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Author (down) Zou, Y.-C.; Mogg, L.; Clark, N.; Bacaksiz, C.; Milanovic, S.; Sreepal, V.; Hao, G.-P.; Wang, Y.-C.; Hopkinson, D.G.; Gorbachev, R.; Shaw, S.; Novoselov, K.S.; Raveendran-Nair, R.; Peeters, F.M.; Lozada-Hidalgo, M.; Haigh, S.J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Ion exchange in atomically thin clays and micas Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nature Materials Abbreviated Journal Nat Mater  
  Volume 20 Issue 12 Pages 1677-1682  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract The physical properties of clays and micas can be controlled by exchanging ions in the crystal lattice. Atomically thin materials can have superior properties in a range of membrane applications, yet the ion-exchange process itself remains largely unexplored in few-layer crystals. Here we use atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy to study the dynamics of ion exchange and reveal individual ion binding sites in atomically thin and artificially restacked clays and micas. We find that the ion diffusion coefficient for the interlayer space of atomically thin samples is up to 10(4) times larger than in bulk crystals and approaches its value in free water. Samples where no bulk exchange is expected display fast exchange at restacked interfaces, where the exchanged ions arrange in islands with dimensions controlled by the moire superlattice dimensions. We attribute the fast ion diffusion to enhanced interlayer expandability resulting from weaker interlayer binding forces in both atomically thin and restacked materials. This work provides atomic scale insights into ion diffusion in highly confined spaces and suggests strategies to design exfoliated clay membranes with enhanced performance. Layered clays are of interest for membranes and many other applications but their ion-exchange dynamics remain unexplored in atomically thin materials. Here, using electron microscopy, it is found that the ion diffusion for few-layer two-dimensional clays approaches that of free water and that superlattice cation islands can form in twisted and restacked materials.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000689664000001 Publication Date 2021-09-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1476-1122; 1476-4660 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 39.737 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 39.737  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181691 Serial 6999  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Zhu, W. url  openurl
  Title Microbial resource management for mainstream partial nitritation/anammox : strategies to enhance the nitrogen conversion efficiency Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2021 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 207 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract This thesis provides three potential ways to enhance the nitrogen removal efficiency of mainstream partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A), a key technology to enable energy-positive sewage treatment. In Chapter 1, the typical technologies to promote nitrogen removal efficiency are summarized. In Chapters 2 and 3, the concept ‘winter bioaugmentation with stored summer surplus sludge’ is proposed. Applying that, a cost-effective sludge preservation strategy is required. Preserving PN/A biomass without cooling and redox adjustment proved to be the cost-effective strategy. The reactivation of these stored sludges was also tested in low-temperature systems (15 and 10℃). Respectively 56% and 41% of granules activity compared to pre-storage activity (after Arrhenius-based temperature correction) could be recovered within a month (41% and 32% for flocs activity). In the end, the stored AnAOB bioaugmentation was successfully validated in the lab (20℃). In Chapter 4, a return-sludge nursery concept, applying the sidestream nitritation and blending the resulting effluent with mainstream effluent to achieve an intermediate temperature and nitrogen concentrations, is proposed. That led to a 33 – 36% increase in nitrogen removal efficiency. Arrhenius’ expectations (10 ℃ higher temperature, θ = 1.09) could only explain 49-51% of the activity increase in the nursery reactor, pointing to the role of other factors, e.g., the ~400% elevated electrical conductivity (15-16%), the 56-335% higher effluent nitrogen concentrations (12-14%), and the synergy and unknown factors (20-23%). Thus, the return-sludge biostimulation approach could also enhance nitrogen efficiency in the mainstream. In Chapter 5, the N2O emissions, linked to three typical nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) suppression strategies (low dissolved oxygen (DO) level, free ammonia (FA), and free nitrous acids (FNA) treatments) were tested in a biofilm system. A low emerged DO level (~0.60 mg O2 L-1) was effective to suppress NOB activity and decrease N2O emissions, but NOB adaptation gradually appeared after 200 days. Further NOB inhibition was successfully achieved by periodical (3 hours per week) FA (~30 mg NH3-N L-1) or FNA (~3 mg HNO2-N L-1) treatments. The FA treatment promoted N2O production, while the FNA treatment had no effect. Thus, PN/A systems should be operated at relatively low DO levels with periodical FNA treatment. In Chapter 6, the major findings proposed and the main conclusions drawn in this thesis are outlined. Beyond that, the possible design of a mainstream PN/A configuration that combined all described three technologies is demonstrated. Overall, the novel insights from this thesis potential to improve nitrogen removal efficiency in the mainstream.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184236 Serial 8245  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Zhou, X.-G.; Yang, C.-Q.; Sang, X.; Li, W.; Wang, L.; Yin, Z.-W.; Han, J.-R.; Li, Y.; Ke, X.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Cheng, Y.-B.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Probing the electron beam-induced structural evolution of halide perovskite thin films by scanning transmission electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C  
  Volume 125 Issue 19 Pages 10786-10794  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A deep understanding of the fine structure at the atomic scale of halide perovskite materials has been limited by their sensitivity to the electron beam that is widely used for structural characterization. The sensitivity of a gamma-CsPbIBr2 perovskite thin film under electron beam irradiation is revealed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) through a universal large-range electron dose measurement, which is based on discrete single-electron events in the STEM mode. Our research indicates that the gamma-CsPbIBr2 thin film undergoes structural changes with increasing electron overall dose (e(-).A(-2)) rather than dose rate (e(-).A(-2).s(-1)), which suggests that overall dose is the key operative parameter. The electron beam-induced structural evolution of gamma-CsPbIBr2 is monitored by fine control of the electron beam dose, together with the analysis of high-resolution (S)TEM, diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Our results show that the gamma-CsPbIBr2 phase first forms an intermediate phase [e.g., CsPb(1-x)(IBr)((3-y))] with a superstructure of ordered vacancies in the pristine unit cell, while a fraction of Pb2+ is reduced to Pb-0. As the electron dose increases, Pb nanoparticles precipitate, while the remaining framework forms the Cs2IBr phase, accompanied by some amorphization. This work provides guidelines to minimize electron beam irradiation artifacts for atomic-resolution imaging on CsPbIBr2 thin films.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000655640900061 Publication Date 2021-05-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1932-7447; 1932-7455 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179187 Serial 6880  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Zheng, Y.-R.; Vernieres, J.; Wang, Z.; Zhang, K.; Hochfilzer, D.; Krempl, K.; Liao, T.-W.; Presel, F.; Altantzis, T.; Fatermans, J.; Scott, S.B.; Secher, N.M.; Moon, C.; Liu, P.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S.; Cao, A.; Anand, M.; Nørskov, J.K.; Kibsgaard, J.; Chorkendorff, I. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Monitoring oxygen production on mass-selected iridium–tantalum oxide electrocatalysts Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nature Energy Abbreviated Journal Nat Energy  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Development of low-cost and high-performance oxygen evolution reaction catalysts is key to implementing polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzers for hydrogen production. Iridium-based oxides are the state-of-the-art acidic oxygen evolution reactio catalysts but still suffer from inadequate activity and stability, and iridium's scarcity motivates the discovery of catalysts with lower iridium loadings. Here we report a mass-selected iridium-tantalum oxide catalyst prepared by a magnetron-based cluster source with considerably reduced noble-metal loadings beyond a commercial IrO2 catalyst. A sensitive electrochemistry/mass-spectrometry instrument coupled with isotope labelling was employed to investigate the oxygen production rate under dynamic operating conditions to account for the occurrence of side reactions and quantify the number of surface active sites. Iridium-tantalum oxide nanoparticles smaller than 2 nm exhibit a mass activity of 1.2 ± 0.5 kA “g” _“Ir” ^“-1” and a turnover frequency of 2.3 ± 0.9 s-1 at 320 mV overpotential, which are two and four times higher than those of mass-selected IrO2, respectively. Density functional theory calculations reveal that special iridium coordinations and the lowered aqueous decomposition free energy might be responsible for the enhanced performance.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000728458000001 Publication Date 2021-12-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2058-7546 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 95 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Y.-R.Z. and Z.W acknowledge funding from the Toyota Research Institute. This project has received funding from VILLUM FONDEN (grant no. 9455) and the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grants no. 741860-CLUNATRA, no. 815128−REALNANO and no. 770887−PICOMETRICS). S.B. and S.V.A. acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, G026718N and G050218N). T.A. acknowledges the University of Antwerp Research Fund (BOF). STEM measurements were supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research Infrastructure-Integrating Activities for Advanced Communities under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3.; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:184794 Serial 6903  
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Author (down) Zhao, H.; Li, C.-F.; Yong, X.; Kumar, P.; Palma, B.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Siahrostami, S.; Larter, S.; Zheng, D.; Wang, S.; Chen, Z.; Kibria, M.G.; Hu, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Coproduction of hydrogen and lactic acid from glucose photocatalysis on band-engineered Zn1-xCdxS homojunction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication iScience Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 102109  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Photocatalytic transformation of biomass into value-added chemicals coupled with co-production of hydrogen provides an explicit route to trap sunlight into the chemical bonds. Here, we demonstrate a rational design of Zn1-xCdxS solidsolution homojunction photocatalyst with a pseudo-periodic cubic zinc blende (ZB) and hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure for efficient glucose conversion to simultaneously produce hydrogen and lactic acid. The optimized Zn0.6Cd0.4S catalyst consists of a twinning superlattice, has a tuned bandgap, and displays excellent efficiency with respect to hydrogen generation (690 +/- 27.6 mu mol.h(-1).g(cat).(-1)), glucose conversion (similar to 90%), and lactic acid selectivity (similar to 87%) without any co-catalyst under visible light irradiation. The periodic WZ/ZB phase in twinning superlattice facilitates better charge separation, while superoxide radical (center dot O-2(-)) and photogenerated holes drive the glucose transformation and water oxidation reactions, respectively. This work demonstrates that rational photocatalyst design could realize an efficient and concomitant production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals from glucose photocatalysis.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000621266700080 Publication Date 2021-01-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2589-0042 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176744 Serial 6720  
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Author (down) Zhao, H.; Li, C.-F.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Liu, J.; Li, Y.; Hu, J.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Chen, L.-H.; Su, B.-L. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Size effect of bifunctional gold in hierarchical titanium oxide-gold-cadmium sulfide with slow photon effect for unprecedented visible-light hydrogen production Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Colloid And Interface Science Abbreviated Journal J Colloid Interf Sci  
  Volume 604 Issue Pages 131-139  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect and excellent internal electron transfer ability have widely been combined with semiconductors for photocatalysis. However, the in-depth effects of Au NPs in multicomponent photocatalysts have not been completely understood. Herein, ternary titanium oxide-gold-cadmium sulfide (TiO2-Au-CdS, TAC) photocatalysts, based on hierarchical TiO2 inverse opal photonic crystal structure with different Au NPs sizes have been designed to reveal the SPR effect and internal electron transfer of Au NPs in the presence of slow photon effect. It appears that the SPR effect and internal electron transfer ability of Au NPs, depending on their sizes, play a synergistic effect on the photocatalytic enhancement. The ternary TAC-10 photocatalyst with – 10 nm Au NPs demonstrates an unprecedented hydrogen evolution rate of 47.6 mmolh-1g 1 under visible-light, demonstrating- 48% enhancement comparing to the sample without slow photon effect. In particular, a 9.83% apparent quantum yield under 450 nm monochromatic light is achieved for TAC-10. A model is proposed and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations reveal the size influence of Au NPs in ternary TAC photocatalysts. This work suggests that the rational design of bifunctional Au NPs coupling with slow photon effect could largely promote hydrogen production from visible-light driven water splitting. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000704428600004 Publication Date 2021-07-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-9797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.233 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.233  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182531 Serial 6886  
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Author (down) Zhang, T.; Schilling, W.; Khan, S.U.; Ching, H.Y.V.; Lu, C.; Chen, J.; Jaworski, A.; Barcaro, G.; Monti, S.; De Wael, K.; Slabon, A.; Das, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Atomic-level understanding for the enhanced generation of hydrogen peroxide by the introduction of an aryl amino group in polymeric carbon nitrides Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Acs Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal  
  Volume 11 Issue 22 Pages 14087-14101  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Organic synthesis (ORSY); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT); Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)  
  Abstract Heterogeneous catalysts are often & ldquo;black boxes & rdquo; due to the insufficient understanding of the detailed mechanisms at the catalytic sites. An atomic-level elucidation of the processes taking place in those regions is, thus, mandatory to produce robust and selective heterogeneous catalysts. We have improved the description of the whole reactive scenario for polymeric carbon nitrides (PCN) by combining atomic-level characterizations with magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, classical reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations, and quantum chemistry (QC) calculations. We disclose the structure & minus;property relationships of an ad hoc modified PCN by inserting an aryl amino group that turned out to be very efficient for the production of H2O2. The main advancement of this work is the development of a difluoromethylene-substituted aryl amino PCN to generate H2O2 at a rate of 2.0 mM & middot;h & minus;1 under the irradiation of household blue LEDs and the identification of possible active catalytic sites with the aid of 15N and 19F MAS solid-state NMR without using any expensive labeling reagent. RMD simulations and QC calculations confirm and further extend the experimental descriptions by revealing the role and locations of the identified functionalities, namely, NH linkers, & minus;NH2 terminal groups, and difluoromethylene units, reactants, and products. <comment>Superscript/Subscript Available</comment  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000758012900020 Publication Date 2021-11-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 10.614  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:187276 Serial 7534  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Zhang, Q.‐Z.; Zhang, L.; Yang, D.‐Z.; Schulze, J.; Wang, Y.‐N.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Positive and negative streamer propagation in volume dielectric barrier discharges with planar and porous electrodes Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Plasma Processes And Polymers Abbreviated Journal Plasma Process Polym  
  Volume 18 Issue 4 Pages 2000234  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The spatiotemporal dynamics of volume and surface positive and negative streamers in a pintoplate volume dielectric barrier discharge is investigated in this study. The discharge characteristics are found to be completely different for positive and negative streamers. First, the spatial propagation of a positive streamer is found to rely on electron avalanches caused by photo-electrons in front of the streamer head, whereas this is not the case for negative streamers. Second, our simulations reveal an interesting phenomenon of floating positive surface discharges, which develop when a positive streamer reaches a dielectric wall and which explain the experimentally observed branching characteristics. Third, we report for the first time, the interactions between a positive streamer and dielectric pores, in which both the pore diameter and depth affect the evolution of a positive streamer.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000617876700001 Publication Date 2021-02-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1612-8850 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.846 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Dalian University of Technology, DUT19RC(3)045 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 12020101005 ; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 1316 project A5 ; Universiteit Antwerpen, TOP‐BOF ; The authors acknowledge financial support from the TOP-BOF project of the University of Antwerp. This study was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (Department EWI), and the University of Antwerp. Funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) in the frame of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1316, project A5, National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12020101005), and the Scientific Research Foundation from Dalian University of Technology (DUT19RC(3)045) is also acknowledged. Approved Most recent IF: 2.846  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:176565 Serial 6744  
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Author (down) Zhang, L. openurl 
  Title Characteristic diagnosis of atmospheric discharge plasma and kinetics study of reactive species Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2021 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages XVIII, 148 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Low-temperature plasma has received extensive attention due to its promising application prospects in the field of air pollutants degradation and energy conversion. To fulfill the need for particular applications, constructing stable plasma sources and investigating the interaction mechanisms between plasma and substances have been hot research topics. This thesis reports the diagnosis and improvement of plasma sources, diagnosis of the active species in plasma and a modeling study of chemical kinetics processes. The main research contents are as follows: In Chapter 3, a diffuse sine AC dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is successfully obtained by optimizing the electrode structure. It is found that using double-layer dielectric plates can limit the discharge current intensity and significantly improve the discharge uniformity. The electrical characteristics and gas temperature with different operating time show that the discharge stability is also improved by using double-layer dielectric plates. In Chapter 4, nanosecond pulses are employed to generate diffuse DBD plasmas. Three main discharge stages are distinguished by ICCD images, i.e., the streamer breakdown from the needle tip to the plate electrode, the regime transition from streamer to diffuse plasma, and the propagation of surface discharge on the plate electrode surface. The chapter reveales that in nanosecond pulsed discharges the vibrational temperature of N2 increases with the discharge duration, while the rotational temperature mainly stays constant, which means electron energy is transferred into the vibrational levels, but gas heating is not obvious during the discharge pulse. In Chapter 5, both sine AC DBD and nanosecond pulsed DBD, studied in Chapter 2 and 3, are used for formaldehyde degradation. It is found that nanosecond pulsed DBD has more homogenous characteristics, better stability, and lower plasma gas temperature. Moreover, the energy consumption of nanosecond pulsed DBD is much lower than that of AC DBD. In Chapter 6, a 0D chemical kinetics model is developed to investigate the underlying plasma chemistry of methane dry reforming in a nanosecond pulsed discharge. An overview of the dominant reaction pathways of CO2 and CH4 conversion into the major products is given. Furthermore, most of the CO2 molecules are populated into vibrational states during the pulse. Hence, the vibrational states of CO2 play an important role in its dissociation process. In general, this PhD thesis contributes to a better insight in the mechanisms of sinusoidal AC DBD and nanosecond pulsed DBD plasmas and their applications, i.e., decomposition of formaldehyde and dry reforming of methane.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:183166 Serial 7605  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Zalalutdinov, M.K.; Robinson, J.T.; Fonseca, J.J.; LaGasse, S.W.; Pandey, T.; Lindsay, L.R.; Reinecke, T.L.; Photiadis, D.M.; Culbertson, J.C.; Cress, C.D.; Houston, B.H. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Acoustic cavities in 2D heterostructures Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nature Communications Abbreviated Journal Nat Commun  
  Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 3267  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer unique opportunities in engineering the ultrafast spatiotemporal response of composite nanomechanical structures. In this work, we report on high frequency, high quality factor (Q) 2D acoustic cavities operating in the 50-600GHz frequency (f) range with f x Q up to 1 x 10(14). Monolayer steps and material interfaces expand cavity functionality, as demonstrated by building adjacent cavities that are isolated or strongly-coupled, as well as a frequency comb generator in MoS2/h-BN systems. Energy dissipation measurements in 2D cavities are compared with attenuation derived from phonon-phonon scattering rates calculated using a fully microscopic ab initio approach. Phonon lifetime calculations extended to low frequencies (<1THz) and combined with sound propagation analysis in ultrathin plates provide a framework for designing acoustic cavities that approach their fundamental performance limit. These results provide a pathway for developing platforms employing phonon-based signal processing and for exploring the quantum nature of phonons. Here, authors report on acoustic cavities in 2D materials operating in the 50-600GHz range and show that quality factors approach the limit set by lattice anharmonicity. Functionality expanded by heterogeneities (steps and interfaces) is demonstrated through coupled cavities and frequency comb generation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000660772400004 Publication Date 2021-06-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2041-1723 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.124 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.124  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179597 Serial 6968  
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Author (down) Yusupov, M.; Privat-Maldonado, A.; Cordeiro, R.M.; Verswyvel, H.; Shaw, P.; Razzokov, J.; Smits, E.; Bogaerts, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Oxidative damage to hyaluronan–CD44 interactions as an underlying mechanism of action of oxidative stress-inducing cancer therapy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Redox Biology Abbreviated Journal Redox Biol  
  Volume 43 Issue Pages 101968  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Center for Oncological Research (CORE)  
  Abstract Multiple cancer therapies nowadays rely on oxidative stress to damage cancer cells. Here we investigated the biological and molecular effect of oxidative stress on the interaction between CD44 and hyaluronan (HA), as interrupting their binding can hinder cancer progression. Our experiments demonstrated that the oxidation of HA decreased its recognition by CD44, which was further enhanced when both CD44 and HA were oxidized. The reduction of CD44–HA binding negatively affected the proliferative state of cancer cells. Our multi-level atomistic simulations revealed that the binding free energy of HA to CD44 decreased upon oxidation. The effect of HA and CD44 oxidation on CD44–HA binding was similar, but when both HA and CD44 were oxidized, the effect was much larger, in agreement with our experiments. Hence, our experiments and computations support our hypothesis on the role of oxidation in the disturbance of CD44–HA interaction, which can lead to the inhibition of proliferative signaling pathways inside the tumor cell to induce cell death.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000657371800005 Publication Date 2021-04-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2213-2317 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.337 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Fwo; The authors acknowledge the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the University of Antwerp (UA), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UA, where all computational work was performed. Approved Most recent IF: 6.337  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:177780 Serial 6750  
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Author (down) Ysebaert, T.; Koch, K.; Samson, R.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Green walls for mitigating urban particulate matter pollution : a review Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Urban Forestry & Urban Greening Abbreviated Journal Urban For Urban Gree  
  Volume 59 Issue Pages 127014  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Art; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) is a well-known health issue in urban environments. Urban green infrastructure offers opportunities as a nature-based solution to urban PM pollution. Green walls have advantages over other types of urban green infrastructure, since they can be applied to the enormous available wall area in cities and since they do not interfere with the prevailing ventilation resulting in elevated PM levels. However, this has raised questions about the effectiveness of GW in removing PM and this could explain the limited applicability of green walls to tackle PM pollution. Nevertheless, it is suggested that green walls have a significant unexploited potential and this review article aims to address current knowledge gaps and to propose future research requirements for the implementation of green walls to mitigate urban PM pollution. An in-depth analysis is given of the mechanisms behind PM deposition and the influence of vegetation properties on this process, as well as the practices followed to model PM dispersion and deposition. It was suggested that particle deposition on green walls depends on the green wall species, pollution level, and the residence time of PM in a street (canyon). Rainfall plays an important role in the PM pathway, although it is not a necessary requirement to sustain PM deposition on plant leaves. There are still some discrepancies in the literature about the ideal plant characteristics for PM deposition in terms of the macro- and microstructures that require further investigation, especially in comparison with tree and shrub species. In addition, extensively validated models are required to accurately calculate the impact of green walls on air flow and the PM concentration on site.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000632597600001 Publication Date 2021-02-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1618-8667 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.113 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.113  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175581 Serial 8011  
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Author (down) Yin, L.; Juneja, R.; Lindsay, L.; Pandey, T.; Parker, D.S. doi  openurl
  Title Semihard iron-based permanent-magnet materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Physical Review Applied Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev Appl  
  Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 024012  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract Permanent magnets generally require a favorable, but difficult-to-achieve combination of high magnetization, Curie point, and magnetic anisotropy. Thus there have been few, if any, viable permanent magnets developed since the 1982 discovery of Nd2Fe14B [M. Sagawa, S. Fujimura, H. Yamamoto, Y. Matsuura, and S. Hirosawa, J. Appl. Phys. 57, 4094 (1985)]. Here we point out, both by direct first-principles calculations on the iron carbides and silicides Fe5C2, Fe5SiC, and Fe7C3 as well as a discussion of recent experimental findings, that there are numerous rare-earth-free iron-rich potential permanent-magnet materials with sufficient intrinsic magnetic properties to reasonably achieve room-temperature energy products of 20-25 MG Oe. This is substantially better than the performance of the best available rare-earth-free magnets based on ferrite, as well as shape-anisotropy-employing alnico. These magnets could plausibly fill, at low cost, the present performance “gap” [J. M. D. Coey, Scr. Mater. 67, 524 (2012)] between the best rare-earth-free magnets and rare-earth magnets such as Nd2Fe14B and Sm-Co.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000614707800002 Publication Date 2021-02-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2331-7019 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.808 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.808  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176624 Serial 6734  
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Author (down) Yildiz, A.; Chouki, T.; Atli, A.; Harb, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Ninakanti, R.; Emin, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Efficient iron phosphide catalyst as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication ACS applied energy materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 4 Issue 10 Pages 10618-10626  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Developing an efficient material as a counter electrode (CE) with excellent catalytic activity, intrinsic stability, and low cost is essential for the commercial application of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Transition metal phosphides have been demonstrated as outstanding multifunctional catalysts in a broad range of energy conversion technologies. Here, we exploited different phases of iron phosphide as CEs in DSSCs with an I–/I3–-based electrolyte. Solvothermal synthesis using a triphenylphosphine precursor as a phosphorus source allows to grow a Fe2P phase at 300 °C and a FeP phase at 350 °C. The obtained iron phosphide catalysts were coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates and heat-treated at 450 °C under an inert gas atmosphere. The solar-to-current conversion efficiency of the solar cells assembled with the Fe2P material reached 3.96 ± 0.06%, which is comparable to the device assembled with a platinum (Pt) CE. DFT calculations support the experimental observations and explain the fundamental origin behind the improved performance of Fe2P compared to FeP. These results indicate that the Fe2P catalyst exhibits excellent performance along with desired stability to be deployed as an efficient Pt-free alternative in DSSCs.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000711236300022 Publication Date 2021-10-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2574-0962 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181953 Serial 7853  
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Author (down) Yi, Y.; Wang, X.; Jafarzadeh, A.; Wang, L.; Liu, P.; He, B.; Yan, J.; Zhang, R.; Zhang, H.; Liu, X.; Guo, H.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma-Catalytic Ammonia Reforming of Methane over Cu-Based Catalysts for the Production of HCN and H2at Reduced Temperature Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Acs Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal  
  Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 1765-1773  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Industrial production of HCN from NH3 and CH4 not only uses precious Pt or Pt−Rh catalysts but also requires extremely high temperatures (∼1600 K). From an energetic, operational, and safety perspective, a drastic decrease in temperature is highly desirable. Here, we report ammonia reforming of methane for the production of HCN and H2 at 673 K by the combination of CH4/NH3 plasma and a supported Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst. 30% CH4 conversion has been achieved with 79% HCN selectivity. Catalyst characterization and plasma diagnostics reveal that the excellent reaction performance is attributed to metallic Cu active sites. In addition, we propose a possible reaction pathway, viz. E-R reactions with N, NH, NH2, and CH radicals produced in the plasma, for the production of HCN, based on density functional theory calculations. Importantly, the Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst costs less than 5% of the commercial Pt mesh catalyst.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000618540300057 Publication Date 2021-02-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Universiteit Antwerpen, 32249 ; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2015M580220 2016T90217 ; PetroChina Innovation Foundation, 2018D-5007-0501 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 21503032 ; We acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [21503032], the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant numbers 2015M580220 and 2016T90217, 2016], the PetroChina Innovation Foundation [2018D-5007-0501], and the TOP research project of the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp [grant ID 32249]. Approved Most recent IF: 10.614  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175880 Serial 6675  
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Author (down) Yi, Y.; Li, S.; Cui, Z.; Hao, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, L.; Liu, P.; Tu, X.; Xu, X.; Guo, H.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Selective oxidation of CH4 to CH3OH through plasma catalysis: Insights from catalyst characterization and chemical kinetics modelling Type A1 Journal Article;Methane conversion
  Year 2021 Publication Applied Catalysis B-Environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ  
  Volume 296 Issue Pages 120384  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article;Methane conversion; Plasma catalysis; Selective oxidation; Methanol synthesis; Plasma chemistry; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract The selective oxidation of methane to methanol (SOMTM) by molecular oxygen is a holy grail in catalytic chemistry and remains a challenge in chemical industry. We perform SOMTM in a CH4/O2 plasma, at low temperature and atmospheric pressure, promoted by Ni-based catalysts, reaching 81 % liquid oxygenates selectivity and 50 % CH3OH selectivity, with an excellent catalytic stability. Chemical kinetics modelling shows that CH3OH in the plasma is mainly produced through radical reactions, i.e., CH4 + O(1D) → CH3O + H, fol­lowed by CH3O + H + M→ CH3OH + M and CH3O + HCO → CH3OH + CO. The catalyst characterization shows that the improved production of CH3OH is attributed to abundant chemisorbed oxygen species, originating from highly dispersed NiO phase with strong oxide support interaction with γ-Al2O3, which are capable of promoting CH3OH formation through E-R reactions and activating H2O molecules to facilitate CH3OH desorption.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000706860000003 Publication Date 2021-05-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0926-3373 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.446 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes National Natural Science Foundation of China; PetroChina Innovation Foundation; We acknowledge financial support from the PetroChina Innovation Foundation [grant ID: 2018D-5007-0501], the Young Star Project of Dalian Science and Technology Bureau [grant ID: 2019RQ042], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant ID: 21503032] and the TOP research project of the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp [grant ID: 32249]. Approved Most recent IF: 9.446  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:178816 Serial 6793  
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Author (down) Yang, M.; Orekhov, A.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Feng, M.; Jin, S.; Sha, G.; Li, K.; Samaee, V.; Song, M.; Du, Y.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Schryvers, D. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Shearing and rotation of β'' and β' precipitates in an Al-Mg-Si alloy under tensile deformation : in-situ and ex-situ studies Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Acta Materialia Abbreviated Journal Acta Mater  
  Volume 220 Issue Pages 117310  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The interaction between dislocations and nano-precipitates during deformation directly influences hardening response of precipitation-strengthening metals such as Al-Mg-Si alloys. However, how coherent and semi-coherent nano-precipitates accommodate external deformation applied to an Al alloy remains to be elucidated. In-situ tensile experiments in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) were conducted to study the dynamic process of dislocations cutting through coherent needle-like beta '' precipitates with diameters of 3 similar to 8 nm. Comprehensive investigations using in-situ, ex-situ TEM and atom probe tomography uncovered that beta '' precipitates were firstly sheared into small fragments, and then the rotation of the fragments, via sliding along precipitate/matrix interfaces, destroyed their initially coherent interface with the Al matrix. In contrast, semi-coherent beta' precipitates with sizes similar to beta '' were more difficult to be fragmented and accumulation of dislocations at the interface increased interface misfit between beta' and the Al matrix. Consequently, beta' precipitates could basically maintain their needle-like shape after the tensile deformation. This research gains new insights into the interaction between nano-precipitates and dislocations. (C) 2021 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000705535300005 Publication Date 2021-09-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1359-6454 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.301 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.301  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182528 Serial 6884  
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Author (down) Yagmurcukardes, M.; Sozen, Y.; Baskurt, M.; Peeters, F.M.; Sahin, H. doi  openurl
  Title Interface-dependent phononic and optical properties of GeO/MoSO heterostructures Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract The interface-dependent electronic, vibrational, piezoelectric, and optical properties of van der Waals heterobilayers, formed by buckled GeO (b-GeO) and Janus MoSO structures, are investigated by means of first-principles calculations. The electronic band dispersions show that O/Ge and S/O interface formations result in a type-II band alignment with direct and indirect band gaps, respectively. In contrast, O/O and S/Ge interfaces give rise to the formation of a type-I band alignment with an indirect band gap. By considering the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) on top of G(0)W(0) approximation, it is shown that different interfaces can be distinguished from each other by means of the optical absorption spectra as a consequence of the band alignments. Additionally, the low- and high-frequency regimes of the Raman spectra are also different for each interface type. The alignment of the individual dipoles, which is interface-dependent, either weakens or strengthens the net dipole of the heterobilayers and results in tunable piezoelectric coefficients. The results indicate that the possible heterobilayers of b-GeO/MoSO asymmetric structures possess various electronic, optical, and piezoelectric properties arising from the different interface formations and can be distinguished by means of various spectroscopic techniques.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000738899600001 Publication Date 2021-12-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 2 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184722 Serial 6998  
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Author (down) Yagmurcukardes, M.; Mogulkoc, Y.; Akgenc, B.; Mogulkoc, A.; Peeters, F.M. doi  openurl
  Title Prediction of monoclinic single-layer Janus Ga₂ Te X (X = S and Se) : strong in-plane anisotropy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Physical Review B Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B  
  Volume 104 Issue 4 Pages 045425  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract By using density functional theory (DFT) based first-principles calculations, electronic, vibrational, piezo-electric, and optical properties of monoclinic Janus single-layer Ga2TeX (X = S or Se) are investigated. The dynamical, mechanical, and thermal stability of the proposed Janus single layers are verified by means of phonon bands, stiffness tensor, and quantum molecular dynamics simulations. The calculated vibrational spectrum reveals the either pure or coupled optical phonon branches arising from Ga-Te and Ga-X atoms. In addition to the in-plane anisotropy, single-layer Janus Ga2TeX exhibits additional out-of-plane asymmetry, which leads to important consequences for its electronic and optical properties. Electronic band dispersions indicate the direct band-gap semiconducting nature of the constructed Janus structures with energy band gaps falling into visible spectrum. Moreover, while orientation-dependent linear-elastic properties of Janus single layers indicate their strong anisotropy, the calculated in-plane stiffness values reveal the ultrasoft nature of the structures. In addition, predicted piezoelectric coefficients show that while there is a strong in-plane anisotropy between piezoelectric constants along armchair (AC) and zigzag (ZZ) directions, there exists a tiny polarization along the out-of-plane direction as a result of the formation of Janus structure. The optical response to electromagnetic radiation has been also analyzed through density functional theory by considering the independent-particle approximation. Finally, the optical spectra of Janus Ga2TeX structures is investigated and it showed a shift from the ultraviolet region to the visible region. The fact that the spectrum is between these regions will allow it to be used in solar energy and many nanoelectronics applications. The predicted monoclinic single-layer Janus Ga2TeX are relevant for promising applications in optoelectronics, optical dichroism, and anisotropic nanoelasticity.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000678811100007 Publication Date 2021-07-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2469-9969; 2469-9950 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.836  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:180404 Serial 7013  
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Author (down) Xie, Y. url  openurl
  Title Bioreactor strategies for sustainable nitrogen cycling based on mineralization/nitrification, partial nitritation/anammox or sulfur-based denitratation Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2021 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages iv, 205 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract In the biogeochemical flows on Earth, the reactive nitrogen (Nr) level has three times surpassed the safe boundary. The severe transgression of this boundary goes against sustainable planetary development. The modern food production process excessively relies on synthetic Nr fertilizers from the Haber– Bosch process. However, the massive loss of valuable nitrogen resources (i.e., 78-89%) from agriculture has been causing severe nitrogen cascade. Besides, the domestic wastewater in some local areas is discharged without proper treatment, making it a nonnegligible source of Nr pollution for local water bodies. Anthropogenic activities keep pumping out Nr pollution via point-source and non-point-source (NPS) emissions. Compared to the NPS emissions, point sources give visible and identified waste streams. It is vital to intervene the nitrogen cascade from point sources and facilitate humanity back to the safe Nr boundary. The collected and collectible Nr streams from food production, waste management, and recycling secondary raw materials can be used as waste-based fertilizers for agricultural cultivation. Besides the well-investigated recovery of inorganic Nr, organic Nr accounts for a massive Nr proportion on the Earth. Proper handling and treatment make these useful organic fertilizers for soil-based cultivation. However, these organic Nr fertilizers cannot directly apply to fertigation or hydroponic cultivation systems, and further biological conversion via nitrogen mineralization and nitrification to nitrate is essential. Besides the direct Nr cycling, the indirect Nr cycling ‘over the atmosphere’ should also be considered. In this way, the nitrogen cycle can be completed via converting the waste Nr back to nitrogen gas (i.e., Nr removal) and then synthesizing into Nr again. The municipal wastewater treatment plants receive a vast amount of low-strength Nr wastewater (mainly as ammonium) daily. Compared to the conventional nitrification/denitrification process, partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) is considered a resource- and cost-effective technology for wastewater with a low COD/N ratio. Moreover, the novel autotrophic denitratation/anammox process could be a good Nr removal process for wastewater containing both ammonium and nitrate. This Ph.D. thesis aimed to develop Nr recovery, conversion, and removal bioreactor strategies for different types of waste streams and biomass. Nr recovery was investigated on high-strength Nr waste streams for fertigation or hydroponic applications in Chapters 2 and 3. On the other hand, Nr removal was studied on the medium- to low-strength Nr waste streams in Chapters 4 and 5. In Chapter 2, a novel mineralization and nitrification system was proposed, producing nutrient solutions from solid organic fertilizers for hydroponic systems. Batch tests showed that aerobic incubation at 35°C could realize the NO₃⁻-N production efficiency above 90% from a novel microbial fertilizer. Subsequently, in the stirred tank bioreactor test, NO₃⁻-N production efficiency stabilized in a range of 44-51% under the influent loading rate of 400 mg TN L⁻¹ d⁻¹ at a 5-day HRT. Using Ca(OH)₂ and Mg(OH)₂ as pH control reagents generated the nutrient solutions with different P, Ca, and Mg nutrient levels. After modeling the nutrient balancing process, the proportion of organic-sourced NO₃⁻-N in the Hoagland nutrient solution (HNS) of Ca(OH)₂ scenario was 92.7%, while only 37.4% in the Mg(OH)₂ scenario. Compared to commercial scenarios, the total costs of the organic-sourced HNS can be cost-competitive for hydroponic cultivation. In Chapter 3, the Nr recovery as nitrate (NO₃⁻-N) from diluted human urine (around 670 mg N L⁻¹) was explored in a trickling filter (TF) for the first time. A novel concept of in-situ integrating the TF system into hydroponic systems was proposed as meaningful progress towards sustainable agriculture. The difference between synthetic and real urine in nitrification efficiency was found to be negligible. The full nitrification of alkalinized real urine was realized in the pH-controlled TF by calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) at around pH 6. The TF could handle different urine collection batches and maintain relatively stable nitrification performance, with NO₃⁻-N production efficiency and rate of 88±3% and 136±4 mg N L⁻¹ d⁻¹, respectively. The optimal HLR to realize this nitrification performance was 2 m³ m⁻² h⁻¹, with energy consumption of 1.8 kWh electricity kg⁻¹ NO₃⁻-N production. Ca(OH)₂, as a cheap base, its triple advantages on urine alkalinization, full nitrification, and macronutrient supplementation were successfully demonstrated in our proposed concept. In Chapter 4, towards more sustainable wastewater treatment, the feasibility of one-stage partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) was investigated in three parallel packed-bed trickling filters (TFs), with three types of carrier materials of different specific surface areas. Synthetic wastewater containing 100-250 mg NH₄⁺-N L⁻¹ was tested to mimic medium-strength household waste streams after carbon removal. Interestingly, the cheap carrier based on expanded clay achieved similar rates as commercially used plastic carrier materials. The top passive ventilation combined with an optimum hydraulic loading rate of 1.8 m³ m⁻² h⁻¹ could reach approximately 60% total nitrogen (TN) removal at a rate of 300 mg N L⁻¹ d⁻¹. A relatively low NO₃⁻-N production (13%) via PN/A was achieved in TFs. Most of the TN removal took place in the top compartment, where anammox activity was the highest. Energy consumption estimation (0.78 kWh electricity g⁻¹ N removed) suggested that the proposed process could be a suitable low-cost alternative for nitrogen removal. In Chapter 5, coupling sulfur-driven denitratation (SDN) with anammox was proposed to treat the wastewater containing both NO₃⁻-N and NH₄⁺-N, like the secondary effluents of mainstream PN/A processes. To explore the feasibility of sufficient and stable NO₂⁻-N accumulation via SDN in the long term, the effects of pH setpoints, residual NO₃⁻-N level, and biomass-specific NO₃⁻-N loading rate (BSNLR) were investigated. Alternating the pH setpoints between 7.0 and 8.5 could temporarily stimulate the NO₂⁻-N accumulation. Both the residual NO₃⁻-N and BSNLR showed highly positive correlations with the NO₂⁻-N accumulation efficiency. Under the control of pH 8.5, 1.0±0.8 mg NO₃⁻-N L⁻¹ and 150±42 mg NO₃⁻-N g⁻¹ VSS d⁻¹, SDN could produce 6.4±1.0 mg NO₂⁻-N L⁻¹ in the short term. Thiobacillus members may play a crucial role in managing the NO₂⁻-N accumulation, but the reduction of abundance and possible adaptation significantly impaired the efficacy of control strategies in the long run. Overall, novel technologies have been proposed to sustainably convert Nr in waste streams and biomass. The decision for Nr recovery versus removal and synthesis should be based on specific cases with the best environmental, economic, and human-health sustainability. In the future, the Nr management concepts should be further improved to make the nitrogen cycle more sustainable with higher resource use efficiency and less Nr emissions to the environment. Although the thesis is mainly focused on limited types of Nr waste streams, it pointed out the direction of sustainable Nr management and could facilitate the Nr back to the safe boundary in the long run.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182099 Serial 7563  
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Author (down) Xiaoyan, S.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Wang, Y.-N.; He, J.-X. doi  openurl
  Title Fluid simulation of the superimposed dual-frequency source effect in inductively coupled discharges Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Physics Of Plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas  
  Volume 28 Issue 11 Pages 113504-113510  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Superimposition of dual frequencies (DFs) is one of the methods used for controlling plasma distribution in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. The effects of a superimposed DF on the argon plasma characteristics have been investigated using a two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. When both currents are fixed at 6A, the plasma density drops with decrease in one of the source frequencies due to less efficient heating and the plasma uniformity improves significantly. Moreover, for ICP operated with superimposed DFs (i.e., 4.52MHz/13.56MHz and 2.26MHz/13.56MHz), the current source exhibits the same period as the low frequency (LF) component, and the plasma density is higher than that obtained at a single frequency (i.e., 4.52 and 2.26MHz) with the same total current of 12A. However, at superimposed current frequencies of 6.78MHz/13.56MHz, the plasma density is lower than that obtained at a single frequency of 6.78MHz due to the weaker negative azimuthal electric field between two positive maxima during one period of 6.78MHz. When the superimposed DF ICP operates at 2.26 and 13.56MHz, the rapid oscillations of the induced electric field become weaker during one period of 2.26MHz as the current ratio of 2.26MHz/13.56MHz rises from 24A/7 A to 30A/1 A, and the plasma density drops with the current ratio due to weakened electron heating. The uniformity of plasma increases due to sufficient diffusion under the low-density condition.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000760326100004 Publication Date 2021-11-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1070-664x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:187245 Serial 7974  
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Author (down) Xia, C.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Wang, D.; Meeldijk, J.D.; Gerritsen, H.C.; Bals, S.; de Donega, C.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Seeded growth combined with cation exchange for the synthesis of anisotropic Cu2-xS/ZnS, Cu2-xS, and CuInS2 nanorods Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 102-116  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Colloidal copper(I) sulfide (Cu2-xS) nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted much attention for a wide range of applications because of their unique optoelectronic properties, driving scientists to explore the potential of using Cu2-xS NCs as seeds in the synthesis of heteronanocrystals to achieve new multifunctional materials. Herein, we developed a multistep synthesis strategy toward Cu2-xS/ZnS heteronanorods. The Janus-type Cu2-xS/ZnS heteronanorods are obtained by the injection of hexagonal high-chalcocite Cu2-xS seed NCs in a hot zinc oleate solution in the presence of suitable surfactants, 20 s after the injection of sulfur precursors. The Cu2-xS seed NCs undergo rapid aggregation and coalescence in the first few seconds after the injection, forming larger NCs that act as the effective seeds for heteronucleation and growth of ZnS. The ZnS heteronucleation occurs on a single (100) facet of the Cu2-xS seed NCs and is followed by fast anisotropic growth along a direction that is perpendicular to the c-axis, thus leading to Cu2-xS/ZnS Janus-type heteronanorods with a sharp heterointerface. Interestingly, the high-chalcocite crystal structure of the injected Cu2-xS seed NCs is preserved in the Cu2-xS segments of the heteronanorods because of the highthermodynamic stability of this Cu2-xS phase. The Cu2-xS/ZnS heteronanorods are subsequently converted into single-component Cu2-xS and CuInS2 nanorods by postsynthetic topotactic cation exchange. This work expands the possibilities for the rational synthesis of colloidal multicomponent heteronanorods by allowing the design principles of postsynthetic heteroepitaxial seeded growth and nanoscale cation exchange to be combined, yielding access to a plethora of multicomponent heteronanorods with diameters in the quantum confinement regime.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000610984700009 Publication Date 2020-12-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 10 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes C.X. acknowledges China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the financial support (grant number 201406330055). C.d.M.D. acknowledges funding from the European Commission for access to the EMAT facilities (grant number EUSMI E180900184). D.W. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 894254 SuprAtom). S.B. acknowledges support by means of the ERC Consolidator grant no. 815128 REALNANO. The authors thank Donglong Fu for XRD measurements.; sygma Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176587 Serial 6732  
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Author (down) Xi, J.; Yang, S.; Silvioli, L.; Cao, S.; Liu, P.; Chen, Q.; Zhao, Y.; Sun, H.; Hansen, J.N.; Haraldsted, J.-P.B.; Kibsgaard, J.; Rossmeisl, J.; Bals, S.; Wang, S.; Chorkendorff, I. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Highly active, selective, and stable Pd single-atom catalyst anchored on N-doped hollow carbon sphere for electrochemical H₂O₂ synthesis under acidic conditions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Catalysis Abbreviated Journal J Catal  
  Volume 393 Issue Pages 313-323  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have recently attracted broad scientific interests due to their unique structural feature, the single-atom dispersion. Optimized electronic structure as well as high stability are required for single-atom catalysts to enable efficient electrochemical production of H2O2. Herein, we report a facile synthesis method that stabilizes atomic Pd species on the reduced graphene oxide/Ndoped carbon hollow carbon nanospheres (Pd1/N-C). Pd1/N-C exhibited remarkable electrochemical H2O2 production rate with high faradaic efficiency, reaching 80%. The single-atom structure and its high H2O2 production rate were maintained even after 10,000 cycle stability test. The existence of single-atom Pd as well as its coordination with N species is responsible for its high activity, selectivity, and stability. The N coordination number and substrate doping around Pd atoms are found to be critical for an optimized adsorption energy of intermediate *OOH, resulting in efficient electrochemical H2O2 production. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000640923500003 Publication Date 2020-11-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-9517 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.844 Times cited 40 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51772110), Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (No. 2019CFB539), Danmarks Innovationsfond within the ProActivE project (5160-00003B), Villum Foundation V-SUSTAIN grant 9455 to the Villum Center for the Science of Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals, the Carlsberg Foundation grant CF18-0435, the Institutional Research Program (2E30220) of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Shenzhen Science and Technology Plan under Grant (JCYJ20170818160751460) and the Open Project of Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education (No. GCP20200205). The authors would like to acknowledge the Analytical and Testing Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics for SEM, TEM, Raman and XPS measurements. Approved Most recent IF: 6.844  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:178321 Serial 6796  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Wu, L.; Kolmeijer, K.E.; Zhang, Y.; An, H.; Arnouts, S.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; Hofmann, J.P.; Costa Figueiredo, M.; Hensen, E.J.M.; Weckhuysen, B.M.; van der Stam, W. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Stabilization effects in binary colloidal Cu and Ag nanoparticle electrodes under electrochemical CO₂ reduction conditions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 13 Issue 9 Pages 4835-4844  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Nanoparticle modified electrodes constitute an attractive way to tailor-make efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction catalysts. However, the restructuring and sintering processes of nanoparticles under electrochemical reaction conditions not only impedes the widespread application of nanoparticle catalysts, but also misleads the interpretation of the selectivity of the nanocatalysts. Here, we colloidally synthesized metallic copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (<10%) and utilized them in electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions. Monometallic Cu and Ag nanoparticle electrodes showed severe nanoparticle sintering already at low overpotential of -0.8 V vs. RHE, as evidenced by ex situ SEM investigations, and potential-dependent variations in product selectivity that resemble bulk Cu (14% for ethylene at -1.3 V vs. RHE) and Ag (69% for carbon monoxide at -1.0 V vs. RHE). However, by co-deposition of Cu and Ag nanoparticles, a nanoparticle stabilization effect was observed between Cu and Ag, and the sintering process was greatly suppressed at CO2 reducing potentials (-0.8 V vs. RHE). Furthermore, by varying the Cu/Ag nanoparticle ratio, the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) selectivity towards methane (maximum of 20.6% for dense Cu-2.5-Ag-1 electrodes) and C-2 products (maximum of 15.7% for dense Cu-1-Ag-1 electrodes) can be tuned, which is attributed to a synergistic effect between neighbouring Ag and Cu nanoparticles. We attribute the stabilization of the nanoparticles to the positive enthalpies of Cu-Ag solid solutions, which prevents the dissolution-redeposition induced particle growth under CO2RR conditions. The observed nanoparticle stabilization effect enables the design and fabrication of active CO2 reduction nanocatalysts with high durability.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000628024200011 Publication Date 2021-02-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 24 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work is funded by the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project ‘Joint Centre for Chemergy Research’ (budget holder B. M. W.). S. B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128 REALNANO). S. A. and T. A. acknowledge funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). We thank Eric Hellebrand (Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University) for the assistance in SEM measurements. Dr Ramon Oord (ARC Chemical Building Blocks Consortium, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University) is acknowledged for assisting with the grazing incidence XRD measurements; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176723 Serial 6737  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Winterstetter, A.; Grodent, M.; Kini, V.; Ragaert, K.; Vrancken, K.C.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A review of technological solutions to prevent or reduce marine plastic litter in developing countries Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Sustainability Abbreviated Journal Sustainability-Basel  
  Volume 13 Issue 9 Pages 4894  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Growing global plastic production combined with poor waste collection has led to increasing amounts of plastic debris being found in oceans, rivers and on shores. The goal of this study is to provide an overview on currently available technological solutions to tackle marine plastic litter and to assess their potential use in developing countries. To compile an inventory of technological solutions, a dedicated online platform was developed. A total of 51 out of initially 75 submitted solutions along the plastics value chain were assessed by independent experts. Collection systems represent more than half of the shortlisted solutions. A quarter include processing and treatment technologies, either as a stand-alone solution (30%) or, more commonly, in combination with a first litter capturing step. Ten percent offer digital solutions. The rest focuses on integrated waste management solutions. For each stage in the source-to-sea spectrum-land, rivers, sea-two illustrative examples are described in detail. This study concludes that the most cost-effective type of solution tackles land-based sources of marine litter and combines technology with people-oriented practices, runs on own energy sources, connects throughout the plastics value chain with a convincing valorization plan for captured debris, and involves all relevant stakeholders.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000650920900001 Publication Date 2021-04-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2071-1050 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.789 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.789  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:178368 Serial 7396  
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Author (down) Weiβ, R.; Gritsch, S.; Brader, G.; Nikolic, B.; Spiller, M.; Santolin, J.; Weber, H.K.; Schwaiger, N.; Pluchon, S.; Dietel, K.; Guebitz, G.; Nyanhongo, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A biobased, bioactive, low CO₂ impact coating for soil improvers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Green Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Green Chem  
  Volume 23 Issue 17 Pages 6501-6514  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Lignosulfonate-based bioactive coatings as soil improvers for lawns were developed using laccase as a biocatalyst. Incorporation of glycerol, xylitol and sorbitol as plasticizers considerably reduced the brittleness of the synthesized coatings of marine carbonate granules while thermal enzyme inactivation at 100 degrees C enabled the production of stable coatings. Heat inactivation produced stable coatings with a molecular weight of 2000 kDa and a viscosity of 4.5 x 10(-3) Pas. The desired plasticity for the spray coating of soil improver granules was achieved by the addition of 2.7% of xylitol. Agriculture beneficial microorganisms (four different Bacillus species) were integrated into the coatings. The stable coatings protected the marine calcium carbonate granules, maintained the viability of the microorganisms and showed no toxic effects on the germination and growth of model plants including corn, wheat, salad, and tomato despite a slight delay in germination. Moreover, the coatings reduced the dust formation of soil improvers by 70%. CO2 emission analysis showed potential for the reduction of up to 3.4 kg CO2-eq. kg(-1) product, making it a viable alternative to fossil-based coatings.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000683056500001 Publication Date 2021-08-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1463-9262; 1463-9270 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.125 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.125  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:180511 Serial 7558  
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Author (down) Wang, X.; Yao, X.; Schryvers, D.; Verlinden, B.; Wang, G.; Zhao, G.; Van Humbeeck, J.; Kustov, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Anomalous stress-strain behavior of NiTi shape memory alloy close to the border of superelastic window Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Scripta Materialia Abbreviated Journal Scripta Mater  
  Volume 204 Issue Pages 114135  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In this work, we report an anomalous phenomenon on superelastic cycling of NiTi shape memory alloys when deforming at the temperature close to the border of superelastic window. New unexpected effects are found-(i) critical stress for inducing martensite transformation during the second loading cycle is higher than that of the first cycle; ( ii ) the plateau stress of the second cycle decreases to the original level when the strain overcomes the limit of the first cycle; ( iii ) transition from good superelasticity in the first cycle to fully irreversible strain in the second. We propose that defects generated during the first superelastic cycle close to the border of superelastic window impede following stress-induced martensitic transformations, leading to the increase of critical stress beyond yield stress of the B2 matrix, and thus functional fatigue of NiTi alloys. (c) 2021 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000690441400007 Publication Date 2021-07-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1359-6462 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.747 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.747  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181658 Serial 6853  
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Author (down) Wang, W.; Butterworth, T.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Plasma propagation in a single bead DBD reactor at different dielectric constants : insights from fluid modelling Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physics D-Applied Physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 54 Issue 21 Pages 214004  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Packed bed dielectric barrier discharge (PB-DBD) plasma reactors are very promising for various plasma catalysis applications, but the exact mechanisms of plasma-catalyst interaction are far from understood, because the plasma discharge and catalyst/packing properties are mutually dependent. To better understand the effect of packing dielectric material on the electrical plasma properties, we study here a single bead DBD plasma reactor operating in dry air, with beads of different dielectric constant and for different applied voltages, by means of fluid modelling validated by optical imaging experiments. Our study reveals that the plasma in the single bead DBD reactor can manifest itself in two different modalities, i.e. (a) polar discharges at the bead poles in contact with the electrodes, and (b) a streamer discharge caused by surface ionization waves, which bridges the gas gap. Beads with high dielectric constant result in localised electric field enhancement and hence yield a reduction of the applied voltage required for plasma production. At low applied voltage, the discharge appears as polar discharges between the bead and the electrodes, and upon higher voltage it undergoes a transition into a bridging streamer discharge. The transition voltage to the streamer mode rises for beads with higher dielectric constant. These observations are important for plasma catalysis applications. A higher dielectric constant yields a higher electric field and thus higher average electron energy and density, giving rise to more reactive species, but it also yields a confined discharge near the contact points of packing beads, limiting the interaction area between the catalyst and the active plasma species. In addition, our model reveals that the dielectric bead behaves as a capacitor and traps charges, which can explain the significant occurrence of partial discharging in PB-DBDs and non-parallelogram shaped Lissajous plots. Hence, equivalent circuit modelling of PB-DBDs should take into account the role of packing beads in charge trapping as a capacitor.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000626451000001 Publication Date 2021-02-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177571 Serial 6772  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Wang, Q.; Lin, S.; Liu, X.; Xu, W.; Xiao, Y.; Liang, C.; Ding, L.; Peeters, F.M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Photoluminescence and electronic transition behaviors of single-stranded DNA Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Physical Review E Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev E  
  Volume 104 Issue 3 Pages 034412  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract Due to the potential application of DNA for biophysics and optoelectronics, the electronic energy states and transitions of this genetic material have attracted a great deal of attention recently. However, the fluorescence and corresponding physical process of DNA under optical excitation with photon energies below ultraviolet are still not fully clear. In this work, we experimentally investigate the photoluminescence (PL) properties of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) samples under near-ultraviolet (NUV) and visible excitations (270 similar to 440 nm). Based on the dependence of the PL peak wavelength (lem) upon the excitation wavelength (lex), the PL behaviors of ssDNA can be approximately classified into two categories. In the relatively short excitation wavelength regime, lem is nearly constant due to exciton-like transitions associated with delocalized excitonic states and excimer states. In the relatively long excitation wavelength range, a linear relation of lem = Alex + B with A 0 or A < 0 can be observed, which comes from electronic transitions related to coupled vibrational-electronic levels. Moreover, the transition channels in different excitation wavelength regimes and the effects of strand length and base type can be analyzed on the basis of these results. These important findings not only can give a general description of the electronic energy states and transitional behaviors of ssDNA samples under NUV and visible excitations, but also can be the basis for the application of DNA in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000703562300002 Publication Date 2021-09-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2470-0053 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.366 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.366  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182517 Serial 7009  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (down) Wang, L.; Li, Y.; Yang, X.-Y.; Zhang, B.-B.; Ninane, N.; Busscher, H.J.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Delneuville, C.; Jiang, N.; Xie, H.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Hasan, T.; Su, B.-L. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Single-cell yolk-shell nanoencapsulation for long-term viability with size-dependent permeability and molecular recognition Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication National Science Review Abbreviated Journal Natl Sci Rev  
  Volume 8 Issue 4 Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Like nanomaterials, bacteria have been unknowingly used for centuries. They hold significant economic potential for fuel and medicinal compound production. Their full exploitation, however, is impeded by low biological activity and stability in industrial reactors. Though cellular encapsulation addresses these limitations, cell survival is usually compromised due to shell-to-cell contacts and low permeability. Here, we report ordered packing of silica nanocolloids with organized, uniform and tunable nanoporosities for single cyanobacterium nanoencapsulation using protamine as an electrostatic template. A space between the capsule shell and the cell is created by controlled internalization of protamine, resulting in a highly ordered porous shell-void-cell structure formation. These unique yolk-shell nano structures provide long-term cell viability with superior photosynthetic activities and resistance in harsh environments. In addition, engineering the colloidal packing allows tunable shell-pore diameter for size-dependent permeability and introduction of new functionalities for specific molecular recognition. Our strategy could significantly enhance the activity and stability of cyanobacteria for various nanobiotechnological applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000651827200002 Publication Date 2020-05-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2095-5138 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.843 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 8.843  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179085 Serial 6885  
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