Mushroom-Derived Carbon Nanosheets for Efficient Photothermal De-Icing Applications

Summary

Wild mushrooms offer an environmentally friendly path to advanced materials. Carbon nanosheets, derived from psilocybin via green synthesis, demonstrate substantial photothermal conversion efficiency. These nanomaterials, vital for nanotechnology and materials science, effectively melt ice under visible light, showcasing a powerful photothermal effect for environmental remediation. Their distinct absorption and fluorescence properties, stemming from electronic transitions, enable diverse carbon nanomaterial applications, from thermal control to potential photothermal therapy. This sustainable approach avoids harmful byproducts, highlighting the promise of naturally sourced materials.

Abstract

The green synthesis of nanomaterials has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional techniques that reduce environmental risks and the production of harmful byproducts. In this work, biomaterial derived from wild mushrooms was used to synthesize psilocybin-derived carbon nanosheets (P-CNSs). The bioactive substance psilocybin serves as a sustainable precursor that ensures an environmentally friendly synthesis procedure. Spectroscopic measurements confirm the structural and functional properties of the P-CNSs. The naturally extracted P-CNSs demonstrated substantial photothermal conversion efficiency under both visible and infrared light. Their adaptability for thermal applications was shown by their medium-specific response. Furthermore, in photothermal de-icing, P-CNSs effectively melted ice under visible light exposure, making it a crucial application. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations were performed to optimize the structures of psilocin, baeocystin, and norbaeocystin, which show the electronic transitions responsible for the appearance of absorption and fluorescence behavior. This work draws attention to the inclusion of psilocybin in green synthesis to produce an affordable and sustainable solution for environmental issues brought to the forefront by the advantages of environmentally benign manufacture and multipurpose use, especially in thermal control and environmental remediation.

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