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Author Heyvaert, W.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Kadu, A.; Claes, N.; González-Rubio, G.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Albrecht, W.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Quantification of the Helical Morphology of Chiral Gold Nanorods Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS materials letters Abbreviated Journal ACS Materials Lett.  
  Volume 4 Issue Pages 642-649  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Chirality in inorganic nanoparticles and nanostructures has gained increasing scientific interest, because of the possibility to tune their ability to interact differently with left- and right-handed circularly polarized light. In some cases, the optical activity is hypothesized to originate from a chiral morphology of the nanomaterial. However, quantifying the degree of chirality in objects with sizes of tens of nanometers is far from straightforward. Electron tomography offers the possibility to faithfully retrieve the three-dimensional morphology of nanomaterials, but only a qualitative interpretation of the morphology of chiral nanoparticles has been possible so far. We introduce herein a methodology that enables us to quantify the helicity of complex chiral nanomaterials, based on the geometrical properties of a helix. We demonstrate that an analysis at the single particle level can provide significant insights into the origin of chiroptical properties.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000784490000013 Publication Date 2022-03-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2639-4979 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes S.B. and A.P.-T. gratefully acknowledge funding by the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128-REALNANO) the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement #823717ESTEEM3. L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033, grant # PID2020- 117779RB-I00 and the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. MDM-2017-0720). G.G.-R. thanks the Spanish Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación for an FPI (BES-2014- 068972) fellowship.; SygmaSB; esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:186959 Serial 6956  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Li, W.; Tong, W.; Yadav, A.; Bladt, E.; Bals, S.; Funston, A.M.; Etheridge, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Shape control beyond the seeds in gold nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Chemistry Of Materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater  
  Volume 33 Issue 23 Pages 9152-9164  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In typical seed-mediated syntheses of metal nanocrystals, the shape of the nanocrystal is determined largely by the seed nucleation environment and subsequent growth environment (where “environment” refers to the chemical environment, including the surfactant and additives). In this approach, crystallinity is typically determined by the seeds, and surfaces are controlled by the environment(s). However, surface energies, and crystallinity, are both influenced by the choice of environment(s). This limits the permutations of crystallinity and surface facets that can be mixed and matched to generate new nanocrystal morphologies. Here, we control post-seed growth to deliberately incorporate twin planes during the growth stage to deliver new final morphologies, including twinned cubes and bipyramids from single-crystal seeds. The nature and number of twin planes, together with surfactant control of facet growth, define the final nanoparticle morphology. Moreover, by breaking symmetry, the twin planes introduce new facet orientations. This additional mechanism opens new routes for the synthesis of different morphologies and facet orientations.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000753956100012 Publication Date 0000-00-00  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes This work was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Grants DP160104679 and CE170100026 and used microscopes at the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy funded by ARC Grants LE0454166, LE110100223, and LE140100104. W.L. thanks the support of the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship. W.T. thanks the Australian Department of Education and Monash University for the IPRS and APA scholarships. E.B. acknowledges financial support and a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). The authors thank Dr. Matthew Weyland and Dr. Tim Peterson for helpful discussions. A.Y. thanks the support from Post Graduation Publication Award (PPA) scholarship from Monash University. Approved Most recent IF: 9.466  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:187229 Serial 7065  
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Author Savina, A.A.; Saiutina, V.V.; Morozov, A.V.; Boev, A.O.; Aksyonov, D.A.; Dejoie, C.; Batuk, M.; Bals, S.; Hadermann, J.; Abakumov, A.M. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Chemistry, local molybdenum clustering, and electrochemistry in the Li2+xMo1-xO3 solid solutions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Inorganic chemistry Abbreviated Journal Inorg Chem  
  Volume 61 Issue 14 Pages 5637-5652  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract A broad range of cationic nonstoichiometry has been demonstratedfor the Li-rich layered rock-salt-type oxide Li2MoO3, which has generally been considered as a phase with a well-defined chemical composition. Li2+xMo1-xO3(-0.037 <= x <= 0.124) solid solutions were synthesized via hydrogen reduction ofLi2MoO4in the temperature range of 650-1100 degrees C, withxdecreasing with theincrease of the reduction temperature. The solid solutions adopt a monoclinicallydistorted O3-type layered average structure and demonstrate a robust localordering of the Li cations and Mo3triangular clusters within the mixed Li/Mocationic layers. The local structure was scrutinized in detail by electron diffractionand aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microcopy (STEM),resulting in an ordering model comprising a uniform distribution of the Mo3clusters compatible with local electroneutrality and chemical composition. The geometry of the triangular clusters with their oxygenenvironment (Mo3O13groups) has been directly visualized using differential phase contrast STEM imaging. The established localstructure was used as input for density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations; they support the proposed atomic arrangementand provide a plausible explanation for the staircase galvanostatic charge profiles upon electrochemical Li+extraction fromLi2+xMo1-xO3in Li cells. According to DFT, all electrochemical capacity in Li2+xMo1-xO3solely originates from the cationic Moredox process, which proceeds via oxidation of the Mo3triangular clusters into bent Mo3chains where the electronic capacity of the clusters depends on the initial chemical composition and Mo oxidation state defining the width of the first charge low-voltageplateau. Further oxidation at the high-voltage plateau proceeds through decomposition of the Mo3chains into Mo2dimers and further into individual Mo6+cations  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000789034200023 Publication Date 2022-04-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0020-1669 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.6 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes The authors acknowledge Russian Science Foundation (grant 20-43-01012) and Research Foundation Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen, project number G0F1320N) for financial support. The authors are grateful to AICF of Skoltech for providing access to electron microscopy equipment. The authors are grateful to Prof. G. Van Tendeloo for discussing the results. Approved Most recent IF: 4.6  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188631 Serial 7079  
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Author Otero-Martinez, C.; Imran, M.; Schrenker, N.J.; Ye, J.; Ji, K.; Rao, A.; Stranks, S.D.; Hoye, R.L.Z.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Perez-Juste, J.; Polavarapu, L. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Fast A-site cation cross-exchange at room temperature : single-to double- and triple-cation halide perovskite nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Angewandte Chemie: international edition in English Abbreviated Journal Angew Chem Int Edit  
  Volume 61 Issue 34 Pages e202205617-11  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We report here fast A-site cation cross-exchange between APbX(3) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) made of different A-cations (Cs (cesium), FA (formamidinium), and MA (methylammonium)) at room temperature. Surprisingly, the A-cation cross-exchange proceeds as fast as the halide (X=Cl, Br, or I) exchange with the help of free A-oleate complexes present in the freshly prepared colloidal perovskite NC solutions. This enabled the preparation of double (MACs, MAFA, CsFA)- and triple (MACsFA)-cation perovskite NCs with an optical band gap that is finely tunable by their A-site composition. The optical spectroscopy together with structural analysis using XRD and atomically resolved high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and integrated differential phase contrast (iDPC) STEM indicates the homogeneous distribution of different cations in the mixed perovskite NC lattice. Unlike halide ions, the A-cations do not phase-segregate under light illumination.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000823857300001 Publication Date 2022-06-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1433-7851; 0570-0833 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 16.6 Times cited 28 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes L.P. acknowledges the support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion through Ramon y Cajal grant (RYC2018-026103-I) and the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. PID2020-117371RA-I00), the grant from the Xunta de Galicia (ED431F2021/05). N.J.S. acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders via a postdoctoral fellowship (FWO Grant No. 1238622N). S.B. thanks the financial support of the European Research Council (ERC-CoG-2019815128) and of the European Commission (EUSMI, Grant 731019). R.L.Z.H. thanks the Royal Academy of Engineering through the Research Fellowships scheme (No.: RF\201718\1701). S.D.S. and K.J. acknowledge the Royal Society for funding. S.D.S. acknowledges the Royal Society and Tata Group (UF150033). The work has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (HYPERION -grant agreement no. 756962). The authors acknowledge the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for funding (EP/R023980/1). M.I. and L.M. acknowledge financial support from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) through the Flag-Era JTC2019 project “Solution-Processed Perovskite/Graphene Nanocomposites for Self-Powered Gas Sensors” (PeroGaS). The authors acknowledge the Universidade de Vigo/CISUG for open access funding. Approved Most recent IF: 16.6  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189675 Serial 7083  
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Author Martin, É.; Gossuin, Y.; Bals, S.; Kavak, S.; Vuong, Q.L. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Monte Carlo simulations of the magnetic behaviour of iron oxide nanoparticle ensembles: taking size dispersion, particle anisotropy, and dipolar interactions into account Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication European physical journal : B : condensed matter and complex systems Abbreviated Journal Eur Phys J B  
  Volume 95 Issue 12 Pages 201  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract In this work, the magnetic properties of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) submitted to an external magnetic field are studied using a Metropolis algorithm. The influence on the M(B) curves of the size distribution of the nanoparticles, of uniaxial anisotropy, and of dipolar interaction between the cores are examined, as well as the influence of drying the samples under a zero or non-zero magnetic field. It is shown that the anisotropy impacts the shape of the magnetization curves, which then deviate from a pure Langevin behaviour, whereas the dipolar interaction has no influence on the curves at 300 K for small particles (with a radius of 3 nm). The fitting of the magnetization curves of particles with magnetic anisotropy to a Langevin model (including a size distribution of the particles) can then lead to erroneous values of the distribution parameters. The simulation results are qualitatively compared to experimental results obtained for iron oxide nanoparticles (with a 3.21 nm median radius).  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000901937400001 Publication Date 2022-12-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1434-6028 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 1.6 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors would like to thank Sophie Laurent from the University of Mons for the access to the Dynamic Light Scattering equipment. Computational resources have been provided by the Consortium des Equipements de Calcul Intensif (C ´ ECI), funded by the ´ Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique de Belgique (F.R.S.- FNRS) under Grant No. 2.5020.11 and by the Walloon Region. Approved Most recent IF: 1.6  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:192706 Serial 7232  
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Author De Backer, A.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title A decade of atom-counting in STEM: From the first results toward reliable 3D atomic models from a single projection Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 113702  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Quantitative structure determination is needed in order to study and understand nanomaterials at the atomic scale. Materials characterisation resulting in precise structural information is a crucial point to understand the structure–property relation of materials. Counting the number of atoms and retrieving the 3D atomic structure of nanoparticles plays an important role here. In this paper, an overview will be given of the atom-counting methodology and its applications over the past decade. The procedure to count the number of atoms will be discussed in detail and it will be shown how the performance of the method can be further improved. Furthermore, advances toward mixed element nanostructures, 3D atomic modelling based on the atom-counting results, and quantifying the nanoparticle dynamics will be highlighted.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000953765800001 Publication Date 2023-02-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.2 Times cited 3 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S. Van Aert, Grant 815128 REALNANO to S. Bals, and Grant 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0267.18N, G.0502.18N, G.0346.21N, and EOS 30489208) and a postdoctoral grant to A. De Backer. S. Van Aert acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF) . The authors also thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including T. Altantzis, E. Arslan Irmak, K.J. Batenburg, E. Bladt, A. De wael, R. Erni, C. Faes, B. Goris, L. Jones, L.M. Liz-Marzán, I. Lobato, G.T. Martinez, P.D. Nellist, M.D. Rosell, A. Rosenauer, K.H.W. van den Bos, A. Varambhia, and Z. Zhang.; esteem3reported; esteem3JRA Approved Most recent IF: 2.2; 2023 IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195896 Serial 7236  
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Author van der Sluijs, M.M.; Salzmann, B.B.V.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Li, C.; Jannis, D.; Brafine, L.C.; Laning, T.D.; Reinders, J.W.C.; Hijmans, N.S.A.; Moes, J.R.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S.; Vanmaekelbergh, D. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Study of the Mechanism and Increasing Crystallinity in the Self-Templated Growth of Ultrathin PbS Nanosheets Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Colloidal 2D semiconductor nanocrystals, the analogue of solid-state quantum wells, have attracted strong interest in material science and physics. Molar quantities of suspended quantum objects with spectrally pure absorption and emission can be synthesized. For the visible region, CdSe nanoplatelets with atomically precise thickness and tailorable emission have been (almost) perfected. For the near-infrared region, PbS nanosheets (NSs) hold strong promise, but the photoluminescence quantum yield is low and many questions on the crystallinity, atomic structure, intriguing rectangular shape, and formation mechanism remain to be answered. Here, we report on a detailed investigation of the PbS NSs prepared with a lead thiocyanate single source precursor. Atomically resolved HAADF-STEM imaging reveals the presence of defects and small cubic domains in the deformed orthorhombic PbS crystal lattice. Moreover, variations in thickness are observed in the NSs, but only in steps of 2 PbS monolayers. To study the reaction mechanism, a synthesis at a lower temperature allowed for the study of reaction intermediates. Specifically, we studied the evolution of pseudo-crystalline templates towards mature, crystalline PbS NSs. We propose a self-induced templating mechanism based on an oleylamine-lead-thiocyanate (OLAM-Pb-SCN) complex with two Pb-SCN units as a building block; the interactions between the long-chain ligands regulate the crystal structure and possibly the lateral dimensions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000959572100001 Publication Date 2023-03-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.6 Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes H2020 Research Infrastructures, 731019 ; H2020 European Research Council, 692691 815128 ; Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 715.016.002 ; Approved Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195894 Serial 7255  
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Author de la Encarnación, C.; Jungwirth, F.; Vila-Liarte, D.; Renero-Lecuna, C.; Kavak, S.; Orue, I.; Wilhelm, C.; Bals, S.; Henriksen-Lacey, M.; Jimenez de Aberasturi, D.; Liz-Marzán, L.M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Hybrid core–shell nanoparticles for cell-specific magnetic separation and photothermal heating Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Journal of materials chemistry B : materials for biology and medicine Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Hyperthermia, as the process of heating a malignant site above 42 °C to trigger cell death, has emerged as an effective and selective cancer therapy strategy. Various modalities of hyperthermia have been proposed, among which magnetic and photothermal hyperthermia are known to benefit from the use of nanomaterials. In this context, we introduce herein a hybrid colloidal nanostructure comprising plasmonic gold nanorods (AuNRs) covered by a silica shell, onto which iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are subsequently grown. The resulting hybrid nanostructures are responsive to both external magnetic fields and near-infrared irradiation. As a result, they can be applied for the targeted magnetic separation of selected cell populations – upon targeting by antibody functionalization – as well as for photothermal heating. Through this combined functionality, the therapeutic effect of photothermal heating can be enhanced. We demonstrate both the fabrication of the hybrid system and its application for targeted photothermal hyperthermia of human glioblastoma cells.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000968908400001 Publication Date 2023-04-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2050-750X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, PID2019-108854RA-I00 ; H2020 European Research Council, ERC AdG 787510, 4DBIOSERS ERC CoG 815128, REALNANO ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, PhD research grant 1181122N ; Approved Most recent IF: 7; 2023 IF: 4.543  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195879 Serial 7261  
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Author Skorikov, A.; Batenburg, K.J.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Analysis of 3D elemental distribution in nanomaterials : towards higher throughput and dose efficiency Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Journal of microscopy Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 289 Issue 3 Pages 157-163  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Many advanced nanomaterials rely on carefully designed morphology and elemental distribution to achieve their functionalities. Among the few experimental techniques that can directly visualise the 3D elemental distribution on the nanoscale are approaches based on electron tomography in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Unfortunately, these highly informative methods are severely limited by the fundamentally low signal-to-noise ratio, which makes long experimental times and high electron irradiation doses necessary to obtain reliable 3D reconstructions. Addressing these limitations has been the major research question for the development of these techniques in recent years. This short review outlines the latest progress on the methods to reduce experimental time and electron irradiation dose requirements for 3D elemental distribution analysis and gives an outlook on the development of this field in the near future.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000910532600001 Publication Date 2022-12-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-2720 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2 Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ERC Consolidator Grant, Grant/Award Number: 815128 Approved Most recent IF: 2; 2023 IF: 1.692  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:193428 Serial 7281  
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Author Jain, N.; Hao, Y.; Parekh, U.; Kaltenegger, M.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Lazzaroni, R.; Resel, R.; Geerts, Y.H.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Exploring the effects of graphene and temperature in reducing electron beam damage: A TEM and electron diffraction-based quantitative study on Lead Phthalocyanine (PbPc) crystals Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Micron Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 169 Issue Pages 103444  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of organic crystals, such as Lead Phthalocyanine (PbPc), is very challenging since these materials are prone to electron beam damage leading to the breakdown of the crystal structure during investigation. Quantification of the damage is imperative to enable high-resolution imaging of PbPc crystals with minimum structural changes. In this work, we performed a detailed electron diffraction study to quantitatively measure degradation of PbPc crystals upon electron beam irradiation. Our study is based on the quantification of the fading intensity of the spots in the electron diffraction patterns. At various incident dose rates (e/Å2/s) and acceleration voltages, we experimentally extracted the decay rate (1/s), which directly correlates with the rate of beam damage. In this manner, a value for the critical dose (e/Å2) could be determined, which can be used as a measure to quantify beam damage. Using the same methodology, we explored the influence of cryogenic temperatures, graphene TEM substrates, and graphene encapsulation in prolonging the lifetime of the PbPc crystal structure during TEM investigation. The knowledge obtained by diffraction experiments is then translated to real space high-resolution TEM imaging of PbPc.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000965998800001 Publication Date 2023-03-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0968-4328 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.4 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work is supported by FWO and FNRS within the 2Dto3D network of the EOS (Excellence of Science) program (grant number 30489208) and ERC-CoGREALNANO-815128 (to Prof. Dr. Sara Bals). N.J. would like to thank Dr. Kunal S. Mali and Dr. Da Wang for useful and interesting discussions on sample preparation procedures. Approved Most recent IF: 2.4; 2023 IF: 1.98  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:196069 Serial 7379  
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Author Vlasov, E.; Skorikov, A.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Secondary electron induced current in scanning transmission electron microscopy: an alternative way to visualize the morphology of nanoparticles Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication ACS materials letters Abbreviated Journal ACS Materials Lett.  
  Volume Issue Pages 1916-1921  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Electron tomography (ET) is a powerful tool to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanomaterials in a transmission electron microscope. However, the acquisition of a conventional tilt series for ET is a time-consuming process and can therefore not provide 3D structural information in a time-efficient manner. Here, we propose surface-sensitive secondary electron (SE) imaging as an alternative to ET for the investigation of the morphology of nanomaterials. We use the SE electron beam induced current (SEEBIC) technique that maps the electrical current arising from holes generated by the emission of SEs from the sample. SEEBIC imaging can provide valuable information on the sample morphology with high spatial resolution and significantly shorter throughput times compared with ET. In addition, we discuss the contrast formation mechanisms that aid in the interpretation of SEEBIC data.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001006191600001 Publication Date 2023-06-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2639-4979 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The funding for this project was provided by European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 815128, REALNANO). J.V. acknowledges the eBEAM project, which is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101017720 (FET-Proactive EBEAM). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (grant # PID2020-117779RB-I00). Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197004 Serial 8795  
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Author Carrasco, S.; Orcajo, G.; Martínez, F.; Imaz, I.; Kavak, S.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Maspoch, D.; Bals, S.; Calleja, G.; Horcajada, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Hf/porphyrin-based metal-organic framework PCN-224 for CO2 cycloaddition with epoxides Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Materials Today Advances Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 19 Issue Pages 100390  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Herein, we describe for the first time the synthesis of the highly porous Hf-tetracarboxylate porphyrin-based metal-organic framework (MOF) (Hf)PCN-224(M) (M = H2, Co2+). (Hf)PCN-224(H2) was easily and efficiently prepared following a simple microwave-assisted procedure with good yields (56–67%; space-time yields: 1100–1270 kg m−3·day−1), high crystallinity and phase purity by using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and benzoic acid as modulators in less than 30 min. By simply introducing a preliminary step (10 min), 5,10,15,20-(tetra-4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin linker (TCPP) was quantitatively metalated with Co2+ without additional purification and/or time consuming protection/deprotection steps to further obtain (Hf)PCN-224(Co). (Hf)PCN-224(Co) was then tested as catalyst in CO2 cycloaddition reaction with different epoxides to yield cyclic carbonates, showing the best catalytic performance described to date compared to other PCNs, under mild conditions (1 bar CO2, room temperature, 18–24 h). Twelve epoxides were tested, obtaining from moderate to excellent conversions (35–96%). Moreover, this reaction was gram scaled-up (x50) without significant loss of yield to cyclic carbonates. (Hf)PCN-224(Co) maintained its integrity and crystallinity even after 8 consecutive runs, and poisoning was efficiently reverted by a simple thermal treatment (175 °C, 6 h), fully recovering the initial catalytic activity.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001025764000001 Publication Date 2023-06-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2590-0498 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 10 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes S.C. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA-COFUND) grant agreement No 754382 (GOT Energy Talent). S.C. and P.H. acknowledge “Comunidad de Madrid” and European Regional Development Fund-FEDER 2014-2020-OE REACT-UE 1 for their financial support to VIRMOF-CM project associated to R&D projects in response to COVID-19. The authors acknowledge H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 HeatNMof (ref. 860942), the M-ERA-NET C-MOF-cell (grant PCI2020-111998 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR) project, and Retos Investigación MOFSEIDON (grant PID2019-104228RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) project. This work has been also supported by the Regional Government of Madrid (Project ACES2030-CM, S2018/EMT-4319) and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos IMPULSO Project (grant MATER M − 3000). S.K acknowledges the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a PhD research grant (1181122 N). Approved Most recent IF: 10; 2023 IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197198 Serial 8800  
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Author Sa, J.; Hu, N.; Heyvaert, W.; Van Gordon, K.; Li, H.; Wang, L.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Ni, W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Spontaneous Chirality Evolved at the Au–Ag Interface in Plasmonic Nanorods Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem. Mater.  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Chiral ligands are considered a required ingredient during the synthesis of dissymmetric plasmonic metal nanocrystals. The mechanism behind the generation of chiral structures involves the formation of high Miller index chiral facets, induced by the adsorption of such chiral ligands. We found however that, chirality can also evolve spontaneously, without the involvement of any chiral ligands, during the co-deposition of Au and Ag on Au nanorods. When using a specific Au/Ag ratio, phase segregation of the two metals leads to an interface within the obtained AuAg shell, which can be exposed by removing the Ag component via oxidative etching. Although a close-to-racemic mixture of chiral Au nanorods with right and left handedness is found in solution, electron tomography analysis evidences left- and righthanded helicities, both at the Au-Ag interface and at the exposed surface of Au NRs after Ag etching. The helicity profile of the NRs indicates dominating inclination angles in a range from 30° to 60°. Single-particle optical characterization also reveals random handedness in the plasmonic response of individual nanorods. We hypothesize that, the origin of chirality is related with symmetry breaking during the co-deposition of Au and Ag, through an initial perturbation in a small region on the Au-Ag interface that eventually leads to chiral segregation throughout the nanocrystal.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001052093300001 Publication Date 2023-08-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 8.6 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 22.02.2024  
  Notes The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 22074102). LMLM acknowledges funding from 26 MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” (Grant PID2020- 117779RB-I00). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3.; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n, PID2020-117779RB-I00 ; H2020 Research Infrastructures, 823717 ; European Social Fund, PID2020-117779RB-I00 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 22074102 ; Approved Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:198151 Serial 8810  
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Author Panzic, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangalam, J.; Rath, T.; Radovanovic-Peric, F.; Gaboardi, M.; De Coen, B.; Bals, S.; Schrenker, N. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title In-situ structural degradation study of quadruple-cation perovskite solar cells with nanostructured charge transfer layer Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Ceramics international Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 49 Issue 14b Pages 24475-24486  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We investigated the structural stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in n-i-p configuration comprising a rubidium-caesium-methylammonium-formamidinium (Rb-Cs-MA-FA) lead iodide/bromide perovskite absorber, interfaced with nanostructured ZnO-nanorod (NR) or mesostructured (MS) TiO2 electron transfer layers (ETL). An in-situ setup was established comprising synchrotron grazing incidence diffraction (GID) and Raman spectroscopy as a function of temperature under ambient and isothermal conditions; measurements of current-voltage (IV) characteristics and electron microscopic investigations were conducted discretely.The aging of the solar cells was performed at ambient conditions or at elevated temperatures directly in the in -situ measurement setup. The diffraction depth profiling results point to different degradation rates for different ETLs; moreover, electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, as well as energy dispersive spectroscopy clarified surface conditions in terms of the extent of the degradation. Scanning transmission electron microscopy of lamellas, derived by dual beam microscopy, revealed that the origin of the degradation lay in the ETL/ absorber interface. For the case of the nanostructured zincite, the perovskite absorber contained many voids, leading to the conclusion that the investigated quadruple perovskite absorber showed limited compatibility with ZnO NR ETL due to a higher number of defects. Morphological defects promoted the absorber degradation and nullified the advantages initially achieved by nanostructuring. The exchange of the ZnO NR ETL with MS TiO2 improved the stability parameters of the absorber layer.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001021057200001 Publication Date 2022-12-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0272-8842; 1873-3956 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 5.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work has been funded by the projects PZS-2019-02-1555 PV-WALL in Research Cooperability Program of the Croatian Science Foundation funded by the European Union from the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources 2014-2020 (perovskite solar cells) , UIP-2019-04-2367 SLIPPERY SLOPE of the Croatian Science Foundation (nanostructured titania and zincite constituents) , KK.01.2.1.02.0316 “ The development of the technical solution for energy saving using VIS -transparent or semi-transparent and IR-reflective thin-films” by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (characterisation of thin-films) , 20190571 and 20190516 at Elettra Synchrotron, ICM-2019-13220 in Ernst Mach program of the OeAD-GmbH, and E210900588 in the EUSMI program. The group of prof Gregor Trimmel of the ICTM, NAWI Graz, the beam- line scientists of the MCX beamline of the Elettra synchrotron, and FIB- STEM researchers of the Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, are gratefully acknowledged for collaboration and instrument access. The financial sustenance of the University of Zagreb is gratefully acknowledged. Approved Most recent IF: 5.2; 2023 IF: 2.986  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197806 Serial 8885  
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Author Mulder, J.T.T.; Jenkinson, K.; Toso, S.; Prato, M.; Evers, W.H.H.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Houtepen, A.J.J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Nucleation and growth of bipyramidal Yb:LiYF₄ nanocrystals : growing up in a hot environment Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 35 Issue 14 Pages 5311-5321  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Lanthanide-doped LiYF4 (Ln:YLF) is commonlyused fora broad variety of optical applications, such as lasing, photon upconversionand optical refrigeration. When synthesized as nanocrystals (NCs),this material is also of interest for biological applications andfundamental physical studies. Until now, it was unclear how Ln:YLFNCs grow from their ionic precursors into tetragonal NCs with a well-defined,bipyramidal shape and uniform dopant distribution. Here, we studythe nucleation and growth of ytterbium-doped LiYF4 (Yb:YLF),as a template for general Ln:YLF NC syntheses. We show that the formationof bipyramidal Yb:YLF NCs is a multistep process starting with theformation of amorphous Yb:YLF spheres. Over time, these spheres growvia Ostwald ripening and crystallize, resulting in bipyramidal Yb:YLFNCs. We further show that prolonged heating of the NCs results inthe degradation of the NCs, observed by the presence of large LiFcubes and small, irregular Yb:YLF NCs. Due to the similarity in chemicalnature of all lanthanide ions our work sheds light on the formationstages of Ln:YLF NCs in general.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001021474500001 Publication Date 2023-07-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 8.6 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 766900 (Testing the large-scale limit of quantum mechanics). The authors thank Niranjan Saikumar for proof reading the manuscript. Approved Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197787 Serial 8907  
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Author Filez, M.; Feng, J.-Y.; Minjauw, M.M.; Solano, E.; Poonkottil, N.; Van Daele, M.; Ramachandran, R.K.; Li, C.; Bals, S.; Poelman, H.; Detavernier, C.; Dendooven, J.; Filez, M.; Minjauw, M.; Solano, E.; Poonkottil, N.; Li, C.; Bals, S.; Dendooven, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Shuffling atomic layer deposition gas sequences to modulate bimetallic thin films and nanoparticle properties Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) typically employs metal precursors and co-reactant pulses to deposit thin films in a layer-by-layer fashion. While conventional ABAB-type ALD sequences implement only two functionalities, namely, a metal source and ligand exchange agent, additional functionalities have emerged, including etching and reduction agents. Herein, we construct gas-phase sequences-coined as ALD+-with complex-ities reaching beyond the classic ABAB-type ALD by freely combining multiple functionalities within irregular pulse schemes, e.g., ABCADC. The possibilities of such combinations are explored as a smart strategy to tailor bimetallic thin films and nanoparticle (NP) properties. By doing so, we demonstrate that bimetallic thin films can be tailored with target thickness and through the full compositional range, while the morphology can be flexibly modulated from thin films to NPs by shuI 1ing the pulse sequence. These complex pulse schemes are expected to be broadly applicable but are here explored for Pd-Ru bimetallic thin films and NPs.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000823205700001 Publication Date 2022-06-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This research was funded by the Research Foundation, Flanders (FWO) , and the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA 01G01019) . M.F. and M.M.M. acknowledge the FWO for a postdoctoral research fellowship (1280621N) . N.P. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skiodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 765378. For the GISAXS measurements, the author s received funding from the European Community's Transnational Access Program CALIPSOplus. E.S. acknowledges the Spanish project RTI2018-093996-B-C32 MICINN/FEDER funds. Air Liquide is acknowledged for supporting this research. The authors acknowledge SOLEIL for the provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and would like to thank Dr. Alessandro Coati for assistance in using beamline SiXS. The GIWAXS experiments were performed at NCD-SWEET beamline at ALBA Synchrotron with the collaboration of ALBA staff . Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189541 Serial 8928  
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Author Mosquera, J.; Wang, D.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzan, L.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Surfactant layers on gold nanorods Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Accounts of chemical research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 56 Issue 10 Pages 1204-1212  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Gold nanorods (Au NRs) are an exceptionally promising tool in nanotechnology due to three key factors: (i) their strong interaction with electromagnetic radiation, stemming from their plasmonic nature, (ii) the ease with which the resonance frequency of their longitudinal plasmon mode can be tuned from the visible to the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spect r u m based on their aspect ratio, and (iii) their simple and cost-effective preparation through seed-mediated chemical growth. In this synthetic method, surfactants play a critical role in controlling the size, shape, and colloidal stabi l i t y of Au NRs. For example, surfactants can stabilize specific crystallographic facets during the formation of Au NRs, leading to t h e formation of NRs with specific morphologies. The process of surfactant adsorption onto the NR surface may result in various assemblies of surfactant molecules, such as spherical micelles, elongated micelles, or bilayers. Again, the assembly mode is critical toward determining the further availabi l i t y of the Au NR surface to the surrounding medium. Despite its importance and a great deal of research effort, the interaction between Au NPs and surfactants remains insufficiently understood, because the assembly process is influenced by numerous factors, including the chemical nature of the surfactant, the surface morphology of Au NPs, and solution parameters. Therefore, gaining a more comprehensive understanding of these interactions is essential to unlock the full potential of the seed-mediated growth method and the applications of plasmonic NPs. A plethora of characterization techniques have been applied to reach such an understanding , but many open questions remain. In this Account, we review the current knowledge on the interactions between surfactants and Au NRs. We briefly introduce the state-of-the-art methods for synthesizing Au NRs and highlight the crucial role of cationic surfactants during this process. The self-assembly and organization of surfactants on the Au NR surface is then discussed to better understand their role in seed-mediated growth. Subsequently, we provide examples and elucidate how chemical additives can be used to modulate micellar assemblies, in turn allowing for a finer control over the growth of Au NRs, including chiral NRs. Next, we review the main experimental characterization and computational modeling techniques that have been applied to shed light on the arrangement of surfactants on Au NRs and summarize the advantages and disadvantages for each technique. The Account ends with a “Conclusions and Outlook” section, outlining promising future research directions and developments that we consider are sti l l required, mostly related to the application of electron microscopy in liquid and in 3D. Finally, we remark on the potential of exploiting machine learning techniques to predict synthetic routes for NPs with predefined structures and properties.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000986447000001 Publication Date 2023-05-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0001-4842 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 18.3 Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support by the European Research Council (ERC CoG No. 815128 REALNANO to S.B.; ERC AdG No. 787510, 4DbioSERS to L.M.L.-M.) , from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” (Grant PID2020-117779RB-I00 to L.M.L.-M. and Grants RYC2019-027842-I , PID2020-117885GA-I00 to J.M.) , and by Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology (No. 2017B030301007) , National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics (No. 2016B01018) , MOE Interna-tional Laboratory for Optical Information Technologies, and the 111 projects. Approved Most recent IF: 18.3; 2023 IF: 20.268  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:196768 Serial 8940  
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Author Manzaneda-Gonzalez, V.; Jenkinson, K.; Pena-Rodriguez, O.; Borrell-Grueiro, O.; Trivino-Sanchez, S.; Banares, L.; Junquera, E.; Espinosa, A.; Gonzalez-Rubio, G.; Bals, S.; Guerrero-Martinez, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title From multi- to single-hollow trimetallic nanocrystals by ultrafast heating Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 35 Issue 22 Pages 9603-9612  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Metal nanocrystals (NCs) display unique physicochemical features that are highly dependent on nanoparticle dimensions, anisotropy, structure, and composition. The development of synthesis methodologies that allow us to tune such parameters finely emerges as crucial for the application of metal NCs in catalysis, optical materials, or biomedicine. Here, we describe a synthetic methodology to fabricate hollow multimetallic heterostructures using a combination of seed-mediated growth routes and femtosecond-pulsed laser irradiation. The envisaged methodology relies on the coreduction of Ag and Pd ions on gold nanorods (Au NRs) to form Au@PdAg core-shell nanostructures containing small cavities at the Au-PdAg interface. The excitation of Au@PdAg NRs with low fluence femtosecond pulses was employed to induce the coalescence and growth of large cavities, forming multihollow anisotropic Au@PdAg nanostructures. Moreover, single-hollow alloy AuPdAg could be achieved in high yield by increasing the irradiation energy. Advanced electron microscopy techniques, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) tomography, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, and finite differences in the time domain (FDTD) simulations allowed us to characterize the morphology, structure, and elemental distribution of the irradiated NCs in detail. The ability of the reported synthesis route to fabricate multimetallic NCs with unprecedented hollow nanostructures offers attractive prospects for the fabrication of tailored high-entropy alloy nanoparticles.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001110623500001 Publication Date 2023-11-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 2 Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202144 Serial 9040  
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Author Hugenschmidt, M.; Jannis, D.; Kadu, A.A.; Grünewald, L.; De Marchi, S.; Perez-Juste, J.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Low-dose 4D-STEM tomography for beam-sensitive nanocomposites Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ACS materials letters Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 6 Issue 1 Pages 165-173  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Electron tomography is essential for investigating the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanomaterials. However, many of these materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are extremely sensitive to electron radiation, making it difficult to acquire a series of projection images for electron tomography without inducing electron-beam damage. Another significant challenge is the high contrast in high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy that can be expected for nanocomposites composed of a metal nanoparticle and an MOF. This strong contrast leads to so-called metal artifacts in the 3D reconstruction. To overcome these limitations, we here present low-dose electron tomography based on four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) data sets, collected using an ultrafast and highly sensitive direct electron detector. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the applicability of the method for an Au nanostar embedded in a ZIF-8 MOF, which is of great interest for applications in various fields, including drug delivery.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001141178500001 Publication Date 2023-12-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2639-4979 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 815128 REALNANO to S.B., Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A.). J.P.-J. and S.M. acknowledge financial support from the MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Grants No. PID2019-108954RB-I00) and EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 883390 (SERSing). J.V., S.B., S.V.A., and L.G. acknowledge funding from the Flemish government (iBOF-21-085 PERsist). Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202771 Serial 9053  
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Author Johnson, G.; Yang, M.Y.; Liu, C.; Zhou, H.; Zuo, X.; Dickie, D.A.; Wang, S.; Gao, W.; Anaclet, B.; Perras, F.A.; Ma, F.; Zeng, C.; Wang, D.; Bals, S.; Dai, S.; Xu, Z.; Liu, G.; Goddard III, W.A.; Zhang, S. doi  openurl
  Title Nanocluster superstructures assembled via surface ligand switching at high temperature Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Nature synthesis Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 2 Issue 9 Pages 828-837  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Superstructures with nanoscale building blocks, when coupled with precise control of the constituent units, open opportunities in rationally designing and manufacturing desired functional materials. Yet, synthetic strategies for the large-scale production of superstructures are scarce. We report a scalable and generalized approach to synthesizing superstructures assembled from atomically precise Ce24O28(OH)8 and other rare-earth metal-oxide nanoclusters alongside a detailed description of the self-assembly mechanism. Combining operando small-angle X-ray scattering, ex situ molecular and structural characterizations, and molecular dynamics simulations indicates that a high-temperature ligand-switching mechanism, from oleate to benzoate, governs the formation of the nanocluster assembly. The chemical tuning of surface ligands controls superstructure disassembly and reassembly, and furthermore, enables the synthesis of multicomponent superstructures. This synthetic approach, and the accurate mechanistic understanding, are promising for the preparation of superstructures for use in electronics, plasmonics, magnetics and catalysis. Synthesizing superstructures with precisely controlled nanoscale building blocks is challenging. Here the assembly of superstructures is reported from atomically precise Ce24O28(OH)8 and other rare-earth metal-oxide nanoclusters and their multicomponent combinations. A high-temperature ligand-switching mechanism controls the self-assembly.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001124824000001 Publication Date 2023-05-01  
  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 2 Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202180 Serial 9060  
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Author Geboes, B.; Ustarroz, J.; Sentosun, K.; Vanrompay, H.; Hubin, A.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Electrochemical behavior of electrodeposited nanoporous Pt catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication ACS catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal  
  Volume 6 Issue 6 Pages 5856-5864  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Nanoporous Pt based nanoparticles (NP's) are promising fuel cell catalysts due to their high surface area and increased electrocatalytic activity toward the ORR In this work a direct double-pulse electrodeposition procedure at room temperature is applied to obtain dendritic Pt structures (89 nm diameter) with a high level of porosity (ca. 25%) and nanopores of 2 nm protruding until the center of the NP's. The particle morphology is characterized using aberration corrected high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and electron tomography (ET) combined with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and macroscopic electrochemical measurements to assess their activity and stability toward the ORR. Macroscopic determination of the active surface area through hydrogen UPD measurements in combination with FESEM and ET showed that a considerable amount of the active sites inside the pores of the low overpotential NP's were accessible to oxygen species. As a result of this accessibility, up to a 9-fold enhancement of the Pt mass corrected ORR activity at 0.85 V vs RHE was observed at the highly porous structures. After successive potential cycling upward to 1.5 V vs RHE in a deaerated HClO4 solution a negative shift of 71 mV in half-wave potential occurred. This decrease in ORR activity could be correlated to the partial collapse of the nanopores, visible in both the EASA values and 3D ET reconstructions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000382714000025 Publication Date 2016-07-18  
  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 48 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; The Quanta 250 FEG microscope of the Electron Microscopy for Material Science group at the University of Antwerp was funded by the Hercules foundation of the Flemish Government. The authors acknowledge financial support from the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek in Flanders (FWOAL708). S.B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS). J.U. acknowledges funding from the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek in Flanders (FWO, postdoctoral grant 12I7816N). ; ecas_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 10.614  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:135703 Serial 4302  
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Author Wang, D.; Dasgupta, T.; van der Wee, E.B.; Zanaga, D.; Altantzis, T.; Wu, Y.; Coli, G.M.; Murray, C.B.; Bals, S.; Dijkstra, M.; van Blaaderen, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Binary icosahedral clusters of hard spheres in spherical confinement Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Nature Physics Abbreviated Journal Nat Phys  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-9  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract The influence of geometry on the local and global packing of particles is important to many fundamental and applied research themes, such as the structure and stability of liquids, crystals and glasses. Here we show by experiments and simulations that a binary mixture of hard-sphere-like nanoparticles crystallizing into a MgZn(2)Laves phase in bulk spontaneously forms icosahedral clusters in slowly drying droplets. Using advanced electron tomography, we are able to obtain the real-space coordinates of all the spheres in the icosahedral clusters of up to about 10,000 particles. The local structure of 70-80% of the particles became similar to that of the MgCu(2)Laves phase. These observations are important for photonic applications. In addition, we observed in simulations that the icosahedral clusters nucleated away from the spherical boundary, which is distinctly different from that of the single species clusters. Our findings open the way for particle-level studies of nucleation and growth of icosahedral clusters, and of binary crystallization. The authors investigate out-of-equilibrium crystallization of a binary mixture of sphere-like nanoparticles in small droplets. They observe the spontaneous formation of an icosahedral structure with stable MgCu(2)phases, which are promising for photonic applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000564497300002 Publication Date 2020-08-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1745-2473; 1745-2481 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 19.6 Times cited 38 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes ; D.W., E.B.v.d.W. and A.v.B. acknowledge partial financial support from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP-2007-2013)/ERC Advanced Grant Agreement 291667 HierarSACol. T.D. and M. D. acknowledge financial support from the Industrial Partnership Programme, 'Computational Sciences for Energy Research' (grant number 13CSER025), of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), which was co-financed by Shell Global Solutions International BV G.M.C. was also financially supported by NWO. S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. T.A. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). C.B.M. and Y.W. acknowledge support for materials synthesis from the Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Award ONR N00014-18-1-2497. G. A. Blab is gratefully acknowledged for 3D printing numerous truncated tetrahedra, which increased our understanding of the connection between the binary icosahedral cluster and Laves phase structures. N. Tasios is sincerely thanked for providing the code for the diffraction pattern calculation. M. Hermes is sincerely thanked for providing interactive views of the structures in this work. We thank G. van Tendeloo, M. Engel, J. Wang, S. Dussi, L. Filion, E. Boattini, S. Paliwal, N. Tasios, B. van der Meer, I. Lobato, J. Wu and L. Laurens for fruitful discussions. We acknowledge the EM Square centre at Utrecht University for the access to the microscopes. ; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 19.6; 2020 IF: 22.806  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:172044 Serial 6460  
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Author Yang, S.; An, H.; Anastasiadou, D.; Xu, W.; Wu, L.; Wang, H.; de Ruiter, J.; Arnouts, S.; Figueiredo, M.C.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; van der Stam, W.; Weckhuysen, B.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Waste-derived copper-lead electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ChemCatChem Abbreviated Journal Chemcatchem  
  Volume 14 Issue 18 Pages e202200754-11  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract It remains a real challenge to control the selectivity of the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (eCO(2)R) reaction to valuable chemicals and fuels. Most of the electrocatalysts are made of non-renewable metal resources, which hampers their large-scale implementation. Here, we report the preparation of bimetallic copper-lead (CuPb) electrocatalysts from industrial metallurgical waste. The metal ions were extracted from the metallurgical waste through simple chemical treatment with ammonium chloride, and CuxPby electrocatalysts with tunable compositions were fabricated through electrodeposition at varying cathodic potentials. X-ray spectroscopy techniques showed that the pristine electrocatalysts consist of Cu-0, Cu1+ and Pb2+ domains, and no evidence for alloy formation was found. We found a volcano-shape relationship between eCO(2)R selectivity toward two electron products, such as CO, and the elemental ratio of Cu and Pb. A maximum Faradaic efficiency towards CO was found for Cu9.00Pb1.00, which was four times higher than that of pure Cu, under the same electrocatalytic conditions. In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the optimal amount of Pb effectively improved the reducibility of the pristine Cu1+ and Pb2+ domains to metallic Cu and Pb, which boosted the selectivity towards CO by synergistic effects. This work provides a framework of thinking to design and tune the selectivity of bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction through valorization of metallurgical waste.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000853941300001 Publication Date 2022-06-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1867-3880; 1867-3899 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.5 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes S.Y and B.M.W. acknowledge support from the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (SOCRATES-721385; project website: http://etn-socrates.eu/). W.v.d.S., M.C.F. and B.M.W. acknowledge support from the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project 'Joint Centre for Chemergy Research'. 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). The Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (1W1B, BSRF) is acknowledged for the beamtime. We are grateful to Annelies van der Bok and Bas Salzmann (Condensed Matter and Interfaces, Utrecht University, UU) for the support with the ICP-OES measurements. The authors thank dr. Robin Geitenbeek, Nikos Nikolopoulos, Ioannis Nikolopoulos, Jochem Wijten and Joris Janssens (Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, UU) for helpful discussions and technical support. The authors also thank Yuang Piao (Materials Chemistry and Catalysis, UU) for the help in the preparation of the figures of the article. Approved Most recent IF: 4.5  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190703 Serial 7226  
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Author Parastaev, A.; Muravev, V.; Osta, E.H.; Kimpel, T.F.; Simons, J.F.M.; van Hoof, A.J.F.; Uslamin, E.; Zhang, L.; Struijs, J.J.C.; Burueva, D.B.; Pokochueva, E.V.; Kovtunov, K.V.; Koptyug, I.V.; Villar-Garcia, I.J.; Escudero, C.; Altantzis, T.; Liu, P.; Béché, A.; Bals, S.; Kosinov, N.; Hensen, E.J.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Breaking structure sensitivity in CO2 hydrogenation by tuning metal–oxide interfaces in supported cobalt nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Nature Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Nat Catal  
  Volume 5 Issue 11 Pages 1051-1060  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract A high dispersion of the active metal phase of transition metals on oxide supports is important when designing efficient heterogeneous catalysts. Besides nanoparticles, clusters and even single metal atoms can be attractive for a wide range of reactions. However, many industrially relevant catalytic transformations suffer from structure sensitivity, where reducing the size of the metal particles below a certain size substantially lowers catalytic performance. A case in point is the low activity of small cobalt nanoparticles in the hydrogenation of CO and CO2. Here we show how engineering of catalytic sites at the metal–oxide interface in cerium oxide–zirconium dioxide (ceria–zirconia)-supported cobalt can overcome this structure sensitivity. Few-atom cobalt clusters dispersed on 3 nm cobalt(II)-oxide particles stabilized by ceria–zirconia yielded a highly active CO2 methanation catalyst with a specific activity higher than that of larger particles under the same conditions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000884939300006 Publication Date 2022-11-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2520-1158 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 37.8 Times cited 32 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This research was supported by the Applied and Engineering Sciences division of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research through the Alliander (now Qirion) Perspective program on Plasma Conversion of CO2. We acknowledge Diamond Light Source for time on beamline B18 under proposal SP20715-1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3. S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128 REALNANO) and T.A. acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). A.B. received funding from the European Union under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3. The authors acknowledge funding through the Hercules grant (FWO, University of Antwerp) I003218N “Infrastructure for imaging nanoscale processes in gas/vapour or liquid environments”. I.V.K., D.B.B., and E.V.P. acknowledge the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education (contract 075-15-2021-580) for financial support of parahydrogen-based studies. Experiments using synchrotron radiation XPS were performed at the CIRCE beamline at ALBA Synchrotron with the collaboration of ALBA staff. F. Oropeza Palacio and Rim C.J. van de Poll are acknowledged for the help with RPES measurements.; esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved Most recent IF: 37.8  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:192068 Serial 7230  
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Author Daele, K.V.; Arenas‐Esteban, D.; Choukroun, D.; Hoekx, S.; Rossen, A.; Daems, N.; Pant, D.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Enhanced Pomegranate‐Structured SnO2Electrocatalysts for the Electrochemical CO2Reduction to Formate Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ChemElectroChem Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Although most state-of-the-art Sn-based electrocatalysts yield promising results in terms of selectivity and catalyst activity, their stability remains insufficient to date. Here, we demonstrate the successful application of the recently developed pomegranate-structured SnO2 (Pom. SnO2) and SnO2@C (Pom. SnO2@C) nanocomposite electrocatalysts for the efficient electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formate. With an initial selectivity of 83 and 86% towards formate and an operating potential of -0.72 V and -0.64 V vs. RHE, respectively, these pomegranate SnO2 electrocatalysts are able to compete with most of the current state-of-the-art Sn-based electrocatalysts in terms of activity and selectivity. Given the importance of electrocatalyst stability, long-term experiments (24 h) were performed and a temporary loss in selectivity for the Pom. SnO2@C electrocatalyst was largely restored to its initial selectivity upon drying and exposure to air. Of all the used (24 h) electrocatalysts, the pomegranate SnO2@C had the highest selectivity over a time period of one hour, reaching an average recovered FE of 85%, while the commercial SnO2 and bare pomegranate SnO2 electrocatalysts reached an average of 79 and 80% FE towards formate, respectively. Furthermore, the pomegranate structure of Pom. SnO2@C was largely preserved due to the presence of the heterogeneous carbon shell, which acts as a protective layer, physically inhibiting particle segregation/pulverisation and agglomeration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000936694800001 Publication Date 2023-02-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2196-0216 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes European Regional Development Fund, E2C 2S03-019 ; Approved Most recent IF: 4; 2023 IF: 4.136  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195228 Serial 7249  
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Author Yang, S.; Liu, Z.; An, H.; Arnouts, S.; de Ruiter, J.; Rollier, F.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; Figueiredo, M.C.; Filot, I.A.W.; Hensen, E.J.M.; Weckhuysen, B.M.; van der Stam, W. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Near-unity electrochemical CO₂ to CO conversion over Sn-doped copper oxide nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal  
  Volume 12 Issue 24 Pages 15146-15156  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract Bimetallic electrocatalysts have emerged as a viable strategy to tune the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) for the selective production of valuable base chemicals and fuels. However, obtaining high product selectivity and catalyst stability remain challenging, which hinders the practical application of eCO2RR. In this work, it was found that a small doping concentration of tin (Sn) in copper oxide (CuO) has profound influence on the catalytic performance, boosting the Faradaic efficiency (FE) up to 98% for carbon monoxide (CO) at -0.75 V versus RHE, with prolonged stable performance (FE > 90%) for up to 15 h. Through a combination of ex situ and in situ characterization techniques, the in situ activation and reaction mechanism of the electrocatalyst at work was elucidated. In situ Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed that the binding energy of the crucial adsorbed *CO intermediate was lowered through Sn doping, thereby favoring gaseous CO desorption. This observation was confirmed by density functional theory, which further indicated that hydrogen adsorption and subsequent hydrogen evolution were hampered on the Sn-doped electrocatalysts, resulting in boosted CO formation. It was found that the pristine electrocatalysts consisted of CuO nanoparticles decorated with SnO2 domains, as characterized by ex situ high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. These pristine nanoparticles were subsequently in situ converted into a catalytically active bimetallic Sn-doped Cu phase. Our work sheds light on the intimate relationship between the bimetallic structure and catalytic behavior, resulting in stable and selective oxide-derived Sn-doped Cu electrocatalysts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000900052400001 Publication Date 2022-11-28  
  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 12.9 Times cited 16 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes B.M.W., S.Y., M.C.F., E.J.M.H., and W.v.d.S. acknowledge support from the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project ?Joint Centre for Chemergy Research?. S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator grant #815128 REALNANO) . Z.L. acknowledges financial support of the China Scholarship Council and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research for access to computa-tional resources for carrying out the DFT calculations reported in this work. S.A. and T.A. acknowledge funding from theUniversity of Antwerp Research fund (BOF) . The authors also thank Dr. Jochem Wijten and Joris Janssens (Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Utrecht University) for helpful technical support. Sander Deelen (Faculty of Science, Utrecht University) is acknowledged for the design of the in situ XRD cell. Approved Most recent IF: 12.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:192742 Serial 7325  
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Author Arenas Esteban, D.; Pacquets, L.; Choukroun, D.; Hoekx, S.; Kadu, A.A.; Schalck, J.; Daems, N.; Breugelmans, T.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title 3D characterization of the structural transformation undergone by Cu@Ag core-shell nanoparticles following CO₂ reduction reaction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 35 Issue 17 Pages 6682-6691  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract The increasing use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) is significantly advancing the field of electrocatalysis. In particular, Cu/Ag bimetallic interfaces are widely used to enhance the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO(2)RR) toward CO and, more recently, C-2 products. However, drastic changes in the product distribution and performance when Cu@Ag core-shell configurations are used can often be observed under electrochemical reaction conditions, especially during the first few minutes of the reaction. Possible structural changes that generate these observations remain underexplored; therefore, the structure-property relationship is hardly understood. In this study, we use electron tomography to investigate the structural transformation mechanism of Cu@Ag core-shells NPs during the critical first minutes of the eCO(2)RR. In this manner, we found that the crystallinity of the Cu seed determines whether the formation of a complete and homogeneous Ag shell is possible. Moreover, by tracking the particles' transformations, we conclude that modifications of the Cu-Ag interface and Cu2O enrichment at the surface of the NPs are key factors contributing to the product generation changes. These insights provide a better understanding of how bimetallic core-shell NPs transform under electrochemical conditions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001061530700001 Publication Date 2023-08-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.6 Times cited 1 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 29.02.2024  
  Notes L.P. was supported through a PhD fellowship for strategicbasic research (1S56920N) of the Research Foundation – Flanders(FWO). S.H. was supported through a PhD fellowship for strategic basicresearch (1S42623N) of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).S.B., D.A.E., and A.A.K. acknowledge financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. This research was financed by the researchcouncil of the University of Antwerp (BOF-GOA 33928). Approved Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199187 Serial 8825  
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Author Yang, S.; An, H.; Arnouts, S.; Wang, H.; Yu, X.; de Ruiter, J.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; Weckhuysen, B.M.; van der Stam, W. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Halide-guided active site exposure in bismuth electrocatalysts for selective CO₂ conversion into formic acid Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Nature Catalysis Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 6 Issue 9 Pages 796-806  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract It remains a challenge to identify the active sites of bismuth catalysts in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. Here we show through in situ characterization that the activation of bismuth oxyhalide electrocatalysts to metallic bismuth is guided by the halides. In situ X-ray diffraction results show that bromide promotes the selective exposure of planar bismuth surfaces, whereas chloride and iodide result in more disordered active sites. Furthermore, we find that bromide-activated bismuth catalysts outperform the chloride and iodide counterparts, achieving high current density (>100 mA cm(-2)) and formic acid selectivity (>90%), suggesting that planar bismuth surfaces are more active for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. In addition, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that the reconstruction proceeds rapidly in chloride-activated bismuth and gradually when bromide is present, facilitating the formation of ordered planar surfaces. These findings show the pivotal role of halogens on selective facet exposure in activated bismuth-based electrocatalysts during the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001050367400001 Publication Date 2023-08-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2520-1158 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 37.8 Times cited 13 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes B.M.W. acknowledges support from the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project 'Joint Centre for Chemergy Research' as well as from the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), an NWO gravitation programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the government of the Netherlands. 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 also thank J. Wijten, J. Janssens and T. Prins (all from the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University) for helpful technical support. S. Deelen (Faculty of Science, Utrecht University) and L. Wu (Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University) are acknowledged for the design of the in situ XRD cell. We also acknowledge B. Detlefs, P. Glatzel and V. Paidi (ESRF) for the support during the HERFD-XANES measurements on the ID26 beamline of the ESRF. Approved Most recent IF: 37.8; 2023 IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199190 Serial 8877  
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Author Moggia, G.; Hoekx, S.; Daems, N.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Synthesis and characterization of a highly electroactive composite based on Au nanoparticles supported on nanoporous activated carbon for electrocatalysis Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ChemElectroChem Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-11  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract A facile, “one-pot”, chemical approach to synthesize gold-based nanoparticles finely dispersed on porous activated carbon (Norit) was demonstrated in this work. The pH of the synthesis bath played a critical role in determining the optimal gold-carbon interaction, which enabled a successful deposition of the gold nanoparticles onto the carbon matrix with a maximized metal utilization of 93 %. The obtained AuNP/C nanocomposite was characterized using SEM, HAADF-STEM electron tomography and electrochemical techniques. It was found that the Au nanoparticles, with diameters between 5 and 20 nm, were evenly distributed over the carbon matrix, both inside and outside the pores. Electrochemical characterization indicated that the composite had a very large electroactive surface area (EASA), as high as 282.4 m2 gAu-1. By exploiting its very high EASA, the catalyst was intended to boost the productivity of glucaric acid in the electrooxidation of its precursor, gluconic acid. However, cyclic voltammetry experiments revealed a very limited reactivity towards gluconic acid oxidation, due to the spacial hindrance of gluconic acid molecule which prevented diffusion inside the catalyst nanopores. On the other hand, the as-synthesized nanocomposite promises to be effective towards the ORR, and might thus find potential application as anode catalyst for fuel cells as well as for the scalability of all those electrochemical reactions involving small molecules with high diffusivity and catalysed by noble metals (i. e. CO2, CH4, N2, etc..). Electrocatalysis: Gold nanoparticles with diameter between 5 and 20 nm evenly distributed onto porous activated carbon (Norit) were obtained using a facile “one-pot” chemical synthesis technique with very high metal utilization. The AuNP/C nanocomposite was characterized using SEM, HAADF-STEM electron tomography and electrochemical techniques, revealing a very large electroactive surface area (EASA). The figure shows the HAADF-STEM image (a) and the respective EDX elemental distribution (b) for the AuNP/C composite with 9.3 % Au-loading developed in this work (Au is marked in red and C in green).image  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001060398900001 Publication Date 2023-09-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2196-0216 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The research described in this article has not been supported by the Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency of the European Commission. The views expressed in this article have not been adopted or in any way approved by the European Commission and do not constitute a statement of the European Commission & apos;s views.r S. Hoekx was supported by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO 1S42623N). The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Christophe Vande Velde, University of Antwerp, for the XRD analysis. Approved Most recent IF: 4; 2023 IF: 4.136  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199210 Serial 8941  
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Author Roose, D.; Leroux, F.; de Vocht, N.; Guglielmetti, C.; Pintelon, I.; Adriaensen, D.; Ponsaerts, P.; van der Linden, A.-M.; Bals, S. doi  openurl
  Title Multimodal imaging of micron-sized iron oxide particles following in vitro and in vivo uptake by stem cells: down to the nanometer scale Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Contrast media and molecular imaging Abbreviated Journal Contrast Media Mol I  
  Volume 9 Issue 6 Pages 400-408  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Bio-Imaging lab  
  Abstract In this study, the interaction between cells and micron-sized paramagnetic iron oxide (MPIO) particles was investigated by characterizing MPIO in their original state, and after cellular uptake in vitro as well as in vivo. Moreover, MPIO in the olfactory bulb were studied 9months after injection. Using various imaging techniques, cell-MPIO interactions were investigated with increasing spatial resolution. Live cell confocal microscopy demonstrated that MPIO co-localize with lysosomes after in vitro cellular uptake. In more detail, a membrane surrounding the MPIO was observed by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Following MPIO uptake in vivo, the same cell-MPIO interaction was observed by HAADF-STEM in the subventricular zone at 1week and in the olfactory bulb at 9months after MPIO injection. These findings provide proof for the current hypothesis that MPIO are internalized by the cell through endocytosis. The results also show MPIO are not biodegradable, even after 9months in the brain. Moreover, they show the possibility of HAADF-STEM generating information on the labeled cell as well as on the MPIO. In summary, the methodology presented here provides a systematic route to investigate the interaction between cells and nanoparticles from the micrometer level down to the nanometer level and beyond. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication S.l. Editor  
  Language Wos 000346172100001 Publication Date 2014-04-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1555-4309; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.307 Times cited 5 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes ; The authors would like to thank Sofie Thys for her technical support. The UltraVIEW VoX spinning disk confocal microscope was purchased with support of the Hercules Foundation (Hercules Type 1: AUHA 09/001 and AUHA 11/01). 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), the Fund for Scientific Research- Flanders and the Flemish Institute for Science and Technology and the Belgian government through the Interuniversity Attraction Pole Program (IAP- PAI). ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.307; 2014 IF: 2.923  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:122750 Serial 2222  
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