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Shaw, P. |
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Dual action of reactive species as signal and stress agents in plasma medicine : combined computational and experimental research |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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191 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Center for Oncological Research (CORE) |
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Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) generated by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) can activate discrete signaling transduction pathways or disrupt redox cellular homeostasis, depending on their concentration. This makes that CAP possesses therapeutic potential towards wound healing, cancer, and other diseases. In order to effectively use CAP in the clinic, a clear understanding of the interaction of RONS with biomolecules (lipids, proteins and nucleic acids) from the atomic to the macro scale, and their biological significance, is needed. In this work, I have therefore studied the dual role of CAP-derived RONS, i.e., (i) in the signaling pathways involved in wound healing, and (ii) in their reaction with biomolecules to cause oxidation-mediated damage. I performed computer simulations to provide fundamental insight about the occurring processes that are difficult or even impossible to obtain experimentally. Furthermore, next to computational studies, I used both 2D and 3D tissue cultures. 3D model allows proliferation in a more physiologically relevant geometry that stimulates the production of extracellular matrix proteins. I investigated the treatment of human gingival fibroblasts with low doses of CAP-generated RONS. This treatment demonstrated that it can inhibit colony formation but does not induce cell death, induce the expression of metalloprotease proteins, induce extracellular matrix degradation, and promote cell migration, which could result in enhanced wound healing. In contrast, at high concentrations, RONS can disrupt the cell membrane integrity and induce cancer cell death through oxidative stress-mediated pathways. I discovered how oxidation of the cell membrane (lipid-peroxidation) can facilitate the access of a drug (Melittin) into cancer cells, and in this way, reduce the required therapeutic dose of Melittin in melanoma and breast cancer cells (demonstrated using in vitro, in ovo and in silico approaches). Furthermore, I studied how excessive lipid-oxidation in chemoresistant pancreatic cancer cells promotes ferroptotic cell death. This was due to the stimulation of the iron-dependent Fenton reaction by targeting a redox specific signaling network. However, upon oxidative stress, cells protect themselves via a sophisticated intracellular antioxidant system that involves the regulation of glutathione/glutathione peroxidase 4 (lipid repair enzyme). Cancer cells exhibited increased levels of intracellular RONS due to their hyper metabolism, leading to high expression of anti-oxidant systems. I therefore focus on the effect of reactive species on the intracellular anti-oxidant system and corresponding DNA damages in both temozolomide-sensitive as well as temozolomide-resistant glioblastoma spheroids, in a 3-dimensional tumor model with a more complex tumor microenvironment than cell monolayers. |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:183751 |
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7828 |
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Cui, Z. |
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Experimental and theoretical study on SF6 degradation by packed-bed DBD plasma |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
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Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), as a man-made gas, is widely used in power industry, semiconductor industry and metal-processing industry. However, SF6 is a greenhouse gas and its global warming potential is 23500 times that of CO2. Besides, SF6 is very stable, with a lifetime in the atmosphere for more than one thousand years. Under natural conditions, only the ultraviolet light can make it slowly decomposed. Thus, the emission of SF6 has a great threat to the environment. In recent years, with the development of our national economy, the use of SF6 increased dramatically. And 90% of the SF6 emissions come from the power industry. In the meantime, the emission of SF6 exists a ‘hysteresis effect’, as many of the SF6-gas insulation equipment will retire in next decades, the emission of SF6 may increase sharply, and this may put great pressure on the environment. Therefore, it’s necessary to make efforts in controlling and treating the SF6 emission. Among the SF6 abatement technologies, the non-thermal plasma(NTP) represented by the dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) can effectively degrade SF6 and is suitable for large-scale industry applications. However, its energy efficiency still gets room for improvement and this kind of method has a defect that it’s hard to regulate the degradation by-products. Therefore, this paper proposed the combination of the packed bed reactor and the DBD technology to form a packed DBD discharge system for SF6 degradation, so that to further improve the energy efficiency and regulate the selectivity of by-products. By experiment and simulation research, the following innovations have been achieved: (1) Based on the packed bed DBD platform, the power parameter and gas-phase parameters of SF6 degradation were studied. It was found that the discharge process was significantly enhanced with the addition of packing particles, and the discharge energy efficiency was improved. The increase of input voltage can obviously increase the degradation rate, but reduces the energy efficiency. The increase of SF6 initial concentration and gas flow rate can improve the energy efficiency, but reduce the degradation rate. Therefore, both degradation rate and energy efficiency should be considered in deciding basic experimental conditions. (2) Active gases, such as O2, H2O and NH3, could effectively promote the degradation rate of SF6, and changed the product selectivity. In our packed bed DBD system, O2 and H2O have the optimal concentration conditions, which are 2% and 1%, respectively. The addition of O2 can promote the generation of S-O-F products, and inhibit the selectivity of SO2, while the addition of H2O had the opposite effects. In addition, the synergistic degradation of NH3 and SF6 will produce solid products, such as NH3HF, NH4HF2 and elemental S. For gaseous products, the increase of NH3 will lead to the generation of SO2 in the final degradation products and inhibit the generation of S-O-F products. (3) Different kinds of packing materials have great impacts on the degradation system in the discharge parameters, degradation rate and energy efficiency, as well as the products distribution. In the experiment, we compared the degradation results in three systems: glass beads packing, γ-Al2O3 packing and no-packing system. The packing of glass beads effectively improved the discharge voltage amplitude and discharge power, while had a limited effect on the equivalent capacitance of the dielectric. Besides, γ-Al2O3 packing had little effect on voltage amplitude, but obviously increased the equivalent capacitance of the dielectric. Furthermore, the degradation rate and energy efficiency in γ-Al2O3 system was higher than that of glass bead system. For products selectivity, γ-Al2O3 system was more desirable, where S-O-F type of product selectivity was suppressed and the SO2 selectivity increased significantly. By contrast, the glass beads system hardly affected the product selectivity. This results are presumably due to the relatively high dielectric constant of γ-Al2O3 particles and γ-Al2O3 itself may act as a reactant or a catalyst participating in the degradation reactions. (4) The size and status of the packing particles also have significant effects on the degradation process. The systems packed with 1, 2 and 4mm γ-Al2O3 particles for SF6 degradation were compared, and the 2mm system had the best performance, which may because the 2mm system had a good balance between the active contact area and the gas residence time. In addition, the packing pellets suffered from a hydration process slightly reduced the discharge parameters in the γ-Al2O3 packing system and significantly reduced the degradation rate was, which may because the H2O molecules pre-occupied the active sites on the γ-Al2O3 surface and reduced the discharge process. (5) Based on density functional theory (DFT), the degradation process of SF6 in the packed bed DBD system was studied at atomic scale. It was found that the SF6 can occur a physical adsorption at AlⅢ active sites on γ-Al2O3 surface. The activation barrier for the first degradation step of SF6 on γ-Al2O3 surface is much lower than in gas phase, which proved that the SF6 molecule is activated on the γ-Al2O3 surface. In addition, the plasma may affect the γ-Al2O3 surface to generate excess electrons or external electric fields. This two effects can change the adsorbed SF6 molecules from physical adsorption to chemisorption, together with an obvious stretching of S-F bonds, indicating that the plasma surface effects prmote the activation and decomposition of SF6 molecules. Furthermore, the stepwise degradation process of SF6 on γ-Al2O3 surface were investigated. The influence of radicals produced by plasma on the degradation process was analyzed. It was found that via Eley–Rideal (ER) reactions, high-energy radicals could effectively reduce the activation barriers and promote the surface reactions. Finally, the degradation mechanism of SF6 molecules in the packed bed plasma system was summarized, which may provide a theoretical basis for the study of harmless degradation of SF6. Keywords: SF6; Packed Bed DBD; Discharge Parameters; Products Analysis; Degradation Mechanism |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:180819 |
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7946 |
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Gielis, J.; Shi, P.; Beirinckx, B.; Caratelli, D.; Ricci, P.E. |
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Lamé-Gielis curves in biology and geometry |
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P3 Proceeding |
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2021 |
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P3 Proceeding; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:178828 |
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8145 |
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Zhu, W. |
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Microbial resource management for mainstream partial nitritation/anammox : strategies to enhance the nitrogen conversion efficiency |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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207 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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This thesis provides three potential ways to enhance the nitrogen removal efficiency of mainstream partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A), a key technology to enable energy-positive sewage treatment. In Chapter 1, the typical technologies to promote nitrogen removal efficiency are summarized. In Chapters 2 and 3, the concept ‘winter bioaugmentation with stored summer surplus sludge’ is proposed. Applying that, a cost-effective sludge preservation strategy is required. Preserving PN/A biomass without cooling and redox adjustment proved to be the cost-effective strategy. The reactivation of these stored sludges was also tested in low-temperature systems (15 and 10℃). Respectively 56% and 41% of granules activity compared to pre-storage activity (after Arrhenius-based temperature correction) could be recovered within a month (41% and 32% for flocs activity). In the end, the stored AnAOB bioaugmentation was successfully validated in the lab (20℃). In Chapter 4, a return-sludge nursery concept, applying the sidestream nitritation and blending the resulting effluent with mainstream effluent to achieve an intermediate temperature and nitrogen concentrations, is proposed. That led to a 33 – 36% increase in nitrogen removal efficiency. Arrhenius’ expectations (10 ℃ higher temperature, θ = 1.09) could only explain 49-51% of the activity increase in the nursery reactor, pointing to the role of other factors, e.g., the ~400% elevated electrical conductivity (15-16%), the 56-335% higher effluent nitrogen concentrations (12-14%), and the synergy and unknown factors (20-23%). Thus, the return-sludge biostimulation approach could also enhance nitrogen efficiency in the mainstream. In Chapter 5, the N2O emissions, linked to three typical nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) suppression strategies (low dissolved oxygen (DO) level, free ammonia (FA), and free nitrous acids (FNA) treatments) were tested in a biofilm system. A low emerged DO level (~0.60 mg O2 L-1) was effective to suppress NOB activity and decrease N2O emissions, but NOB adaptation gradually appeared after 200 days. Further NOB inhibition was successfully achieved by periodical (3 hours per week) FA (~30 mg NH3-N L-1) or FNA (~3 mg HNO2-N L-1) treatments. The FA treatment promoted N2O production, while the FNA treatment had no effect. Thus, PN/A systems should be operated at relatively low DO levels with periodical FNA treatment. In Chapter 6, the major findings proposed and the main conclusions drawn in this thesis are outlined. Beyond that, the possible design of a mainstream PN/A configuration that combined all described three technologies is demonstrated. Overall, the novel insights from this thesis potential to improve nitrogen removal efficiency in the mainstream. |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:184236 |
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8245 |
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Marchetti, A. |
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Novel insights and approaches for the analytical characterization of tangible cultural heritage objects |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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333 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation) |
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Cultural heritage represents the vehicle of our cultural identity, handed over from past to future generations throughout human history. As a repository of fundamental cultural and social values, the preservation of all forms of cultural heritage is a responsibility of every society and of humankind as a whole. When it comes to tangible cultural heritage, preservation of heritage translates into preservation of objects and, therefore, of the materials they are constituted of. This crucial task relies heavily on the application of scientific analytical methods to answer material and conservation-related questions. The fundamental contribution of this analytical approach led, in the past decades, to an ever-deepening understanding of the factors governing the degradation of cultural heritage. However, the extreme complexity of the heritage object-environment system results in a massive research field, which inevitably presents relevant open questions. This is where the present PhD work comes into play, attempting to fill knowledge gaps in literature by starting from specific case studies and un-answered research questions. The multianalytical research conducted during this PhD unraveled fundamental information on the properties governing the reactivity and long-term behavior of different classes of materials, from α-brass in an indoor environment to artists’ pigments in the presence of light, moisture and soluble particulate matter (PM). The paramount importance of the synthesis conditions on the composition, physical properties and reactivity of heritage materials was also demonstrated, in particular for stable lead pyroantimonate and unstable Geranium lake artists’ pigments. Moreover, the study and characterization of specific heritage objects, namely a series of 16th century reliquary altarpieces and the painting L’Arlesienne, by Vincent Van Gogh, allowed to obtain relevant insights into their composition and on potential risks for their conservation. The challenging nature of the samples considered, created the perfect opportunity to test an innovative spectroscopic technique, optical photo-thermal IR (O-PTIR), for the characterization of heritage materials. Striking results were obtained, highlighting a great potential for the application of this non-destructive sub-micron molecular spectroscopy to the analysis of cultural heritage. Finally, in the last section of this work, strategies to implement the continuous monitoring of PM levels in indoor environmental quality studies were also considered, with a particular focus on the identification of environmental hazards for the collections housed in specific conservation environments (War Heritage Institute in Brussels and St. Martin’s church in Aalst, BE). |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:177849 |
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8319 |
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Cong, S. |
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Numerical study on low-pressure hollow cathode argon arc plasma |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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XIX, 126 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Philosophy; Educational sciences; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
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The low-pressure hollow cathode discharge made of a hollow circular tube and an anode is a type of simple structure discharge system. In particular, under the arc discharge mode, hollow cathodes have high plasma density and energy density with a wide range of adaptability of pressure and current. Low-pressure hollow cathode arc (HCA) discharges have been widely used as plasma sources in various fields such as manufacturing, vacuum welding, and aerospace since the 1960s. Despite the early experimental and applied researches on low-pressure HCA discharges, the basic theoretical study was relatively lagged much behind, resulting in many unanswered questions, such as the optimal discharge operating parameters, the power deposition inside the cathode, the causes of plasma instability, and how to effectively reduce cathode erosion and so on. Due to the special discharge structure of the hollow cathode, it is difficult to make an accurate experimental diagnosis, so a reasonable numerical simulation is an effective study method. However, up to now, there is still a lack of complete and effective numerical models which can evaluate various physical fields in the low-pressure hollow cathode discharges. To address the above problems and difficulties, a comprehensive and self-consistent 2D multi-physical coupling numerical model based on a commercial program of finite element method, the COMSOL Multiphysics, was provided in this paper. The model involves plasma transport, arc flow and heat transfer, and cathode thermal equilibrium, and can consider the effect of an applied magnetic field. The processes of secondary electron emission, thermal-field electron emission, ions and backflow high-energy electrons bombardment, and thermal radiation from the cathode surface are considered in the cathode thermal equilibrium process. Based on the above background, this paper works from the following aspects： In Chapter 1, the basic concepts of low-pressure HCA discharge including the hollow cathode effect, the basic characteristics, and operation modes were introduced firstly; Secondly, the application fields, development history, and overseas and domestic research status of hollow cathode discharge were reviewed; finally, the problems were presented and the research background was explained, and the research purpose of this paper was clarified. In Chapter 2, a complete and self-consistent numerical model of low-pressure hollow cathode discharge was proposed based on the fundamental theory and assumptions, and the set of control equations and boundary conditions in the model were elaborated. In addition, the electron energy distribution function, the collision processes, the solving tools of this model, and calculation schemes were introduced in detail. Finally, a validation example was given to test the rationality and applicability of the numerical model. In Chapter 3, the fundamental plasma properties of low-pressure hollow cathode arcs were investigated. Firstly, the ion Joule heating effect was studied. The results showed that the temperature distributions of the arc and cathode are only able to approach the experimental measurements after considering the ion Joule heating, which shows that the Joule heating of ions is crucial for the heating of the arc plasma. Secondly, by comparing the radial distribution of electron and ion density inside the cathode, the structure of the cathode sheath could be simulated well using this model. Finally, it was shown that the thermal radiation from the cathode surface is an important cooling mechanism of the cathode and only under higher surface emissivity can balance the larger heat flow given by the plasma to the cathode, and the temperature distribution of the cathode shows a non-monotonic increasing trend and is consistent with the profile of experimental measurement so that the so-called active zone is formed. In Chapter 4, the power deposition in the low-pressure HCA was studied in simulation. Two main aspects were considered: the power deposition into particles (both electrons and heavy particles) and the power deposition onto the cathode. It was found that the deposited power into particles increases with the rise of discharge current, but there is no effect on the total power deposition onto the cathode. In high-density plasmas, Coulomb collisions between electrons and ions also become very important, especially since a portion of the deposition energy on heavy particles comes mainly from the energy transfer from electrons to ions. It was also found that regardless of external parameters, half of the power deposition onto the cathode always comes from the particle contribution, while the other half is the net contribution of heat transfer and cathode radiation. The HCA model also allows the simulation of multiple discharge modes for low-pressure HCA discharges over a wide range of gas flow rates. It was also shown that the discharge operating conditions and the external magnetic field can change the distribution of the particle flow on the cathode wall. In Chapter 5, the ion sputtering erosion process on the cathode was simulated by coupling the HCA numerical model with the moving grid technique. The results showed that the ion sputtering erosion on the cathode depends on the ion flux and the plasma potential near the cathode wall and that their distribution and magnitude jointly determine the erosion morphology of the cathode. It was also found that the location of the most severe erosion on the cathode is located in the region of the densest ion flux on the cathode wall, rather than in the longitudinal correspondence with the central region of the internal positive column (IPC). The external magnetic fields can mitigate the cathode erosion and reduce the erosion depth, but stronger magnetic fields lead to a concentration of current density at the cathode tip, which can enhance erosion slightly at the cathode outlet end. Finally, the conclusions and innovation highlights were summarized, and prospects for future work were discussed. |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:178725 |
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8323 |
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Van Hal, M. |
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Photo(electro)catalytic air purification and soot degradation with simultaneous energy recovery |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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XXXII, 203 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Today’s society is increasingly challenged by a range of urgent environmental problems. Air pollution is one of these pressing topics. This thesis will mainly focus on the degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) – more specifically soot. A second globally urging topic is the quest for sustainable energy production. To simultaneously target both environmental problems, a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell will be studied in this thesis, combining air purification and sustainable energy production in a single device. Photocatalysis is used at the anode of the PEC cell to drive the air purification process, while the energy contained in the degraded compounds is (partially) recovered at the cathode, either as H2 gas or electricity. The first two experimental chapters focus on the proof of concept of such an unbiased all-gas phase PEC cell targeting VOC degradation, using both TiO2- and WO3-based photocatalysts. In the two following experimental chapters the photocatalytic soot oxidation capacity of these TiO2- and WO3-based photocatalysts was studied. In the final experimental chapter the previously obtained results were combined, striving towards an efficient, sunlight-driven and soot-degrading waste gas-to-energy PEC cell. |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:184521 |
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8378 |
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Daems, E. |
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Shaping up oligonucleotides : aptamer-target recognition investigated by native mass spectrometry |
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Doctoral thesis |
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2021 |
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235 p. |
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Doctoral thesis; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation) |
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Aptamers are short, synthetic DNA or RNA molecules that are characterized by a specific 3D conformation which enables specific target recognition. Aptamers are promising tools in many application fields from sensing to therapeutics. One of the major challenges in the aptamer field is understanding the relationship between the sequence and what determines the higher-order structure and specific interactions with targets. Therefore, this PhD thesis focuses on the use of different mass spectrometry (MS) based approaches to characterize aptamers and their interactions. Several of these approaches are already widely applied to study other biomolecules, such as proteins, but are still largely unexplored for aptamers and oligonucleotides in general. A first focus was put on obtaining information on the higher-order structure and conformational stability of aptamers using a combination of MS and with ion mobility (IM) spectrometry by performing collision-induced unfolding (CIU) experiments. CIU was shown to hold great promise to analyze the conformational dynamics and gas-phase stabilities of aptamers. Next, the capabilities and limitations of native IM-MS for the analysis of noncovalent interactions of aptamers were demonstrated. The conformational behavior and interactions of cocaine-binding aptamers were studied and it was found that relative binding affinities of aptamers that only differ slightly in sequence and structure can be determined using native MS. Moreover, native IM-MS allowed the detection of small conformational changes upon binding of a target, which were found to be dependent on the binding mode of the aptamer. An adaptive binding mechanism was suggested for flexible aptamers that require more reorganization upon binding. In the final part of this thesis, the importance of thoroughly characterizing and validating aptamer-target interactions before using them in an application was emphasized. Moreover, the gathered insights were applied in our own development of a proof-of-concept aptamer-based sensor. This was shown by investigating the interactions of ampicillin aptamers which were found to not bind the target they were selected for in the first place. A multi-analytical approach combining complementary techniques was used for this purpose since no single technique is generally applicable to characterize all aptamers and their interactions and to obtain a comprehensive picture of the aptamer-target interactions. Furthermore, such multi-analytical approach was used to characterize a testosterone-binding aptamer while developing an aptamer-based electrochemiluminescent sensing strategy for this target. This shows the importance of native MS, in combination with other techniques, to thoroughly understand the aptamer-target interactions in the development of a designed application. |
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Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:178116 |
Serial |
8517 |
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Author |
Van Loenhout, J. |
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Title |
Targeting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and glioblastoma with oxidative stress-mediated treatment strategies : focus on tumor cell death and modulation of the tumor microenvironment |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
167 p. |
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Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Center for Oncological Research (CORE) |
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Abstract |
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are two of the most malignant solid tumor types with poor survival rates, which underscore the urgency of novel and efficacious treatment strategies. Within the last decade, immunotherapy has been established as a breakthrough in cancer therapy. This mainly has been driven by the clinical data and approval associated with several immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/L1). Despite the clinical benefit in specific tumor types, these inhibitors have not yet fulfilled their promise in low immunogenic tumors such as PDAC and GBM. Oxidative stress in cancer cells due to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an inability to balance intracellular redox state has recently been highlighted as promising target for anticancer treatment strategies with possible immunogenic effects. In this PhD dissertation, I investigated novel oxidative stress-mediated treatment approaches to target PDAC and GBM and to enhance immunogenicity by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). In the first part of this thesis (chapter 2), I reviewed the mechanistic responses of cancer cells towards different oxidative stress-inducing treatment strategies and their immunomodulating effects. The resulting literature demonstrated that different exogenous and endogenous ROS-inducing therapies show direct and indirect immunomodulating effects, which can be either immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive. One of the indirect immunostimulatory effects of the ROS-mediating therapies is the capacity of inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells, which can increase the immunogenicity and consequently can trigger an antitumoral immune response. In chapter 3, I investigated a novel exogenous ROS-inducing treatment method, namely cold atmospheric plasma, to determine the therapeutic and ICD-inducing effects in PDAC, in vitro. I revealed that plasma-treated PBS (pPBS) has the potential to induce ICD in pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) and to reduce the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) by attacking the tumor supportive pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). Although the cell death induced in PSCs was non-immunogenic as seen by the lack of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) emission and DC activation, I showed that pPBS could disrupt the physical barrier and lower the immunosuppressive secretion profile (lower TGF-β) of PSCs. In contrast, DAMPs were released by PCCs after treatment with pPBS which resulted in activation and maturation of DCs and a more immunostimulatory secretion profile (higher TNF-α, IFN-γ). Hence, indirect plasma treatment via pPBS has the potential to enhance immunogenicity in PDAC by triggering ICD and by attacking the immunosuppressive PSCs. Tumor cells can evolve adaptation mechanisms to protect themselves against intrinsic oxidative stress by upregulation of pro-survival molecules and their antioxidant defense system to maintain the redox balance. As such, tumor cells can become resistant towards exogenous ROS-inducing therapies, like plasma. Dual targeting of the redox balance of tumor cells by increasing exogenous levels of ROS and inhibiting the antioxidant defense system can maximally exploit ROS-mediated cell death mechanisms as therapeutic anticancer strategy. In this regard, cold atmospheric plasma was combined with auranofin, a thioredoxin reductase inhibitor, in GBM (chapter 4). A synergistic effect was shown after this combination treatment in 2D and 3D, however, in 3D only high concentrations of auranofin synergized with plasma treatment. I confirmed a ROS-mediated response after combination treatment, which was able to induce distinct cell death mechanisms, specifically apoptosis and ferroptosis. Additionally, the auranofin and plasma combined treatment strategy induced cell death, which resulted in an increased release of DAMPs. Together with the observed DC maturation, these results indicates the potential increase in immunogenicity, though, the phagocytotic capacity of DCs was inhibited by auranofin. In chapter 5, I evaluated this promising oxidative stress combination therapy in GBM, in vivo. A decrease in tumor kinetics and an increased survival in GBM-bearing mice was observed when auranofin was sequentially combined with direct plasma treatment. No T cell infiltration was observed after auranofin monotherapy. However, further characterization of the TME after the combination therapy is necessary to provide more insight in the immunogenic effects in vivo. In conclusion, this PhD dissertation comprises novel and important therapeutic and immunogenic insights in cold atmospheric plasma and auranofin as promising oxidative stress-mediated treatment strategies for low immunogenic tumors, like PDAC and GBM. These preclinical results provide a solid basis for future research towards combinations with immunotherapeutic approaches. |
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UA library record |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:181309 |
Serial |
8643 |
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Author |
Reyntjens, P.D.; Tiwari, S.; van de Put, M.L.; Sorée, B.; Vandenberghe, W.G. |
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Title |
Magnetic properties and critical behavior of magnetically intercalated WSe₂ : a theoretical study |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
2d Materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
2D Mater |
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Volume |
8 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
025009 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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Abstract |
Transition metal dichalcogenides, intercalated with transition metals, are studied for their potential applications as dilute magnetic semiconductors. We investigate the magnetic properties of WSe2 doped with third-row transition metals (Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ti and V). Using density functional theory in combination with Monte Carlo simulations, we obtain an estimate of the Curie or Neel temperature. We find that the magnetic ordering is highly dependent on the dopant type. While Ti and Cr-doped WSe2 have a ferromagnetic ground state, V, Mn, Fe and Co-doped WSe2 are antiferromagnetic in their ground state. For Fe doped WSe2, we find a high Curie-temperature of 327 K. In the case of V-doped WSe2, we find that there are two distinct magnetic phase transitions, originating from a frustrated in-plane antiferromagnetic exchange interaction and a ferromagnetic out-of-plane interaction. We calculate the formation energy and reveal that, in contrast to earlier reports, the formation energy is positive for the intercalated systems studied here. We also show that in the presence of W-vacancies, it becomes favorable for Ti, Fe, and Co to intercalate in WSe2. |
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Wos |
000601127600001 |
Publication Date |
2020-12-09 |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2053-1583 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
6.937 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; The project or effort depicted was or is sponsored by the Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the federal government, and no official endorsement should be inferred. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1802166. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This work was supported by IMEC's Industrial Affiliation Program. Peter D Reyntjens acknowledges support by the Eugene McDermott Fellowship program, under Grant Number 201806. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 6.937 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:174951 |
Serial |
6692 |
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Author |
Lavor, I.R.; Cavalcante, L.S.R.; Chaves, A.; Peeters, F.M.; Van Duppen, B. |
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Title |
Probing the structure and composition of van der Waals heterostructures using the nonlocality of Dirac plasmons in the terahertz regime |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
2d Materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
2D Mater |
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Volume |
8 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
015014 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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Abstract |
Dirac plasmons in graphene are very sensitive to the dielectric properties of the environment. We show that this can be used to probe the structure and composition of van der Waals heterostructures (vdWh) put underneath a single graphene layer. In order to do so, we assess vdWh composed of hexagonal boron nitride and different types of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). By performing realistic simulations that account for the contribution of each layer of the vdWh separately and including the importance of the substrate phonons, we show that one can achieve single-layer resolution by investigating the nonlocal nature of the Dirac plasmon-polaritons. The composition of the vdWh stack can be inferred from the plasmon-phonon coupling once it is composed by more than two TMD layers. Furthermore, we show that the bulk character of TMD stacks for plasmonic screening properties in the terahertz regime is reached only beyond 100 layers. |
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Wos |
000582820500001 |
Publication Date |
2020-10-06 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2053-1583 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
6.937 |
Times cited |
2 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
; This work was financially supported by the Brazilian Council for Research (CNPq), Brazilian National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES) and by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) through a postdoctoral fellowship to B.V.D. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 6.937 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:173507 |
Serial |
6696 |
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Author |
Chen, L.; Elibol, K.; Cai, H.; Jiang, C.; Shi, W.; Chen, C.; Wang, H.S.; Wang, X.; Mu, X.; Li, C.; Watanabe, K.; Taniguchi, T.; Guo, Y.; Meyer, J.C.; Wang, H. |
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Title |
Direct observation of layer-stacking and oriented wrinkles in multilayer hexagonal boron nitride |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
2d Materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
2D Mater |
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Volume |
8 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
024001 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has long been recognized as an ideal substrate for electronic devices due to its dangling-bond-free surface, insulating nature and thermal/chemical stability. These properties of the h-BN multilayer are mainly determined by its lattice structure. Therefore, to analyse the lattice structure and orientation of h-BN crystals becomes important. Here, the stacking order and wrinkles of h-BN are investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It is experimentally confirmed that the layers in the h-BN flakes are arranged in the AA ' stacking. The wrinkles in a form of threefold network throughout the h-BN crystal are oriented along the armchair direction, and their formation mechanism was further explored by molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings provide a deep insight about the microstructure of h-BN and shed light on the structural design/electronic modulations of two-dimensional crystals. |
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Wos |
000605937500001 |
Publication Date |
2020-12-16 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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ISSN |
2053-1583 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
6.937 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 6.937 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:174950 |
Serial |
6723 |
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Author |
Petrov, M.; Bekaert, J.; Milošević, M.V. |
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Title |
Superconductivity in gallenene |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
2d Materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
2D Mater |
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Volume |
8 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
035056 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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Abstract |
Among the large variety of two-dimensional (2D) materials discovered to date, elemental monolayers that host superconductivity are very rare. Using ab initio calculations we show that recently synthesized gallium monolayers, coined gallenene, are intrinsically superconducting through electron-phonon coupling. We reveal that Ga-100 gallenene, a planar monolayer isostructural with graphene, is the structurally simplest 2D superconductor to date, furthermore hosting topological edge states due to its honeycomb structure. Our anisotropic Eliashberg calculations show distinctly three-gap superconductivity in Ga-100, in contrast to the alternative buckled Ga-010 gallenene which presents a single anisotropic superconducting gap. Strikingly, the critical temperature (T ( c )) of gallenene is in the range of 7-10 K, exceeding the T ( c ) of bulk gallium from which it is exfoliated. Finally we explore chemical functionalization of gallenene with hydrogen, and report induced multigap superconductivity with an enhanced T ( c ) in the resulting gallenane compound. |
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Wos |
000667458500001 |
Publication Date |
2021-06-01 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2053-1583 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
6.937 |
Times cited |
8 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 6.937 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:179623 |
Serial |
7025 |
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Author |
Lavor, I.R.; Chaves, A.; Peeters, F.M.; Van Duppen, B. |
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Title |
Tunable coupling of terahertz Dirac plasmons and phonons in transition metal dichalcogenide-based van der Waals heterostructures |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
2d Materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
2D Mater |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
015018 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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Abstract |
Dirac plasmons in graphene hybridize with phonons of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) when the materials are combined in so-called van der Waals heterostructures (vdWh), thus forming surface plasmon-phonon polaritons (SPPPs). The extend to which these modes are coupled depends on the TMD composition and structure, but also on the plasmons' properties. By performing realistic simulations that account for the contribution of each layer of the vdWh separately, we calculate how the strength of plasmon-phonon coupling depends on the number and composition of TMD layers, on the graphene Fermi energy and the specific phonon mode. From this, we present a semiclassical theory that is capable of capturing all relevant characteristics of the SPPPs. We find that it is possible to realize both strong and ultra-strong coupling regimes by tuning graphene's Fermi energy and changing TMD layer number. |
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Wos |
000722020100001 |
Publication Date |
2021-11-08 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2053-1583 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
6.937 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 6.937 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:183053 |
Serial |
7036 |
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Author |
Albrecht, W.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S. |
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Title |
Three-Dimensional Nanoparticle Transformations Captured by an Electron Microscope |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Accounts Of Chemical Research |
Abbreviated Journal |
Accounts Chem Res |
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Volume |
54 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
1189-1199 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Wos |
000626269900011 |
Publication Date |
2021-03-02 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0001-4842 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
20.268 |
Times cited |
12 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
The authors acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants No. 815128–REALNANO and No. 770887–PICOMETRICS), the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, G.0267.18N), and the European Commission (EUSMI). The authors furthermore acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, ESTEEM3. The authors also acknowledge contributions from all co-workers that have contributed over the years: Thomas Altantzis, Annick De Backer, Joost Batenburg and co-workers, Armand Béché, Eva Bladt, Lewys Jones and co-workers, Luis Liz-Marzán and co-workers, Ivan Lobato, Thais Milagres de Oliveira, Peter Nellist and co-workers, Hugo Pérez Garza and co-workers, Alexander Skorikov, Sara Skrabalak and co-workers, Sandra Van Aert, Alfons van Blaaderen and co-workers, Hans Vanrompay, Staf Van Tendeloo, and Johan Verbeeck.; sygmaSB; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 20.268 |
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Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:177644 |
Serial |
6752 |
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Author |
Herzog, M.J.; Gauquelin, N.; Esken, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Janek, J. |
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Title |
Increased Performance Improvement of Lithium-Ion Batteries by Dry Powder Coating of High-Nickel NMC with Nanostructured Fumed Ternary Lithium Metal Oxides |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
ACS applied energy materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
ACS Appl. Energy Mater. |
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Volume |
4 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
8832-8848 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Dry powder coating is an effective approach to protect the surfaces of layered cathode active materials (CAMs) in lithium-ion batteries. Previous investigations indicate an incorporation of lithium ions in fumed Al2O3, ZrO2, and TiO2 coatings on LiNi0.7Mn0.15Co0.15O2 during cycling, improving the cycling performance. Here, this coating approach is transferred for the first time to fumed ternary LiAlO2, Li4Zr3O8, and Li4Ti5O12 and directly compared with their lithium-free equivalents. All materials could be processed equally and their nanostructured small aggregates accumulate on the CAM surfaces to quite homogeneous coating layers with a certain porosity. The LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) coated with lithium-containing materials shows an enhanced improvement in overall capacity, capacity retention, rate performance, and polarization behavior during cycling, compared to their lithium-free analogues. The highest rate performance was achieved with the fumed ZrO2 coating, while the best long-term cycling stability with the highest absolute capacity was obtained for the fumed LiAlO2-coated NMC. The optimal coating agent for NMC to achieve a balanced system is fumed Li4Ti5O12, providing a good compromise between high rate capability and good capacity retention. The coating agents prevent CAM particle cracking and degradation in the order LiAlO2 ≈ Al2O3 > Li4Ti5O12 > Li4Zr3O8 > ZrO2 > TiO2. A schematic model for the protection and electrochemical performance enhancement of high-nickel NMC with fumed metal oxide coatings is sketched. It becomes apparent that physical and chemical characteristics of the coating significantly influence the performance of NMC. A high degree of coating-layer porosity is favorable for the rate capability, while a high coverage of the surface, especially in vulnerable grain boundaries, enhances the long-term cycling stability and improves the cracking behavior of NMCs. While zirconium-containing coatings possess the best chemical properties for high rate performances, aluminum-containing coatings feature a superior chemical nature to protect high-nickel NMCs. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
000703338600018 |
Publication Date |
2021-09-27 |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2574-0962 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
15 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
For his support in scanning electron microscopy analysis, the authors thank Erik Peldszus. N. G. and J. V. acknowledge funding from GOA project “Solarpaint” of the University of Antwerp and from the Flemish Research Fund (FWO) project G0F1320N. The Qu-Ant-EM microscope and the direct electron detector were partly funded by the Hercules fund from the Flemish Government |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183949 |
Serial |
6823 |
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Author |
Abakumov, A.M.; Li, C.; Boev, A.; Aksyonov, D.A.; Savina, A.A.; Abakumova, T.A.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S. |
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Title |
Grain boundaries as a diffusion-limiting factor in lithium-rich NMC cathodes for high-energy lithium-ion batteries |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2021 |
Publication |
ACS applied energy materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
4 |
Issue |
7 |
Pages |
6777-6786 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
High-energy lithium-rich layered transition metal oxides are capable of delivering record electrochemical capacity and energy density as positive electrodes for Li-ion batteries. Their electrochemical behavior is extremely complex due to sophisticated interplay between crystal structure, electronic structure, and defect structure. Here we unravel an extra level of this complexity by revealing that the most typical representative Li1.2Ni0.13Mn0.54Co0.13O2 material, prepared by a conventional coprecipitation technique with Na2CO3 as a precipitating agent, contains abundant coherent (001) grain boundaries with a Na-enriched P2-structured block due to segregation of the residual sodium traces. The trigonal prismatic oxygen coordination of Na triggers multiple nanoscale twinning, giving rise to incoherent (104) boundaries. The cationic layers at the (001) grain boundaries are filled with transition metal cations being Mn-depleted and Co-enriched; this makes them virtually not permeable for the Li+ cations, and therefore they negatively influence the Li diffusion in and out of the spherical agglomerates. These results demonstrate that besides the mechanisms intrinsic to the crystal and electronic structure of Li-rich cathodes, their rate capability might also be depreciated by peculiar microstructural aspects. Dedicated engineering of grain boundaries opens a way for improving inherently sluggish kinetics of these materials. |
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Corporate Author |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
000678382900042 |
Publication Date |
2021-07-02 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2574-0962 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
4 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
We thank Dr. M. V. Berekchiian (MSU) for assisting in ICPMS measurements. We acknowledge Russian Science Foundation (Grant 20-43-01012) and Research Foundation Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen, Project No. G0F1320N) for financial support. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:180556 |
Serial |
6841 |
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Author |
Yildiz, A.; Chouki, T.; Atli, A.; Harb, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Ninakanti, R.; Emin, S. |
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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 |
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| |
Volume |
4 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
10618-10626 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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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. |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000711236300022 |
Publication Date |
2021-10-08 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2574-0962 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:181953 |
Serial |
7853 |
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Author |
Peng, X.; Peng, H.; Zhao, K.; Zhang, Y.; Xia, F.; Lyu, J.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Sun, C.; Wu, J. |
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Title |
Direct visualization of atomic-scale heterogeneous structure dynamics in MnO₂ nanowires |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Applied Materials & Interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Appl Mater Inter |
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Volume |
13 |
Issue |
28 |
Pages |
33644-33651 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Manganese oxides are attracting great interest owing to their rich polymorphism and multiple valent states, which give rise to a wide range of applications in catalysis, capacitors, ion batteries, and so forth. Most of their functionalities are connected to transitions among the various polymorphisms and Mn valences. However, their atomic-scale dynamics is still a great challenge. Herein, we discovered a strong heterogeneity in the crystalline structure and defects, as well as in the Mn valence state. The transitions are studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and they involve a complex ordering of [MnO6] octahedra as the basic building tunnels. MnO2 nanowires synthesized using solution-based hydrothermal methods usually exhibit a large number of multiple polymorphism impurities with different tunnel sizes. Upon heating, MnO2 nanowires undergo a series of stoichiometric polymorphism changes, followed by oxygen release toward an oxygen-deficient spinel and rock-salt phase. The impurity polymorphism exhibits an abnormally high stability with interesting small-large-small tunnel size transition, which is attributed to a preferential stabilizer (K+) concentration, as well as a strong competition of kinetics and thermodynamics. Our results unveil the complicated intergrowth of polymorphism impurities in MnO2, which provide insights into the heterogeneous kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport properties of the tunnel-based building blocks. |
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Corporate Author |
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Place of Publication |
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Language |
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Wos |
000677540900101 |
Publication Date |
2021-07-08 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1944-8244 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
7.504 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 7.504 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:180450 |
Serial |
6861 |
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Author |
Yi, Y.; Wang, X.; Jafarzadeh, A.; Wang, L.; Liu, P.; He, B.; Yan, J.; Zhang, R.; Zhang, H.; Liu, X.; Guo, H.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A. |
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Title |
Plasma-Catalytic Ammonia Reforming of Methane over Cu-Based Catalysts for the Production of HCN and H2at Reduced Temperature |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Catalysis |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Catal |
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| |
Volume |
11 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
1765-1773 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
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Abstract |
Industrial production of HCN from NH3 and CH4 not only uses precious Pt or Pt−Rh catalysts but also requires extremely high temperatures (∼1600 K). From an energetic, operational, and safety perspective, a drastic decrease in temperature is highly desirable. Here, we report ammonia reforming of methane for the production of HCN and H2 at 673 K by the combination of CH4/NH3 plasma and a supported Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst. 30% CH4 conversion has been achieved with 79% HCN selectivity. Catalyst characterization and plasma diagnostics reveal that the excellent reaction performance is attributed to metallic Cu active sites. In addition, we propose a possible reaction pathway, viz. E-R reactions with N, NH, NH2, and CH radicals produced in the plasma, for the production of HCN, based on density functional theory calculations. Importantly, the Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst costs less than 5% of the commercial Pt mesh catalyst. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
000618540300057 |
Publication Date |
2021-02-05 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2155-5435 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
10.614 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
Universiteit Antwerpen, 32249 ; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2015M580220 2016T90217 ; PetroChina Innovation Foundation, 2018D-5007-0501 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 21503032 ; We acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [21503032], the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant numbers 2015M580220 and 2016T90217, 2016], the PetroChina Innovation Foundation [2018D-5007-0501], and the TOP research project of the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp [grant ID 32249]. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 10.614 |
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Call Number |
PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175880 |
Serial |
6675 |
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Author |
Coeck, R.; Meeprasert, J.; Li, G.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Pidko, E.A.; De Vos, D.E. |
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Title |
Gold and silver-catalyzed reductive amination of aromatic carboxylic acids to benzylic amines |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Catalysis |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Catal |
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Volume |
11 |
Issue |
13 |
Pages |
7672-7684 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
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Abstract |
The reductive amination of benzoic acid and its derivatives would be an effective addition to current synthesis methods for benzylamine. However, with current technology it is very difficult to keep the aromaticity intact when starting from benzoic acid, and salt wastes are often generated in the process. Here, we report a heterogeneous catalytic system for such a reductive amination, requiring solely H-2 and NH3 as the reactants. The Ag/TiO2 or Au/TiO2 catalysts can be used multiple times, and very little noble metal is required, only 0.025 mol % Au. The catalysts are bifunctional: the support catalyzes the dehydration of both the ammonium carboxylate to the amide and of the amide to the nitrile, while the sites at the metal-support interface promote the hydrogenation of the in situ generated nitrile. Yields of up to 92% benzylamine were obtained. |
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Corporate Author |
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Wos |
000670659900005 |
Publication Date |
2021-06-10 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2155-5435 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
10.614 |
Times cited |
16 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
R.C. thanks the FWO for his SB PhD fellowship. D.E.D.V. acknowledges FWO for research project funding, as well as KU Leuven for funding in the Metusalem program Casas. S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator grant #815128 REALNANO). T.A. acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). E.A.P. acknowledges the support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator grant #725686 DeliCAT). J.M. acknowledges financial support through the Royal Thai Government Scholarship. DFT calculations on SURFsara supercomputer facilities were performed with support from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).; sygmaSB |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 10.614 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:179851 |
Serial |
6840 |
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Author |
Zhang, T.; Schilling, W.; Khan, S.U.; Ching, H.Y.V.; Lu, C.; Chen, J.; Jaworski, A.; Barcaro, G.; Monti, S.; De Wael, K.; Slabon, A.; Das, S. |
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Title |
Atomic-level understanding for the enhanced generation of hydrogen peroxide by the introduction of an aryl amino group in polymeric carbon nitrides |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Catalysis |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Catal |
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Volume |
11 |
Issue |
22 |
Pages |
14087-14101 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Organic synthesis (ORSY); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT); Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab) |
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Abstract |
Heterogeneous catalysts are often & ldquo;black boxes & rdquo; due to the insufficient understanding of the detailed mechanisms at the catalytic sites. An atomic-level elucidation of the processes taking place in those regions is, thus, mandatory to produce robust and selective heterogeneous catalysts. We have improved the description of the whole reactive scenario for polymeric carbon nitrides (PCN) by combining atomic-level characterizations with magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, classical reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations, and quantum chemistry (QC) calculations. We disclose the structure & minus;property relationships of an ad hoc modified PCN by inserting an aryl amino group that turned out to be very efficient for the production of H2O2. The main advancement of this work is the development of a difluoromethylene-substituted aryl amino PCN to generate H2O2 at a rate of 2.0 mM & middot;h & minus;1 under the irradiation of household blue LEDs and the identification of possible active catalytic sites with the aid of 15N and 19F MAS solid-state NMR without using any expensive labeling reagent. RMD simulations and QC calculations confirm and further extend the experimental descriptions by revealing the role and locations of the identified functionalities, namely, NH linkers, & minus;NH2 terminal groups, and difluoromethylene units, reactants, and products. <comment>Superscript/Subscript Available</comment |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
000758012900020 |
Publication Date |
2021-11-05 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2155-5435 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
10.614 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 10.614 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:187276 |
Serial |
7534 |
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Author |
Biswas, A.N.; Winter, L.R.; Loenders, B.; Xie, Z.; Bogaerts, A.; Chen, J.G. |
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Title |
Oxygenate Production from Plasma-Activated Reaction of CO2and Ethane |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Energy Letters |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Energy Lett |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
236-241 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
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Abstract |
Upgrading ethane with CO2 as a soft oxidant represents a desirable means of obtaining oxygenated hydrocarbons. This reaction is not thermodynamically feasible under mild conditions and has not been previously achieved as a one-step process. Nonthermal plasma was implemented as an alternative means of supplying energy to overcome activation barriers, leading to the production of alcohols, aldehydes, and acids as well as C1−C5+ hydrocarbons under ambient pressure, with a maximum total oxygenate selectivity of 12%. A plasma chemical kinetic computational model was developed and found to be in good agreement with the experimental trends. Results from this study illustrate the potential to use plasma for the direct synthesis of value-added alcohols, acids, and aldehydes from ethane and CO2 under mild conditions. |
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Wos |
000732435700001 |
Publication Date |
2021-12-14 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2380-8195 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
Basic Energy Sciences, DE-SC0012704 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, S001619N ; H2020 European Research Council, 810182 ; National Science Foundation, DGE 16-44869 ; This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Catalysis Science Program (grant no. DE-SC0012704). L.R.W. acknowledges the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant number DGE 16-44869. B.L. and A.B. acknowledge support from the FWO-SBO project PLASMA240 |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:184812 |
Serial |
6897 |
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Author |
Bagiński, M.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Altantzis, T.; Tupikowska, M.; Vetter, A.; Tomczyk, E.; Suryadharma, R.N.S.; Pawlak, M.; Andruszkiewicz, A.; Górecka, E.; Pociecha, D.; Rockstuhl, C.; Bals, S.; Lewandowski, W. |
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Title |
Understanding and Controlling the Crystallization Process in Reconfigurable Plasmonic Superlattices |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
acsnano.0c09746 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
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Abstract |
The crystallization of nanomaterials is a primary source of solid-state, photonic structures. Thus, a detailed understanding of this process is of paramount importance for the successful application of photonic nanomaterials in emerging optoelectronic technologies. While colloidal crystallization has been thoroughly studied, for example, with advanced in situ electron microscopy methods, the noncolloidal crystallization (freezing) of nanoparticles (NPs) remains so far unexplored. To fill this gap, in this work, we present proof-of principle experiments decoding a crystallization of reconfigurable assemblies of NPs at a solid state. The chosen material corresponds to an excellent testing bed, as it enables both in situ and ex situ investigation using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical spectroscopy in visible and ultraviolet range (UV−vis) techniques. In particular, ensemble measurements with small-angle XRD highlighted the dependence of the correlation length in the NPs assemblies on the number of heating/cooling cycles and the rate of cooling. Ex situ TEM imaging further supported these results by revealing a dependence of domain size and structure on the sample preparation route and by showing we can control the domain size over 2 orders of magnitude. The application of HAADF-STEM tomography, combined with in situ thermal control, provided three-dimensional single-particle level information on the positional order evolution within assemblies. This combination of real and reciprocal space provides insightful information on the anisotropic, reversibly reconfigurable assemblies of NPs. TEM measurements also highlighted the importance of interfaces in the polydomain structure of nanoparticle solids, allowing us to understand experimentally observed differences in UV−vis extinction spectra of the differently prepared crystallites. Overall, the obtained results show that the combination of in situ heating HAADF-STEM tomography with XRD and ex situ TEM techniques is a powerful approach to study nanoparticle freezing processes and to reveal the crucial impact of disorder in the solid-state aggregates of NPs on their plasmonic properties. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
000634569100101 |
Publication Date |
2021-02-23 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
10 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyzszego, 0112/DIA/2019/48 ; European Commission, 731019 E171000009 (EUSMI) ; Narodowe Centrum Nauki, 2016/21/N/ST5/03356 ; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, RO 3640/12-1 ; Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej, First TEAM2016–2/15 ; European Research Council, 815128 (REALNANO) ; sygma; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:175872 |
Serial |
6673 |
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Author |
Walters, A.A.; Santacana-Font, G.; Li, J.; Routabi, N.; Qin, Y.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Tzu-Wen Wang, J.; Al-Jamal, K.T. |
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Title |
Nanoparticle-MediatedIn SituMolecular Reprogramming of Immune Checkpoint Interactions for Cancer Immunotherapy |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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Volume |
15 |
Issue |
11 |
Pages |
17549-17564 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Pharmacology. Therapy; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Immune checkpoint blockade involves targeting immune
regulatory molecules with antibodies. Preclinically, complex multiantibody
regimes of both inhibitory and stimulatory targets are a promising
candidate for the next generation of immunotherapy. However, in this
setting, the antibody platform may be limited due to excessive toxicity
caused by off target effects as a result of systemic administration. RNA
can be used as an alternate to antibodies as it can both downregulate
immunosuppressive checkpoints (siRNA) or induce expression of
immunostimulatory checkpoints (mRNA). In this study, we demonstrate
that the combination of both siRNA and mRNA in a single
formulation can simultaneously knockdown and induce expression of
immune checkpoint targets, thereby reprogramming the tumor
microenvironment from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory
phenotype. To achieve this, RNA constructs were synthesized and
formulated into stable nucleic acid lipid nanoparticles (SNALPs); the SNALPs produced were 140−150 nm in size with >80%
loading efficiency. SNALPs could transfect macrophages and B16F10 cells in vitro resulting in 75% knockdown of inhibitory
checkpoint (PDL1) expression and simultaneously express high levels of stimulatory checkpoint (OX40L) with minimal
toxicity. Intratumoral treatment with the proposed formulation resulted in statistically reduced tumor growth, a greater
density of CD4+ and CD8+ infiltrates in the tumor, and immune activation within tumor-draining lymph nodes. These data
suggest that a single RNA-based formulation can successfully reprogram multiple immune checkpoint interactions on a
cellular level. Such a candidate may be able to replace future immune checkpoint therapeutic regimes composed of both
stimulatory- and inhibitory-receptor-targeting antibodies. |
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Wos |
000747115200039 |
Publication Date |
2021-11-23 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
11 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
A.A.W. is the grateful recipient of a Maplethorpe Fellowship. K.A.J. acknowledges funding from the British Council (Newton Fund, 337313), Wellcome Trust (WT103913), and the Cancer Research UK King’s Health Partners Centre at King’s College London. Financial support is acknowledged from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme, by means of Grant Agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI). Images were drawn on BioRender.com. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183950 |
Serial |
6829 |
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Author |
Choukroun, D.; Pacquets, L.; Li, C.; Hoekx, S.; Arnouts, S.; Baert, K.; Hauffman, T.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T. |
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Title |
Mapping composition–selectivity relationships of supported sub-10 nm Cu–Ag nanocrystals for high-rate CO₂ electroreduction |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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| |
Volume |
15 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
14858-14872 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
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Abstract |
Colloidal Cu–Ag nanocrystals measuring less than 10 nm across are promising candidates for integration in hybrid CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) interfaces, especially in the context of tandem catalysis and selective multicarbon (C2–C3) product formation. In this work, we vary the synthetic-ligand/copper molar ratio from 0.1 to 1.0 and the silver/copper atomic ratio from 0 to 0.7 and study the variations in the nanocrystals’ size distribution, morphology and reactivity at rates of ≥100 mA cm–2 in a gas-fed recycle electrolyzer operating under neutral to mildly basic conditions (0.1–1.0 M KHCO3). High-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy are used in order to characterize the morphology of sub-10 nm Cu–Ag nanodimers and core–shells and to elucidate trends in Ag coverage and surface composition. It is shown that Cu–Ag nanocrystals can be densely dispersed onto a carbon black support without the need for immediate ligand removal or binder addition, which considerably facilitates their application. Although CO2RR product distribution remains an intricate function of time, (kinetic) overpotential and processing conditions, we nevertheless conclude that the ratio of oxygenates to hydrocarbons (which depends primarily on the initial dispersion of the nanocrystals and their composition) rises 3-fold at moderate Ag atom % relative to Cu NCs-based electrodes. Finally, the merits of this particular Cu–Ag/C system and the recycling reactor employed are utilized to obtain maximum C2–C3 partial current densities of 92–140 mA cm–2 at −1.15 VRHE and liquid product concentrations in excess of 0.05 wt % in 1 M KHCO3 after short electrolysis periods. |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000703553600082 |
Publication Date |
2021-08-24 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
25 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
D.C. acknowledges Thomas Kenis for configuring the analytical instrumentation (HPLC/GC-FID/ICP-MS), Hannelore Andries for assistance with ICP-MS measurements, and Dr. Saeid Pourbabak and Dr. Tine Derez for assistance with Cu sputtering. L.P. was supported by Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO 1S56920N). S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator grant number 815128 REALNANO. S.B. and T.B. acknowledge financial support from the university research fund (BOF-GOA-PS ID no. 33928).; sygmaSB |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:180305 |
Serial |
6844 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Dey, A.; Ye, J.; De, A.; Debroye, E.; Ha, S.K.; Bladt, E.; Kshirsagar, A.S.; Wang, Z.; Yin, J.; Wang, Y.; Quan, L.N.; Yan, F.; Gao, M.; Li, X.; Shamsi, J.; Debnath, T.; Cao, M.; Scheel, M.A.; Kumar, S.; Steele, J.A.; Gerhard, M.; Chouhan, L.; Xu, K.; Wu, X.-gang; Li, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Dutta, A.; Han, C.; Vincon, I.; Rogach, A.L.; Nag, A.; Samanta, A.; Korgel, B.A.; Shih, C.-J.; Gamelin, D.R.; Son, D.H.; Zeng, H.; Zhong, H.; Sun, H.; Demir, H.V.; Scheblykin, I.G.; Mora-Sero, I.; Stolarczyk, J.K.; Zhang, J.Z.; Feldmann, J.; Hofkens, J.; Luther, J.M.; Perez-Prieto, J.; Li, L.; Manna, L.; Bodnarchuk, M., I; Kovalenko, M., V; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Pradhan, N.; Mohammed, O.F.; Bakr, O.M.; Yang, P.; Muller-Buschbaum, P.; Kamat, P., V; Bao, Q.; Zhang, Q.; Krahne, R.; Galian, R.E.; Stranks, S.D.; Bals, S.; Biju, V.; Tisdale, W.A.; Yan, Y.; Hoye, R.L.Z.; Polavarapu, L. |
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Title |
State of the art and prospects for Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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Volume |
15 |
Issue |
7 |
Pages |
10775-10981 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Metal-halide perovskites have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising materials of the 21st century, with many exciting properties and great potential for a broad range of applications, from photovoltaics to optoelectronics and photocatalysis. The ease with which metal-halide perovskites can be synthesized in the form of brightly luminescent colloidal nanocrystals, as well as their tunable and intriguing optical and electronic properties, has attracted researchers from different disciplines of science and technology. In the last few years, there has been a significant progress in the shape-controlled synthesis of perovskite nanocrystals and understanding of their properties and applications. In this comprehensive review, researchers having expertise in different fields (chemistry, physics, and device engineering) of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have joined together to provide a state of the art overview and future prospects of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystal research. |
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Corporate Author |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000679406500006 |
Publication Date |
2021-06-17 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
538 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
E.D. and J.H. acknowledge financial support from the Research FoundationFlanders (FWO Grant Nos. S002019N, G.0B39.15, G.0B49.15, G.0962.13, G098319N, and ZW15_09-GOH6316), the Research Foundation Flanders postdoctoral fellowships to J.A.S. and E.D. (FWO Grant Nos. 12Y7218N and 12O3719N, respectively), |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:180553 |
Serial |
6846 |
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Author |
Locardi, F.; Samoli, M.; Martinelli, A.; Erdem, O.; Vale Magalhaes, D.; Bals, S.; Hens, Z. |
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Title |
Cyan emission in two-dimensional colloidal Cs2CdCl4:SB3+ Ruddlesden-Popper phase nanoplatelets |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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Volume |
15 |
Issue |
11 |
Pages |
17729-17737 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
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Abstract |
Metal halide perovskites are one of the most investigated materials in optoelectronics, with their lead-based counterparts being renowned for their enhanced optoelectronic performance. The 3D CsPbX3 structure has set the standard with many studies currently attempting to substitute lead with other metals while retaining the properties of this material. This effort has led to the fabrication of metal halides with lower dimensionality, wherein particular 2D layered perovskite structures have captured attention as inspiration for the next generation of colloidal semiconductors. Here we report the synthesis of the Ruddlesden-Popper Cs2CdCl4:Sb3+ phase as colloidal nanoplatelets (NPs) using a facile hot injection approach under atmospheric conditions. Through strict adjustment of the synthesis parameters with emphasis on the ligand ratio, we obtained NPs with a relatively uniform size and good morphological control. The particles were characterized through transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and pair distribution function analysis. The spectroscopic characterization revealed most strikingly an intense cyan emission under UV excitation with a measured PLQY of similar to 20%. The emission was attributed to the Sb3+-doping within the structure. |
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Corporate Author |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000747115200053 |
Publication Date |
0000-00-00 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
34 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
The authors acknowledge the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility for provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and they would like to thank Andrew Fitch for assistance in using beamline ID22 (proposal HC-4098). Z.H. and S.B acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation − Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen under the SBO − PROCEED project (No: S0002019N). Z.H. acknowledges Ghent University for funding (BOF-GOA 01G01019). S.B. is grateful to the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 815128, REALNANO). F.L. thanks Emanuela Sartori and Stefano Toso for the fruitful discussions. M.S. would like to thank Olivier Janssens for collecting XRPD data and Gabriele Pippia for helpful insights and discussions. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:186465 |
Serial |
7059 |
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Author |
Scolfaro, D.; Finamor, M.; Trinchao, L.O.; Rosa, B.L.T.; Chaves, A.; Santos, P., V.; Iikawa, F.; Couto, O.D.D., Jr. |
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Title |
Acoustically driven stark effect in transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Acs Nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
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Volume |
15 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
15371-15380 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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Abstract |
The Stark effect is one of the most efficient mechanisms to manipulate many-body states in nanostructured systems. In mono- and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides, it has been successfully induced by optical and electric field means. Here, we tune the optical emission energies and dissociate excitonic states in MoSe2 monolayers employing the 220 MHz in-plane piezoelectric field carried by surface acoustic waves. We transfer the monolayers to high dielectric constant piezoelectric substrates, where the neutral exciton binding energy is reduced, allowing us to efficiently quench (above 90%) and red-shift the excitonic optical emissions. A model for the acoustically induced Stark effect yields neutral exciton and trion in-plane polarizabilities of 530 and 630 x 10(-5) meV/(kV/cm)(2), respectively, which are considerably larger than those reported for monolayers encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride. Large in-plane polarizabilities are an attractive ingredient to manipulate and modulate multiexciton interactions in two-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures for optoelectronic applications. |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000703553600129 |
Publication Date |
2021-08-27 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
13.942 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 13.942 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:182545 |
Serial |
7415 |
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Author |
Bafekry, A.; Shahrokhi, M.; Shafique, A.; Jappor, H.R.; Fadlallah, M.M.; Stampfl, C.; Ghergherehchi, M.; Mushtaq, M.; Feghhi, S.A.H.; Gogova, D. |
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Title |
Semiconducting chalcogenide alloys based on the (Ge, Sn, Pb) (S, Se, Te) formula with outstanding properties : a first-principles calculation study |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2021 |
Publication |
ACS Omega |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
6 |
Issue |
14 |
Pages |
9433-9441 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT) |
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Abstract |
Very recently, a new class of the multicationic and -anionic entropy-stabilized chalcogenide alloys based on the (Ge, Sn, Pb) (S, Se, Te) formula has been successfully fabricated and characterized experimentally [Zihao Deng et al., Chem. Mater. 32, 6070 (2020)]. Motivated by the recent experiment, herein, we perform density functional theory-based first-principles calculations in order to investigate the structural, mechanical, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties. The calculations of the cohesive energy and elasticity parameters indicate that the alloy is stable. Also, the mechanical study shows that the alloy has a brittle nature. The GeSnPbSSeTe alloy is a semiconductor with a direct band gap of 0.4 eV (0.3 eV using spin-orbit coupling effect). The optical analysis illustrates that the first peak of Im(epsilon) for the GeSnPbSSeTe alloy along all polarization directions is located in the visible range of the spectrum which renders it a promising material for applications in optical and electronic devices. Interestingly, we find an optically anisotropic character of this system which is highly desirable for the design of polarization-sensitive photodetectors. We have accurately predicted the thermoelectric coefficients and have calculated a large power factor value of 3.7 x 10(11) W m(-1) K-2 s(-1) for p-type. The high p-type power factor is originated from the multiple valleys near the valence band maxima. The anisotropic results of the optical and transport properties are related to the specific tetragonal alloy unit cell. |
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Corporate Author |
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Place of Publication |
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Language |
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Wos |
000640649500012 |
Publication Date |
2021-03-30 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2470-1343 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:178395 |
Serial |
7017 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
