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	Author	Borah, R.; Ninakanti, R.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmon resonance of gold and silver nanoparticle arrays in the Kretschmann (attenuated total reflectance) vs. direct incidence configuration			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Scientific reports	Abbreviated Journal	Sci Rep-Uk
	Volume	12	Issue	1	Pages	15738-19
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	While the behaviour of plasmonic solid thin films in the Kretschmann (also known as Attenuated Total Reflection, ATR) configuration is well-understood, the use of discrete nanoparticle arrays in this optical configuration is not thoroughly explored. It is important to do so, since close packed plasmonic nanoparticle arrays exhibit exceptionally strong light-matter interactions by plasmonic coupling. The present work elucidates the optical properties of plasmonic Au and Ag nanoparticle arrays in both the direct normal incidence and Kretschmann configuration by numerical models, that are validated experimentally. First, hexagonal close packed Au and Ag nanoparticle films/arrays are obtained by air–liquid interfacial assembly. The numerical models for the rigorous solution of the Maxwell’s equations are validated using experimental optical spectra of these films before systematically investigating various parameters. The individual far-field/near-field optical properties, as well as the plasmon relaxation mechanism of the nanoparticles, vary strongly as the packing density of the array increases. In the Kretschmann configuration, the evanescent fields arising from p – and s -polarized (or TM and TE polarized) incidence have different directional components. The local evanescent field intensity and direction depends on the polarization, angle of incidence and the wavelength of incidence. These factors in the Kretschmann configuration give rise to interesting far-field as well as near-field optical properties. Overall, it is shown that plasmonic nanoparticle arrays in the Kretschmann configuration facilitate strong broadband absorptance without transmission losses, and strong near-field enhancement. The results reported herein elucidate the optical properties of self-assembled nanoparticle films, pinpointing the ideal conditions under which the normal and the Kretschmann configuration can be exploited in multiple light-driven applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000858344700048	Publication Date	2022-09-21
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2045-2322	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	4.6	Times cited	11	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	R.B. acknowledges financial support from the University of Antwerp Special Research Fund (BOF) for a DOCPRO4 doctoral scholarship (Grant FN541100001).			Approved	Most recent IF: 4.6
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:190864			Serial	7194
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	Author	Ninakanti, R.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Peeters, H.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic hybrid nanostructures in photocatalysis : structures, mechanisms, and applications			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Topics in Current Chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	380	Issue	5	Pages	40-62
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	(Sun)Light is an abundantly available sustainable source of energy that has been used in catalyzing chemical reactions for several decades now. In particular, studies related to the interaction of light with plasmonic nanostructures have been receiving increased attention. These structures display the unique property of localized surface plasmon resonance, which converts light of a specific wavelength range into hot charge carriers, along with strong local electromagnetic fields, and/or heat, which may all enhance the reaction efficiency in their own way. These unique properties of plasmonic nanoparticles can be conveniently tuned by varying the metal type, size, shape, and dielectric environment, thus prompting a research focus on rationally designed plasmonic hybrid nanostructures. In this review, the term “hybrid” implies nanomaterials that consist of multiple plasmonic or non-plasmonic materials, forming complex configurations in the geometry and/or at the atomic level. We discuss the synthetic techniques and evolution of such hybrid plasmonic nanostructures giving rise to a wide variety of material and geometric configurations. Bimetallic alloys, which result in a new set of opto-physical parameters, are compared with core–shell configurations. For the latter, the use of metal, semiconductor, and polymer shells is reviewed. Also, more complex structures such as Janus and antenna reactor composites are discussed. This review further summarizes the studies exploiting plasmonic hybrids to elucidate the plasmonic-photocatalytic mechanism. Finally, we review the implementation of these plasmonic hybrids in different photocatalytic application domains such as H2 generation, CO2 reduction, water purification, air purification, and disinfection.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000839670500009	Publication Date	2022-08-11
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2364-8961	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:189825			Serial	7195
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	Author	Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Ninakanti, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Probing oxygen activation on plasmonic photocatalysts			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Frontiers in Chemistry	Abbreviated Journal	Front Chem
	Volume	10	Issue		Pages	988542-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	In this work we present an assay to probe the oxygen activation rate on plasmonic nanoparticles under visible light. Using a superoxide-specific XTT molecular probe, the oxygen activation rate on bimetallic gold-silver “rainbow” nanoparticles with a broadband visible light (> 420 nm) response, is determined at different light intensities by measuring its conversion into the colored XTT-formazan derivate. A kinetic model is applied to enable a quantitative estimation of the rate constant, and is shown to match almost perfectly with the experimental data. Next, the broadband visible light driven oxygen activation capacity of this plasmonic rainbow system, supported on nano-sized SiO 2 , is demonstrated towards the oxidation of aniline to azobenzene in DMSO. To conclude, a brief theoretical discussion is devoted to the possible mechanisms behind such plasmon-driven reactions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000860818400001	Publication Date	2022-09-12
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2296-2646	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	5.5	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 5.5
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:190868			Serial	7197
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	Author	Peeters, H.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Benchmarking the photocatalytic self-cleaning activity of industrial and experimental materials with ISO 27448:2009			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Materials	Abbreviated Journal	Materials
	Volume	16	Issue	3	Pages	1119-13
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Various industrial surface materials are tested for their photocatalytic self-cleaning activity by performing the ISO 27448:2009 method. The samples are pre-activated by UV irradiation, fouled with oleic acid and irradiated by UV light. The degradation of oleic acid over time is monitored by taking water contact angle measurements using a contact angle goniometer. The foulant, oleic acid, is an organic acid that makes the surface more hydrophobic. The water contact angle will thus decrease over time as the photocatalytic material degrades the oleic acid. In this study, we argue that the use of this method is strongly limited to specific types of surface materials, i.e., only those that are hydrophilic and smooth in nature. For more hydrophobic materials, the difference in the water contact angles of a clean surface and a fouled surface is not measurable. Therefore, the photocatalytic self-cleaning activity cannot be established experimentally. Another type of material that cannot be tested by this standard are rough surfaces. For rough surfaces, the water contact angle cannot be measured accurately using a contact angle goniometer as prescribed by the standard. Because of these limitations, many potentially interesting industrial substrates cannot be evaluated. Smooth samples that were treated with an in-house developed hydrophilic titania thin film (PCT/EP2018/079983) showed a great photocatalytic self-cleaning performance according to the ISO standard. Apart from discussing the pros and cons of the current ISO standard, we also stress how to carefully interpret the results and suggest alternative testing solutions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000930734100001	Publication Date	2023-01-30
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1996-1944	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	3.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 3.4; 2023 IF: 2.654
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:193337			Serial	7284
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	Author	Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Blommaerts, N.; Lenaerts, S.; Cool, P.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Recent trends in plasmon‐assisted photocatalytic CO₂ reduction			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Chemsuschem	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	16	Issue	5	Pages	e202201647-25
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Direct photocatalytic reduction of CO2 has become an highly active field of research. It is thus of utmost importance to maintain an overview of the various materials used to sustain this process, find common trends, and, in this way, eventually improve the current conversions and selectivities. In particular, CO2 photoreduction using plasmonic photocatalysts under solar light has gained tremendous attention, and a wide variety of materials has been developed to reduce CO2 towards more practical gases or liquid fuels (CH4, CO, CH3OH/CH3CH2OH) in this manner. This Review therefore aims at providing insights in current developments of photocatalysts consisting of only plasmonic nanoparticles and semiconductor materials. By classifying recent studies based on product selectivity, this Review aims to unravel common trends that can provide effective information on ways to improve the photoreduction yield or possible means to shift the selectivity towards desired products, thus generating new ideas for the way forward.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000926901300001	Publication Date	2023-01-10
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1864-5631	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 7.226
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:193633			Serial	7335
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	Author	Borah, R.; Ag, K.R.; Minja, A.C.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	A review on self‐assembly of colloidal nanoparticles into clusters, patterns, and films : emerging synthesis techniques and applications			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Small methods	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-32
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	The colloidal synthesis of functional nanoparticles has gained tremendous scientific attention in the last decades. In parallel to these advancements, another rapidly growing area is the self-assembly or self-organization of these colloidal nanoparticles. First, the organization of nanoparticles into ordered structures is important for obtaining functional interfaces that extend or even amplify the intrinsic properties of the constituting nanoparticles at a larger scale. The synthesis of large-scale interfaces using complex or intricately designed nanostructures as building blocks, requires highly controllable self-assembly techniques down to the nanoscale. In certain cases, for example, when dealing with plasmonic nanoparticles, the assembly of the nanoparticles further enhances their properties by coupling phenomena. In other cases, the process of self-assembly itself is useful in the final application such as in sensing and drug delivery, amongst others. In view of the growing importance of this field, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in the field of nanoparticle self-assembly and their applications. For clarity, the self-assembled nanostructures are classified into two broad categories: finite clusters/patterns, and infinite films. Different state-of-the-art techniques to obtain these nanostructures are discussed in detail, before discussing the applications where the self-assembly significantly enhances the performance of the process.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000940393200001	Publication Date	2023-03-01
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2366-9608	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	12.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 12.4; 2023 IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:194597			Serial	7336
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	Author	Volders, J.; Elen, K.; Raes, A.; Ninakanti, R.; Kelchtermans, A.-S.; Sastre, F.; Hardy, A.; Cool, P.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Buskens, P.; Van Bael, M.K.
	Title	Sunlight-powered reverse water gas shift reaction catalysed by plasmonic Au/TiO₂ nanocatalysts : effects of Au particle size on the activity and selectivity			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Nanomaterials	Abbreviated Journal	Nanomaterials-Basel
	Volume	12	Issue	23	Pages	4153-13
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	This study reports the low temperature and low pressure conversion (up to 160 °C, p = 3.5 bar) of CO2 and H2 to CO using plasmonic Au/TiO2 nanocatalysts and mildly concentrated artificial sunlight as the sole energy source (up to 13.9 kW·m-2 = 13.9 suns). To distinguish between photothermal and non-thermal contributors, we investigated the impact of the Au nanoparticle size and light intensity on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. A comparative study between P25 TiO2-supported Au nanocatalysts of a size of 6 nm and 16 nm displayed a 15 times higher activity for the smaller particles, which can only partially be attributed to the higher Au surface area. Other factors that may play a role are e.g., the electronic contact between Au and TiO2 and the ratio between plasmonic absorption and scattering. Both catalysts displayed ≥84% selectivity for CO (side product is CH4). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the catalytic activity of Au/TiO2 increases exponentially with increasing light intensity, which indicated the presence of a photothermal contributor. In dark, however, both Au/TiO2 catalysts solely produced CH4 at the same catalyst bed temperature (160 °C). We propose that the difference in selectivity is caused by the promotion of CO desorption through charge transfer of plasmon generated charges (as a non-thermal contributor).
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000896093900001	Publication Date	2022-11-24
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2079-4991	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	5.3	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 5.3
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:191843			Serial	7341
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	Author	Yildiz, A.; Chouki, T.; Atli, A.; Harb, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Ninakanti, R.; Emin, S.
	Title	Efficient iron phosphide catalyst as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	ACS applied energy materials	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	4	Issue	10	Pages	10618-10626
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Developing an efficient material as a counter electrode (CE) with excellent catalytic activity, intrinsic stability, and low cost is essential for the commercial application of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Transition metal phosphides have been demonstrated as outstanding multifunctional catalysts in a broad range of energy conversion technologies. Here, we exploited different phases of iron phosphide as CEs in DSSCs with an I–/I3–-based electrolyte. Solvothermal synthesis using a triphenylphosphine precursor as a phosphorus source allows to grow a Fe2P phase at 300 °C and a FeP phase at 350 °C. The obtained iron phosphide catalysts were coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates and heat-treated at 450 °C under an inert gas atmosphere. The solar-to-current conversion efficiency of the solar cells assembled with the Fe2P material reached 3.96 ± 0.06%, which is comparable to the device assembled with a platinum (Pt) CE. DFT calculations support the experimental observations and explain the fundamental origin behind the improved performance of Fe2P compared to FeP. These results indicate that the Fe2P catalyst exhibits excellent performance along with desired stability to be deployed as an efficient Pt-free alternative in DSSCs.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000711236300022	Publication Date	2021-10-08
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2574-0962	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:181953			Serial	7853
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	Author	Chinnabathini, V.C.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Abbas, I.; van der Tol, J.; Zarkua, Z.; D'Acapito, F.; Nguyen, T.H.T.; Lievens, P.; Grandjean, D.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Janssens, E.
	Title	Gas phase deposition of well-defined bimetallic gold-silver clusters for photocatalytic applications			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Nanoscale	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	15	Issue	14	Pages	6696-6708
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Cluster beam deposition is employed for fabricating well-defined bimetallic plasmonic photocatalysts to enhance their activity while facilitating a more fundamental understanding of their properties. AuxAg1-x clusters with compositions (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1) spanning the metals' miscibility range were produced in the gas-phase and soft-landed on TiO2 P25-coated silicon wafers with an optimal coverage of 4 atomic monolayer equivalents. Electron microscopy images show that at this coverage most clusters remain well dispersed whereas EXAFS data are in agreement with the finding that the deposited clusters have an average size of ca. 5 nm and feature the same composition as the ablated alloy targets. A composition-dependant electron transfer from Au to Ag that is likely to impart chemical stability to the bimetallic clusters and protect Ag atoms against oxidation is additionally evidenced by XPS and XANES. Under simulated solar light, AuxAg1-x clusters show a remarkable composition-dependent volcano-type enhancement of their photocatalytic activity towards degradation of stearic acid, a model compound for organic fouling on surfaces. The Formal Quantum Efficiency (FQE) is peaking at the Au0.3Ag0.7 composition with a value that is twice as high as that of the pristine TiO2 P25 under solar simulator. Under UV the FQE of all compositions remains similar to that of pristine TiO2. A classical electromagnetic simulation study confirms that among all compositions Au0.3Ag0.7 features the largest near-field enhancement in the wavelength range of maximal solar light intensity, as well as sufficient individual photon energy resulting in a better photocatalytic self-cleaning activity. This allows ascribing the mechanism for photocatalysis mostly to the plasmonic effect of the bimetallic clusters through direct electron injection and near-field enhancement from the resonant cluster towards the conduction band of TiO2. These results not only demonstrate the added value of using well-defined bimetallic nanocatalysts to enhance their photocatalytic activity but also highlights the potential of the cluster beam deposition to design tailored noble metal modified photocatalytic surfaces with controlled compositions and sizes without involving potentially hazardous chemical agents.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000968631100001	Publication Date	2023-03-15
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2040-3364; 2040-3372	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	6.7	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:196040			Serial	7988
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	Author	Van Hal, M.; Campos, R.; Lenaerts, S.; De Wael, K.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Gas phase photofuel cell consisting of WO₃- and TiO₂-photoanodes and an air-exposed cathode for simultaneous air purification and electricity generation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Applied Catalysis B-Environmental	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Catal B-Environ
	Volume	292	Issue		Pages	120204
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Research has shown the potential of photofuel cells (PFCs) for waste water treatment, enabling the (partial) recovery of the energy released from the degraded compounds as electricity. Literature on PFCs targeting air pollution on the other hand is extremely scarce. In this work an autonomously operating air purification device targeting sustainable electricity generation is presented. Knowledge on gas phase operation of PFCs was gathered by combining photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical measurements, both for TiO2 and WO3-based photocatalysts. While TiO2-based photocatalysts performed better in direct photocatalytic experiments, they were outperformed by WO3-based photoanodes in all-gas-phase PFC operation. Not only do WO3-based photocatalysts generate the highest steady state photocurrent, they also achieved the highest fuel-to-electricity conversion (>65 %). The discrepancies between gas phase photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical processes highlight the difference in driving material properties. This study serves as a proof-of-concept towards development of an autonomous, low-cost and widely applicable waste gas-to-electricity PFC device.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000663216500001	Publication Date	2021-04-06
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	9.446	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 9.446
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:177075			Serial	7989
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	Author	Mendonça, C.D.; Khan, S.U.; Rahemi, V.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Machado, S.A.S.; De Wael, K.
	Title	Surface plasmon resonance-induced visible light photocatalytic TiO₂ modified with AuNPs for the quantification of hydroquinone			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Electrochimica Acta	Abbreviated Journal	Electrochim Acta
	Volume	389	Issue		Pages	138734
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	The impregnation of size-controlled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on an anatase TiO2 structure (AuNPs@TiO2) was studied for the photoelectrochemical detection of hydroquinone (HQ) under visible light illumination integrated into a flow injection analysis (FIA) setup. The crystalline form of TiO2 was preserved during synthesis and the homogeneous distribution of AuNPs over the TiO2 structure was confirmed. Its photoelectrocatalytic activity was improved due to the presence of AuNPs, preventing charge recombination in TiO2 and improving its light absorption ability by the surface plasmon resonance effect (SPR). The FIA system was used in order to significantly reduce the electrode fouling during electroanalysis through periodic washing steps of the electrode surface. During the amperometric detection process, reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated by visible light illumination of AuNPs@TiO2, participate in the oxidation process of HQ. The reduction of the oxidized form of HQ, i.e. benzoquinone (BQ) occurs by applying a negative potential and the measurable amperometric response will be proportional to the initial HQ concentration. The influencing parameters on the response of the amperometric photocurrent such as applied potential, flow rate and pH were investigated. The linear correlation between the amperometric response and the concentration of HQ was recorded (range 0.0125 – 1.0 µM) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 33.8 nM and sensitivity of 0.22 A M−1 cm−2. In this study, we illustrated for the first time that the impregnation of AuNPs in TiO2 allows the sensitive detection of phenolic substances under green laser illumination by using a photoelectrochemical flow system.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000687283100018	Publication Date	2021-06-04
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0013-4686	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	4.798	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.798
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:178908			Serial	8626
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	Author	Dingenen, F.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Tapping hydrogen fuel from the ocean : a review on photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical and electrolytic splitting of seawater			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews	Abbreviated Journal	Renew Sust Energ Rev
	Volume	142	Issue		Pages	110866
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Direct splitting of earth-abundant seawater provides an eco-friendly route for the production of clean H2, but is hampered by selectivity and stability issues. Direct seawater electrolysis is the most established technology, attaining high current densities in the order of 1–2 A cm−2. Alternatively, light-driven processes such as photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical seawater splitting are particularly promising as well, as they rely on renewable solar power. Solar-to-Hydrogen efficiencies have increased over the past decade from negligible values to about 2%. Especially the absence of large local pH changes (in the order of several tenths of a pH unit compared to up to 9 pH units for electrolysis) is a strong asset for pure photocatalysis. This may lead to less adverse side-reactions such as Cl2 and ClO− formation, (acid or base induced) corrosion and scaling. Besides, additional requirements for electrolytic cells, e.g. membranes and electricity input, are not needed in pure photocatalysis systems. In this review, the state-of-the-art technologies in light-driven seawater splitting are compared to electrochemical approaches with a focus on sustainability and stability. Promising advances are identified at the level of the catalyst as well as the process, and insight is provided in solutions crossing different fields.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000632316600003	Publication Date	2021-03-03
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1364-0321; 1879-0690	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.05	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.05
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:175701			Serial	8642
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	Author	Kummamuru, N.B.; Watson, G.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Cool, P.; Van Der Voort, P.; Perreault, P.
	Title	Accelerated methane storage in clathrate hydrates using mesoporous (Organo-) silica materials			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Fuel	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	354	Issue		Pages	129403-129418
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Methane (CH4) clathrate hydrates have gained much attention in the ever-growing search for novel energy storage methods; however, they are currently limited due to their poor water-to-hydrate conversions and slow formation kinetics. To surmount these bottlenecks, significant research has been centered on the design of novel methods (porous media). In this vein, the present work explores two hydrophobic mesoporous solids, an alkyl-grafted mesoporous silica (SBA-15 C8) and a periodic mesoporous organosilica (Ring-PMO), in their ability to promote CH4 clathrates. Both materials have shown to facilitate CH4 clathrate formation at mild operating conditions (6 MPa and 269–276 K). The study revealed that the maximal CH4 storage capacities are strongly linked to the critical/optimal quantity of water in the system which was determined to be at 130% and 200% of the pore volume for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. Up to 90% and 95% of the maximum water-to-hydrate conversions were achieved in 90 min at the lowest experimental temperature and critical water content for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. At these conditions, SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO showed a maximum gas uptake of 98.2 and 101.2 mmol CH4/mol H2O, respectively. Both the materials exhibited no chemical or morphological changes post-clathrate formations (characterized using FT-IR, N2 sorption, XRD, and TEM), inferring their viability as clathrate promoters for multiple cycles. An integrated multistep model was considered adequate for representing the hydrate crystallization kinetics and fits well with the experimental kinetic data with a low average absolute deviation in water-to-hydrate conversions among the three distinct kinetic models analyzed. Overall, the results from this study demonstrate hydrophobic porous materials as effective promoters of CH4 clathrates, which could make clathrate-based CH4 storage and transport technology industrially viable.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001059413200001	Publication Date	2023-08-07
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0016-2361	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.4	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 07.02.2024
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.601
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:197987			Serial	8829
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Raes, A.; Ninakanti, R.; Van den Bergh, L.; Borah, R.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Black titania by sonochemistry : a critical evaluation of existing methods			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Ultrasonics sonochemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	100	Issue		Pages	106601-106609
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Theory and Spectroscopy of Molecules and Materials (TSM²); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
	Abstract	In the field of photocatalysis, the fabrication of black titania is a booming topic, as it offers a system with improved solar light harvesting properties and increased overall efficiency. The darkening of white TiO2 powders can be ascribed to surface hydroxylation, oxygen vacancies, Ti3+ centres, or a combination thereof. A handful of studies suggests these defects can be conveniently introduced by acoustic cavitation, generated during sonochemical treatment of pristine TiO2 powders. In reproducing these studies, P25 TiO2 samples were ultrasonicated for various hours with a power density of 8000 W/L, resulting in powders that indeed became gradually darker with increasing sonication time. However, HAADF–STEM revealed that extensive erosion of the sonotrode tip took place and contaminated the samples, which appeared to be the primary reason for the observed colour change. This was confirmed by UV–Vis DRS and DRIFTS, that showed no significant alteration of the catalyst surface after sonication. EPR measurements showed that only an insignificant fraction of Ti3+ centres were produced, far less than in a TiO2 sample that was chemically reduced with NaBH4. No evidence of the presence oxygen vacancies could be found. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of ultrasonicated materials reported in literature can therefore not be ascribed to the synthesis of actual black (defected) TiO2, but rather to specific changes in morphology as a result of acoustic cavitation. Also, this study underlines the importance of considering probe erosion in sonochemical catalyst synthesis, which is an unavoidable side effect that can have an important impact on the catalyst appearance, properties and performance.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001084391500001	Publication Date	2023-09-15
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1350-4177	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	8.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 4.218
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:198848			Serial	8838
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	Author	Verbruggen, S.W.; Mul, G.
	Title	Editorial overview : photocatalysis 2022 shining light on a diversity of research opportunities			Type	Editorial
	Year	2023	Publication	Current opinion in green and sustainable chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	42	Issue		Pages	100838-2
	Keywords	Editorial; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001034184800001	Publication Date	2023-06-03
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2452-2236	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	9.3	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 9.3; 2023 IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:197220			Serial	8854
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	Author	Ag, K.R.; Minja, A.C.; Ninakanti, R.; Van Hal, M.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Impact of soot deposits on waste gas-to-electricity conversion in a TiO₂/WO₃-based photofuel cell			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Chemical engineering journal	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	470	Issue		Pages	144390-13
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	An unbiased photo-fuel cell (PFC) is a device that integrates the functions of a photoanode and a cathode to achieve simultaneous light-driven oxidation and dark reduction reactions. As such, it generates electricity while degrading pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The photoanode is excited by light to generate electron-hole pairs, which give rise to a photocurrent, and are utilized to oxidise organic pollutants simultaneously. Here we have systematically studied various TiO2/WO3 photoanodes towards their photocatalytic soot degradation performance, PFC performance in the presence of VOCs, and the combination of both. The latter thus mimics an urban environment where VOCs and soot are present simultaneously. The formation of a type-II heterojunction after the addition of a thin TiO2 top layer over a dense WO3 bottom layer, improved both soot oxidation efficiency as well as photocurrent generation, thus paving the way towards low-cost PFC technology for energy recovery from real polluted air.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001030456200001	Publication Date	2023-06-25
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1385-8947; 1873-3212	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	15.1	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 29.12.2023
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:197222			Serial	8882
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	Author	Van Hoecke, L.; Kummamuru, N.B.; Pourfallah, H.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Perreault, P.
	Title	Intensified swirling reactor for the dehydrogenation of LOHC			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	International journal of hydrogen energy	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-13
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	In the recent advances towards more sustainable global energy supply, H2 is a possible alternative for large scale energy storage. In this view, Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) are a class of molecules that allow for easier long term energy storage compared to conventional H2 technologies. CFD simulations were used to showcase the hydrodynamics of the dehydrogenation of a LOHC in a new reactor unit, via a cold flow mock-up study. This reactor was designed to allow for a swirling motion of the liquid carrier material, favouring the removal of H2 gas from the flow and forcing the equilibrium of the reaction towards dehydrogenation, as well as to keep the catalyst particles in motion. The CFD simulations were validated qualitatively with experimental operation of the reactor, in a system with identical dimensionless numbers (Reynolds and Stokes), in order to use less costly products during the prototyping phase.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001139598200001	Publication Date	2023-08-30
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0360-3199	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	7.2	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 01.03.2024
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 7.2; 2023 IF: 3.582
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:198534			Serial	8889
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	Author	Zhang, K.; Wang, J.; Ninakanti, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 with tunable surface area, crystal size and surface hydroxylation for efficient photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Chemical engineering journal	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	474	Issue		Pages	145188-14
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation exhibits satisfactory performance only at relatively low acetaldehyde flow rates, predominately below 10 × 10-3 mL/min, leaving ample room for improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare more efficient photocatalysts for acetaldehyde degradation. Moreover, the impact of the interaction strength between the titania surface and surface water on the photocatalytic acetaldehyde efficiency is poorly understood. To address these issues, in this work a series of (0 0 1)-faceted anatase titania samples with various surface properties and structures were synthesized via a solvothermal method and tested at high acetaldehyde flow rates under UV light irradiation. With increasing solvothermal time, the pore volume, surface area, and the abundance of surface OH groups all increased, while the crystallite size decreased. These were all identified to be beneficial to promote the degradation performance. When the solvothermal temperature was 180 ℃ and the reaction time was 5 h, the prepared sample displayed the most efficient performance at 19.25× 10-3 mL/min of acetaldehyde (conversion of (74 ± 1)% versus (29 ± 1)% for P25), and achieved a 100 % conversion at 16 × 10-3 mL/min. A weaker interaction strength between surface water and the titania surface was found to improve the acetaldehyde adsorption capacity, thereby promoting the acetaldehyde degradation efficiency. The stability of the best performing sample was tested over 48 h, demonstrating a highly stable performance with no signs of deactivation. Even at a relative humidity of 30 %, the acetaldehyde conversion retains 82% of its efficiency in a dry atmosphere, highlighting its potential in practical applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2023-08-05
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1385-8947; 1873-3212	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor	15.1	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 06.02.2024
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:198652			Serial	8933
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Watson, G.; Kummamuru, N.B.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Perreault, P.; Houlleberghs, M.; Martens, J.; Breynaert, E.; Van Der Voort, P.
	Title	Engineering of hollow periodic mesoporous organosilica nanorods for augmented hydrogen clathrate formation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	11	Issue	47	Pages	26265-26276
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Hydrogen (H2) storage, in the form of clathrate hydrates, has emerged as an attractive alternative to classical storage methods like compression or liquefaction. Nevertheless, the sluggish enclathration kinetics along with low gas storage capacities in bulk systems is currently impeding the progress of this technology. To this end, unstirred systems coupled with porous materials have been shown to tackle the aforementioned drawbacks. In line with this approach, the present study explores the use of hydrophobic periodic organosilica nanoparticles, later denoted as hollow ring-PMO (HRPMO), for H2 storage as clathrate hydrates under mild operating conditions (5.56 mol% THF, 7 MPa, and 265–273 K). The surface of the HRPMO nanoparticles was carefully decorated/functionalized with THF-like moieties, which are well-known promoter agents in clathrate formation when applied in classical, homogeneous systems. The study showed that, while the non-functionalized HRPMO can facilitate the formation of binary H2-THF clathrates, the incorporation of surface-bound promotor structures enhances this process. More intriguingly, tuning the concentration of these surface-bound promotor agents on the HRPMO led to a notable effect on solid-state H2 storage capacities. An increase of 3% in H2 storage capacity, equivalent to 0.26 wt%, along with a substantial increase of up to 28% in clathrate growth kinetics, was observed when an optimal loading of 0.14 mmol g−1 of promoter agent was integrated into the HRPMO framework. Overall, the findings from this study highlight that such tuning effects in the solid-state have the potential to significantly boost hydrate formation/growth kinetics and H2 storage capacities, thereby opening new avenues for the ongoing development of H2 clathrates in industrial applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001108752600001	Publication Date	2023-11-24
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2050-7488; 2050-7496	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	no
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:201007			Serial	9031
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Peeters, H.; Raes, A.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic photocatalytic coatings with self-cleaning, antibacterial, air and water purifying properties tested according to ISO standards			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Journal of photochemistry and photobiology: A: chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	451	Issue		Pages	115529-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	ISO 10678:2010, ISO 22197–1 and 2, ISO 27447:2019 and ISO 27448:2009 for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes (methylene blue), air pollution (NOx and acetaldehyde), bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) and solid organic fouling (oleic acid) are performed on plasmon-embedded TiO2 thin films on Borofloat® glass, as well as the commercially available titania-based self-cleaning glass PilkingtonActivTM. These standardised protocols measure the performance for the four main applications of photocatalytic materials: water purification, air purification, antibacterial and self-cleaning activity, respectively. The standards are performed exactly as prescribed to measure the activity under UV irradiation, and also in a slightly adapted manner to measure the performance under simulated solar light or visible light. Performing experiments according to ISO standards, enables an objective comparison amongst samples tested here, as well as with results from literature. This is a major asset compared to the myriad of customised setups used in laboratories worldwide that hinder a fair comparison. We point at the importance of meticulously following the ISO instructions, as we have noticed that multiple published studies adopting the ISO standards too often deviate from these protocols, thereby nullifying the added value of standardized testing. Following the ISO tests to the letter, we have demonstrated the superior performance of a previously developed plasmonic titania coating with fully embedded gold-silver nanoparticles towards all four application areas. Furthermore, our empirical data strongly support the need for a nuanced understanding of standardized testing, to ensure accurate assessment of photocatalytic materials. An examination of the ISO standards used in this work reveals notable drawbacks, including concerns about the reliability of the methylene blue degradation protocol, the issues of HNO3 accumulation in the NOx removal test, and limitations in assessing antibacterial activity and water contact angles.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-02-15
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1010-6030	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	no
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203203			Serial	9075
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	Author	Minja, A.C.; Ag, K.R.; Raes, A.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Recent progress in developing non-noble metal-based photocathodes for solar green hydrogen production			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	43	Issue		Pages	101000
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Photocathodes play a vital role in photoelectrocatalytic water splitting by acting as catalysts for reducing protons to hydrogen gas when exposed to light. Recent advancements in photocathodes have focused on addressing the limitations of noble metal-based materials. These noble metal-based photocathodes rely on expensive and scarce metals such as platinum and gold as cocatalysts or ohmic back contacts, respectively, rendering the final system less sustainable and costly when applied at scale. This mini-review summarizes the important recent progress in the development of non-noble metal-based photocathodes and their performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction during photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. These advancements bring non-noble metal-based photocathodes closer to their noble metal-based counterparts in terms of performance, thereby paving the way forward toward industrial-scale photoelectrolyzers or PEC cells for green hydrogen production.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-01-20
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2211-3398	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	no
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202625			Serial	9080
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Verbruggen, S.W.; Keulemans, M.; Goris, B.; Blommaerts, N.; Bals, S.; Martens, J.A.; Lenaerts, S.
	Title	Plasmonic ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst with broadband solar light response for environmental applications			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2016	Publication	Applied catalysis : B : environmental	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Catal B-Environ
	Volume	188	Issue	188	Pages	147-153
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	We propose the concept of a ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst that consists of TiO2 modified with gold-silver alloy nanoparticles of various sizes and compositions, resulting in a broad plasmon absorption band that covers the entire UV–vis range of the solar spectrum. It is demonstrated that this plasmonic ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst is 16% more effective than TiO2 P25 under both simulated and real solar light for pollutant degradation at the solid-gas interface. With this we provide a promising strategy to maximize the spectral response for solar to chemical energy conversion.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000372677500016	Publication Date	2016-02-03
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	9.446	Times cited	47	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	S.W.V. and B.G. acknowledge the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO) for a postdoctoral fellowship. M.K. acknowledges IWT for the doctoral scholarship. S.B. acknowledges the European Research Council (ERC) for financial support through the ERC grant agreement no. 335078-COLOURATOM. J.A.M. acknowledges the Flemish government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot);			Approved	Most recent IF: 9.446
	Call Number	c:irua:130995			Serial	4061
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	Author	Asapu, R.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Denys, S.; Detavernier, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Silver-polymer core-shell nanoparticles for ultrastable plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	Applied catalysis : B : environmental	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Catal B-Environ
	Volume	200	Issue	200	Pages	31-38
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Affordable silver-polymer core-shell nanoparticles are prepared using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The metallic silver core is encapsulated with an ultra-thin protective shell that prevents oxidation and clustering without compromising the plasmonic properties. The core-shell nanoparticles retain their plasmonic near field enhancement effect, as studied from finite element numerical simulations. Control over the shell thickness up to the sub-nanometer level is there for key. The particles are used to prepare a plasmonic Ag-TiO2 photocatalyst of which the gas phase photocatalytic activity is monitored over a period of four months. The described system outperforms pristine TiO2 and retains its plasmonic enhancement in contrast to TiO2 modified with bare silver nanoparticles. With this an important step is made toward the development of long-term stable plasmonic (photocatalytic) applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000384775600004	Publication Date	2016-06-28
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	9.446	Times cited	45	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	CD, SL and SWV acknowledge the Research Foundation − Flanders (FWO) for financial support. CD further acknowledges BOF-UGent (GOA 01G01513) and the Hercules Foundation (AUGE/09/014). SB acknowledges the European Research Council for the ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOM.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot);			Approved	Most recent IF: 9.446
	Call Number	c:irua:134384 c:irua:134384UA @ admin @ c:irua:134384			Serial	4104
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	Author	Blommaerts, N.; Asapu, R.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Gas phase photocatalytic spiral reactor for fast and efficient pollutant degradation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	Chemical engineering journal	Abbreviated Journal	Chem Eng J
	Volume	316	Issue	316	Pages	850-856
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Photocatalytic reactors for the degradation of gaseous organic pollutants often suffer from major limitations such as small reaction area, sub-optimal irradiation conditions and thus limited reaction rate. In this work, an alternative solution is presented that involves a glass tube coated on the inside with (silvermodified) TiO2 and spiraled around a UVA lamp. First, the spiral reactor is coated from the inside with TiO2 using an experimentally verified procedure that is optimized toward UV light transmission. This procedure is kept as simple as possible and involves a single casting step of a 1 wt% suspension of TiO2 in ethanol through the spiral. This results in a coated tube that absorbs nearly all incident UV light under the experimental conditions used. The optimized coated spiral reactor is then benchmarked to a conventional annular photoreactor of the same outer dimensions and total catalyst loading over a broad range of experimental conditions. Although residence time distribution experiments indicate slightly longer dwelling of molecules in the spiral reactor, no significant difference in by-passing of gas between the spiral reactor and the annular reactor can be claimed. Acetaldehyde degradation efficiency of 100% is obtained with the spiral reactor for a residence time as low as 60 s, whereas the annular reactor could not achieve full degradation even at 1000 s residence time. In a final case study, addition of long-term stable silver nanoparticles, protected by an ultra-thin polymer shell applied via the layer-by-layer (LbL) method, to the spiral reactor coating is shown to double the degradation efficiency and provides an interesting strategy to cope with higher pollutant concentrations without changing the overall dimensions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000398985200089	Publication Date	2017-02-08
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1385-8947	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	6.216	Times cited	30	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	N.B. wishes to thank the University of Antwerp – Belgium for financial support. N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078- COLOURATOM). S.W.V. acknowledges the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for a postdoctoral fellowship. (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara			Approved	Most recent IF: 6.216
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:140925UA @ admin @ c:irua:140925			Serial	4481
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Asapu, R.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Claes, N.; Blommaerts, N.; Minjauw, M.; Ahmad, T.; Dendooven, J.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Denys, S.; Detavernier, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic Near-Field Localization of Silver Core–Shell Nanoparticle Assemblies via Wet Chemistry Nanogap Engineering			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	ACS applied materials and interfaces	Abbreviated Journal	Acs Appl Mater Inter
	Volume	9	Issue	9	Pages	41577-41585
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Silver nanoparticles are widely used in the field of plasmonics because of their unique optical properties. The wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance gives rise to a strongly enhanced electromagnetic field, especially at so-called hot spots located in the nanogap in-between metal nanoparticle assemblies. Therefore, the interparticle distance is a decisive factor in plasmonic applications, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this study, the aim is to engineer this interparticle distance for silver nanospheres using a convenient wet-chemical approach and to predict and quantify the corresponding enhancement factor using both theoretical and experimental tools. This was done by building a tunable ultrathin polymer shell around the nanoparticles using the layer-by-layer method, in which the polymer shell acts as the separating interparticle spacer layer. Comparison of different theoretical approaches and corroborating the results with SERS analytical experiments using silver and silver−polymer core−shell nanoparticle clusters as SERS substrates was also done. Herewith, an approach is provided to estimate the extent of plasmonic near-field enhancement both theoretically as well as experimentally.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000417005900057	Publication Date	2017-11-29
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1944-8244	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.504	Times cited	29	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	financial support through a research fellowship. C.D. wishes to thank the Hercules foundation for the financial support (SPINAL). P.C. and R.-G.C. acknowledge financial support by FWO Vlaanderen (project no. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078-COLOURATOM). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara;			Approved	Most recent IF: 7.504
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147243			Serial	4804
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Claes, N.; Asapu, R.; Blommaerts, N.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.
	Title	Characterization of silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles using electron microscopy			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2018	Publication	Nanoscale	Abbreviated Journal	Nanoscale
	Volume	10	Issue	10	Pages	9186-9191
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles show interesting optical properties, making them widely applicable in the field of plasmonics. The uniformity, thickness and homogeneity of the polymer shell will affect the properties of the system which makes a thorough structural characterization of these core–shell silver-polymer nanoparticles of great importance. However, visualizing the shell and the particle simultaneously is far from straightforward due to the sensitivity of the polymer shell towards the electron beam. In this study, we use different 2D and 3D electron microscopy techniques to investigate different structural aspects of the polymer coating.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000437007700028	Publication Date	2018-04-16
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2040-3364	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.367	Times cited	11	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	N. C. and S. B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the FWO through project funding (G038116N). R. A. and S. L. acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for financial support. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara			Approved	Most recent IF: 7.367
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:151290UA @ admin @ c:irua:151290			Serial	4959
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	Author	Asapu, R.; Claes, N.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Minjauw, M.; Detavernier, C.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Electron Transfer and Near-Field Mechanisms in Plasmonic Gold-Nanoparticle-Modified TiO₂Photocatalytic Systems			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2019	Publication	ACS applied nano materials	Abbreviated Journal	ACS Appl. Nano Mater.
	Volume	2	Issue	2	Pages	4067-4074
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	The major mechanism responsible for plasmonic enhancement of titanium dioxide photocatalysis using gold nanoparticles is still under contention. This work introduces an experimental strategy to disentangle the significance of the charge transfer and near-field mechanisms in plasmonic photocatalysis. By controlling the thickness and conductive nature of a nanoparticle shell that acts as a spacer layer separating the plasmonic metal core from the TiO2 surface, field enhancement or charge transfer effects can be selectively repressed or evoked. Layer-by-layer and in situ polymerization methods are used to synthesize gold core–polymer shell nanoparticles with shell thickness control up to the sub-nanometer level. Detailed optical and electrical characterization supported by near-field simulation models corroborate the trends in photocatalytic activity of the different systems. This approach mainly points at an important contribution of the enhanced near field.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000477917700006	Publication Date	2019-05-31
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2574-0970	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor		Times cited	32	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	This work was supported by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). P.C. and R-G.C. acknowledge financial support from FWO (Project No. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant No. 335078-COLOURATOM).			Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:160579			Serial	5184
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	Author	Blommaerts, N.; Vanrompay, H.; Nuti, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Unraveling Structural Information of Turkevich Synthesized Plasmonic Gold-Silver Bimetallic Nanoparticles			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2019	Publication	Small	Abbreviated Journal	Small
	Volume	15	Issue	15	Pages	1902791
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	For the synthesis of gold-silver bimetallic nanoparticles, the Turkevich method has been the state-of-the-art method for several decades. It has been presumed that this procedure results in a homogeneous alloy, although this has been debatable for many years. In this work, it is shown that neither a full alloy, nor a perfect core-shell particle is formed but rather a core-shell-like particle with altering metal composition along the radial direction. In-depth wet-chemical experiments are performed in combination with advanced transmission electron microscopy, including EDX tomography, and Finite Element Method modeling to support the observations. From the electron tomography results, the core-shell structure could be clearly visualized and the spatial distribution of gold and silver atoms could be quantified. Theoretical simulations are performed to demonstrate that even though UV-Vis spectra show only one plasmon band, this still originates from core-shell type structures. The simulations also indicate that the core-shell morphology does not so much affect the location of the plasmon band, but mainly results in significant band broadening. Wet-chemistry experiments provide the evidence that the synthesis pathway starts with gold enriched alloy cores, and later on in the synthesis mainly silver is incorporated to end up with a silver enriched alloy shell.
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	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000482637100001	Publication Date	2019-08-25
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1613-6810	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.643	Times cited	26	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	Universiteit Antwerpen; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1S32617N G.0369.15N G.0381.16N ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 8.643
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:161636			Serial	5290
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	Author	Peeters, H.; Keulemans, M.; Nuyts, G.; Vanmeert, F.; Li, C.; Minjauw, M.; Detavernier, C.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic gold-embedded TiO2 thin films as photocatalytic self-cleaning coatings			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2020	Publication	Applied Catalysis B-Environmental	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Catal B-Environ
	Volume	267	Issue	267	Pages	118654
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Transparent photocatalytic TiO2 thin films hold great potential in the development of self-cleaning glass sur- faces, but suffer from a poor visible light response that hinders the application under actual sunlight. To alleviate this problem, the photocatalytic film can be modified with plasmonic nanoparticles that interact very effectively with visible light. Since the plasmonic effect is strongly concentrated in the near surroundings of the nano- particle surface, an approach is presented to embed the plasmonic nanostructures in the TiO2 matrix itself, rather than deposit them loosely on the surface. This way the interaction interface is maximised and the plasmonic effect can be fully exploited. In this study, pre-fabricated gold nanoparticles are made compatible with the organic medium of a TiO2 sol-gel coating suspension, resulting in a one-pot coating suspension. After spin coating, homogeneous, smooth, highly transparent and photoactive gold-embedded anatase thin films are ob- tained.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000518865300002	Publication Date	2020-01-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	22.1	Times cited	57	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	H.P. is grateful to the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for an aspirant PhD scholarship.			Approved	Most recent IF: 22.1; 2020 IF: 9.446
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:165616			Serial	5446
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	Author	Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Silver–Gold Bimetallic Alloy versus Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Implications for Plasmonic Enhancement and Photothermal Applications			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2020	Publication	Journal Of Physical Chemistry C	Abbreviated Journal	J Phys Chem C
	Volume		Issue		Pages	acs.jpcc.0c02630
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Bimetallic plasmonic nanoparticles enable tuning of the optical response and chemical stability by variation of the composition. The present numerical simulation study compares Ag–Au alloy, Ag@Au core–shell, and Au@Ag core–shell bimetallic plasmonic nanoparticles of both spherical and anisotropic (nanotriangle and nanorods) shapes. By studying both spherical and anisotropic (with LSPR in the near-infrared region) shapes, cases with and without interband transitions of Au can be decoupled. Explicit comparisons are facilitated by numerical models supported by careful validation and examination of optical constants of Au–Ag alloys reported in the literature. Although both Au–Ag core–shell and alloy nanoparticles exhibit an intermediary optical response between that of pure Ag and Au nanoparticles, there are noticeable differences in the spectral characteristics. Also, the effect of the bimetallic constitution in anisotropic nanoparticles is starkly different from that in spherical nanoparticles due to the absence of Au interband transitions in the former case. In general, the improved chemical stability of Ag nanoparticles by incorporation of Au comes with a cost of reduction in plasmonic enhancement, also applicable to anisotropic nanoparticles with a weaker effect. A photothermal heat transfer study confirms that increased absorption by the incorporation of Au in spherical Ag nanoparticles also results in an increased steady-state temperature. On the other hand, anisotropic nanoparticles are inherently better absorbers and hence better photothermal sources, and their photothermal properties are apparently not strongly affected by the incorporation of one metal in the other. This study of the optical/spectral and photothermal characteristics of bimetallic Au–Ag alloy versus core–shell nanoparticles provides detailed physical insight for development of new taylor-made plasmonic nanostructures.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000538758700039	Publication Date	2020-05-19
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1932-7447	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	3.7	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes	Universiteit Antwerpen, DOCPRO4 Rituraj Borah ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 3.7; 2020 IF: 4.536
	Call Number	DuEL @ duel @c:irua:169223			Serial	6367
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