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Author D'Olieslaeger, L.; Pfannmöller, M.; Fron, E.; Cardinaletti, I.; Van der Auweraer, M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S.; Maes, W.; Vanderzande, D.; Manca, J.; Ethirajan, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Tuning of PCDTBT : PC71BM blend nanoparticles for eco-friendly processing of polymer solar cells Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Solar energy materials and solar cells Abbreviated Journal Sol Energ Mat Sol C  
  Volume 159 Issue 159 Pages 179-188  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We report the controlled preparation of water processable nanoparticles (NPs) employing the push-pull polymer PCDTBT and the fullerene acceptor PC71BM in order to enable solar cell processing using eco-friendly solvent (i.e. water). The presented method provides the possibility to separate the formation of the active layer blend and the deposition of the active layer into two different processes. For the first time, the benefits of aqueous processability for the high-potential class of push-pull polymers, generally requiring high boiling solvents, are made accessible. With our method we demonstrate excellent control over the blend stoichiometry and efficient mixing. Furthermore, we provide visualization of the nano morphology of the different NPs to obtain structural information down to similar to 2 nm resolution using advanced analytical electron microscopy. The imaging directly reveals very small compositional demixing in the PCDTBT:PC71BM blend NPs, in the size range of about <5 nm, indicating fine mixing at the molecular level. The suitability of the proposed methodology and materials towards the aspects of eco-friendly processing of organic solar cells is demonstrated through a processing of lab scale NPs solar cell prototypes reaching a power conversion efficiency of 1.9%. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000388053600021 Publication Date 2016-09-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0927-0248 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.784 Times cited 32 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; This work was supported by BOF funding of Hasselt University, the Interreg project Organext, and the IAP 7/05 project FS2 (Functional Supramolecular Systems), granted by the Science Policy Office of the Belgian Federal Government (BELSPO). A.E. is a post-doctoral fellow of the Flanders Research Foundation (FWO). M.P. gratefully acknowledges the SIM NanoForce program for financial support. S.B. further acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). The authors are thankful for technical support by J. Smits, T. Vangerven, and J. Baccus. ; ecas_sara Approved (up) Most recent IF: 4.784  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:139157UA @ admin @ c:irua:139157 Serial 4450  
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Author Vanrenterghem, B.; Papaderakis, A.; Sotiropoulos, S.; Tsiplakides, D.; Balomenou, S.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title The reduction of benzylbromide at Ag-Ni deposits prepared by galvanic replacement Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Electrochimica acta Abbreviated Journal Electrochim Acta  
  Volume 196 Issue 196 Pages 756-768  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract A two-step procedure was applied to prepare bimetallic Ag-Ni glassy carbon supported catalysts (Ag-Ni/GC). First Ni layers were prepared by means of electrodeposition in an aqueous deaerated nickel chloride + nickel sulfamate + boric acid solution. Second, the partial replacement of Ni layers by Ag was achieved upon immersion of the latter in solutions containing silver nitrate. Three different pretreatment protocols were used after preparation of the Ag/Ni deposits; as prepared, cathodised in alkali and scanned in acid. After the pretreatment the surface was characterised by means of spectroscopy techniques (scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray) and electrochemically in an alkali NaOH solution through cyclic voltammetry (CV). Afterwards the modified electrodes were tested for the reduction of benzylbromide in acetonitrile solutions by using CV and were found to show improved activity compared to bulk Ag electrode. The highest activity towards benzylbromide reduction was observed for pre-cathodised Ag-Ni electrodes. A final stage of the research focuses on the development of a practical Ag/Ni foam catalyst for the reduction of benzylbromide. Due to the high electrochemical active surface area of Ag/Ni foam, a higher conversion of benzyl bromide was obtained in comparison with bulk Ag.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000372877400083 Publication Date 2016-03-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0013-4686 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.798 Times cited 21 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The quanta 250 FEG microscope of the Electron Microscopy for Material Science group at the University of Antwerp was funded by the Hercules foundation of the Flemish government. Sara Bals acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved (up) Most recent IF: 4.798  
  Call Number c:irua:132081 Serial 4065  
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Author Reguera, J.; Flora, T.; Winckelmans, N.; Rodriguez-Cabello, J.C.; Bals, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Self-assembly of Janus Au:Fe₃O₄ branched nanoparticles. From organized clusters to stimuli-responsive nanogel suprastructures Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Nanoscale Advances Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 2 Issue 6 Pages 2525-2530  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Janus nanoparticles offer enormous possibilities through a binary selective functionalization and dual properties. Their self-assembly has attracted strong interest due to their potential as building blocks to obtain molecular colloids, supracrystals and well-organized nanostructures that can lead to new functionalities. However, this self-assembly has been focused on relatively simple symmetrical morphologies, while for complex nanostructures this process has been unexplored. Here, we study the assembly of plasmonic-magnetic Janus nanoparticles with a branched (nanostar) – sphere morphology. The branched morphology enhances their plasmonic properties in the near-infrared region and therefore their applicability, but at the same time constrains their self-assembly capabilities to obtain more organized or functional suprastructures. We describe the self-assembly of these nanoparticles after amphiphilic functionalization. The role of the nanoparticle branching, as well as the size of the polymer-coating, is explored. We show how the use of large molecular weight stabilizing polymers can overcome the anisotropy of the nanoparticles producing a change in the morphology from small clusters to larger quasi-cylindrical nanostructures. Finally, the Janus nanoparticles are functionalized with a thermo-responsive elastin-like recombinamer. These nanoparticles undergo reversible self-assembly in the presence of free polymer giving rise to nanoparticle-stabilized nanogel-like structures with controlled size, providing the possibility to expand their applicability to multi-stimuli controlled self-assembly.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000543283200032 Publication Date 2020-04-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2516-0230 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.7 Times cited 10 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; J. R. acknowledges the.nancial support of Basque Country Elkartek-KK-2019/ 00101. T. F. and J. C. R-C acknowledge the funding from the European Commission (NMP-2014-646075), the Spanish Government (PCIN-2015-010 (FunBioPlas), MAT2016-78903-R), Junta de Castilla y Leon (VA317P18) and Centro en Red de Medicina Regenerativa y Terapia Celular de Castilla y Leon. ; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 4.7; 2020 IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:170773 Serial 6600  
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Author Ata, I.; Ben Dkhil, S.; Pfannmoeller, M.; Bals, S.; Duche, D.; Simon, J.-J.; Koganezawa, T.; Yoshimoto, N.; Videlot-Ackermann, C.; Margeat, O.; Ackermann, J.; Baeuerle, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The influence of branched alkyl side chains in A-D-A oligothiophenes on the photovoltaic performance and morphology of solution-processed bulk-heterojunction solar cells Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Organic chemistry frontiers : an international journal of organic chemistry Abbreviated Journal Org Chem Front  
  Volume 4 Issue 4 Pages 1561-1573  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Besides providing sufficient solubility, branched alkyl chains also affect the film-forming and packing properties of organic semiconductors. In order to avoid steric hindrance as it is present in wide-spread alkyl chains comprising a branching point position at the C2-position, i.e., 2-ethylhexyl, the branching point can be moved away from the pi-conjugated backbone. In this report, we study the influence of the modification of the branching point position from the C2-position in 2-hexyldecylamine (1) to the C4-position in 4-hexyldecylamine (2) connected to the central dithieno[3,2-b: 2', 3'-d] pyrrole (DTP) moiety in a well-studied A-D-A oligothiophene on the optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic performance in solution- processed bulk heterojunction solar cells (BHJSCs) with [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as the acceptor material. Post-treatment of the photoactive layers is performed via solvent vapor annealing (SVA) in order to improve the film microstructure of the bulk heterojunction. The time evolution of nanoscale morphological changes is followed by combining scanning transmission electron microscopy with low-energy-loss spectroscopic imaging (STEM-SI), solid-state absorption spectroscopy, and two-dimensional grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (2D-GIXRD). Our results show an improvement of the photovoltaic performance that is dependent on the branching point position in the donor oligomer. Optical spacers are utilized to increase light absorption inside the co-oligomer 2-based BHJSCs leading to increased power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 8.2% when compared to the corresponding co-oligomer 1-based devices. A STEM-SI analysis of the respective device cross-sections of active layers containing 1 and 2 as donor materials indeed reveals significant differences in their respective active layer morphologies.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher RSC Publishing Place of Publication London Editor  
  Language Wos 000406374800013 Publication Date 2017-05-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2052-4129 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.955 Times cited 24 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; We acknowledge financial support by the European Commission under the project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7, grant number: 287594) and S.B. acknowledges the ERC Starting Grant Colouratoms (335078). ; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 4.955  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:145176UA @ admin @ c:irua:145176 Serial 4727  
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Author Daele, K.V.; Arenas‐Esteban, D.; Choukroun, D.; Hoekx, S.; Rossen, A.; Daems, N.; Pant, D.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Enhanced Pomegranate‐Structured SnO2Electrocatalysts for the Electrochemical CO2Reduction to Formate Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ChemElectroChem Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Although most state-of-the-art Sn-based electrocatalysts yield promising results in terms of selectivity and catalyst activity, their stability remains insufficient to date. Here, we demonstrate the successful application of the recently developed pomegranate-structured SnO2 (Pom. SnO2) and SnO2@C (Pom. SnO2@C) nanocomposite electrocatalysts for the efficient electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formate. With an initial selectivity of 83 and 86% towards formate and an operating potential of -0.72 V and -0.64 V vs. RHE, respectively, these pomegranate SnO2 electrocatalysts are able to compete with most of the current state-of-the-art Sn-based electrocatalysts in terms of activity and selectivity. Given the importance of electrocatalyst stability, long-term experiments (24 h) were performed and a temporary loss in selectivity for the Pom. SnO2@C electrocatalyst was largely restored to its initial selectivity upon drying and exposure to air. Of all the used (24 h) electrocatalysts, the pomegranate SnO2@C had the highest selectivity over a time period of one hour, reaching an average recovered FE of 85%, while the commercial SnO2 and bare pomegranate SnO2 electrocatalysts reached an average of 79 and 80% FE towards formate, respectively. Furthermore, the pomegranate structure of Pom. SnO2@C was largely preserved due to the presence of the heterogeneous carbon shell, which acts as a protective layer, physically inhibiting particle segregation/pulverisation and agglomeration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000936694800001 Publication Date 2023-02-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2196-0216 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes European Regional Development Fund, E2C 2S03-019 ; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 4; 2023 IF: 4.136  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195228 Serial 7249  
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Author Moggia, G.; Hoekx, S.; Daems, N.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Synthesis and characterization of a highly electroactive composite based on Au nanoparticles supported on nanoporous activated carbon for electrocatalysis Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ChemElectroChem Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract A facile, “one-pot”, chemical approach to synthesize gold-based nanoparticles finely dispersed on porous activated carbon (Norit) was demonstrated in this work. The pH of the synthesis bath played a critical role in determining the optimal gold-carbon interaction, which enabled a successful deposition of the gold nanoparticles onto the carbon matrix with a maximized metal utilization of 93 %. The obtained AuNP/C nanocomposite was characterized using SEM, HAADF-STEM electron tomography and electrochemical techniques. It was found that the Au nanoparticles, with diameters between 5 and 20 nm, were evenly distributed over the carbon matrix, both inside and outside the pores. Electrochemical characterization indicated that the composite had a very large electroactive surface area (EASA), as high as 282.4 m2 gAu-1. By exploiting its very high EASA, the catalyst was intended to boost the productivity of glucaric acid in the electrooxidation of its precursor, gluconic acid. However, cyclic voltammetry experiments revealed a very limited reactivity towards gluconic acid oxidation, due to the spacial hindrance of gluconic acid molecule which prevented diffusion inside the catalyst nanopores. On the other hand, the as-synthesized nanocomposite promises to be effective towards the ORR, and might thus find potential application as anode catalyst for fuel cells as well as for the scalability of all those electrochemical reactions involving small molecules with high diffusivity and catalysed by noble metals (i. e. CO2, CH4, N2, etc..). Electrocatalysis: Gold nanoparticles with diameter between 5 and 20 nm evenly distributed onto porous activated carbon (Norit) were obtained using a facile “one-pot” chemical synthesis technique with very high metal utilization. The AuNP/C nanocomposite was characterized using SEM, HAADF-STEM electron tomography and electrochemical techniques, revealing a very large electroactive surface area (EASA). The figure shows the HAADF-STEM image (a) and the respective EDX elemental distribution (b) for the AuNP/C composite with 9.3 % Au-loading developed in this work (Au is marked in red and C in green).image  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001060398900001 Publication Date 2023-09-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2196-0216 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The research described in this article has not been supported by the Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency of the European Commission. The views expressed in this article have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and do not constitute a statement of the European Commission & apos;s views.r S. Hoekx was supported by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO 1S42623N). The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Christophe Vande Velde, University of Antwerp, for the XRD analysis. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 4; 2023 IF: 4.136  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199210 Serial 8941  
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Author Adam, N.; Leroux, F.; Knapen, D.; Bals, S.; Blust, R. doi  openurl
  Title The uptake of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles in the water-flea Daphnia magna under acute exposure scenarios Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Environmental pollution Abbreviated Journal Environ Pollut  
  Volume 194 Issue Pages 130-137  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Veterinary physiology and biochemistry  
  Abstract In this study the uptake of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles by Daphnia magna was tested. Daphnids were exposed during 48 h to acute concentrations of the nanoparticles and corresponding metal salts. The Daphnia zinc and copper concentration was measured and the nanoparticles were localized using electron microscopy. The aggregation and dissolution in the medium was characterized. A fast dissolution of ZnO in the medium was observed, while most CuO formed large aggregates and only a small fraction dissolved. The Daphnia zinc concentration was comparable for the nanoparticles and salts. Contrarily, a much higher Daphnia copper concentration was observed in the CuO exposure, compared to the copper salt. CuO nanoparticles adsorbed onto the carapace and occurred in the gut but did not internalize in the tissues. The combined dissolution and uptake results indicate that the toxicity of both nanoparticle types was caused by metal ions dissolved from the particles in the medium.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication London Editor  
  Language Wos 000342530800016 Publication Date 2014-08-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0269-7491; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.099 Times cited 45 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ; We would like to thank Valentine Mubiana and Steven Joosen (Sphere, UA) for performing the ICP-OES and ICP-MS measurements and Prof. Dr. Gustaaf Van Tendeloo for making the collaboration between the EMAT and Sphere group possible. Additional thanks go to the European Commission for funding this work through the project ENNSATOX (NMP4-SL-2009-229244). ; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.099; 2014 IF: 4.143  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:118326 Serial 3823  
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Author Rehor, I.; Lee, K.L.; Chen, K.; Hajek, M.; Havlik, J.; Lokajova, J.; Masat, M.; Slegerova, J.; Shukla, S.; Heidari, H.; Bals, S.; Steinmetz, N.F.; Cigler, P. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasmonic nanodiamonds : targeted coreshell type nanoparticles for cancer cell thermoablation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Advanced healthcare materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Healthc Mater  
  Volume 4 Issue 4 Pages 460-468  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Targeted biocompatible nanostructures with controlled plasmonic and morphological parameters are promising materials for cancer treatment based on selective thermal ablation of cells. Here, coreshell plasmonic nanodiamonds consisting of a silica-encapsulated diamond nanocrystal coated in a gold shell are designed and synthesized. The architecture of particles is analyzed and confirmed in detail using electron tomography. The particles are biocompatibilized using a PEG polymer terminated with bioorthogonally reactive alkyne groups. Azide-modified transferrin is attached to these particles, and their high colloidal stability and successful targeting to cancer cells overexpressing the transferrin receptor are demonstrated. The particles are nontoxic to the cells and they are readily internalized upon binding to the transferrin receptor. The high plasmonic cross section of the particles in the near-infrared region is utilized to quantitatively ablate the cancer cells with a short, one-minute irradiation by a pulse 750-nm laser.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000349961600014 Publication Date 2015-02-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2192-2640; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.11 Times cited 30 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes 335078 Colouratom; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.11; 2015 IF: 5.797  
  Call Number c:irua:125375 Serial 2647  
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Author Bals, S.; Goris, B.; de Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Atomic resolution electron tomography Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication MRS bulletin Abbreviated Journal Mrs Bull  
  Volume 41 Issue 41 Pages 525-530  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Over the last two decades, three-dimensional (3D) imaging by transmission electron microscopy or “electron tomography” has evolved into a powerful tool to investigate a variety of nanomaterials in different fields, such as life sciences, chemistry, solid-state physics, and materials science. Most of these results were obtained with nanometer-scale resolution, but different approaches have recently pushed the resolution to the atomic level. Such information is a prerequisite to understand the specific relationship between the atomic structure and the physicochemical properties of (nano) materials. We provide an overview of the latest progress in the field of atomic-resolution electron tomography. Different imaging and reconstruction approaches are presented, and state-of-the-art results are discussed. This article demonstrates the power and importance of electron tomography with atomic-scale resolution.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Pittsburgh, Pa Editor  
  Language Wos 000382508100012 Publication Date 2016-07-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0883-7694 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.199 Times cited 19 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (G.0381.16N, G.036915, G.0374.13, and funding of postdoctoral grants to B.G. and A.D.B.). S.B. acknowledges the European Research Council, ERC Grant Number 335078-Colouratom. The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program under Grant Agreements 312483 (ESTEEM2). The authors would like to thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work, including K.J. Batenburg, J. De Beenhouwer, R. Erni, M.D. Rossell, W. Van den Broek, L. Liz-Marzan, E. Carbo-Argibay, S. Gomez-Grana, P. Lievens, M. Van Bael, B. Partoens, B. Schoeters, and J. Sijbers. ; ecas_sara Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.199  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:135690 Serial 4299  
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Author Shan, L.; Punniyakoti, S.; Van Bael, M.J.; Temst, K.; Van Bael, M.K.; Ke, X.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; D'Olieslaeger, M.; Wagner, P.; Haenen, K.; Boyen, H.G.; pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Homopolymers as nanocarriers for the loading of block copolymer micelles with metal salts : a facile way to large-scale ordered arrays of transition-metal nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Journal of materials chemistry C : materials for optical and electronic devices Abbreviated Journal J Mater Chem C  
  Volume 2 Issue 4 Pages 701-707  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A new and facile approach is presented for generating quasi-regular patterns of transition metal-based nanoparticles on flat substrates exploiting polystyrene-block-poly2vinyl pyridine (PS-b-P2VP) micelles as intermediate templates. Direct loading of such micellar nanoreactors by polar transition metal salts in solution usually results in nanoparticle ensembles exhibiting only short range order accompanied by broad distributions of particle size and inter-particle distance. Here, we demonstrate that the use of P2VP homopolymers of appropriate length as molecular carriers to transport precursor salts into the micellar cores can significantly increase the degree of lateral order within the final nanoparticle arrays combined with a decrease in spreading in particle size. Thus, a significantly extended range of materials is now available which can be exploited to study fundamental properties at the transition from clusters to solids by means of well-organized, well-separated, size-selected metal and metal oxide nanostructures.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000329069900015 Publication Date 2013-11-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2050-7526;2050-7534; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.256 Times cited 5 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes FWO projects G.0456.12; 50 G.0346.09N; Methusalem project "NANO Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.256; 2014 IF: 4.696  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:113734 Serial 1489  
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Author Panzic, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangalam, J.; Rath, T.; Radovanovic-Peric, F.; Gaboardi, M.; De Coen, B.; Bals, S.; Schrenker, N. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title In-situ structural degradation study of quadruple-cation perovskite solar cells with nanostructured charge transfer layer Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Ceramics international Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 49 Issue 14b Pages 24475-24486  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We investigated the structural stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in n-i-p configuration comprising a rubidium-caesium-methylammonium-formamidinium (Rb-Cs-MA-FA) lead iodide/bromide perovskite absorber, interfaced with nanostructured ZnO-nanorod (NR) or mesostructured (MS) TiO2 electron transfer layers (ETL). An in-situ setup was established comprising synchrotron grazing incidence diffraction (GID) and Raman spectroscopy as a function of temperature under ambient and isothermal conditions; measurements of current-voltage (IV) characteristics and electron microscopic investigations were conducted discretely.The aging of the solar cells was performed at ambient conditions or at elevated temperatures directly in the in -situ measurement setup. The diffraction depth profiling results point to different degradation rates for different ETLs; moreover, electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, as well as energy dispersive spectroscopy clarified surface conditions in terms of the extent of the degradation. Scanning transmission electron microscopy of lamellas, derived by dual beam microscopy, revealed that the origin of the degradation lay in the ETL/ absorber interface. For the case of the nanostructured zincite, the perovskite absorber contained many voids, leading to the conclusion that the investigated quadruple perovskite absorber showed limited compatibility with ZnO NR ETL due to a higher number of defects. Morphological defects promoted the absorber degradation and nullified the advantages initially achieved by nanostructuring. The exchange of the ZnO NR ETL with MS TiO2 improved the stability parameters of the absorber layer.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001021057200001 Publication Date 2022-12-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0272-8842; 1873-3956 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 5.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work has been funded by the projects PZS-2019-02-1555 PV-WALL in Research Cooperability Program of the Croatian Science Foundation funded by the European Union from the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources 2014-2020 (perovskite solar cells) , UIP-2019-04-2367 SLIPPERY SLOPE of the Croatian Science Foundation (nanostructured titania and zincite constituents) , KK.01.2.1.02.0316 “ The development of the technical solution for energy saving using VIS -transparent or semi-transparent and IR-reflective thin-films” by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (characterisation of thin-films) , 20190571 and 20190516 at Elettra Synchrotron, ICM-2019-13220 in Ernst Mach program of the OeAD-GmbH, and E210900588 in the EUSMI program. The group of prof Gregor Trimmel of the ICTM, NAWI Graz, the beam- line scientists of the MCX beamline of the Elettra synchrotron, and FIB- STEM researchers of the Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, are gratefully acknowledged for collaboration and instrument access. The financial sustenance of the University of Zagreb is gratefully acknowledged. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.2; 2023 IF: 2.986  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197806 Serial 8885  
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Author Borah, R.; Ninakanti, R.; Nuyts, G.; Peeters, H.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Nuti, S.; Vande Velde, C.; De Wael, K.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Selectivity in ligand functionalization of photocatalytic metal oxide nanoparticles for phase transfer and self‐assembly applications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Chemistry-A European Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem-Eur J  
  Volume Issue Pages chem.202100029-15  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS)  
  Abstract Functionalization of photocatalytic metal oxide nanoparticles of TiO 2 , ZnO, WO 3 and CuO with amine‐terminated (oleylamine) and thiol‐terminated (1‐dodecanethiol) alkyl chained ligands was studied under ambient conditions. A high selectivity was observed in the binding specificity of a ligand towards nanoparticles of these different oxides. It was observed that oleylamine binds stably to only TiO 2 and WO 3 , while 1‐dodecanethiol binds stably only to ZnO and CuO. Similarly, polar to non‐polar solvent phase transfer of TiO 2 and WO 3 nanoparticles could be achieved by using oleylamine, but not by 1‐dodecanethiol, while the contrary holds for ZnO and CuO. The surface chemistry of ligand functionalized nanoparticles was probed by ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy, that enabled to elucidate the occupation of the ligands at the active sites. The photo‐stability of the ligands on the nanoparticle surface was determined by the photocatalytic self‐cleaning properties of the material. While TiO 2 and WO 3 degrade the ligands within 24 hours under both UV and visible light, ligands on ZnO and CuO remain unaffected. The gathered insights are also highly relevant from an application point of view. As an example, since the ligand functionalized nanoparticles are hydrophobic in nature, they can thus be self‐assembled at the air‐water interface, for obtaining nanoparticle films with demonstrated photocatalytic as well as anti‐fogging properties.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000652651400001 Publication Date 2021-04-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0947-6539 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.317 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes R.B. and S.W.V. acknowledge financial support from the University of Antwerp Special Research Fund (BOF) for a DOCPRO4 doctoral scholarship. S.B. and A.P.-T. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Program by means of the grant agreement no. 731019 EUSMI and the ERC Consolidator grant no. 815128 REALNANO.; sygmaSB Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.317  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177495 Serial 6787  
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Author Ndayirinde, C.; Gorbanev, Y.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; De Meyer, R.; Smets, A.; Vlasov, E.; Bals, S.; Cool, P.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis : packed catalysts act as plasma modifiers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Catalysis today Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 419 Issue Pages 114156-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract We studied the plasma-catalytic production of NH3 from H2 and N2 in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor using five different Co-based catalysts supported on Al2O3, namely Co/Al2O3, CoCe/Al2O3, CoLa/Al2O3, CoCeLa/Al2O3 and CoCeMg/Al2O3. The catalysts were characterized via several techniques, including SEM-EDX, and their performance was compared. The best performing catalyst was found to be CoLa/Al2O3, but the dif-ferences in NH3 concentration, energy consumption and production rate between the different catalysts were limited under the same conditions (i.e. feed gas, flow rate and ratio, and applied power). At the same time, the plasma properties, such as the plasma power and current profile, varied significantly depending on the catalyst. Taken together, these findings suggest that in the production of NH3 by plasma catalysis, our catalysts act as plasma modifiers, i.e., they change the discharge properties and hence the gas phase plasma chemistry. Importantly, this effect dominates over the direct catalytic effect (as e.g. in thermal catalysis) defined by the chemistry on the catalyst surface.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000987221300001 Publication Date 2023-04-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0920-5861 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.3 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project) and the Methusalem project of the University of Antwerp. We also gratefully acknowledge the NH3-TPD analysis performed by Sander Bossier. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.3; 2023 IF: 4.636  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197268 Serial 8917  
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Author Van Everbroeck, T.; Wu, J.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Mertens, M.; Bals, S.; Dujardin, C.; Granger, P.; Seftel, E.M.; Cool, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title ZnAl layered double hydroxide based catalysts (with Cu, Mn, Ti) used as noble metal-free three-way catalysts Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Applied clay science Abbreviated Journal Appl Clay Sci  
  Volume 217 Issue Pages 106390  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000795870100004 Publication Date 2022-01-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0169-1317 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.6 Times cited 6 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support by theEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 Project Partial-PGMs (H2020-NMP-686086). R-G C. and P.C. acknowledge the FWO-Flanders (project no. G038215N) for financial support. S⋅B and D.A.E thank the financial support of the European Research Council (ERC-CoG-2019 815128). The authors are grateful to Johnson Matthey, UK, for supplying the commercial benchmark catalysts; realnano; sygmaSB Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.6  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:186956 Serial 6955  
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Author Rogolino, A.; Claes, N.; Cizaurre, J.; Marauri, A.; Jumbo-Nogales, A.; Lawera, Z.; Kruse, J.; Sanroman-Iglesias, M.; Zarketa, I.; Calvo, U.; Jimenez-Izal, E.; Rakovich, Y.P.; Bals, S.; Matxain, J.M.; Grzelczak, M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Metal-polymer heterojunction in colloidal-phase plasmonic catalysis Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication The journal of physical chemistry letters Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem Lett  
  Volume 13 Issue 10 Pages 2264-2272  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Plasmonic catalysis in the colloidal phase requires robust surface ligands that prevent particles from aggregation in adverse chemical environments and allow carrier flow from reagents to nanoparticles. This work describes the use of a water-soluble conjugated polymer comprising a thiophene moiety as a surface ligand for gold nanoparticles to create a hybrid system that, under the action of visible light, drives the conversion of the biorelevant NAD+ to its highly energetic reduced form NADH. A combination of advanced microscopy techniques and numerical simulations revealed that the robust metal-polymer heterojunction, rich in sulfonate functional groups, directs the interaction of electron-donor molecules with the plasmonic photocatalyst. The tight binding of polymer to the gold surface precludes the need for conventional transition-metal surface cocatalysts, which were previously shown to be essential for photocatalytic NAD(+) reduction but are known to hinder the optical properties of plasmonic nanocrystals. Moreover, computational studies indicated that the coating polymer fosters a closer interaction between the sacrificial electron-donor triethanolamine and the nanoparticles, thus enhancing the reactivity.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000776518000001 Publication Date 0000-00-00  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1948-7185 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by grant PID2019-111772RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and grant IT 1254-19 funded by Basque Government. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the European Commission (EUSMI, Grant 731019). S.B. is grateful to the European Research Council (ERC-CoG-2019 815128). The authors acknowledge the contributions by Dr. Adrian Pedrazo Tardajos related to sample support and electron microscopy experiments.; realnano;sygmaSB Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188008 Serial 7062  
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Author Van Aert, S.; De Backer, A.; Martinez, G.T.; den Dekker, A.J.; Van Dyck, D.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Advanced electron crystallography through model-based imaging Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication IUCrJ Abbreviated Journal Iucrj  
  Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 71-83  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The increasing need for precise determination of the atomic arrangement of non-periodic structures in materials design and the control of nanostructures explains the growing interest in quantitative transmission electron microscopy. The aim is to extract precise and accurate numbers for unknown structure parameters including atomic positions, chemical concentrations and atomic numbers. For this purpose, statistical parameter estimation theory has been shown to provide reliable results. In this theory, observations are considered purely as data planes, from which structure parameters have to be determined using a parametric model describing the images. As such, the positions of atom columns can be measured with a precision of the order of a few picometres, even though the resolution of the electron microscope is still one or two orders of magnitude larger. Moreover, small differences in average atomic number, which cannot be distinguished visually, can be quantified using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. In addition, this theory allows one to measure compositional changes at interfaces, to count atoms with single-atom sensitivity, and to reconstruct atomic structures in three dimensions. This feature article brings the reader up to date, summarizing the underlying theory and highlighting some of the recent applications of quantitative model-based transmisson electron microscopy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000368590900010 Publication Date 2015-11-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2052-2525; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.793 Times cited 30 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) for funding and for a PhD grant to ADB. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union 7th Framework Program (FP7/20072013) under grant agreement No. 312483 (ESTEEM2). SB and GVT acknowledge the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7), ERC grant No. 335078 – COLOURATOMS and ERC grant No. 246791 – COUNTATOMS.; esteem2jra2; ECASSara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.793  
  Call Number c:irua:129589 c:irua:129589 Serial 3965  
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Author González-Rubio, G.; Milagres de Oliveira, T.; Albrecht, W.; Díaz-Núñez, P.; Castro-Palacio, J.C.; Prada, A.; González, R.I.; Scarabelli, L.; Bañares, L.; Rivera, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Peña-Rodríguez, O.; Bals, S.; Guerrero-Martínez, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Formation of Hollow Gold Nanocrystals by Nanosecond Laser Irradiation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry Letters Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem Lett  
  Volume 11 Issue 11 Pages 670-677  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The irradiation of spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with nanosecond laser pulses induces shape transformations yielding nanocrystals with an inner cavity. The concentration of the stabilizing surfactant, the use of moderate pulse fluences, and the size of the irradiated AuNPs determine the efficiency of the process and the nature of the void. Hollow nanocrystals are obtained when molecules from the surrounding medium (e.g., water and organic matter derived from the surfactant) are trapped during laser pulse irradiation. These experimental observations suggest the existence of a subtle balance between the heating and cooling processes experienced by the nanocrystals, which induce their expansion and subsequent recrystallization keeping exogenous matter inside. The described approach provides valuable insight into the mechanism of interaction of pulsed nanosecond laser with AuNPs, along with interesting prospects for the development of hollow plasmonic nanoparticles with potential applications related to gas and liquid storage at the nanoscale.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000512223400012 Publication Date 2020-02-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1948-7185 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) (Grants RTI2018-095844-B-I00, PGC2018-096444-B-I00, ENE2015-70300-C3-3, and MAT2017-86659-R), the EUROfusion Consortium (Grant ENR-IFE19.CCFE-01) and the Madrid Regional Government (Grants P2018/NMT-4389 and P2018/EMT-4437). This project has received funding from the European Commission (grant 731019, EUSMI & grant 823717, ESTEEM3). The publication is based also upon work from COST Action TUMIEE (CA17126). The facilities provided by the Center for Ultrafast Lasers at Complutense University of Madrid are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge the computer resources and technical assistance provided by the Centro de Supercomputacion y Visualizacion de Madrid (CeSViMa). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant MDM-2017-0720). This project has also received funding from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 815128, REALNANO). W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (Grant 797153, SOPMEN). A.P. and R.I.G. acknowledge the support of FONDECYT under Grants 3190123 and 11180557 and Financiamiento Basal para Centros Cientificos y Tecnologicos de Excelencia FB-0807. This research was partially supported by the supercomputing infrastructure of the NLHPC (ECM-02).; sygma; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.7; 2020 IF: 9.353  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:166504 Serial 6334  
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Author Leemans, J.; Singh, S.; Li, C.; Ten Brinck, S.; Bals, S.; Infante, I.; Moreels, I.; Hens, Z. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Near-Edge Ligand Stripping and Robust Radiative Exciton Recombination in CdSe/CdS Core/Crown Nanoplatelets Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry Letters Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem Lett  
  Volume 11 Issue 9 Pages 3339-3344  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We address the relation between surface chemistry and optoelectronic properties in semiconductor nanocrystals using core/crown CdSe/CdS nanoplatelets passivated by cadmium oleate (Cd(Ol)2) as model systems. We show that addition of butylamine to a nanoplatelet (NPL) dispersion maximally displaces ∼40% of the original Cd(Ol)2 capping. On the basis of density functional theory simulations, we argue that this behavior reflects the preferential displacement of Cd(Ol)2 from (near)-edge surface sites. Opposite from CdSe core NPLs, core/crown NPL dispersions can retain 45% of their initial photoluminescence efficiency after ligand displacement, while radiative exciton recombination keeps dominating the luminescent decay. Using electron microscopy observations, we assign this robust photoluminescence to NPLs with a complete CdS crown, which prevents charge carrier trapping in the near-edge surface sites created by ligand displacement. We conclude that Z-type ligands such as cadmium carboxylates can provide full electronic passivation of (100) facets yet are prone to displacement from (near)-edge surface sites.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000535177500024 Publication Date 2020-05-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1948-7185 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited 24 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Universiteit Gent, GOA 01G01019 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 17006602 FWO17/PDO/184 ; H2020 European Research Council, 714876 Phocona 815128 Realnano ; SIM-Flanders, SBO-QDOCCO ; Z.H. and S.B. acknowledge support by SIM-Flanders (SBO-QDOCCO). Z.H. acknowledges support by FWO-Vlaanderen (research project 17006602). Z.H. and I.M. acknowledge support by Ghent University (GOA n◦ 01G01019). J.L. acknowledges FWO-vlaanderen for a fellowship (SB PhD fellow at FWO). Sh.S acknowledges FWO postdoctoral funding (FWO17/PDO/184). This project has further received funding from the European Research Counsil under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC Consolidator grant no. 815128 REALNANO and starting grant no. 714876 PHOCONA).; sygma Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.7; 2020 IF: 9.353  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:173994 Serial 6657  
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Author Borah, R.; Smets, J.; Ninakanti, R.; Tietze, M.L.; Ameloot, R.; Chigrin, D.N.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Self-assembled ligand-capped plasmonic Au nanoparticle films in the Kretschmann configuration for sensing of volatile organic compounds Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS applied nano materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 5 Issue 8 Pages acsanm.2c02524-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Films of close-packed Au nanoparticles are coupled electrodynamically through their collective plasmon resonances. This collective optical response results in enhanced light–matter interactions, which can be exploited in various applications. Here, we demonstrate their application in sensing volatile organic compounds, using methanol as a test case. Ordered films over several cm2 were obtained by interfacial self-assembly of colloidal Au nanoparticles (∼10 nm diameter) through controlled evaporation of the solvent. Even though isolated nanoparticles of this size are inherently nonscattering, when arranged in a close-packed film the plasmonic coupling results in a strong reflectance and absorbance. The in situ tracking of vapor phase methanol concentration through UV–vis transmission measurements of the nanoparticle film is first demonstrated. Next, in situ ellipsometry of the self-assembled films in the Kretschmann (also known as ATR) configuration is shown to yield enhanced sensitivity, especially with phase difference measurements, Δ. Our study shows the excellent agreement between theoretical models of the spectral response of self-assembled films with experimental in situ sensing experiments. At the same time, the theoretical framework provides the basis for the interpretation of the various observed experimental trends. Combining periodic nanoparticle films with ellipsometry in the Kretschmann configuration is a promising strategy toward highly sensitive and selective plasmonic thin-film devices based on colloidal fabrication methods for volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing applications.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000834348300001 Publication Date 2022-07-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2574-0970 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.9 Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes R.B. acknowledges financial support from the University of Antwerp Special Research Fund (BOF) for a DOCPRO4 doctoral scholarship. J.S. acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) by a Ph.D. fellowship (11H8121N) . M.L.T. acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) by a senior postdoctoral fellowship (12ZK720N) . Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189295 Serial 7095  
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Author Pacquets, L.; Van den Hoek, J.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Cool, P.; Baert, K.; Hauffman, T.; Daems, N.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Use of nanoscale carbon layers on Ag-based gas diffusion electrodes to promote CO production Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS applied nano materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 5 Issue 6 Pages 7723-7732  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract A promising strategy for the inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction along with the stabilization of the electrocatalyst in electrochemical CO2 reduction cells involves the application of a nanoscale amorphous carbon layer on top of the active catalyst layer in a gas diffusion electrode. Without modifying the chemical nature of the electrocatalyst itself, these amorphous carbon layers lead to the stabilization of the electrocatalyst, and a significant improvement with respect to the inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction was also obtained. The faradaic efficiencies of hydrogen could be reduced from 31.4 to 2.1% after 1 h of electrolysis with a 5 nm thick carbon layer. Furthermore, the impact of the carbon layer thickness (5–30 nm) on this inhibiting effect was investigated. We determined an optimal thickness of 15 nm where the hydrogen evolution reaction was inhibited and a decent stability was obtained. Next, a thickness of 15 nm was selected for durability measurements. Interestingly, these durability measurements revealed the beneficial impact of the carbon layer already after 6 h by suppressing the hydrogen evolution such that an increase of only 37.9% exists compared to 56.9% without the use of an additional carbon layer, which is an improvement of 150%. Since carbon is only applied afterward, it reveals its great potential in terms of electrocatalysis in general.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000818507900001 Publication Date 2022-05-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2574-0970 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.9 Times cited 3 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes L.P. was supported through a Ph.D. fellowship strategic basic research (1S56920N) of the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO). S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. This research was financed by the Research Council of the University of Antwerp (BOF-GOA 33928). P.C. and R.-G.C. acknowledge financial support by FWO Flanders (project no. G038215N). The authors recognize the contribution of S. Pourbabak and T. Derez for the assistance with the Ag and carbon coating, Indah Prihatiningtyas and Bart Van der Bruggen for the assistance with the contact angle measurements, Daniel Choukroun for the use of the in-house-made hybrid flow cell, and Stijn Van den Broeck for his assistance with the FIB measurements. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188887 Serial 7099  
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Author Queralto, A.; Graf, D.; Frohnhoven, R.; Fischer, T.; Vanrompay, H.; Bals, S.; Bartasyte, A.; Mathur, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title LaFeO3 nanofibers for high detection of sulfur-containing gases Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Abbreviated Journal Acs Sustain Chem Eng  
  Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 6023-6032  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Lanthanum ferrite nanofibers were electrospun from a chemical sol and calcined at 600 degrees C to obtain singlephase LaFeO3 (LFO) perovskite. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with 3D tomographic analysis confirmed an interwoven network of hollow and porous (surface) LFO nanofibers. Owing to their high surface area and p-type behavior, the nanofiber meshes showed high chemoselectivity toward reducing toxic gases (SO2, H2S) that could be reproducibly detected at very low concentrations (<1 ppm), well below the threshold values for occupational safety and health. An increased sensitivity was observed in the temperature range of 150-300 degrees C with maximum sensor response at 250 degrees C. The surface reaction at the heterogeneous solid (LFO)/gas (SO2) interface that confirmed the formation of La-2(SO4)(3) was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the LFO fibers showed a high selectivity in the detection of oxidizing and reducing gases. Whereas superior detection of NH3 and H2S was measured, little response was observed for CO and NO2. Finally, the integration of nanowire meshes in commercial sensor platforms was successfully demonstrated.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000461978200047 Publication Date 2019-02-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2168-0485 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.951 Times cited 41 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; The authors kindly acknowledge the ERA.Net RUS Plus project FONSENS funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the grant no. 01DJ16017. A.Q. highly appreciates the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (grant no. AVH 1184642) and the BMBF for his postdoctoral fellowship. A.Q., D.G., R.F., T.F., and S.M. also kindly acknowledge the financial support of the University of Cologne. H.V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 1S32617N). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). We also express our gratitude to Prof. Dr. J. Hadermann from the Electron Microscopy for Materials Science group at the University of Antwerp for her assistance. A.B. is grateful for the EUR EIPHI program (grant no. ANR-17-EURE-0002). ; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.951  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:158535 Serial 5263  
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Author Mulder, J.T.; Kirkwood, N.; De Trizio, L.; Li, C.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Houtepen, A.J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Developing lattice matched ZnMgSe shells on InZnP quantum dots for phosphor applications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication ACS applied nano materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 3 Issue 4 Pages 3859-3867  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Indium phosphide quantum dots (QDs) have drawn attention as alternatives to cadmium- and lead-based QDs that are currently used as phosphors in lamps and displays. The main drawbacks of InP QDs are, in general, a lower photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), a decreased color purity, and poor chemical stability. In this research, we attempted to increase the PLQY and stability of indium phosphide QDs by developing lattice matched InP/MgSe core-shell nanoheterostructures. The choice of MgSe comes from the fact that, in theory, it has a near-perfect lattice match with InP, provided MgSe is grown in the zinc blende crystal structure, which can be achieved by alloying with zinc. To retain lattice matching, we used Zn in both the core and shell and we fabricated InZnP/ZnxMg1-xSe core/shell QDs. To identify the most suitable conditions for the shell growth, we first developed a synthesis route to ZnxMg1-xSe nanocrystals (NCs) wherein Mg is effectively incorporated. Our optimized procedure was employed for the successful growth of ZnxMg1-xSe shells around In(Zn)P QDs. The corresponding core/ shell systems exhibit PLQYs higher than those of the starting In(Zn)P QDs and, more importantly, a higher color purity upon increasing the Mg content. The results are discussed in the context of a reduced density of interface states upon using better lattice matched ZnxMg1-xSe shells.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000529206200076 Publication Date 2020-03-16  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2574-0970 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.9 Times cited 22 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 766900 (testing the large-scale limit of quantum mechanics). A.J.H. acknowledges support from the European Research Council Horizon 2020 ERC Grant Agreement No. 678004 (Doping on Demand). This research is supported by the Dutch Technology Foundation TTW, which is part of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and which is partly funded by Ministry of Economic Affairs. The authors thank Wiel Evers for performing the TEM imaging and the EDX analysis. The authors also thank Lea Pasquale and Mirko Prato for their help with performing and analyzing the XPS measurements and Filippo Drago for the ICP measurements. ; Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5.9; 2020 IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:169563 Serial 6482  
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Author González-Rubio, G.; Mosquera, J.; Kumar, V.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Llombart, P.; Solís, D.M.; Lobato, I.; Noya, E.G.; Guerrero-Martínez, A.; Taboada, J.M.; Obelleiro, F.; MacDowell, L.G.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Micelle-directed chiral seeded growth on anisotropic gold nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Science Abbreviated Journal Science  
  Volume 368 Issue 368 Pages 1472-1477  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Surfactant-assisted seeded growth of metal nanoparticles (NPs) can be engineered to produce anisotropic gold nanocrystals with high chiroptical activity through the templating effect of chiral micelles formed in the presence of dissymmetric cosurfactants. Mixed micelles adsorb on gold nanorods, forming quasihelical patterns that direct seeded growth into NPs with pronounced morphological and optical handedness. Sharp chiral wrinkles lead to chiral plasmon modes with high dissymmetry factors (~0.20). Through variation of the dimensions of chiral wrinkles, the chiroptical properties can be tuned within the visible and near-infrared electromagnetic spectrum. The micelle-directed mechanism allows extension to other systems, such as the seeded growth of chiral platinum shells on gold nanorods. This approach provides a reproducible, simple, and scalable method toward the fabrication of NPs with high chiral optical activity.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000545264600040 Publication Date 2020-06-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0036-8075 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 56.9 Times cited 187 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC AdG No. 787510). G.G.-R. and J.M. thanks the Spanish MICIU for FPI (BES-2014-068972) and Juan de la Cierva-fellowships (FJCI-2015-25080). S.B., L.M.L.-M., V.K, and A.P.- T. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by means of the grant agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI) and the ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128 (REALNANO). J.M.T and F.O acknowledge financial support from the Spanish MICIU (Grants TEC2017-85376-C2-1-R, TEC2017-85376-C2-2-R), as well as from the ERDF and the Galician Regional Government as part of the agreement for funding the Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (AtlantTIC). AG-M acknowledges financial support from the Spanish MICIU (Grant RTI2018-095844-BI00), EGN and LGM acknowledge funds from the Spanish MICIU (Grant No. FIS2017- 89361-C3-2-P), as well as the use of the Mare-Nostrum supercomputer and the technical support provided by Barcelona Supercomputing Center from the Spanish Network of Supercomputing (Grants QCM-2018-3-0039 and QCM-2019-1-0038). This work was performed under the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State 13 Research Agency – Grant No. MDM-2017-0720.; sygma Approved (up) Most recent IF: 56.9; 2020 IF: 37.205  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:170137 Serial 6391  
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Author Muravev, V.; Parastaev, A.; van den Bosch, Y.; Ligt, B.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Kosinov, N.; Hensen, E.J.M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Size of cerium dioxide support nanocrystals dictates reactivity of highly dispersed palladium catalysts Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 380 Issue 6650 Pages 1174-1179  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts can be tuned by modulation of the size and structure of supported transition metals, which are typically regarded as the active sites. In single-atom metal catalysts, the support itself can strongly affect the catalytic properties. Here, we demonstrate that the size of cerium dioxide (CeO2) support governs the reactivity of atomically dispersed palladium (Pd) in carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation. Catalysts with small CeO2 nanocrystals (~4 nanometers) exhibit unusually high activity in a CO-rich reaction feed, whereas catalysts with medium-size CeO2 (~8 nanometers) are preferred for lean conditions. Detailed spectroscopic investigations reveal support size–dependent redox properties of the Pd-CeO2 interface.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001010846100008 Publication Date 2023-06-16  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0036-8075 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 56.9 Times cited 22 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes We thank the staff of the MAX IV Laboratory for time on beamline SPECIES under proposals 20200412 and 20190983; E. Kokkonen and A. Klyushin for assistance with NAP-XPS and RPES experiments conducted at SPECIES; staff of the MAX IV Laboratory for time on beamline BALDER under proposal 20200378; K. Klementiev for assistance with XAS measurements; J. Drnec at the ESRF for providing assistance in using beamline ID31; and V. Perez-Dieste and I. Villar Garcia at the CIRCE beamline at ALBA Synchrotron for help with acquiring preliminary RPES data obtained under proposal 2020024219. The synchrotron-based XRD measurements were performed on beamline ID31 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France. Funding: This work was supported by the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), a NWO Gravitation program funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Government of the Netherlands (V.M. and E.J.M.H.); the European Research Council (ERC consolidator grant 815128 REALNANO to S.B. and N.C.); and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant 823717–ESTEEM to S.B. and N.C). Research conducted at MAX IV, a Swedish national user facility, is supported by the Swedish Research council under contract 2018-07152, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems under contract 2018-04969, and Formas under contract 2019-02496 (VM). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 56.9; 2023 IF: 37.205  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197199 Serial 8801  
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Author Monai, M.; Jenkinson, K.; Melcherts, A.E.M.; Louwen, J.N.; Irmak, E.A.; Van Aert, S.; Altantzis, T.; Vogt, C.; van der Stam, W.; Duchon, T.; Smid, B.; Groeneveld, E.; Berben, P.; Bals, S.; Weckhuysen, B.M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Restructuring of titanium oxide overlayers over nickel nanoparticles during catalysis Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Science Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 380 Issue 6645 Pages 644-651  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Reducible supports can affect the performance of metal catalysts by the formation of suboxide overlayers upon reduction, a process referred to as the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI). A combination of operando electron microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy revealed that thin TiOx overlayers formed on nickel/titanium dioxide catalysts during 400 degrees C reduction were completely removed under carbon dioxide hydrogenation conditions. Conversely, after 600 degrees C reduction, exposure to carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction conditions led to only partial reexposure of nickel, forming interfacial sites in contact with TiOx and favoring carbon-carbon coupling by providing a carbon species reservoir. Our findings challenge the conventional understanding of SMSIs and call for more-detailed operando investigations of nanocatalysts at the single-particle level to revisit static models of structure-activity relationships.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000999020900010 Publication Date 2023-05-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0036-8075; 1095-9203 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 56.9 Times cited 29 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes This work was supported by BASF and NWO CHIPP (research grant to B.M.W.); the MCEC NWO Gravitation Program (B.M.W.); the ARC-CBBC NWO Program (B.M.W.); the European Research Council (grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A.); and the European Research Council (grant 815128 REALNANO to S.B.). Approved (up) Most recent IF: 56.9; 2023 IF: 37.205  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197432 Serial 8923  
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Author de la Croix, T.; Claes, N.; Eyley, S.; Thielemans, W.; Bals, S.; De Vos, D. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Heterogeneous Pt-catalyzed transfer dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes with ethylene Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Catalysis Science & Technology Abbreviated Journal Catal. Sci. Technol.  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract The dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes to olefins and alkylaromatics is a challenging endothermic reaction, typically requiring harsh conditions which can lead to low selectivity and coking. More favorable thermodynamics can be achieved by using a hydrogen acceptor, such as ethylene. In this work, the potential of heterogeneous platinum catalysts for the transfer dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes is investigated, using ethylene as a convenient hydrogen acceptor. Pt/C and Pt–Sn/C catalysts were prepared<italic>via</italic>a simple polyol method and characterized with CO pulse chemisorption, HAADF-STEM, and EDX measurements. Conversion of ethylene was monitored<italic>via</italic>gas-phase FTIR, and distribution of liquid products was analyzed<italic>via</italic>GC-FID, GC-MS, and 1H-NMR. Compared to unpromoted Pt/C, Sn-promoted catalysts show lower initial reaction rates, but better resistance to catalyst deactivation, while increasing selectivity towards alkylaromatics. Both reaction products and ethylene were found to inhibit the reaction significantly. At 250 °C for 22 h, TON up to 28 and 86 mol per mol Pt were obtained for Pt/C and PtSn<sub>2</sub>/C, respectively, with olefin selectivities of 94% and 53%. The remaining products were mainly unbranched alkylaromatics. These findings show the potential of simple heterogeneous catalysts in alkane transfer dehydrogenation, for the preparation of valuable olefins and alkylaromatics, or as an essential step in various tandem reactions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001104905100001 Publication Date 2023-11-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2044-4753 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 5 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes T. de la Croix gratefully acknowledges the support of the Flanders Research Foundation (FWO) under project 11F6622N. D. De Vos is grateful to FWO for support of project G0D3721N, and to KU Leuven for the iBOF project 21/016/C3. S. Bals and N. Claes acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128- REALNANO). W. Thielemans and S. Eyley thank KU Leuven (grant C14/18/061) and FWO (G0A1219N) for financial support. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 5; 2023 IF: 5.773  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:201010 Serial 8968  
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Author Van Goethem, C.; Verbeke, R.; Pfanmoeller, M.; Koschine, T.; Dickmann, M.; Timpel-Lindner, T.; Egger, W.; Bals, S.; Vankelecom, I.F.J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title The role of MOFs in Thin-Film Nanocomposite (TFN) membranes Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Journal of membrane science Abbreviated Journal J Membrane Sci  
  Volume 563 Issue 563 Pages 938-948  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Incorporation of MOFs in interfacially polymerized Thin-Film Nanocomposite (TFN) membranes has widely been shown to result in increased membrane performance. However, the exact functioning of these membranes is poorly understood as large variability in permeance increase, filler incorporation and rejection changes can be observed in literature. The synthesis and functioning of TFN membranes (herein exemplified by ZIF-8 filled polyamide (PA) membranes prepared via the EFP method) was investigated via targeted membrane synthesis and thorough characterization via STEM-EDX, XRD and PALS. It is hypothesized that the acid generated during the interfacial polymerization (IP) at least partially degrades the crystalline, acid-sensitive ZIF-8 and that this influences the membrane formation (through so-called secondary effects, i.e. not strictly linked to the pore morphology of the MOF). Nanoscale HAADF-STEM imaging and STEM-EDX Zn-mapping revealed no ZIF-8 particles but rather the presence of randomly shaped regions with elevated Zn-content. Also XRD failed to show the presence of crystalline areas in the composite PA films. As the addition of the acid-quenching TEA led to an increase in the diffraction signal observed in XRD, the role of the acid was confirmed. The separate addition of dissolved Zn2+ to the synthesis of regular TFC membranes showed an increase in permeance while losing some salt retention, similar to observations regularly made for TFN membranes. While the addition of a porous material to a TFC membrane is a straightforward concept, all obtained results indicate that the synthesis and performance of such composite membranes is often more complex than commonly accepted.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000441897200099 Publication Date 2018-06-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0376-7388 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.035 Times cited 84 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; C.V.G. and R.V. kindly acknowledge respectively the Flemish Agency for Innovation through Science and Technology (IWT) (IWT, 141697) and the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO, 1500917N) for a PhD scholarship. The authors kindly acknowledge funding from KU Leuven through C16/17/005 and from the Belgian Federal Government through IAP 6/27 Functional Supramolecular systems. S.B. and M.P. acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOM). M.P. acknowledges funding from the European Union (ESTEEM2, No. 312483) and the HEiKA centre FunTECH-3D (Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Wurttemberg, AZ: 33-753-30-20/3/3). The MLZ-Garching is kindly acknowledged for providing access to the NEPOMUC facilities (project no 11541). ; ecas_sara Approved (up) Most recent IF: 6.035  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:153618UA @ admin @ c:irua:153618 Serial 5132  
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Author Van Tendeloo, L.; Wangermez, W.; Kurttepeli, M.; de Blochouse, B.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Martens, J.A.; Maes, A.; Kirschhock, C.E.A.; Breynaert, E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Chabazite : stable cation-exchanger in hyper alkaline concrete pore water Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Environmental science and technology Abbreviated Journal Environ Sci Technol  
  Volume 49 Issue 49 Pages 2358-2365  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract To avoid impact on the environment, facilities for permanent disposal of hazardous waste adopt multibarrier design schemes. As the primary barrier very often consists of cement-based materials, two distinct aspects are essential for the selection of suitable complementary barriers: (1) selective sorption of the contaminants in the repository and (2) long-term chemical stability in hyperalkaline concrete-derived media. A multidisciplinary approach combining experimental strategies from environmental chemistry and materials science is therefore essential to provide a reliable assessment of potential candidate materials. Chabazite is typically synthesized in 1 M KOH solutions but also crystallizes in simulated young cement pore water, a pH 13 aqueous solution mainly containing K+ and Na+ cations. Its formation and stability in this medium was evaluated as a function of temperature (60 and 85 °C) over a timeframe of more than 2 years and was also asessed from a mechanistic point of view. Chabazite demonstrates excellent cation-exchange properties in simulated young cement pore water. Comparison of its Cs+ cation exchange properties at pH 8 and pH 13 unexpectedly demonstrated an increase of the KD with increasing pH. The combined results identify chabazite as a valid candidate for inclusion in engineered barriers for concrete-based waste disposal.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Easton, Pa Editor  
  Language Wos 000349806400047 Publication Date 2015-01-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0013-936X;1520-5851; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.198 Times cited 13 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by long-term structural funding by the Flemish Government (Methusalem) and by ONDRAF/ NIRAS, the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Fissile Materials, as part of the program on surface disposal of Belgian Category A waste. The Belgian government is acknowledged for financing the interuniversity poles of attraction (IAP-PAI). G.V.T. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant no. 24691-COUNTATOMS, ERC Starting Grant no. 335078-COLOURATOMS).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved (up) Most recent IF: 6.198; 2015 IF: 5.330  
  Call Number c:irua:127695 Serial 307  
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Author Blommaerts, N.; Asapu, R.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Gas phase photocatalytic spiral reactor for fast and efficient pollutant degradation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 316 Issue 316 Pages 850-856  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Photocatalytic reactors for the degradation of gaseous organic pollutants often suffer from major limitations such as small reaction area, sub-optimal irradiation conditions and thus limited reaction rate. In this work, an alternative solution is presented that involves a glass tube coated on the inside with (silvermodified) TiO2 and spiraled around a UVA lamp. First, the spiral reactor is coated from the inside with TiO2 using an experimentally verified procedure that is optimized toward UV light transmission. This procedure is kept as simple as possible and involves a single casting step of a 1 wt% suspension of TiO2 in ethanol through the spiral. This results in a coated tube that absorbs nearly all incident UV light under the experimental conditions used. The optimized coated spiral reactor is then benchmarked to a conventional annular photoreactor of the same outer dimensions and total catalyst loading over a broad range of experimental conditions. Although residence time distribution experiments indicate slightly longer dwelling of molecules in the spiral reactor, no significant difference in by-passing of gas between the spiral reactor and the annular reactor can be claimed. Acetaldehyde degradation efficiency of 100% is obtained with the spiral reactor for a residence time as low as 60 s, whereas the annular reactor could not achieve full degradation even at 1000 s residence time. In a final case study, addition of long-term stable silver nanoparticles, protected by an ultra-thin polymer shell applied via the layer-by-layer (LbL) method, to the spiral reactor coating is shown to double the degradation efficiency and provides an interesting strategy to cope with higher pollutant concentrations without changing the overall dimensions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000398985200089 Publication Date 2017-02-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 30 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes N.B. wishes to thank the University of Antwerp – Belgium for financial support. N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078- COLOURATOM). S.W.V. acknowledges the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for a postdoctoral fellowship. (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved (up) Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:140925UA @ admin @ c:irua:140925 Serial 4481  
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Author Blommaerts, N.; Hoeven, N.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Campos, R.; Mertens, M.; Borah, R.; Glisenti, A.; De Wael, K.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Cool, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Tuning the turnover frequency and selectivity of photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO and methane using platinum and palladium nanoparticles on Ti-Beta zeolites Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 410 Issue Pages 128234  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)  
  Abstract A Ti-Beta zeolite was used in gas phase photocatalytic CO2 reduction to reduce the charge recombination rate and increase the surface area compared to P25 as commercial benchmark, reaching 607 m2 g-1. By adding Pt nanoparticles, the selectivity can be tuned toward CO, reaching a value of 92% and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 96 µmol.gcat-1.h-1, nearly an order of magnitude higher in comparison with P25. By adding Pd nanoparticles the selectivity can be shifted from CO (70% for a bare Ti-Beta zeolite), toward CH4 as the prevalent species (60%). In this way, the selectivity toward CO or CH4 can be tuned by either using Pt or Pd. The TOF values obtained in this work outperform reported state-of-the-art values in similar research. The improved activity by adding the nanoparticles was attributed to an improved charge separation efficiency, together with a plasmonic contribution of the metal nanoparticles under the applied experimental conditions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000623394200004 Publication Date 2021-01-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes N.B., S.L., S.W.V. and P.C. wish to thank the Flemish government and Catalisti for financial support and coordination in terms of a sprint SBO in the context of the moonshot project D2M. N.H. thanks the Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) for the financial support. The Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research (SPHERE) group, R. Blust, University of Antwerp is acknowledged for the ICP-MS measurements. Approved (up) Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:174591 Serial 6662  
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