carbon nanospheres (PCNS) derived from Cocos nucifera L. and its ZnO composite (PCNS/ZnO) as an alternative material, which opens up new research insights for platinum-free counter electrodes. Bifacial DSSCs produced using PCNS-based counter electrodes achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 3.98% and 2.02% for front and rear illumination, respectively. However, with PCNS/ZnO composite-based counter electrodes, the efficiency of the device increased significantly, producing approximately 5.18% and 4.26% for front and rear illumination, respectively. Moreover, these CNMs have shown potential as antibacterial agents. Compared to PCNS, PCNS/ZnO composites exhibited slightly superior antibacterial activity against tested bacterial strains, including gram-positive Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and gram-negative Vibrio harveyi (V. harveyi) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) with MIC values of 125, 250, 125, and 62.5g/ml, respectively. It is plausible that the outcomes observed were influenced by the synergistic effects of the composite material. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.) The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Korean Carbon Society 2024. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Varghese M.; Ninan G.G.; Jayaram S.; Sarojini S.; Balachandran M. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Carbon Letters, Vol-34, No. 5, pp. 1399-1411. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Springer Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024-01-01 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s42823-024-00703-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.1007/s42823-024-00703-7</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85187455695&amp;doi=10.1007%2Fs42823-024-00703-7&amp;partnerID=40&amp;md5=b9e73d90119ff3663c07a54a902bec7e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85187455695&amp;doi=10.1007%2fs42823-024-00703-7&amp;partnerID=40&amp;md5=b9e73d90119ff3663c07a54a902bec7e</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Restricted Access Relation A related resource ISSN: 19764251 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Online Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Varghese M., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Ninan G.G., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Jayaram S., Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Sarojini S., Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Balachandran M., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India