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This paper aims to investigate the electrocatalytic activity of CoFe_1.9Mo_0.1O₄-Ce_0.8Gd_0.18Ca_0.02O_2-δ composite (CFMo-CGDC) for the direct synthesis of ammonia from H₂O and N₂ under atmospheric pressure.

CoFe_1.9Mo_0.1O₄ nanoparticles (CFMo NPs) were synthesized via a sol-gel method. CFMo NPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) specific surface area measurement and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Double-chamber reactor was used to synthesize ammonia using H₂O and N₂ as precursors. The factors affecting the ammonia formation rate (applied voltage and temperature) were studied.

CoFe_1.9Mo_0.1O₄ nanoparticles (CFMo NPs) were synthesized via a sol-gel method. CFMo NPs were characterized using XRD, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) specific surface area measurement and SEM. Double-chamber reactor was used to synthesize ammonia using H₂O and N₂ as precursors. The factors affecting the ammonia formation rate (applied voltage and temperature) were studied.

The usage of CFMo-CGDC composite as an electrocatalyst for the synthesis of ammonia directly from H₂O and N₂.

This study aims to explore the possibility of using magnetic biochar composite (MBCC) derived from Heglig tree bark (HTB) powder (agricultural solid waste) and cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄, CFO) for oil spill removal from seawater surface.

One-pot co-precipitation route was used to synthesize MBCC. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The densities of the prepared materials were also estimated. Crude, diesel engine and gasoline engine oils were used as seawater pollutant models. The gravimetric oil removal (GOR) method was used for removing oil spills from seawater using MBCC as a sorbent material.

The obtained results revealed that the prepared materials (CFO and MBCC) were able to remove the crude oil and its derivatives from the seawater surface. Besides, when the absorbent amount was 0.01 g, the highest GOR values for crude oil (31.96 ± 1.02 g/g) and diesel engine oil (14.83 ± 0.83 g/g) were obtained using MBCC as an absorbent. For gasoline engine oil, the highest GOR (27.84 ± 0.46 g/g) was attained when CFO was used as an absorbent.

Oil spill removal using MBCC derived from cobalt ferrite and HTB. Using tree bark as biomass (eco-friendly, readily available and low-cost) for magnetic biochar preparation also is a promising method for minimizing agricultural solid wastes (e.g. HTB) and obtaining value-added-products.

The purpose of this research is to assess the removal of oil spills from the seawater surface as well as the antibacterial activity of ZnFe₂O₄-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB, cationic surfactant) magnetic nanoparticles (ZFO-CTAB MNPs).

A CTAB-assisted sol–gel method was used to synthesize ZFO-CTAB MNPs. X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used for ZFO-CTAB MNPs characterization. Also, the magnetic force and apparent density of ZFO-CTAB MNPs were determined. The oil spill cleanup was investigated by using the gravimetric oil removal (GOR) technique, which used ZFO-CTAB MNPs as oil absorbent material and four oil samples (crude, diesel, gasoline and used oil) as oil spill models. The antibacterial activity of ZFO-CTAB MNPs against Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) was investigated by using the optical density method.

The results revealed that, when the amount of ZFO-CTAB was 0.01 g, gasoline oil had the highest GOR (51.80 ± 0.88 g/g) and crude oil had the lowest (11.29 ± 0.82 g/g). Furthermore, for Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ZFO-CTAB MNPs inhibited bacterial growth with a higher percentage (94.24%–95.63%).

The applications of ZFO-CTAB MNPs in the cleanup of oil spills from aqueous solutions, as well as their antibacterial activity. The results showed that ZFO-CTAB MNPs are a promising material for removing oil spills from bodies of water as well as an antibacterial agent against Gram-negative bacterial strains.

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the adsorption properties of CoFe_1.9Mo_0.1O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (CFMo MNPs) using, anionic dye “congo red (CR)” as a model of water pollutants.

The magnetic nano-adsorbent was synthesized via sol-gel process. Different techniques including; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, point of zero charge, scanning electron microscope and X-ray powder diffraction were used to characterize the prepared adsorbent. Adsorption experiments were conducted in batch mode under various conditions (contact time, shaking speed, initial dye concentration, initial solution pH, solution temperature and adsorbent amount) to investigate the adsorption capability of CFMo MNPs for CR.

The results showed that, CFMo MNPs could successfully remove more than 90% of CR dye within 20 min. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms were better described using pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum adsorbed amount (q_max) of CR dye was 135.14 mg/g. The adsorption process was found to be endothermic and spontaneous in nature as demonstrated by the thermodynamics ( ΔGo, ΔHoand ΔSo).

This study provided a good example of using an easily separated magnetic nano-adsorbent for fast removal of a very toxic organic pollutant, congo red, from the aquatic environment

The employment of Mo-doped cobalt ferrite for the first time for removing hazardous anionic dyes such as congo red from their aqueous solutions.

This paper aims to investigate the potential application of Balanites aegyptiaca bark powder (BABP) for removing a basic textile dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solutions.

The biosorbent (BABP) was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and point of zero charge (pH_PZC). Batch mode was selected to study the biosorption of MB onto BABP surface at different experimental conditions (shaking speed, contact time, initial solution pH, ionic strength, solution temperature, biosorbent dosage and initial dye concentration). Besides, the reusability of BABP for MB biosorption was also examined.

The biosorption results revealed that approximately 96% of MB was removed successfully at the optimized operational conditions. Pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, respectively, better described the adsorption kinetics and isotherms. The monolayer biosorption capacity (q_max) for MB was about 97.09 mg/g. According to thermodynamics findings, the MB biosorption onto BABP is an exothermic and spontaneous process. The results demonstrate that BABP can be considered as potential eco-friendly, readily available and low-cost biosorbent for hazardous textile dyes removal from water bodies and also provides a promising method for minimization of agricultural solid wastes (e.g. plant barks).

The utilization of Balanites aegyptiaca bark powder (BABP), solid waste material, as low-cost and eco-friendly biosorbent for the removal of hazardous basic textile dye (methylene blue) from the aquatic environment.

This study aims to examine the impact of corporate governance (CG) on anti-corruption disclosure (A-CD), paying particular attention to the FTSE 100. Notably, it examines how board and audit committees’ characteristics affect the quantity and quality of anti-corruption disclosure.

Data from FTSE 100 firms, spanning the period from 2014 to 2020, were analysed using the regression of the Poisson fixed effect and GEE analyses.

The findings show that gender diversity, audit committee expertise and the independence of the audit committee are positively associated with both quantity and quality of anti-corruption disclosure. Notably, no statistically significant relationships were identified between anti-corruption disclosure and factors such as board size, role duality or board meetings.

The findings provide valuable insights for decision-makers and regulatory bodies, shedding light on the elements that compel UK companies to enhance their anti-corruption disclosure and governance protocols to alleviate corruption and propel efforts towards ethical behaviour.

This study makes a notable contribution to the sparse body of evidence by examining the influence of board and audit committee attributes on anti-corruption disclosure subsequent to the implementation of the UK Bribery Act in 2010. Specifically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study assesses for the first time the impact of board and audit committee mechanisms on both the quantity and quality of anti-corruption disclosure.

Malaysia is one of the fastest-growing Asian economies with a properly designed and developed Islamic financial system. This unique feature of the Malaysian economy made it an important case study, and the purpose of this study is to assess for the dynamic contribution of Islamic finance to the growth of the real economy.

The study uses a quarterly data set of 20 years analysed via the autoregressive distributive lag bounds test approach to cointegration.

The results in the short-run show a non-significant relationship between Islamic banking indices and the real economy. However, in the long-run, financing and deposits of Islamic banks are favourable and contribute significantly to the growth of the Malaysian economy. There was an accumulation of meaningful and wide-ranging investment over the period of the study and productivity of capital was also extra-efficient. The direction of causality is found to be bidirectional between Islamic banking deposits and Malaysian gross domestic product (GDP), but there is a weak causal effect from Islamic banking financing to GDP.

Malaysia has a dual financial system (conventional and Islamic) and both can affect its real economy. This research is limited to Islamic banking’s effects on Malaysian economic growth. The research also limits the scope and coverage for 20 years, from 1998 to 2017 to cover the years for which data is available for all the variables used in the study.

The results confirm that the Islamic banking sector in Malaysia is performing well in carrying out its major function of financial intermediation, which is the pooling and channelling of funds to productive investment activities. Consequently, the fact that Malaysia excels in Islamic finance is not a fluke. It is because of the effective performance of Islamic financial institutions in the country. Furthermore, Malaysian authorities are doing their level best in promoting Islamic financial activities.

The study fulfills the need to uncover the relationship between the Islamic financial system and the real economy in Malaysia. It differs from other studies as it uses the most recent available data, introduces new variables and identifies the channel by which Islamic banking development transmits growth.

Given growing concerns about water scarcity, this study aims to investigate the extent and quality of corporate water management disclosures (hereafter water disclosures) in countries and jurisdictions facing extremely high water-stress levels. Contextual factors, at a macro/country, meso/stock exchange and micro/company level, influencing water disclosures, are examined.

The authors adopted an institutional perspective, integrating multi-level organizational fields, including micro/company-level, meso/stock exchange-level and macro/national-level influences while considering factors such as corporate governance (CG), regulatory stringency, cultural traits, advocacy for environmental management, environmental performance and sustainability indices. The authors use a GRI 303-based index to evaluate water disclosures of the top 100 listed companies from 12 stock-exchanges based in extremely high water-stress countries over a five-year period from 2016to 2020. While checking for robustness, the authors evaluate the impact of normative, coercive and mimetic forces on water disclosures at country, stock exchange and company levels.

Overall, water disclosure rates/extent and quality remain low with only incremental improvements observed over the five-year period. In terms of drivers, at a micro-level, the authors find that robust CG positively impacts water disclosure quality. At a meso level, regulatory stringency, environmental advocacy and the presence of a sustainability index positively influence water disclosure quality. At a macro level, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity negatively impact water disclosure quality, whereas long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance positively impact it. Furthermore, countries characterized by robust governance and high environmental performance negatively influence disclosure quality in water sensitive industries.

The findings may prove useful to policymakers and regulators, including stock exchanges, in strengthening water disclosure requirements. Standard-setters may consider introducing more guidelines to assist reporters in improving the quality of their disclosures. Practitioners (managers and assurance providers) may use the findings to benchmark corporate reporting practices.

The research provides insights that can inform policies promoting transparency and accountability around corporate use of societies’ scarce water resources. The study advances responsible water stewardship, aligning corporate actions with global sustainability goals, particularly around water scarcity. In doing so, these findings have implications that extend beyond corporate disclosure practices, impacting broader environmental conservation and resource management efforts.

The study examines corporate water disclosure rates and qualities in extremely high water-stress countries and jurisdictions. The evaluation of these disclosures using a GRI 303-based index generates a unique dataset that is analysed from a multi-level institutional perspective (micro, meso and macro) to provide insights into the factors influencing corporate water disclosure practices.

The study aims to examine the association between the sustainable development triangle and real earnings management (REM) and the moderating role of business innovation.

The study was based on the quadruple bottom line approach to measuring corporate sustainable development. For the REM, Roychowdhury model is used to identify the practices. The study used panel data using 740 firm-year observations from non-financial listed companies in the Nigerian market from 2011 to 2020, collected from the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

The study finds a negative influence on the association of economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) on REM in related party transactions. Thus, by regressing the three different components of REM separately, then EESG will have strongest impact as well. The study suggests a bidirectional association between EESG and REM. Furthermore, the study finds that business innovation strengthens the negative association between EESG and REM. The study concludes that sustainable companies in the Nigerian public market are less liable to practice REM.

The study examines only non-financial listed companies quoted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, which restricts the generalization of the findings.

The findings of the study should be of immense value to the investors who need comprehensive appraisal of earnings quality to enhance sustainable development strategies for sustainable business innovation among Nigeria firms. Thus, sustainability and innovation can serve as the principles for supporting developing countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting a sustainable development.

The study will be of immense value to policymakers, regulators and standard setters who demand for facts insightful of business practices and reporting behaviors for sustainable development.

Existing studies have mainly focused on triple bottom line. This study adds to the existing body of literature on the Quadruple bottom line in an African market. More so, the study investigates the impact of business innovation on the relationship between economic, environmental, social and governance and real earnings management, which was rarely investigated in the prior literature.

This study aims to explore the relationship between board governance structure and firm risk. In particular, this study develops a “governance index” based on four aspects of the board: board composition, board leadership structure, board member characteristics and board processes, and it examines how the overall index relates to firm risk.

The study is conducted using a sample of 268 UK firms from the FTSE 350 index over the period from 2005 to 2010. An index is constructed to capture the overall governance structure of the firm. Regressions of the index on three risk measures are examined.

This study finds that the governance index that aggregates the four sets of board attributes is significantly and negatively related to firm risk. Robustness tests confirm this result.

A large number of studies have explored the relationship between the attributes of corporate boards and firm performance with mixed results. A much smaller number of studies have looked at board attributes and firm risk, but these have either focused on financial sector firms alone or have included only a single or a limited number of attributes. This study, using a broad agency framework, seeks to extend the work on firm risk and board attributes by both expanding industry sectors examined and using a comprehensive set of board attributes.

The findings have policy and practical implications for investors, regulators and chairmen of boards of governors to the extent that they inform these constituencies about the set of board attributes that are associated with firm risk. This study is the first to use a comprehensive measure of governance and relate it to firm risk.