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Author Jalali, H.; Khoeini, F.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M. doi  openurl
  Title Hydration effects and negative dielectric constant of nano-confined water between cation intercalated MXenes Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 922-929  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract Using electrochemical methods a profound enhancement of the capacitance of electric double layer capacitor electrodes was reported when water molecules are strongly confined into the two-dimensional slits of titanium carbide MXene nanosheets [A. Sugahara et al., Nat. Commun., 2019, 10, 850]. We study the effects of hydration on the dielectric properties of nanoconfined water and supercapacitance properties of the cation intercalated MXene. A model for the electric double layer capacitor is constructed where water molecules are strongly confined in two-dimensional slits of MXene. We report an abnormal dielectric constant and polarization of nano-confined water between MXene layers. We found that by decreasing the ionic radius of the intercalated cations and in a critical hydration shell radius the capacitance of the system increases significantly (similar or equal to 200 F g(-1)) which can be interpreted as a negative permittivity. This study builds a bridge between the fundamental understanding of the dielectric properties of nanoconfined water and the capability of using MXene films for supercapacitor technology, and in doing so provides a solid theoretical support for recent experiments.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000610368100035 Publication Date 2020-12-08  
  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 3 Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176141 Serial 6690  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author 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 (up) Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184722 Serial 6998  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Frolov, A.S.; Callaert, C.; Batuk, M.; Hadermann, J.; Volykhov, A.A.; Sirotina, A.P.; Amati, M.; Gregoratti, L.; Yashina, L.V. doi  openurl
  Title Nanoscale phase separation in the oxide layer at GeTe (111) surfaces Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 14 Issue 35 Pages 12918-12927  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract As a semiconductor ferroelectric, GeTe has become a focus of renewed attention due to the recent discovery of giant Rashba splitting. It already has a wide range of applications, from thermoelectricity to data storage. Its stability in ambient air, as well as the structure and properties of an oxide layer, define the processing media for device production and operation. Here, we studied a reaction between the GeTe (111) surface and molecular oxygen for crystals having solely inversion domains. We evaluated the reaction kinetics both ex situ and in situ using NAP XPS. The structure of the oxide layer is extensively discussed, where, according to HAADF-STEM and STEM-EDX, nanoscale phase separation of GeO2 and Te is observed, which is unusual for semiconductors. We believe that such behaviour is closely related to the ferroelectric properties and the domain structure of GeTe.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000847743300001 Publication Date 2022-08-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190665 Serial 7181  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Abedi, S.; Sisakht, E.T.; Hashemifar, S.J.; Cherati, N.G.; Sarsari, I.A.; Peeters, F.M. doi  openurl
  Title Prediction of novel two-dimensional Dirac nodal line semimetals in Al₂B₂ and AlB₄ monolayers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 14 Issue 31 Pages 11270-11283  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract Topological semimetal phases in two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained widespread interest due to their potential applications in novel nanoscale devices. Despite the growing number of studies on 2D topological nodal lines (NLs), candidates with significant topological features that combine nontrivial topological semimetal phase with superconductivity are still rare. Herein, we predict Al2B2 and AlB4 monolayers as new 2D nonmagnetic Dirac nodal line semimetals with several novel features. Our extensive electronic structure calculations combined with analytical studies reveal that, in addition to multiple Dirac points, these 2D configurations host various highly dispersed NLs around the Fermi level, all of which are semimetal states protected by time-reversal and in-plane mirror symmetries. The most intriguing NL in Al2B2 encloses the K point and crosses the Fermi level, showing a considerable dispersion and thus providing a fresh playground to explore exotic properties in dispersive Dirac nodal lines. More strikingly, for the AlB4 monolayer, we provide the first evidence for a set of 2D nonmagnetic open type-II NLs coexisting with superconductivity at a rather high transition temperature. The coexistence of superconductivity and nontrivial band topology in AlB4 not only makes it a promising material to exhibit novel topological superconducting phases, but also a rather large energy dispersion of type-II nodal lines in this configuration may offer a platform for the realization of novel topological features in the 2D limit.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000831003900001 Publication Date 2022-06-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189505 Serial 7196  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Chinnabathini, V.C.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Abbas, I.; van der Tol, J.; Zarkua, Z.; D'Acapito, F.; Nguyen, T.H.T.; Lievens, P.; Grandjean, D.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Janssens, E. doi  openurl
  Title Gas phase deposition of well-defined bimetallic gold-silver clusters for photocatalytic applications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 15 Issue 14 Pages 6696-6708  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Cluster beam deposition is employed for fabricating well-defined bimetallic plasmonic photocatalysts to enhance their activity while facilitating a more fundamental understanding of their properties. AuxAg1-x clusters with compositions (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1) spanning the metals' miscibility range were produced in the gas-phase and soft-landed on TiO2 P25-coated silicon wafers with an optimal coverage of 4 atomic monolayer equivalents. Electron microscopy images show that at this coverage most clusters remain well dispersed whereas EXAFS data are in agreement with the finding that the deposited clusters have an average size of ca. 5 nm and feature the same composition as the ablated alloy targets. A composition-dependant electron transfer from Au to Ag that is likely to impart chemical stability to the bimetallic clusters and protect Ag atoms against oxidation is additionally evidenced by XPS and XANES. Under simulated solar light, AuxAg1-x clusters show a remarkable composition-dependent volcano-type enhancement of their photocatalytic activity towards degradation of stearic acid, a model compound for organic fouling on surfaces. The Formal Quantum Efficiency (FQE) is peaking at the Au0.3Ag0.7 composition with a value that is twice as high as that of the pristine TiO2 P25 under solar simulator. Under UV the FQE of all compositions remains similar to that of pristine TiO2. A classical electromagnetic simulation study confirms that among all compositions Au0.3Ag0.7 features the largest near-field enhancement in the wavelength range of maximal solar light intensity, as well as sufficient individual photon energy resulting in a better photocatalytic self-cleaning activity. This allows ascribing the mechanism for photocatalysis mostly to the plasmonic effect of the bimetallic clusters through direct electron injection and near-field enhancement from the resonant cluster towards the conduction band of TiO2. These results not only demonstrate the added value of using well-defined bimetallic nanocatalysts to enhance their photocatalytic activity but also highlights the potential of the cluster beam deposition to design tailored noble metal modified photocatalytic surfaces with controlled compositions and sizes without involving potentially hazardous chemical agents.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000968631100001 Publication Date 2023-03-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:196040 Serial 7988  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Kocabas, T.; Keceli, M.; Vazquez-Mayagoitia, A.; Sevik, C. doi  openurl
  Title Gaussian approximation potentials for accurate thermal properties of two-dimensional materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 15 Issue 19 Pages 8772-8780  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) continue to attract a lot of attention, particularly for their extreme flexibility and superior thermal properties. Molecular dynamics simulations are among the most powerful methods for computing these properties, but their reliability depends on the accuracy of interatomic interactions. While first principles approaches provide the most accurate description of interatomic forces, they are computationally expensive. In contrast, classical force fields are computationally efficient, but have limited accuracy in interatomic force description. Machine learning interatomic potentials, such as Gaussian Approximation Potentials, trained on density functional theory (DFT) calculations offer a compromise by providing both accurate estimation and computational efficiency. In this work, we present a systematic procedure to develop Gaussian approximation potentials for selected 2DMs, graphene, buckled silicene, and h-XN (X = B, Al, and Ga, as binary compounds) structures. We validate our approach through calculations that require various levels of accuracy in interatomic interactions. The calculated phonon dispersion curves and lattice thermal conductivity, obtained through harmonic and anharmonic force constants (including fourth order) are in excellent agreement with DFT results. HIPHIVE calculations, in which the generated GAP potentials were used to compute higher-order force constants instead of DFT, demonstrated the first-principles level accuracy of the potentials for interatomic force description. Molecular dynamics simulations based on phonon density of states calculations, which agree closely with DFT-based calculations, also show the success of the generated potentials in high-temperature simulations.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000976615200001 Publication Date 2023-04-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:196722 Serial 8873  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Khalilov, U.; Vets, C.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Molecular evidence for feedstock-dependent nucleation mechanisms of CNTs Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Nanoscale Horizons Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale Horiz.  
  Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 674-682  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Atomic scale simulations have been shown to be a powerful tool for elucidating the growth mechanisms of carbon nanotubes. The growth picture is however not entirely clear yet due to the gap between current simulations and real experiments. We here simulate for the first time the nucleation and subsequent growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from oxygen-containing hydrocarbon feedstocks using the hybrid Molecular Dynamics/Monte Carlo technique. The underlying nucleation mechanisms of Ni-catalysed SWNT growth are discussed in detail. Specifically, we find that as a function of the feedstock, different carbon fractions may emerge as the main growth species, due to a competition between the feedstock decomposition, its rehydroxylation and its contribution to etching of the growing SWNT. This study provides a further understanding of the feedstock effects in SWNT growth in comparison with available experimental evidence as well as with<italic>ab initio</italic>and other simulation data, thereby reducing the simulation–experiment gap.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000471816500011 Publication Date 2019-01-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2055-6756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access: Available from 03.01.2020  
  Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12M1318N 1S22516N ; The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Belgium (Grant numbers 12M1318N and 1S22516N). The work was carried out in part using the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre VSC, funded by FWO and the Flemish Government (Department EWI). We thank Prof. A. C. T. van Duin for sharing the reax-code and forcefield parameters. Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @UA @ admin @ c:irua:159658 Serial 5169  
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Author Tonkikh, A.A.; Tsebro, V.I.; Obraztsova, E.A.; Rybkovskiy, D.V.; Orekhov, A.S.; Kondrashov, I.I.; Kauppinen, E.I.; Chuvilin, A.L.; Obraztsova, E.D. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Films of filled single-wall carbon nanotubes as a new material for high-performance air-sustainable transparent conductive electrodes operating in a wide spectral range Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 11 Issue 14 Pages 6755-6765  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In this paper we show the advantages of transparent high conductive films based on filled single-wall carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes with internal channels filled with acceptor molecules (copper chloride or iodine) form networks demonstrating significantly improved characteristics. Due to the charge transfer between the nanotubes and filler, the doped-nanotube films exhibit a drop in electrical sheet resistance of an order of magnitude together with a noticeable increase of film transparency in the visible and near-infrared spectral range. The thermoelectric power measurements show a significant improvement of air-stability of the nanotube network in the course of the filling procedure. For the nanotube films with an initial transparency of 87% at 514 nm and electrical sheet resistance of 862 Ohm sq(-1) we observed an improvement of transparency up to 91% and a decrease of sheet resistance down to 98 Ohm sq(-1). The combination of the nanotube synthesis technique and molecules for encapsulation has been optimized for applications in optoelectronics.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000464454400024 Publication Date 2019-03-05  
  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 (up) Not_Open_Access: Available from 06.09.2019  
  Notes ; The work was supported by the RFBR project 18-29-19113-mk, grant no. 311533 of Academy of Finland, Russian Federation President Program for young scientist MK-3140.2018.2. Also, the reported study was funded by RFBR and Moscow city Government according to the research project no. 19-32-70004. TEM measurements were performed with financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the state assignment for the Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics” of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159339 Serial 5249  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Conti, S.; Chaves, A.; Pandey, T.; Covaci, L.; Peeters, F.M.; Neilson, D.; Milošević, M.V. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Flattening conduction and valence bands for interlayer excitons in a moire MoS₂/WSe₂ heterobilayer Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract We explore the flatness of conduction and valence bands of interlayer excitons in MoS2/WSe2 van der Waals heterobilayers, tuned by interlayer twist angle, pressure, and external electric field. We employ an efficient continuum model where the moire pattern from lattice mismatch and/or twisting is represented by an equivalent mesoscopic periodic potential. We demonstrate that the mismatch moire potential is too weak to produce significant flattening. Moreover, we draw attention to the fact that the quasi-particle effective masses around the Gamma-point and the band flattening are reduced with twisting. As an alternative approach, we show (i) that reducing the interlayer distance by uniform vertical pressure can significantly increase the effective mass of the moire hole, and (ii) that the moire depth and its band flattening effects are strongly enhanced by accessible electric gating fields perpendicular to the heterobilayer, with resulting electron and hole effective masses increased by more than an order of magnitude – leading to record-flat bands. These findings impose boundaries on the commonly generalized benefits of moire twistronics, while also revealing alternative feasible routes to achieve truly flat electron and hole bands to carry us to strongly correlated excitonic phenomena on demand.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001047512300001 Publication Date 2023-07-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access (up) Not_Open_Access: Available from 25.01.2024  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198290 Serial 8819  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Dendooven, J.; Devloo-Casier, K.; Ide, M.; Grandfield; Kurttepeli; Ludwig, K.F.; Bals, S.; Van der Voort, P.; Detavernier, C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Atomic layer deposition-based tuning of the pore size in mesoporous thin films studied by in situ grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 6 Issue 24 Pages 14991-14998  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) enables the conformal coating of porous materials, making the technique suitable for pore size tuning at the atomic level, e.g., for applications in catalysis, gas separation and sensing. It is, however, not straightforward to obtain information about the conformality of ALD coatings deposited in pores with diameters in the low mesoporous regime (<10 nm). In this work, it is demonstrated that in situ synchrotron based grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) can provide valuable information on the change in density and internal surface area during ALD of TiO2 in a porous titania film with small mesopores (3-8 nm). The results are shown to be in good agreement with in situ X-ray fluorescence data representing the evolution of the amount of Ti atoms deposited in the porous film. Analysis of both datasets indicates that the minimum pore diameter that can be achieved by ALD is determined by the size of the Ti-precursor molecule.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000345458200051 Publication Date 2014-10-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 41 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes 239865 Cocoon; 335078 Colouratom; Fwo; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2014 IF: 7.394  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:122227 Serial 169  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author La Porta, A.; Sanchez-Iglesias, A.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Grzelczak, M.; Liz-Marzan, L.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Multifunctional self-assembled composite colloids and their application to SERS detection Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 10377-10381  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We present a simple method for the co-encapsulation of gold nanostars and iron-oxide nanoparticles into hybrid colloidal composites that are highly responsive to both light and external magnetic fields. Self-assembly was driven by hydrophobic interactions between polystyrene capped gold nanostars and iron oxide nanocrystals stabilized with oleic acid, upon addition of water. A block copolymer was then used to encapsulate the resulting spherical colloidal particle clusters, which thereby became hydrophilic. Electron microscopy analysis unequivocally shows that each composite particle comprises a single Au nanostar surrounded by a few hundreds of iron oxide nanocrystals. We demonstrate that this hybrid colloidal system can be used as an efficient substrate for surface enhanced Raman scattering, using common dyes as model molecular probes. The co-encapsulation of iron oxide nanoparticles renders the system magnetically responsive, so that application of an external magnetic field leads to particle accumulation and limits of detection are in the nM range.  
  Address A1 Article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT);  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Wos 000355987300010 Publication Date 2015-04-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 51 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes 267867 Plasmaquo; 335078 Colouratom; 262348 Esmi; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2015 IF: 7.394  
  Call Number c:irua:127003 Serial 3940  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Mourdikoudis, S.; Chirea, M.; Zanaga, D.; Altantzis, T.; Mitrakas, M.; Bals, S.; Marzán, L.M.; Pérez-Juste, J.; Pastoriza-Santos, I. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Governing the morphology of PtAu heteronanocrystals with improved electrocatalytic performance Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 8739-8747  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Platinumgold heteronanostructures comprising either dimer (PtAu) or coresatellite (Pt@Au) configurations were synthesized by means of a seeded growth procedure using platinum nanodendrites as seeds. Careful control of the reduction kinetics of the gold precursor can be used to direct the nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles on either one or multiple surface sites simultaneously, leading to the formation of either dimers or coresatellite nanoparticles, respectively, in high yields. Characterization by electron tomography and high resolution electron microscopy provided a better understanding of the actual three-dimensional particle morphology, as well as the AuPt interface, revealing quasi-epitaxial growth of Au on Pt. The prepared PtAu bimetallic nanostructures are highly efficient catalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline solution, showing accurate selectivity, high sensitivity, and improved efficiency by generating higher current densities than their monometallic counterparts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000354204400011 Publication Date 2015-03-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 41 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes 335078 Colouratom; 262348 Esmi; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2015 IF: 7.394  
  Call Number c:irua:126354 Serial 1360  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Deng, S.; Kurttepeli, M.; Deheryan, S.; Cott, D.J.; Vereecken, P.M.; Martens, J.A.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Detavernier, C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Synthesis of a 3D network of Pt nanowires by atomic layer deposition on a carbonaceous template Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 6 Issue 12 Pages 6939-6944  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The formation of a 3D network composed of free standing and interconnected Pt nanowires is achieved by a two-step method, consisting of conformal deposition of Pt by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on a forest of carbon nanotubes and subsequent removal of the carbonaceous template. Detailed characterization of this novel 3D nanostructure was carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The characterization showed that this pure 3D nanostructure of platinum is self-supported and offers an enhancement of the electrochemically active surface area by a factor of 50.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000337143900086 Publication Date 2014-04-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 14 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors wish to thank the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for financial support. The authors acknowledge the European Research Council for funding under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERCgrant agreement N°239865-COCOON, N°246791-COUNTATOMS and N°335078–COLOURATOM). The authors would also want to thank the support from UGENT-GOA-01G01513, IWT-SBO SOSLion and the Belgian government through Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IAPPAI).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2014 IF: 7.394  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:118393 Serial 3454  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Zanaga, D.; Bleichrodt, F.; Altantzis, T.; Winckelmans, N.; Palenstijn, W.J.; Sijbers, J.; de Nijs, B.; van Huis, M.A.; Sanchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.; van Blaaderen, A.; Joost Batenburg, K.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Quantitative 3D analysis of huge nanoparticle assemblies Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 8 Issue 8 Pages 292-299  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract Nanoparticle assemblies can be investigated in 3 dimensions using electron tomography. However, it is not straightforward to obtain quantitative information such as the number of particles or their relative position. This becomes particularly difficult when the number of particles increases. We propose a novel approach in which prior information on the shape of the individual particles is exploited. It improves the quality of the reconstruction of these complex assemblies significantly. Moreover, this quantitative Sparse Sphere Reconstruction approach yields directly the number of particles and their position as an output of the reconstruction technique, enabling a detailed 3D analysis of assemblies with as many as 10 000 particles. The approach can also be used to reconstruct objects based on a very limited number of projections, which opens up possibilities to investigate beam sensitive assemblies where previous reconstructions with the available electron tomography techniques failed.  
  Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. sara.bals@uantwerpen.be  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Wos 000366911700028 Publication Date 2015-11-19  
  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 34 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS, ERC Advanced Grant # 291667 HierarSACol and ERC Advanced Grant 267867 – PLASMAQUO), the European Union under the FP7 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative N. 262348 European Soft Matter Infrastructure, ESMI and N. 312483 ESTEEM2), and from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), project number 639.072.005 and NWO CW 700.57.026. Networking support was provided by COST Action MP1207.; esteem2jra4; ECASSara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number c:irua:131062 c:irua:131062 Serial 3979  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Kinnear, C.; Rodriguez-Lorenzo, L.; Clift, M.J.D.; Goris, B.; Bals, S.; Rothen, B.; Fink, A.S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Decoupling the shape parameter to assess gold nanorod uptake by mammalian cells Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 8 Issue 8 Pages 16416-16426  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The impact of nanoparticles (NPs) upon biological systems can be fundamentally associated with their physicochemical parameters. A further often-stated tenet is the importance of NP shape on rates of endocytosis. However, given the convoluted parameters concerning the NP-cell interaction, it is experimentally challenging to attribute any findings to shape alone. Herein we demonstrate that shape, below a certain limit, which is specific to nanomedicine, is not important for the endocytosis of spherocylinders by either epithelial or macrophage cells in vitro. Through a systematic approach, we reshaped a single batch of gold nanorods into different aspect ratios resulting in near-spheres and studied their cytotoxicity, (pro-)inflammatory status, and endocytosis/exocytosis. It was found that on a length scale of ~10-90 nm and at aspect ratios less than 5, NP shape has little impact upon their entry into either macrophages or epithelial cells. Conversely, nanorods with an aspect ratio above 5 were preferentially endocytosed by epithelial cells, whereas there was a lack of shape dependent uptake following exposure to macrophages in vitro. These findings have implications both in the understanding of nanoparticle reshaping mechanisms, as well as in the future rational design of nanomaterials for biomedical applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000384531600036 Publication Date 2016-08-08  
  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 23 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors would like to thank C. Endes for her help and technical assistance with all cell culture experiments. The work was supported by the Adolphe Merkle Foundation, the Swiss National Science Foundation (PP00P2123373), the Swiss National Science Foundation through the National Centre of Competence in Research Bio-Inspired Materials, the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a postdoctoral research grant, and the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). The authors also appreciate financial support from the European Union under the Seventh Framework Program (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative N. 262348 European Soft Matter Infrastructure, ESMI).; ECASSara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number c:irua:135087 c:irua:135087 Serial 4109  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Khalilov, U.; Bogaerts, A.; Xu, B.; Kato, T.; Kaneko, T.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title How the alignment of adsorbed ortho H pairs determines the onset of selective carbon nanotube etching Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 1653-1661  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Unlocking the enormous technological potential of carbon nanotubes strongly depends on our ability to specifically produce metallic or semiconducting tubes. While selective etching of both has already been demonstrated, the underlying reasons, however, remain elusive as yet. We here present computational and experimental evidence on the operative mechanisms at the atomic scale. We demonstrate that during the adsorption of H atoms and their coalescence, the adsorbed ortho hydrogen pairs on single-walled carbon nanotubes induce higher shear stresses than axial stresses, leading to the elongation of HC–CH bonds as a function of their alignment with the tube chirality vector, which we denote as the γ-angle. As a result, the C–C cleavage occurs more rapidly in nanotubes containing ortho H-pairs with a small γ-angle. This phenomenon can explain the selective etching of small-diameter semiconductor nanotubes with a similar curvature. Both theoretical and experimental results strongly indicate the important role of the γ-angle in the selective etching mechanisms of carbon nanotubes, in addition to the nanotube curvature and metallicity effects and lead us to clearly understand the onset of selective synthesis/removal of CNT-based materials.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000395422800036 Publication Date 2016-12-19  
  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 6 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes U. K. gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium (Grant No. 12M1315N). This work was also supported in part by Grant-in- Aid for Young Scientists A (Grant No. 25706028), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Grant No. 26107502) from JSPS KAKENHI. This work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UA. The authors also thank Prof. A. C. T. van Duin for sharing the ReaxFF code and J. Razzokov for his assistance to perform the DFT calculations. Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:140091 Serial 4417  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author De Backer, A.; Jones, L.; Lobato, I.; Altantzis, T.; Goris, B.; Nellist, P.D.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Three-dimensional atomic models from a single projection using Z-contrast imaging: verification by electron tomography and opportunities Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 8791-8798  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In order to fully exploit structure–property relations of nanomaterials, three-dimensional (3D) characterization at the atomic scale is often required. In recent years, the resolution of electron tomography has reached the atomic scale. However, such tomography typically requires several projection images demanding substantial electron dose. A newly developed alternative circumvents this by counting the number of atoms across a single projection. These atom counts can be used to create an initial atomic model with which an energy minimization can be applied to obtain a relaxed 3D reconstruction of the nanoparticle. Here, we compare, at the atomic scale, this single projection reconstruction approach with tomography and find an excellent agreement. This new approach allows for the characterization of beam-sensitive materials or where the acquisition of a tilt series is impossible. As an example, the utility is illustrated by the 3D atomic scale characterization of a nanodumbbell on an in situ heating holder of limited tilt range.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000404614700031 Publication Date 2017-06-09  
  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 33 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0374.13N, G.0369.15N, G.0368.15N, and WO.010.16N) and postdoctoral grants to T. Altantzis, A. De Backer, and B. Goris. S. Bals acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078). Funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiatieve-I3) is acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Luis Liz-Marzán, Marek Grzelczak, and Ana Sánchez-Iglesias for sample provision. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144436UA @ admin @ c:irua:144436 Serial 4617  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Schnepf, M.J.; Mayer, M.; Kuttner, C.; Tebbe, M.; Wolf, D.; Dulle, M.; Altantzis, T.; Formanek, P.; Förster, S.; Bals, S.; König, T.A.F.; Fery, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Nanorattles with tailored electric field enhancement Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 9376-9385  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Nanorattles are metallic core–shell particles with core and shell separated by a dielectric spacer. These

nanorattles have been identified as a promising class of nanoparticles, due to their extraordinary high

electric-field enhancement inside the cavity. Limiting factors are reproducibility and loss of axial symmetry

owing to the movable metal core; movement of the core results in fluctuation of the nanocavity dimensions

and commensurate variations in enhancement factor. We present a novel synthetic approach for

the robust fixation of the central gold rod within a well-defined box, which results in an axisymmetric

nanorattle. We determine the structure of the resulting axisymmetric nanorattles by advanced transmission

electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Optical absorption and scattering

cross-sections obtained from UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy quantitatively agree with finite-difference

time-domain (FDTD) simulations based on the structural model derived from SAXS. The predictions of

high and homogenous field enhancement are evidenced by scanning TEM electron energy loss spectroscopy

(STEM-EELS) measurement on single-particle level. Thus, comprehensive understanding of

structural and optical properties is achieved for this class of nanoparticles, paving the way for photonic

applications where a defined and robust unit cell is crucial.		  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000405387100015 Publication Date 2017-06-22  
  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 69 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes This study was funded by the European Research Council under grant Template-assisted assembly of METAmaterials using MECHanical instabilities (METAMECH) ERC-2012-StG 306686. This work was also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the Cluster of Excellence ‘Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden’ (cfaed). M. T. wants to acknowledge funding by the Elite Network of Bavaria, the Bavarian Ministry of State according to the Bavarian elite promotion act (BayEFG), as well as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a Feodor-Lynen Research Fellowship. S. B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078) and T. A. acknowledges funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. We thank Ken Harris from the National Research Council Canada for valuable discussion of the manuscript. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144797UA @ admin @ c:irua:144797 Serial 4631  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Albrecht, W.; Goris, B.; Bals, S.; Hutter, E.M.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.; van Huis, M.A.; van Blaaderen, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Morphological and chemical transformations of single silica-coated CdSe/CdS nanorods upon fs-laser excitation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 4810-4818  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Radiation-induced modifications of nanostructures are of fundamental interest and constitute a viable out-of-equilibrium approach to the development of novel nanomaterials. Herein, we investigated the structural transformation of silica-coated CdSe/CdS nanorods (NRs) under femtosecond (fs) illumination. By comparing the same nanorods before and after illumination with different fluences we found that the silica-shell did not only enhance the stability of the NRs but that the confinement of the NRs also led to novel morphological and chemical transformations. Whereas uncoated CdSe/CdS nanorods were found to sublimate under such excitations the silica-coated nanorods broke into fragments which deformed towards a more spherical shape. Furthermore, CdS decomposed which led to the formation of metallic Cd, confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), whereby an epitaxial interface with the remaining CdS lattice was formed. Under electron beam exposure similar transformations were found to take place which we followed in situ.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000398954800022 Publication Date 2017-03-23  
  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 4 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes ; The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council under the European Unions Seventh Framework Programme (FP-2007-2013)/ERC Advanced Grant Agreement 291667 HierarSACol. The authors furthermore acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 335078-COLOURATOMS and ERC Consolidator Grant 683076 NANO-INSITU). The authors also appreciate financial support from the European Union under the Seventh Framework Program (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative No. 262348 European Soft Matter Infrastructure, ESMI). This work was supported by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a postdoctoral research grant to B. G. The authors furthermore thank Dave J. van den Heuvel and Hans C. Gerritsen for use of the Thorlabs powermeter. We furthermore thank Ernest van der Wee for the simulation of the confocal point spread functions. ; ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:142384UA @ admin @ c:irua:142384 Serial 4670  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Zheng, G.; Chen, Z.; Sentosun, K.; Pérez-Juste, I.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Pastoriza-Santos, I.; Pérez-Juste, J.; Hong, M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Shape control in ZIF-8 nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles@ZIF-8 heterostructures Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 16645-16651  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Shape control in metal-organic frameworks still remains a challenge. We propose a strategy based on the capping agent modulator method to control the shape of ZIF-8 nanocrystals. This approach requires the use of a surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and a second capping agent, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS), to obtain ZIF-8 nanocrystals with morphology control in aqueous media. Semiempirical computational simulations suggest that both shape-inducing agents adsorb onto different surface facets of ZIF-8, thereby slowing down their crystal growth rates. While CTAB molecules preferentially adsorb onto the {100} facets, leading to ZIF-8 particles with cubic morphology, TRIS preferentially stabilizes the {111} facets, inducing the formation of octahedral crystals. Interestingly, the presence of both capping agents leads to nanocrystals with irregular shapes and higher index facets, such as hexapods and burr puzzles. Additionally, the combination of ZIF-8 nanocrystals with other materials is expected to impart additional properties due to the hybrid nature of the resulting nanocomposites. In the present case, the presence of CTAB and TRIS molecules as capping agents facilitates the synthesis of metal nanoparticle@ZIF-8 nanocomposites, due to synergistic effects which could be of use in a number of applications such as catalysis, gas sensing and storage.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000414960900015 Publication Date 2017-07-25  
  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 109 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, Spain), under the Grants MAT2013- 45168-R and MAT2016-77809-R. This study was also funded by the Xunta de Galicia/FEDER (ED431C 2016-048). We are grateful to the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (21671010), Guangdong Science and Technology Program (2013A061401002), and Shenzhen Strategic Emerging Industries (KQCX2015032709315529, CXZZ20140419131807788). Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:145827UA @ admin @ c:irua:145827 Serial 4705  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Pramanik, G.; Humpolickova, J.; Valenta, J.; Kundu, P.; Bals, S.; Bour, P.; Dracinsky, M.; Cigler, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Gold nanoclusters with bright near-infrared photoluminescence Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 3792-3798  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The increase in nonradiative pathways with decreasing emission energy reduces the luminescence quantum yield (QY) of near-infrared photoluminescent (NIR PL) metal nanoclusters. Efficient surface ligand chemistry can significantly improve the luminescence QY of NIR PL metal nanoclusters. In contrast to the widely reported but modestly effective thiolate ligand-to-metal core charge transfer, we show that metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) can be used to greatly enhance the luminescence QY of NIR PL gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). We synthesized water-soluble and colloidally stable NIR PL AuNCs with unprecedentedly high QY (similar to 25%) upon introduction of triphenylphosphonium moieties into the surface capping layer. By using a combination of spectroscopic and theoretical methods, we provide evidence for gold core-to-ligand charge transfer occurring in AuNCs. We envision that this work can stimulate the development of these unusually bright AuNCs for promising optoelectronic, bioimaging, and other applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000426148500026 Publication Date 2018-01-08  
  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 97 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes ; The authors acknowledge support from the GACR project Nr. 18-12533S. J. V. acknowledges funding from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic via the V4+Japan project No. 8F15001 (cofinanced by the International Visegrad Fund). P. B. acknowledges GACR project No. 16-05935S and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic project No. LTC17012. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:149901UA @ admin @ c:irua:149901 Serial 4935  
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Author Claes, N.; Asapu, R.; Blommaerts, N.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Characterization of silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles using electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 9186-9191  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles show interesting optical properties, making them widely applicable in the field of plasmonics. The uniformity, thickness and homogeneity of the polymer shell will affect the properties of the system which makes a thorough structural characterization of these core–shell silver-polymer nanoparticles of great importance. However, visualizing the shell and the particle simultaneously is far from straightforward due to the sensitivity of the polymer shell towards the electron beam. In this study, we use different 2D and 3D electron microscopy techniques to investigate different structural aspects of the polymer coating.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000437007700028 Publication Date 2018-04-16  
  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 11 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes N. C. and S. B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the FWO through project funding (G038116N). R. A. and S. L. acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for financial support. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:151290UA @ admin @ c:irua:151290 Serial 4959  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Rizzo, F.; Augieri, A.; Kursumovic, A.; Bianchetti, M.; Opherden, L.; Sieger, M.; Huehne, R.; Haenisch, J.; Meledin, A.; Van Tendeloo, G.; MacManus-Driscoll, J.L.; Celentano, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Pushing the limits of applicability of REBCO coated conductor films through fine chemical tuning and nanoengineering of inclusions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 10 Issue 17 Pages 8187-8195  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract An outstanding current carrying performance (namely critical current density, J(c)) over a broad temperature range of 10-77 K for magnetic fields up to 12 T is reported for films of YBa2Cu3O7-x with Ba2Y(Nb,Ta)O-6 inclusion pinning centres (YBCO-BYNTO) and thicknesses in the range of 220-500 nm. J(c) values of 10 MA cm(-2) were measured at 30 K – 5 T and 10 K – 9 T with a corresponding maximum of the pinning force density at 10 K close to 1 TN m(-3). The system is very flexible regarding properties and microstructure tuning, and the growth window for achieving a particular microstructure is wide, which is very important for industrial processing. Hence, the dependence of J(c) on the magnetic field angle was readily controlled by fine tuning the pinning microstructure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis highlighted that higher growth rates induce more splayed and denser BYNTO nanocolumns with a matching field as high as 5.2 T. Correspondingly, a strong peak at the B||c-axis is noticed when the density of vortices is lower than the nanocolumn density. YBCO-BYNTO is a very robust and reproducible composite system for high-current coated conductors over an extended range of magnetic fields and temperatures.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000432261400037 Publication Date 2018-03-26  
  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 9 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes ; This work was partially financially supported by EUROTAPES, a collaborative project funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/ 2007-2013) under Grant Agreement No. 280432. This work has been partially carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under grant agreement no. 633053. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:151520 Serial 5038  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Barreca, D.; Gri, F.; Gasparotto, A.; Carraro, G.; Bigiani, L.; Altantzis, T.; Žener, B.; Lavrenčič Štangar, U.; Alessi, B.; Padmanaban, D.B.; Mariotti, D.; Maccato, C. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Multi-functional MnO2nanomaterials for photo-activated applications by a plasma-assisted fabrication route Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 98-108  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Supported MnO2-based nanomaterials were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates by plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) between 100 °C and 400 °C, starting from a fluorinated Mn(II) diamine diketonate precursor. Growth experiments yielded -MnO2 nanosystems with hierarchical morphology tuneable from dendritic structures to quasi-1D nanosystems as a function of growth temperature, whose variation enabled also a concomitant tailoring of the system fluorine content, and of the optical absorption and band gap. Preliminary photocatalytic tests were aimed at the investigation of photoinduced hydrophilic (PH) and solid phase photocatalytic (PC) performances of the present nanomaterials, as well as at the photodegradation of Plasmocorinth B azo-dye aqueous solutions. The obtained findings highlighted an attractive system photoactivity even under visible light, finely tailored by fluorine content, morphological organization and optical properties of the prepared nanostructures. The results indicate that the synthesized MnO2 nanosystems have potential applications as advanced smart materials for anti-fogging/self-cleaning end uses and water purification.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000454327500037 Publication Date 2018-10-10  
  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 7 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes Padova University DOR 2016–2017, P-DiSC #03BIRD2016-UNIPD projects, HERALD Cost Action MP1402 – 37831 and ACTION post-doc fellowship are acknowledged for financial support. T.A. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Thanks are also due to Prof. Sara Bals (EMAT, University of Antwerp, Belgium), Prof. Romana Cerc Korošec and to Dr. Lev Matoh (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), and to Prof. Elza Bontempi (Brescia University, Italy). The work was also supported by EPSRC (award EP/R008841/1, EP/M024938/1). Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:156388 Serial 5148  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Vanrompay, H.; Bladt, E.; Albrecht, W.; Béché, A.; Zakhozheva, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title 3D characterization of heat-induced morphological changes of Au nanostars by fast in situ electron tomography Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 22792-22801  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A thorough understanding of the thermal stability and potential reshaping of anisotropic gold nanostars is required for various potential applications. Combination of a tomographic heating holder with fast tilt series acquisition has been used to monitor temperature-induced morphological changes of Au nanostars. The outcome of our 3D investigations can be used as an input for boundary element method simulations, enabling us to investigate the influence of reshaping on the nanostars’ plasmonic properties. Our work leads to a better understanding of the mechanism behind thermal reshaping. In addition, the approach presented here is generic and can hence be applied to a wide variety of nanoparticles made of different materials and with arbitrary morphology.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000453248100010 Publication Date 2018-11-28  
  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 55 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes H.V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 1S32617N). E.B. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020. The authors acknowledge funding from European Commission Grant (EUSMI 731019 to S.B., L.M.L.-M. and M.Z. and MUMMERING 765604 to S.B. and M.Z.). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078- COLOURATOMS).; Ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:155718UA @ admin @ c:irua:155718 Serial 5071  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author Payne, L.M.; Albrecht, W.; Langbein, W.; Borri, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The optical nanosizer – quantitative size and shape analysis of individual nanoparticles by high-throughput widefield extinction microscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Nanoparticles are widely utilised for a range of applications, from catalysis to medicine, requiring accurate knowledge of their size and shape. Current techniques for particle characterisation are either not very accurate or time consuming and expensive. Here we demonstrate a rapid and quantitative method for particle analysis based on measuring the polarisation-resolved optical extinction cross-section of hundreds of individual nanoparticles using wide-field microscopy, and determining the particle size and shape from the optical properties. We show measurements on three samples consisting of nominally spherical gold nanoparticles of 20 nm and 30 nm diameter, and gold nanorods of 30 nm length and 10 nm diameter. Nanoparticle sizes and shapes in three dimensions are deduced from the measured optical cross-sections at different wavelengths and light polarisation, by solving the inverse problem, using an ellipsoid model of the particle polarisability in the dipole limit. The sensitivity of the method depends on the experimental noise and the choice of wavelengths. We show an uncertainty down to about 1 nm in mean diameter, and 10% in aspect ratio when using two or three color channels, for a noise of about 50 nm<sup>2</sup>in the measured cross-section. The results are in good agreement with transmission electron microscopy, both 2D projection and tomography, of the same sample batches. Owing to its combination of experimental simplicity, ease of access to statistics over many particles, accuracy, and geometrical particle characterisation in 3D, this “optical nanosizer” method has the potential to become the technique of choice for quality control in next-generation particle manufacturing.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000558928800022 Publication Date 2020-07-08  
  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 6.7 Times cited Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by a Welsh Government Life Sciences Bridging Fund (grant LSBF/R6-005) and by the UK EPSRC (grant no. EP/I005072/1 and EP/M028313/1). PB acknowledges the Royal Society for her Wolfson research merit award (grant WM140077). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission (Grant EUSMI E191000350). WA acknowledges an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) under the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (Grant 797153, SOPMEN), and Sara Bals for supporting the STEM measurements. The bright-field TEM was performed by Thomas Davies at Cardiff University. We acknowledge Attilio Zilli for helpful discussions and contributions in calculating the relative field strengths in the illumination and finite-element simulation of cross-sections shown in the ESI.† We acknowledge Iestyn Pope for technical support of the optical equipment. Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2020 IF: 7.367  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @c:irua:170485 Serial 6397  
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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 (up) 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 Most recent IF: 4.7; 2020 IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:170773 Serial 6600  
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Author Liu, P.; Arslan Irmak, E.; De Backer, A.; De wael, A.; Lobato, I.; Béché, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Three-dimensional atomic structure of supported Au nanoparticles at high temperature Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 13 Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Au nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on CeO2 are extensively used as thermal catalysts since the morphology of the NPs is expected to be stable at elevated temperatures. Although it is well known that the activity of Au NPs depends on their size and surface structure, their three-dimensional (3D) structure at the atomic scale has not been completely characterized as a function of temperature. In this paper, we overcome the limitations of conventional electron tomography by combining atom counting applied to aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy images and molecular dynamics relaxation. In this manner, we are able to perform an atomic resolution 3D investigation of supported Au NPs. Our results enable us to characterize the 3D equilibrium structure of single NPs as a function of temperature. Moreover, the dynamic 3D structural evolution of the NPs at high temperatures, including surface layer jumping and crystalline transformations, has been studied.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000612999200029 Publication Date 2020-12-29  
  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 13 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 815128 REALNANO to SB, Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to SVA, Grant 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A. D. w. and A. D. B. and project funding G.0267.18N.; sygma; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:174858 Serial 6665  
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Author Geerts, L.; Geerts-Claes, H.; Skorikov, A.; Vermeersch, J.; Vanbutsele, G.; Galvita, V.; Constales, D.; Chandran, C.V.; Radhakrishnan, S.; Seo, J.W.; Breynaert, E.; Bals, S.; Sree, S.P.; Martens, J.A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Spherical core–shell alumina support particles for model platinum catalysts Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 13 Issue 7 Pages 4221-4232  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract γ- and δ-alumina are popular catalyst support materials. Using a hydrothermal synthesis method starting from aluminum nitrate and urea in diluted solution, spherical core–shell particles with a uniform particle size of about 1 μm were synthesized. Upon calcination at 1000 °C, the particles adopted a core–shell structure with a γ-alumina core and δ-alumina shell as evidenced by 2D and 3D electron microscopy and<sup>27</sup>Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The spherical alumina particles were loaded with Pt nanoparticles with an average size below 1 nm using the strong electrostatic adsorption method. Electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed a homogeneous platinum dispersion over the alumina surface. These platinum loaded alumina spheres were used as a model catalyst for bifunctional catalysis. Physical mixtures of Pt/alumina spheres and spherical zeolite particles are equivalent to catalysts with platinum deposited on the zeolite itself facilitating the investigation of the catalyst components individually. The spherical alumina particles are very convenient supports for obtaining a homogeneous distribution of highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles. Obtaining such a small Pt particle size is challenging on other support materials such as zeolites. The here reported and well-characterized Pt/alumina spheres can be combined with any zeolite and used as a bifunctional model catalyst. This is an interesting strategy for the examination of the acid catalytic function without the interference of the supported platinum metal on the investigated acid material.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000621767000026 Publication Date 2021-01-21  
  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 3 Open Access (up) OpenAccess  
  Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G0A5417N G038116N ; Vlaamse regering, Methusalem ; Hercules Foundation, AKUL/13/19 ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:176021 Serial 6679  
Permanent link to this record
 
 
Author 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 (up) 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  
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