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Author Van Tendeloo, M.; Baptista, M.C.; Van Winckel, T.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Recurrent multi-stressor floc treatments with sulphide and free ammonia enabled mainstream partial nitritation/anammox Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication The science of the total environment Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 912 Issue Pages 169449-12  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Selective suppression of nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB) over aerobic and anoxic ammonium-oxidising bacteria (AerAOB and AnAOB) remains a major challenge for mainstream partial nitritation/anammox implementation, a resource-efficient nitrogen removal pathway. A unique multi-stressor floc treatment was therefore designed and validated for the first time under lab-scale conditions while staying true to full-scale design principles. Two hybrid (suspended + biofilm growth) reactors were operated continuously at 20.2 ± 0.6 °C. Recurrent multi-stressor floc treatments were applied, consisting of a sulphide-spiked deoxygenated starvation followed by a free ammonia shock. A good microbial activity balance with high AnAOB (71 ± 21 mg N L−1 d−1) and low NOB (4 ± 17 % of AerAOB) activity was achieved by combining multiple operational strategies: recurrent multi-stressor floc treatments, hybrid sludge (flocs & biofilm), short floc age control, intermittent aeration, and residual ammonium control. The multi-stressor treatment was shown to be the most important control tool and should be continuously applied to maintain this balance. Excessive NOB growth on the biofilm was avoided despite only treating the flocs to safeguard the AnAOB activity on the biofilm. Additionally, no signs of NOB adaptation were observed over 142 days. Elevated effluent ammonium concentrations (25 ± 6 mg N L−1) limited the TN removal efficiency to 39 ± 9 %, complicating a future full-scale implementation. Operating at higher sludge concentrations or reducing the volumetric loading rate could overcome this issue. The obtained results ease the implementation of mainstream PN/A by providing and additional control tool to steer the microbial activity with the multi-stressor treatment, thus advancing the concept of energy neutrality in sewage treatment plants.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2023-12-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0048-9697; 1879-1026 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202286 Serial 9083  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Verbeelen, T.; Fernandez, C.A.; Nguyen, T.H.; Gupta, S.; Aarts, R.; Tabury, K.; Leroy, B.; Wattiez, R.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Leys, N.; Ganigué, R.; Mastroleo, F. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Whole transcriptome analysis highlights nutrient limitation of nitrogen cycle bacteria in simulated microgravity Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication NPJ microgravity Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 3-19  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Regenerative life support systems (RLSS) will play a vital role in achieving self-sufficiency during long-distance space travel. Urine conversion into a liquid nitrate-based fertilizer is a key process in most RLSS. This study describes the effects of simulated microgravity (SMG) on Comamonas testosteroni, Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrobacter winogradskyi and a tripartite culture of the three, in the context of nitrogen recovery for the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA). Rotary cell culture systems (RCCS) and random positioning machines (RPM) were used as SMG analogues. The transcriptional responses of the cultures were elucidated. For CO2-producing C. testosteroni and the tripartite culture, a PermaLifeTM PL-70 cell culture bag mounted on an in-house 3D-printed holder was applied to eliminate air bubble formation during SMG cultivation. Gene expression changes indicated that the fluid dynamics in SMG caused nutrient and O2 limitation. Genes involved in urea hydrolysis and nitrification were minimally affected, while denitrification-related gene expression was increased. The findings highlight potential challenges for nitrogen recovery in space.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001140007100001 Publication Date 2024-01-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2373-8065 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202285 Serial 9113  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Broos, W.; Wittner, N.; Dries, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Gunde-Cimerman, N.; Cornet, I. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Rhodotorula kratochvilovae outperforms Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum in the valorisation of lignocellulosic wastewater to microbial oil Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Process biochemistry (1991) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 137 Issue Pages 229-238  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)  
  Abstract Rhodotorula kratochvilovae has shown to be a promising species for microbial oil production from lignin-derived compounds. Yet, information on R. kratochvilovae’s detoxification and microbial oil production is scarce. This study investigated the growth and microbial oil production on the phenolic-containing effluent from poplar steam explosion and its detoxification with five R. kratochvilovae strains (EXF11626, EXF9590, EXF7516, EXF3697, EXF3471) and compared them with Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum. The R. kratochvilovae strains reached a maximum growth rate up to four times higher than C. oleaginosum. Furthermore, all R. kratochvilovae strains generally degraded phenolics more rapidly and to a larger extent than C. oleaginosum. However, the diluted substrate limited the lipid production by all strains as the maximum lipid content and titre were 10.5% CDW and 0.40 g/L, respectively. Therefore, future work should focus on increasing lipid production by using advanced fermentation strategies and stimulating the enzyme excretion by the yeasts for complex substrate breakdown.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1359-5113 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202365 Serial 9087  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Koirala, B.; Rasti, B.; Bnoulkacem, Z.; de Lima Ribeiro, A.; Madriz, Y.; Herrmann, E.; Gestels, A.; De Kerf, T.; Lorenz, S.; Fuchs, M.; Janssens, K.; Steenackers, G.; Gloaguen, R.; Scheunders, P. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title A multisensor hyperspectral benchmark dataset for unmixing of intimate mixtures Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication IEEE sensors journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 24 Issue 4 Pages 4694-4710  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Vision lab; Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS)  
  Abstract Optical hyperspectral cameras capture the spectral reflectance of materials. Since many materials behave as heterogeneous intimate mixtures with which each photon interacts differently, the relationship between spectral reflectance and material composition is very complex. Quantitative validation of spectral unmixing algorithms requires high-quality ground truth fractional abundance data, which are very difficult to obtain. In this work, we generated a comprehensive laboratory ground truth dataset of intimately mixed mineral powders. For this, five clay powders (Kaolin, Roof clay, Red clay, mixed clay, and Calcium hydroxide) were mixed homogeneously to prepare 325 samples of 60 binary, 150 ternary, 100 quaternary, and 15 quinary mixtures. Thirteen different hyperspectral sensors have been used to acquire the reflectance spectra of these mixtures in the visible, near, short, mid, and long-wavelength infrared regions (350-15385) nm. Overlaps in wavelength regions due to the operational ranges of each sensor and variations in acquisition conditions resulted in a large amount of spectral variability. Ground truth composition is given by construction, but to verify that the generated samples are sufficiently homogeneous, XRD and XRF elemental analysis is performed. We believe these data will be beneficial for validating advanced methods for nonlinear unmixing and material composition estimation, including studying spectral variability and training supervised unmixing approaches. The datasets can be downloaded from the following link: https://github.com/VisionlabHyperspectral/Multisensor_datasets.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2023-12-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1530-437x; 1558-1748 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:203094 Serial 9059  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Kelly, S.; Mercer, E.; Gorbanev, Y.; Fedirchyk, I.; Verheyen, C.; Werner, K.; Pullumbi, P.; Cowley, A.; Bogaerts, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Plasma-based conversion of martian atmosphere into life-sustaining chemicals: The benefits of utilizing martian ambient pressure Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Journal of CO2 Utilization Abbreviated Journal Journal of CO2 Utilization  
  Volume 80 Issue Pages 102668  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal Article; Mars Microwave plasma Conversion; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract We explored the potential of plasma-based In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) for Mars through the conversion of Martian atmosphere (~96% CO2, 2% N2, and 2% Ar) into life-sustaining chemicals. As the Martian surface pressure is about 1% of the Earth’s surface pressure, it is an ideal environment for plasma-based gas conversion using microwave reactors. At 1000 W and 10 Ln/min (normal liters per minute), we produced ~76 g/h of O2 and ~3 g/h of NOx using a 2.45 GHz waveguided reactor at 25 mbar, which is ~3.5 times Mars ambient pressure. The energy cost required to produce O2 was ~0.013 kWh/g, which is very promising compared to recently concluded MOXIE experiments on the Mars surface. This marks a crucial step towards realizing the extension of human exploration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2212-9820 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor 7.7 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes We acknowledge financial support by a European Space Agency (ESA) Open Science Innovation Platform study (contract no. 4000137001/21/NL/GLC/ov), the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship ‘‘PENFIX’’ within Horizon 2020 (grant no. 838181), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant no. 810182; SCOPE ERC Synergy project), the Excellence of Science FWOFNRS PLASyntH2 project (FWO grant no. G0I1822N and EOS no. 4000751) and the Methusalem project of the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 7.7; 2024 IF: 4.292  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:202389 Serial 8986  
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Author Bissonnette-Dulude, J.; Heirman, P.; Coulombe, S.; Bogaerts, A.; Gervais, T.; Reuter, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Coupling the COST reference plasma jet to a microfluidic device: a computational study Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Plasma Sources Science and Technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.  
  Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 015001  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal Article; non-thermal plasma, microfluidic, plasma-liquid interactions, modelling; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract The use of microfluidic devices in the field of plasma-liquid interaction can unlock unique possibilities to investigate the effects of plasma-generated reactive species for environmental and biomedical applications. So far, very little simulation work has been performed on microfluidic devices in contact with a plasma source. We report on the modelling and computational simulation of physical and chemical processes taking place in a novel plasma-microfluidic platform. The main production and transport pathways of reactive species both in plasma and liquid are modelled by a novel modelling approach that combines 0D chemical kinetics and 2D transport mechanisms. This combined approach, applicable to systems where the transport of chemical species occurs in unidirectional flows at high Péclet numbers, decreases calculation times considerably compared to regular 2D simulations. It takes advantage of the low computational time of the 0D reaction models while providing spatial information through multiple plug-flow simulations to yield a quasi-2D model. The gas and liquid flow profiles are simulated entirely in 2D, together with the chemical reactions and transport of key chemical species. The model correctly predicts increased transport of hydrogen peroxide into the liquid when the microfluidic opening is placed inside the plasma effluent region, as opposed to inside the plasma region itself. Furthermore, the modelled hydrogen peroxide production and transport in the microfluidic liquid differs by less than 50% compared with experimental results. To explain this discrepancy, the limits of the 0D–2D combined approach are discussed.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001136607100001 Publication Date 2024-01-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.8 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, RGPIN-06820 ; FWO, 1100421N ; McGill University, the TransMedTech Institute; Approved Most recent IF: 3.8; 2024 IF: 3.302  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:202783 Serial 8990  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Slaets, J.; Loenders, B.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma-based dry reforming of CH4: Plasma effects vs. thermal conversion Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Fuel Abbreviated Journal Fuel  
  Volume 360 Issue Pages 130650  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal Article; Plasma kinetics Computer modelling Dry reforming of methane; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract In this work we evaluate the chemical kinetics of dry reforming of methane in warm plasmas (1000–4000 K) using modelling with a newly developed chemistry set, for a broad range of parameters (temperature, power density and CO2/CH4 ratio). We compare the model against thermodynamic equilibrium concentrations, serving as validation of the thermal chemical kinetics. Our model reveals that plasma-specific reactions (i.e., electron impact collisions) accelerate the kinetics compared to thermal conversion, rather than altering the overall kinetics pathways and intermediate products, for gas temperatures below 2000 K. For higher temperatures, the kinetics are dominated by heavy species collisions and are strictly thermal, with negligible influence of the electrons and ions on the overall kinetics. When studying the effects of different gas mixtures on the kinetics, we identify important intermediate species, side reactions and side products. The use of excess CO2 leads to H2O formation, at the expense of H2 formation, and the CO2 conversion itself is limited, only approaching full conversion near 4000 K. In contrast, full conversion of both reactants is only kinetically limited for mixtures with excess CH4, which also gives rise to the formation of C2H2, alongside syngas. Within the given parameter space, our model predicts the 30/70 ratio of CO2/CH4 to be the most optimal for syngas formation with a H2/CO ratio of 2.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001138077700001 Publication Date 2023-12-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0016-2361 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 7.4 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project), the Catalisti-ICON project BluePlasma (Project No. HBC.2022.0445), the FWO-SBO project PlasMaCatDESIGN (FWO Grant ID S001619N), the Independent Research Fund Denmark (Project No. 0217-00231B) and through long-term structural funding (Methusalem). The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA of the Universiteit Antwerpen, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government. We also thank Bart Wanten, Roel Michiels, Pepijn Heirman, Claudia Verheyen, dr. Senne Van Alphen, dr. Elise Vervloessem, dr. Kevin van ’t Veer, dr. Joshua Boothroyd, dr. Omar Biondo and dr. Eduardo Morais for their expertise and feedback regarding the kinetics scheme. Approved Most recent IF: 7.4; 2024 IF: 4.601  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:201669 Serial 8973  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Rezaei, M.; Ghasemitarei, M.; Razzokov, J.; Yusupov, M.; Ghorbanalilu, M.; Ejtehadi, M.R. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title In silico study of the impact of oxidation on pyruvate transmission across the hVDAC1 protein channel Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Archives of biochemistry and biophysics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 751 Issue Pages 109835-109837  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The overexpression of voltage dependent anion channels (VDACs), particularly VDAC1, in cancer cells compared to normal cells, plays a crucial role in cancer cell metabolism, apoptosis regulation, and energy homeostasis. In this study, we used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the effect of a low level of VDAC1 oxidation (induced e.g., by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)) on the pyruvate (Pyr) uptake by VDAC1. Inhibiting Pyr uptake through VDAC1 can suppress cancer cell proliferation. Our primary target was to study the translocation of Pyr across the native and oxidized forms of hVDAC1, the human VDAC1. Specifically, we employed MD simulations to analyze the hVDAC1 structure by modifying certain cysteine residues to cysteic acids and methionine residues to methionine sulfoxides, which allowed us to investigate the effect of oxidation. Our results showed that the free energy barrier for Pyr translocation through the native and oxidized channel was approximately 4.3 +/- 0.7 kJ mol-1 and 10.8 +/- 1.8 kJ mol-1, respectively. An increase in barrier results in a decrease in rate of Pyr permeation through the oxidized channel. Thus, our results indicate that low levels of CAP oxidation reduce Pyr translocation, resulting in decreased cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, low levels of oxidation are likely sufficient to treat cancer cells given the inhibition of Pyr uptake.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001127850500001 Publication Date 2023-11-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0003-9861; 1096-0384 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202185 Serial 9046  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Smith, G.J.; Diomede, P.; Gibson, A.R.; Doyle, S.J.; Guerra, V.; Kushner, M.J.; Gans, T.; Dedrick, J.P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Low-pressure inductively coupled plasmas in hydrogen : impact of gas heating on the spatial distribution of atomic hydrogen and vibrationally excited states Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 33 Issue 2 Pages 025002-25020  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Non-equilibrium inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs) operating in hydrogen are of significant interest for applications including large-area materials processing. Increasing control of spatial gas heating, which drives the formation of neutral species density gradients and the rate of gas-temperature-dependent reactions, is critical. In this study, we use 2D fluid-kinetic simulations with the Hybrid Plasma Equipment Model to investigate the spatially resolved production of atomic hydrogen in a low-pressure planar ICP operating in pure hydrogen (10-20 Pa or 0.075-0.15 Torr, 300 W). The reaction set incorporates self-consistent calculation of the spatially resolved gas temperature and 14 vibrationally excited states. We find that the formation of neutral-gas density gradients, which result from spatially non-uniform electrical power deposition at constant pressure, can drive significant variations in the vibrational distribution function and density of atomic hydrogen when gas heating is spatially resolved. This highlights the significance of spatial gas heating on the production of reactive species in relatively high-power-density plasma processing sources.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001154851700001 Publication Date 2024-01-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:203866 Serial 9054  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Meng, S.; Li, S.; Sun, S.; Bogaerts, A.; Liu, Y.; Yi, Y. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title NH3 decomposition for H2 production by thermal and plasma catalysis using bimetallic catalysts Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Chemical Engineering Science Abbreviated Journal Chemical Engineering Science  
  Volume 283 Issue Pages 119449  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal Article; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract Plasma catalysis has emerged as a promising approach for driving thermodynamically unfavorable chemical

reactions. Nevertheless, comprehending the mechanisms involved remains a challenge, leading to uncertainty

about whether the optimal catalyst in plasma catalysis aligns with that in thermal catalysis. In this research, we

explore this question by studying monometallic catalysts (Fe, Co, Ni and Mo) and bimetallic catalysts (Fe-Co, Mo-

Co, Fe-Ni and Mo-Ni) in both thermal catalytic and plasma catalytic NH3 decomposition. Our findings reveal that

the Fe-Co bimetallic catalyst exhibits the highest activity in thermal catalysis, the Fe-Ni bimetallic catalyst

outperforms others in plasma catalysis, indicating a discrepancy between the optimal catalysts for the two

catalytic modes in NH3 decomposition. Comprehensive catalyst characterization, kinetic analysis, temperature

program surface reaction experiments and plasma diagnosis are employed to discuss the key factors influencing

NH3 decomposition performance.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001105312500001 Publication Date 2023-10-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0009-2509 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 4.7 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Universiteit Antwerpen, 32249 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 21503032 ; PetroChina Innovation Foundation, 2018D-5007-0501 ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.7; 2024 IF: 2.895  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:201009 Serial 8967  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wang, K.; Ceulemans, S.; Zhang, H.; Tsonev, I.; Zhang, Y.; Long, Y.; Fang, M.; Li, X.; Yan, J.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Inhibiting recombination to improve the performance of plasma-based CO2 conversion Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chemical Engineering Journal  
  Volume 481 Issue Pages 148684  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal Article; Plasma-based CO2 splitting Recombination reactions In-situ gas sampling Fluid dynamics modeling Kinetics modeling Afterglow quenching; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract Warm plasma offers a promising route for CO2 splitting into valuable CO, yet recombination reactions of CO with oxygen, forming again CO2, have recently emerged as critical limitation. This study combines experiments and fluid dynamics + chemical kinetics modelling to comprehensively analyse the recombination reactions upon CO2 splitting in an atmospheric plasmatron. We introduce an innovative in-situ gas sampling technique, enabling 2D spatial mapping of gas product compositions and temperatures, experimentally confirming for the first time the substantial limiting effect of CO recombination reactions in the afterglow region. Our results show that the CO mole fraction at a 5 L/min flow rate drops significantly from 11.9 % at a vertical distance of z = 20 mm in the afterglow region to 8.6 % at z = 40 mm. We constructed a comprehensive 2D model that allows for spatial reaction rates analysis incorporating crucial reactions, and we validated it to kinetically elucidate this phenomenon. CO2 +M⇌O+CO+M and CO2 +O⇌CO+O2 are the dominant reactions, with the forward reactions prevailing in the plasma region and the backward reactions becoming prominent in the afterglow region. These results allow us to propose an afterglow quenching strategy for performance enhancement, which is further demonstrated through a meticulously developed plasmatron reactor with two-stage cooling. Our approach substantially increases the CO2 conversion (e.g., from 6.6 % to 19.5 % at 3 L/min flow rate) and energy efficiency (from 13.5 % to 28.5 %, again at 3 L/min) and significantly shortens the startup time (from ~ 150 s to 25 s). Our study underscores the critical role of inhibiting recombination reactions in plasma-based CO2 conversion and offers new avenues for performance enhancement.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province, 2023C03129 ; Vlaamse regering; European Research Council; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 51976191 52276214 ; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique – FNRS; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1101524N ; Vlaams Supercomputer Centrum; Horizon 2020, 101081162 810182 ; European Research Council; Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2024 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ Serial 8993  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Manaigo, F.; Rouwenhorst, K.; Bogaerts, A.; Snyders, R. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Feasibility study of a small-scale fertilizer production facility based on plasma nitrogen fixation Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Energy Conversion and Management Abbreviated Journal Energy Conversion and Management  
  Volume 302 Issue Pages 118124  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal Article; Plasma-based nitrogen fixation Haber-Bosch Feasibility study Fertilizer production; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0196-8904 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 10.4 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes This research is supported by the FNRS-FWO project ‘‘NITROPLASM’’, EOS O005118F. The authors thank Dr. L. Hollevoet (KU Leuven) for the draft reviewing and for providing additional information on the lean NO???? trap. Approved Most recent IF: 10.4; 2024 IF: 5.589  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ Serial 8992  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Zhang, L.; Quinn, B.K.; Hui, C.; Lian, M.; Gielis, J.; Gao, J.; Shi, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title New indices to balance α-diversity against tree size inequality Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Journal of forestry research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 35 Issue 1 Pages 31-39  
  Keywords (up) A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The number and composition of species in a community can be quantified with alpha-diversity indices, including species richness (R), Simpson's index (D), and the Shannon-Wiener index (HGREEK TONOS). In forest communities, there are large variations in tree size among species and individuals of the same species, which result in differences in ecological processes and ecosystem functions. However, tree size inequality (TSI) has been largely neglected in studies using the available diversity indices. The TSI in the diameter at breast height (DBH) data for each of 999 20 m x 20 m forest census quadrats was quantified using the Gini index (GI), a measure of the inequality of size distribution. The generalized performance equation was used to describe the rotated and right-shifted Lorenz curve of the cumulative proportion of DBH and the cumulative proportion of number of trees per quadrat. We also examined the relationships of alpha-diversity indices with the GI using correlation tests. The generalized performance equation effectively described the rotated and right-shifted Lorenz curve of DBH distributions, with most root-mean-square errors (990 out of 999 quadrats) being < 0.0030. There were significant positive correlations between each of three alpha-diversity indices (i.e., R, D, and H') and the GI. Nevertheless, the total abundance of trees in each quadrat did not significantly influence the GI. This means that the TSI increased with increasing species diversity. Thus, two new indices are proposed that can balance alpha-diversity against the extent of TSI in the community: (1 – GI) x D, and (1 – GI) x H'. These new indices were significantly correlated with the original D and HGREEK TONOS, and did not increase the extent of variation within each group of indices. This study presents a useful tool for quantifying both species diversity and the variation in tree sizes in forest communities, especially in the face of cumulative species loss under global climate change.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001131698000001 Publication Date 2023-12-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1007-662x; 1993-0607 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:201972 Serial 9061  
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Author Mychinko, M. url  openurl
  Title Advanced Electron Tomography to Investigate the Growth and Stability of Complex Metal Nanoparticles = Geavanceerde Elektronentomografie om de Groei en Stabiliteit van Complexe Metallische Nanodeeltjes te Onderzoeken Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 227 p.  
  Keywords (up) Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract During the past decades, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted great attention in materials science due to their specific optical properties based on surface plasmon resonances. Because of these phenomena, plasmonic NPs (or nanoplasmonics) are very promising for application in biosensing, photocatalysts, medicine, data storage, solar energy conversion, etc. Currently, colloidal synthesis techniques enable scientists to routinely produce mono and bimetallic NPs of various shapes, sizes, composition, and elemental distribution, with superior properties for plasmonic applications. Two primary directions for further advancing nanoplasmonic-based technologies include synthesizing novel morphologies, such as highly asymmetric chiral NPs, and gaining deeper insights into the factors affecting the stability of produced nanoplasmonics. With the increasing complexity of nanoplasmonics morphologies and higher stability requirements, there is a pressing need for thorough investigations into their 3D structures and their evolution under different conditions, with high resolution. Electron tomography (ET) emerges as an ideal tool to retrieve shape and element-sensitive information about individual nanoparticles in 3D, achieving resolutions down to the atomic level. Moreover, ET techniques can be combined with in situ holders, enabling detailed studies of processes mimicking real applications of nanoplasmonic-based devices. The first part of this thesis will focus on detailed studies of chiral Au NPs, promising for spectroscopy techniques based on the differential absorption of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light. Specifically, I will discuss the primary strategies for wet-colloidal growth of the various types of intrinsically chiral Au NPs. Advanced ET methods will be demonstrated as powerful tools for characterizing the final helical morphologies of the produced Au NPs and for studying the chiral growth mechanisms by examining intermediate structures obtained during chiral growth. The second part will focus on the heat-induced stability of various Au@Ag core-shell NPs. Operating in real conditions, such as elevated temperatures, may cause particle reshaping and redistribution of metals between the core and shell, gradually altering nanoplasmonics properties. Hence, a thorough understanding of the influence of size, shape, and defects on these processes is crucial for further developments. Recently developed techniques, combining fast ET with in-situ heating holders, have allowed me to evaluate the influence of various parameters (size, shape, defect structure) on heat-induced elemental redistribution in Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles qualitatively and quantitatively. Additionally, I will discuss the prospects of high-resolution ET for visualizing the diffusion of individual atoms within complex nanostructures.  
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  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202976 Serial 9001  
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Author Schram, J. file  openurl
  Title Electrochemical sensing strategies for multiple illicit drugs Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 290 p.  
  Keywords (up) Doctoral thesis; Pharmacology. Therapy; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)  
  Abstract Today, illicit drugs are omnipresent in society. Clandestine markets are growing faster than ever before, record amounts of cocaine are seized in seaports and airports, while the associated violence is spiralling out of control. In addition, drug monitoring centres worldwide are warning for the increasing complexity of the drug markets, as the traditionally popular drugs are joined by countless new synthetic variants, while medical drugs are also increasingly being abused. In order to provide services confronted with illicit drug samples (police, customs, forensic scientists, first responders, …) with important information on the identity of an unknown sample, suitable analytical tests are required. While these exist for laboratory environments, on-site applicable tests are important to accelerate the decision-making process. Electrochemical sensors have all the advantages required for such on-site tests: they are fast, portable, easy-to-use and reliable. Furthermore, they are not influenced by colours, which are frequently added to drug samples to deceive the existing tests. Previous work has mainly focussed on the detection of a single drug per analysis. However, many drugs could be encountered due to the diversity of the drug markets. Therefore, this project developed electrochemical strategies for the detection of multiple drugs simultaneously. First, the electrochemical behaviour of the individual drugs was studied in different measuring conditions (assessing the influence of pH, concentration and temperature). Then, all findings and strategies were combined to detect multiple targets simultaneously. An electrochemical sensor was developed for the four most popular drugs at music festivals: cocaine, MDMA, amphetamine and ketamine. This sensor generates a so-called ‘superfingerprint’ of the sample, which is then automatically interpreted by a developed algorithm in order to produce a straightforward output. Finally, a pill analysis sensor was developed in the context of drug checking services, where a consumer can anonymously have a sample chemically analysed to obtain information on the composition, dose and potentially harmful additives. The sensor achieved an outstanding accuracy in identifying the main component and provided the option to quantify, as well as an indication on the presence of other substances in the sample. The project’s findings demonstrate the potential for electrochemistry in illicit drug detection and provide a basis for the development of new sensors, targeting other drug combinations.  
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  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:203199 Serial 9029  
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Author Derks, K.; Youchaeva, M.; Van der Snickt, G.; Van der Stighelen, K.; Janssens, K. url  openurl
  Title Reconstructing Sweerts : practical insights into the historical dark halo technique based on paint reconstructions Type P1 Proceeding
  Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 259-271 T2 - Alla maniera : technical art history  
  Keywords (up) P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Art; Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS)  
  Abstract  
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  ISSN 978-90-429-5216-4 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:203062 Serial 9082  
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