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Author Khalilov, U.; Vets, C.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Catalyzed growth of encapsulated carbyne Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Carbon Abbreviated Journal Carbon  
  Volume 153 Issue Pages 1-5  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Carbyne is a novel material of current interest in nanotechnology. As is typically the case for nanomaterials, the growth process determines the resulting properties. While endohedral carbyne has been successfully synthesized, its catalyst and feedstock-dependent growth mechanism is still elusive. We here study the nucleation and growth mechanism of different carbon chains in a Ni-containing double walled carbon nanotube using classical molecular dynamics simulations and first-principles calculations. We find that the understanding the competitive role of the metal catalyst and the hydrocarbon is important to control the growth of 1-dimensional carbon chains, including Ni or H-terminated carbyne. Also, we find that the electronic property of the Ni-terminated carbyne can be tuned by steering the H concentration along the chain. These results suggest catalyst-containing carbon nanotubes as a possible synthesis route for carbyne formation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000485054200001 Publication Date 2019-07-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0008-6223 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.337 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium, 12M1318N 1S22516N ; Flemish Supercomputer Centre VSC; Hercules Foundation; Flemish Government; University of Antwerp; The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium, Grant numbers 12M1318N and 1S22516N. The work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 6.337  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:160695 Serial 5187  
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Author Heyne, M.H.; Marinov, D.; Braithwaite, N.; Goodyear, A.; de Marneffe, J.-F.; Cooke, M.; Radu, I.; Neyts, E.C.; De Gendt, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title A route towards the fabrication of 2D heterostructures using atomic layer etching combined with selective conversion Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication 2D materials Abbreviated Journal 2D Mater  
  Volume 6 Issue 3 Pages 035030  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Heterostructures of low-dimensional semiconducting materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (MX2), are promising building blocks for future electronic and optoelectronic devices. The patterning of one MX2 material on top of another one is challenging due to their structural similarity. This prevents an intrinsic etch stop when conventional anisotropic dry etching processes are used. An alternative approach consist in a two-step process, where a sacrificial silicon layer is pre-patterned with a low damage plasma process, stopping on the underlying MoS2 film. The pre-patterned layer is used as sacrificial template for the formation of the top WS2 film. This study describes the optimization of a cyclic Ar/Cl-2 atomic layer etch process applied to etch silicon on top of MoS2, with minimal damage, followed by a selective conversion of the patterned Si into WS2. The impact of the Si atomic layer etch towards the MoS2 is evaluated: in the ion energy range used for this study, MoS2 removal occurs in the over-etch step over 1-2 layers, leading to the appearance of MoOx but without significant lattice distortions to the remaining layers. The combination of Si atomic layer etch, on top of MoS2, and subsequent Si-to-WS2 selective conversion, allows to create a WS2/MoS2 heterostructure, with clear Raman signals and horizontal lattice alignment. These results demonstrate a scalable, transfer free method to achieve horizontally individually patterned heterostacks and open the route towards wafer-level processing of 2D materials.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000468335500004 Publication Date 2019-04-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2053-1583 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.937 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.937  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160229 Serial 5266  
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Author Grubova, I.Y.; Surmeneva, M.A.; Huygh, S.; Surmenev, R.A.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Effects of silicon doping on strengthening adhesion at the interface of the hydroxyapatite-titanium biocomposite : a first-principles study Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Computational materials science Abbreviated Journal Comp Mater Sci  
  Volume 159 Issue 159 Pages 228-234  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this paper we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the effect of substitutional Si doping in the amorphous calcium-phosphate (a-HAP) structure on the work of adhesion, integral charge transfer, charge density difference and theoretical tensile strengths between an a-HAP coating and amorphous titanium dioxide (a-TiO2) substrate systemically. Our calculations demonstrate that substitution of a P atom by a Si atom in a-HAP (a-Si-HAP) with the creation of OH-vacancies as charge compensation results in a significant increase of the bonding strength of the coating to the substrate. The work of adhesion of the optimized Si-doped interfaces reaches a value of up to -2.52 J m(-2), which is significantly higher than for the stoichiometric a-HAP/a-TiO2. Charge density difference analysis indicates that the dominant interactions at the interface have significant covalent character, and in particular two Ti-O and three Ca-O bonds are formed for a-Si-HAP/a-TiO2 and one Ti-O and three Ca-O bonds for a-HAP/a-TiO2. From the stress-strain curve, the Young's modulus of a-Si-HAP/a-TiO2 is calculated to be about 25% higher than that of the a-HAP/a-TiO2, and the yielding stress is about 2 times greater than that of the undoped model. Our calculations therefore demonstrate that the presence of Si in the a-HAP structure strongly alters not only the bioactivity and resorption rates, but also the mechanical properties of the a-HAP/a-TiO2 interface. The results presented here provide an important theoretical insight into the nature of the chemical bonding at the a-HAP/a-TiO2 interface, and are particularly significant for the practical medical applications of HAP-based biomaterials.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000457856900023 Publication Date 2018-12-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0927-0256 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.292 Times cited 1 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.292  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:157480 Serial 5272  
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Author Brault, P.; Chamorro-Coral, W.; Chuon, S.; Caillard, A.; Bauchire, J.-M.; Baranton, S.; Coutanceau, C.; Neyts, E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Molecular dynamics simulations of initial Pd and PdO nanocluster growth in a magnetron gas aggregation source Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering Abbreviated Journal Front Chem Sci Eng  
  Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 324-329  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out for describing growth of Pd and PdO nanoclusters using the ReaxFF force field. The resulting nanocluster structures are successfully compared to those of nanoclusters experimentally grown in a gas aggregation source. The PdO structure is quasi-crystalline as revealed by high resolution transmission microscope analysis for experimental PdO nanoclusters. The role of the nanocluster temperature in the molecular dynamics simulated growth is highlighted.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000468848400009 Publication Date 2019-03-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2095-0179 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.712 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.712  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160278 Serial 5276  
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Author Neyts, E.C. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Special Issue on future directions in plasma nanoscience Type Editorial
  Year 2019 Publication Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering Abbreviated Journal Front Chem Sci Eng  
  Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 199-200  
  Keywords Editorial; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000468848400001 Publication Date 2019-05-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2095-0179 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.712 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.712  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160277 Serial 5280  
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Author Jafarzadeh, A.; Bal, K.M.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title CO2 activation on TiO2-supported Cu5 and Ni5 nanoclusters : effect of plasma-induced surface charging Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C  
  Volume 123 Issue 11 Pages 6516-6525  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Surface charging is an often overlooked factor in many plasma-surface interactions and in particular in plasma catalysis. In this study, we investigate the effect of excess electrons induced by a plasma on the adsorption properties of CO2 on titania-supported Cu-5 and Ni-5 clusters using spin-polarized and dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations. The effect of excess electrons on the adsorption of Ni and Cu pentamers as well as on CO2 adsorption on a pristine anatase TiO2(101) slab is studied. Our results indicate that adding plasma-induced excess electrons to the system leads to further stabilization of the bent CO2 structure. Also, dissociation of CO2 on charged clusters is energetically more favorable than on neutral clusters. We hypothesize that surface charge is a plausible cause for the synergistic effects sometimes observed in plasma catalysis.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000462260700024 Publication Date 2019-02-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1932-7447; 1932-7455 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 4 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159422 Serial 5281  
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Author Bal, K.M.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Ensemble-Based Molecular Simulation of Chemical Reactions under Vibrational Nonequilibrium Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry Letters Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem Lett  
  Volume 11 Issue 2 Pages 401-406  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract We present an approach to incorporate the effect of vibrational nonequilibrium in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A perturbed canonical ensemble, in which selected modes are excited to higher temperature while all others remain equilibrated at low temperature, is simulated by applying a specifically tailored bias potential. Our method can be readily applied to any (classical or quantum mechanical) MD setup at virtually no additional computational cost and allows the study of reactions of vibrationally excited molecules in nonequilibrium environments such as plasmas. In combination with enhanced sampling methods, the vibrational efficacy and mode selectivity of vibrationally stimulated reactions can then be quantified in terms of chemically relevant observables, such as reaction rates and apparent free energy barriers. We first validate our method for the prototypical hydrogen exchange reaction and then show how it can capture the effect of vibrational excitation on a symmetric SN2 reaction and radical addition on CO2.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000508473400008 Publication Date 2020-01-16  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1948-7185 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Universiteit Antwerpen; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12ZI420N ; Departement Economie, Wetenschap en Innovatie van de Vlaamse Overheid; K.M.B. was funded as a junior postdoctoral fellow of the FWO (Research Foundation − Flanders), Grant 12ZI420N, and through a TOP-BOF research project of the University of Antwerp. The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the FWO and the Flemish Government− department EWI. Approved Most recent IF: 5.7; 2020 IF: 9.353  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:165587 Serial 5442  
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Author Nematollahi, P.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Direct methane conversion to methanol on M and MN4 embedded graphene (M = Ni and Si): a comparative DFT study Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Applied surface science Abbreviated Journal Appl Surf Sci  
  Volume 496 Issue 496 Pages 143618  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The ever increasing global production and dispersion of methane requires novel chemistry to transform it into easily condensable energy carriers that can be integrated into the chemical infrastructure. In this context, single atom catalysts have attracted considerable interest due to their outstanding catalytic activity. We here use density functional theory (DFT) computations to compare the reaction and activation energies of M and MN4 embedded graphene (M = Ni and Si) on the methane-to-methanol conversion near room temperature. Thermodynamically, conversion of methane to methanol is energetically favorable at ambient conditions. Both singlet and triplet spin state of the studied systems are considered in all of the calculations. The DFT results show that the barriers are significantly lower when the complexes are in the triplet state than in the singlet state. In particular, Si-G with the preferred spin multiplicity of triplet seems to be viable catalysts for methane oxidation thanks to the corresponding lower energy barriers and higher stability of the obtained configurations. Our results provide insights into the nature of methane conversion and may serve as guidance for fabricating cost-effective graphene-based single atom catalysts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000488957400004 Publication Date 2019-08-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0169-4332 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.387 Times cited 2 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.387  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163695 Serial 6294  
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Author Fukuhara, S.; Bal, K.M.; Neyts, E.C.; Shibuta, Y. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Accelerated molecular dynamics simulation of large systems with parallel collective variable-driven hyperdynamics Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Computational Materials Science Abbreviated Journal Comp Mater Sci  
  Volume 177 Issue Pages 109581  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The limitation in time and length scale is a major issue of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Although several methods have been developed to extend the MD time scale, their performance usually deteriorates with increasing system size. Therefore, an acceleration method which is applicable to large systems is required to bridge the gap between the MD simulations and target phenomena. In this study, an accelerated MD method for large system is developed based on the collective variable-driven hyperdynamics (CVHD) method [K.M. Bal and E.C. Neyts, 2015]. The key idea is to run CVHD in parallel with rate control and accelerate multiple possible events simultaneously. Using this novel method, carbon diffusion in bcc-iron bicrystal with grain boundary is examined as an application for practical materials. Carbon atoms reaching at the grain boundary are trapped whereas carbon atoms in the bulk region diffuse randomly, and both dynamic regimes can be simultaneously accelerated with the parallel CVHD technique.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000519576300001 Publication Date 2020-02-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0927-0256 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.3 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes JSPS, J22727 ; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (No.19H02415) and Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow (No.18J22727) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan. S.F. was supported by JSPS through the Program for Leading Graduate Schools (MERIT). Data availability The data required to reproduce these findings are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request. Approved Most recent IF: 3.3; 2020 IF: 2.292  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:166773 Serial 6333  
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Author Jafarzadeh, A.; Bal, K.M.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Activation of CO2on Copper Surfaces: The Synergy between Electric Field, Surface Morphology, and Excess Electrons Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C  
  Volume 124 Issue 12 Pages 6747-6755  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this work, we use density functional theory calculations to study the combined effect of external electric fields, surface morphology, and surface charge on CO2 activation over Cu(111), Cu(211), Cu(110), and Cu(001) surfaces. We observe that the binding energy of the CO2 molecule on Cu surfaces increases significantly upon increasing the applied electric field strength. In addition, rougher surfaces respond more effectively to the presence of the external electric field toward facilitating the formation of a carbonate-like CO2 structure and the transformation of the most stable adsorption mode from physisorption to chemisorption. The presence of surface charges further strengthens the electric field effect and consequently causes an improved bending of the CO2 molecule and C−O bond length elongation. On the other hand, a net charge in the absence of an externally applied electric field shows only a marginal effect on CO2 binding. The chemisorbed CO2 is more stable and further activated when the effects of an external electric field, rough surface, and surface charge are combined. These results can help to elucidate the underlying factors that control CO2 activation in heterogeneous and plasma catalysis, as well as in electrochemical processes.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000526396900030 Publication Date 2020-03-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.7 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds, 32249 ; The financial support from the TOP research project of the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp (grant ID: 32249) is highly acknowledged by the authors. The computational resources used in this study were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the FWO and the Flemish Governmentdepartment EWI. Approved Most recent IF: 3.7; 2020 IF: 4.536  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:168606 Serial 6361  
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Author Engelmann, Y.; Mehta, P.; Neyts, E.C.; Schneider, W.F.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Predicted Influence of Plasma Activation on Nonoxidative Coupling of Methane on Transition Metal Catalysts Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Acs Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Abbreviated Journal Acs Sustain Chem Eng  
  Volume 8 Issue 15 Pages 6043-6054  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Movement Antwerp (MOVANT)  
  Abstract The combination of catalysis and nonthermal plasma holds promise for enabling difficult chemical conversions. The possible synergy between both depends strongly on the nature of the reactive plasma species and the catalyst material. In this paper, we show how vibrationally excited species and plasma-generated radicals interact with transition metal catalysts and how changing the catalyst material can improve the conversion rates and product selectivity. We developed a microkinetic model to investigate the impact of vibrational excitations and plasma-generated radicals on the nonoxidative coupling of methane over transition metal surfaces. We predict a significant increase in ethylene formation for vibrationally excited methane. Plasma-generated radicals have a stronger impact on the turnover frequencies with high selectivity toward ethylene on noble catalysts and mixed selectivity on non-noble catalysts. In general, we show how the optimal catalyst material depends on the desired products as well as the plasma conditions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000526884000025 Publication Date 2020-04-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2168-0485 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.4 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Herculesstichting; University of Notre Dame; Universiteit Antwerpen; Division of Engineering Education and Centers, EEC-1647722 ; We would like to thank Tom Butterworth for his work on methane vibrational distribution functions (VDF) and for sharing his thoughts and experiences on this matter, specifically regarding the VDF of the degenerate modes of methane. We ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering pubs.acs.org/journal/ascecg Research Article https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c00906 ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2020, 8, 6043−6054 6052 also acknowledge financial support from the DOC-PRO3 and the TOP-BOF projects of the University of Antwerp. This work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (Department EWI), and the University of Antwerp. Support for W.F.S. was provided by the National Science Foundation under cooperative agreement no. EEC-1647722, an Engineering Research Center for the Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR). P.M. acknowledges support through the Eilers Graduate Fellowship of the University of Notre Dame. Approved Most recent IF: 8.4; 2020 IF: 5.951  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:169228 Serial 6366  
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Author Khalilov, U.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Mechanisms of selective nanocarbon synthesis inside carbon nanotubes Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Carbon Abbreviated Journal Carbon  
  Volume 171 Issue Pages 72-78  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The possibility of confinement effects inside a carbon nanotube provides new application opportunities, e.g., growth of novel carbon nanostructures. However, the understanding the precise role of catalystfeedstock in the nanostructure synthesis is still elusive. In our simulation-based study, we investigate the Ni-catalyzed growth mechanism of encapsulated carbon nanostructures, viz. double-wall carbon nanotube and graphene nanoribbon, from carbon and hydrocarbon growth precursors, respectively. Specifically, we find that the tube and ribbon growth is determined by a catalyst-vs-feedstock competition effect. We compare our results, i.e., growth mechanism and structure morphology with all available theoretical and experimental data. Our calculations show that all encapsulated nanostructures contain metal (catalyst) atoms and such structures are less stable than their pure counterparts. Therefore, we study the purification mechanism of these structures. In general, this study opens a possible route to the controllable synthesis of tubular and planar carbon nanostructures for today’s nanotechnology.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000598371500009 Publication Date 2020-09-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0008-6223 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 6.337 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Fund of Scientific Research Flanders, 12M1318N ; Universiteit Antwerpen; Flemish Supercomputer Centre; Hercules Foundation; Flemish Government; The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium, Grant number 12M1318N. The work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC), funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UA, Belgium. Approved Most recent IF: 6.337  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:172459 Serial 6414  
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Author Bal, K.M.; Fukuhara, S.; Shibuta, Y.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Free energy barriers from biased molecular dynamics simulations Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Chemical Physics Abbreviated Journal J Chem Phys  
  Volume 153 Issue 11 Pages 114118  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Atomistic simulation methods for the quantification of free energies are in wide use. These methods operate by sampling the probability density of a system along a small set of suitable collective variables (CVs), which is, in turn, expressed in the form of a free energy surface (FES). This definition of the FES can capture the relative stability of metastable states but not that of the transition state because the barrier height is not invariant to the choice of CVs. Free energy barriers therefore cannot be consistently computed from the FES. Here, we present a simple approach to calculate the gauge correction necessary to eliminate this inconsistency. Using our procedure, the standard FES as well as its gauge-corrected counterpart can be obtained by reweighing the same simulated trajectory at little additional cost. We apply the method to a number of systems—a particle solvated in a Lennard-Jones fluid, a Diels–Alder reaction, and crystallization of liquid sodium—to demonstrate its ability to produce consistent free energy barriers that correctly capture the kinetics of chemical or physical transformations, and discuss the additional demands it puts on the chosen CVs. Because the FES can be converged at relatively short (sub-ns) time scales, a free energy-based description of reaction kinetics is a particularly attractive option to study chemical processes at more expensive quantum mechanical levels of theory.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000574665600004 Publication Date 2020-09-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-9606 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.4 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 19H02415 18J22727 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12ZI420N ; This work was supported, in part, by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (Grant No. 19H02415) and Grant-in-Aid for a JSPS Research Fellow (Grant No. 18J22727) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan. K.M.B. was funded as a junior postdoctoral fellow of the FWO (Research Foundation – Flanders), Grant No. 12ZI420N. S.F. was supported by JSPS through the Program for Leading Graduate Schools (MERIT). The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA of the Universiteit Antwerpen, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the FWO and the Flemish Government. The authors are grateful to Pablo Piaggi for making the pair entropy CV code publicly available. Approved Most recent IF: 4.4; 2020 IF: 2.965  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:172456 Serial 6420  
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Author Fukuhara, S.; Bal, K.M.; Neyts, E.C.; Shibuta, Y. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Entropic and enthalpic factors determining the thermodynamics and kinetics of carbon segregation from transition metal nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Carbon Abbreviated Journal Carbon  
  Volume 171 Issue Pages 806-813  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The free energy surface (FES) for carbon segregation from nickel nanoparticles is obtained from advanced molecular dynamics simulations. A suitable reaction coordinate is developed that can distinguish dissolved carbon atoms from segregated dimers, chains and junctions on the nanoparticle surface. Because of the typically long segregation time scale (up to ms), metadynamics simulations along the developed reaction coordinate are used to construct FES over a wide range of temperatures and carbon concentrations. The FES revealed the relative stability of different stages in the segregation process, and free energy barriers and rates of the individual steps could then be calculated and decomposed into enthalpic and entropic contributions. As the carbon concentration in the nickel nanoparticle increases, segregated carbon becomes more stable in terms of both enthalpy and entropy. The activation free energy of the reaction also decreases with the increase of carbon concentration, which can be mainly attributed to entropic effects. These insights and the methodology developed to obtain them improve our understanding of carbon segregation process across materials science in general, and the nucleation and growth of carbon nanotube in particular.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000598371500084 Publication Date 2020-09-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0008-6223 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.337 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Scientific Research, 19H02415 ; JSPS, 18J22727 ; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; JSPS; JSPS; FWO; Research Foundation; Flanders, 12ZI420N ; This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (No.19H02415) and Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow (No.18J22727) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan. S.F. was supported by JSPS through the Program for 812 Approved Most recent IF: 6.337  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:172452 Serial 6421  
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Author Nematollahi, P.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Direct oxidation of methane to methanol on Co embedded N-doped graphene: Comparing the role of N₂O and O₂ as oxidants Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Applied Catalysis A-General Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal A-Gen  
  Volume 602 Issue Pages 117716-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this work, the effects of N-doping into the Co-doped single vacancy (Co-SV-G) and di-vacancy graphene flake (Co-dV-G) are investigated and compared toward direct oxidation of methane to methanol (DOMM) employing two different oxidants (N2O and O-2) using density functional theory (DFT) calculation. We found that DOMM on CoN3-G utilizing the N2O molecule as oxygen-donor proceeds via a two-step reaction with low activation energies. In addition, we found that although CoN3-G might be a good catalyst for methane conversion, it can also catalyze the oxidation of methanol to CO2 and H2O due to the required low activation barriers. Moreover, the adsorption behaviors of CHx (x = 0-4) species and dehydrogenation of CHx (x = 1-4) species on CoN3-G are investigated. We concluded that CoN3-G can be used as an efficient catalyst for DOMM and N-2O reduction at ambient conditions which may serve as a guide for fabricating effective C/N catalysts in energy-related devices.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000554006800046 Publication Date 2020-06-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0926-860x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.5 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; This work was performed with the financial support from the Doctoral Fund of the Antwerp University (NO. BOFLP33099). All the simulations are performed on resources provided by the high-performance computing center of Antwerp University. ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.5; 2020 IF: 4.339  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171219 Serial 6485  
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Author Grubova, I.Y.; Surmeneva, M.A.; Surmenev, R.A.; Neyts, E.C. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Effect of van der Waals interactions on the adhesion strength at the interface of the hydroxyapatite-titanium biocomposite : a first-principles study Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication RSC advances Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 10 Issue 62 Pages 37800-37805  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is frequently used as biocompatible coating on Ti-based implants. In this context, the HAP-Ti adhesion is of crucial importance. Here, we report ab initio calculations to investigate the influence of Si incorporation into the amorphous calcium-phosphate (a-HAP) structure on the interfacial bonding mechanism between the a-HAP coating and an amorphous titanium dioxide (a-TiO2) substrate, contrasting two different density functionals: PBE-GGA, and DFT-D3, which are capable of describing the influence of the van der Waals (vdW) interactions. In particular, we discuss the effect of dispersion on the work of adhesion (W-ad), equilibrium geometries, and charge density difference (CDD). We find that replacement of P by Si in a-HAP (a-Si-HAP) with the creation of OH vacancies as charge compensation results in a significant increase in the bond strength between the coating and substrate in the case of using the PBE-GGA functional. However, including the vdW interactions shows that these forces considerably contribute to the W-ad. We show that the difference (W-ad – W-ad(vdW)) is on average more than 1.1 J m(-2) and 0.5 J m(-2) for a-HAP/a-TiO2 and a-Si-HAP/a-TiO2, respectively. These results reveal that including vdW interactions is essential for accurately describing the chemical bonding at the a-HAP/a-TiO2 interface.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000583523300025 Publication Date 2020-10-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Russian president's grant MK-330.2020.8 and BOF Fellowships for International Joint PhD students funded by University of Antwerp (UAntwerp, project number 32545). The work was carried out at Tomsk Polytechnic University within the framework of Tomsk Polytechnic University Competitiveness Enhancement Program grant and in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the UAntwerp, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC), funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UAntwerp, Belgium. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:173603 Serial 6499  
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Author Marinov, D.; de Marneffe, J.-F.; Smets, Q.; Arutchelvan, G.; Bal, K.M.; Voronina, E.; Rakhimova, T.; Mankelevich, Y.; El Kazzi, S.; Nalin Mehta, A.; Wyndaele, P.-J.; Heyne, M.H.; Zhang, J.; With, P.C.; Banerjee, S.; Neyts, E.C.; Asselberghs, I.; Lin, D.; De Gendt, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Reactive plasma cleaning and restoration of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication npj 2D Materials and Applications Abbreviated Journal npj 2D Mater Appl  
  Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 17  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The cleaning of two-dimensional (2D) materials is an essential step in the fabrication of future devices, leveraging their unique physical, optical, and chemical properties. Part of these emerging 2D materials are transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). So far there is limited understanding of the cleaning of “monolayer” TMD materials. In this study, we report on the use of downstream H<sub>2</sub>plasma to clean the surface of monolayer WS<sub>2</sub>grown by MOCVD. We demonstrate that high-temperature processing is essential, allowing to maximize the removal rate of polymers and to mitigate damage caused to the WS<sub>2</sub>in the form of sulfur vacancies. We show that low temperature in situ carbonyl sulfide (OCS) soak is an efficient way to resulfurize the material, besides high-temperature H<sub>2</sub>S annealing. The cleaning processes and mechanisms elucidated in this work are tested on back-gated field-effect transistors, confirming that transport properties of WS<sub>2</sub>devices can be maintained by the combination of H<sub>2</sub>plasma cleaning and OCS restoration. The low-damage plasma cleaning based on H<sub>2</sub>and OCS is very reproducible, fast (completed in a few minutes) and uses a 300 mm industrial plasma etch system qualified for standard semiconductor pilot production. This process is, therefore, expected to enable the industrial scale-up of 2D-based devices, co-integrated with silicon technology.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000613258900001 Publication Date 2021-01-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2397-7132 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Daniil Marinov has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 752164. Ekaterina Voronina, Yuri Mankelevitch, and Tatyana Rakhimova are thankful to the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) for financial support (Grant No. 16-12-10361). This study was carried out using the equipment of the shared research facilities of high-performance computing resources at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the computational resources and services of the HPC core facility CalcUA of the University of Antwerp, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government. Patrick With gratefully acknowledges imec’s CTO office for financial support during his stay at imec. The authors thank Mr. Surajit Sutar (imec) for his help during sample electrical characterization, and Patrick Verdonck for lab processing. Jean-François de Marneffe thank Prof. Simone Napolitano from the Free University of Brussels for useful discussions on irreversibly adsorbed polymer layers, and Cédric Huyghebaert (imec) for his continuous support in the framework of the Graphene FET Flagship core project. All authors acknowledge the support of imec’s pilot line and materials characterization and analysis (MCA) group, namely Jonathan Ludwig, Stefanie Sergeant, Thomas Nuytten, Olivier Richard, and Thierry Conard. Finally, Daniil Marinov thank Mikhail Krishtab (imec/KU Leuven) for his help in selecting the optimal plasma etch system for this work. Part of this project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 649953. Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175871 Serial 6671  
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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. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  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  
  Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 1765-1773  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  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.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000618540300057 Publication Date 2021-02-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  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  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175880 Serial 6675  
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Author Berdiyorov, G.R.; Khalilov, U.; Hamoudi, H.; Neyts, E.C. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Effect of chemical modification on electronic transport properties of carbyne Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Computational Electronics Abbreviated Journal J Comput Electron  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Using density functional theory in combination with the Green’s functional formalism, we study the effect of surface functionalization on the electronic transport properties of 1D carbon allotrope—carbyne. We found that both hydrogenation and fluorination result in structural changes and semiconducting to metallic transition. Consequently, the current in the functionalization systems increases significantly due to strong delocalization of electronic states along the carbon chain. We also study the electronic transport in partially hydrogenated carbyne and interface structures consisting of pristine and functionalized carbyne. In the latter case, current rectification is obtained in the system with rectification ratio up to 50%. These findings can be useful for developing carbyne-based structures with tunable electronic transport properties.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000617664900001 Publication Date 2021-02-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1569-8025 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.526 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Computational resources were provided by the research computing facilities of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute. Calculations are also conducted using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the University of Antwerp. U. Khalilov gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium, Grant number 12M1315N. Approved Most recent IF: 1.526  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:176169 Serial 6708  
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Author Izadi, M.E.; Bal, K.M.; Maghari, A.; Neyts, E.C. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Reaction mechanisms of C(3PJ) and C+(2PJ) with benzene in the interstellar medium from quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulations Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Chem Chem Phys  
  Volume 23 Issue 7 Pages 4205-4216  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract While spectroscopic data on small hydrocarbons in interstellar media in combination with crossed molecular beam (CMB) experiments have provided a wealth of information on astrochemically relevant species, much of the underlying mechanistic pathways of their formation remain elusive. Therefore, in this work, the chemical reaction mechanisms of C(<sup>3</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>and C<sup>+</sup>(<sup>2</sup>P) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>systems using the quantum mechanical molecular dynamics (QMMD) technique at the PBE0-D3(BJ) level of theory is investigated, mimicking a CMB experiment. Both the dynamics of the reactions as well as the electronic structure for the purpose of the reaction network are evaluated. The method is validated for the first reaction by comparison to the available experimental data. The reaction scheme for the C(<sup>3</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>system covers the literature data,<italic>e.g.</italic>the major products are the 1,2-didehydrocycloheptatrienyl radical (C<sub>7</sub>H<sub>5</sub>) and benzocyclopropenyl radical (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>–CH), and it reveals the existence of less common pathways for the first time. The chemistry of the C<sup>+</sup>(<sup>2</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>system is found to be much richer, and we have found that this is because of more exothermic reactions in this system in comparison to those in the C(<sup>3</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>system. Moreover, using the QMMD simulation, a number of reaction paths have been revealed that produce three distinct classes of reaction products with different ring sizes. All in all, at all the collision energies and orientations, the major product is the heptagon molecular ion for the ionic system. It is also revealed that the collision orientation has a dominant effect on the reaction products in both systems, while the collision energy mostly affects the charged system. These simulations both prove the applicability of this approach to simulate crossed molecular beams, and provide fundamental information on reactions relevant for the interstellar medium.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000621595300016 Publication Date 2021-01-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1463-9076 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.123 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12ZI420N ; Ministry of Science Research and Technology; Universiteit Antwerpen; The financial support from the Iran Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and PLASMANT Research Group University of Antwerp is highly acknowledged by the authors. K.M.B. was funded as a junior postdoctoral fellow of the FWO (Research Foundation – Flanders), Grant 12ZI420N. The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA of the Universiteit Antwerpen, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the FWO and the Flemish Government. Approved Most recent IF: 4.123  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:176672 Serial 6742  
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Author Kovács, A.; Billen, P.; Cornet, I.; Wijnants, M.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Modeling the physicochemical properties of natural deep eutectic solvents : a review Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Chemsuschem Abbreviated Journal Chemsuschem  
  Volume 13 Issue 15 Pages 3789-3804  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)  
  Abstract Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are mixtures of naturally derived compounds with a significantly decreased melting point due to the specific interactions among the constituents. NADES have benign properties (low volatility, flammability, toxicity, cost) and tailorable physicochemical properties (by altering the type and molar ratio of constituents), hence they are often considered as a green alternative to common organic solvents. Modeling the relation between their composition and properties is crucial though, both for understanding and predicting their behavior. Several efforts were done to this end, yet this review aims at structuring the present knowledge as an outline for future research. First, we reviewed the key properties of NADES and relate them to their structure based on the available experimental data. Second, we reviewed available modeling methods applicable to NADES. At the molecular level, density functional theory and molecular dynamics allow interpreting density differences and vibrational spectra, and computation of interaction energies. Additionally, properties at the level of the bulk media can be explained and predicted by semi-empirical methods based on ab initio methods (COSMO-RS) and equation of state models (PC-SAFT). Finally, methods based on large datasets are discussed; models based on group contribution methods and machine learning. A combination of bulk media and dataset modeling allows qualitative prediction and interpretation of phase equilibria properties on the one hand, and quantitative prediction of melting point, density, viscosity, surface tension and refractive indices on the other hand. In our view, multiscale modeling, combining the molecular and macroscale methods, will strongly enhance the predictability of NADES properties and their interaction with solutes, yielding truly tailorable solvents to accommodate (bio)chemical reactions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000541499100001 Publication Date 2020-05-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1864-5631 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 8.4 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 8.4; 2020 IF: 7.226  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:168851 Serial 6770  
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Author Bal, K.M.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Quantifying the impact of vibrational nonequilibrium in plasma catalysis: insights from a molecular dynamics model of dissociative chemisorption Type A1 Journal Article;plasma catalysis
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physics D-Applied Physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 54 Issue 39 Pages 394004  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article;plasma catalysis; vibrational nonequilibrium; dissociative chemisorption; free energy barriers; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract The rate, selectivity and efficiency of plasma-based conversion processes is strongly affected by nonequilibrium phenomena. High concentrations of vibrationally excited molecules are such a plasma-induced effect. It is frequently assumed that vibrationally excited molecules are important in plasma catalysis because their presence lowers the apparent activation energy of dissociative chemisorption reactions and thus increases the conversion rate. A detailed atomic-level understanding of vibrationally stimulated catalytic reactions in the context of plasma catalysis is however lacking. Here, we couple a recently developed statistical model of a plasma-induced vibrational nonequilibrium to molecular dynamics simulations, enhanced sampling methods, and machine learning techniques. We quantify the impact of a vibrational nonequilibrium on the dissociative chemisorption barrier of H2 and CH4 on nickel catalysts over a wide range of vibrational temperatures. We investigate the effect of surface structure and compare the role of different vibrational modes of methane in the dissociation process. For low vibrational temperatures, very high vibrational efficacies are found, and energy in bend vibrations appears to dominate the dissociation of methane. The relative impact of vibrational nonequilibrium is much higher on terrace sites than on surface steps. We then show how our simulations can help to interpret recent experimental results, and suggest new paths to a better understanding of plasma catalysis.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000674464100001 Publication Date 2021-09-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12ZI420N ; K M B was funded as a junior postdoctoral fellow of the FWO (Research Foundation—Flanders), Grant 12ZI420N. The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA of the Universiteit Antwerpen, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the FWO and the Flemish Government. HLDA calculations were performed with a script provided by G Piccini. Approved Most recent IF: 2.588  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:179830 Serial 6808  
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Author Engelmann, Y.; van ’t Veer, K.; Gorbanev, Y.; Neyts, E.C.; Schneider, W.F.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma Catalysis for Ammonia Synthesis: A Microkinetic Modeling Study on the Contributions of Eley–Rideal Reactions Type A1 Journal Article;Plasma catalysis
  Year 2021 Publication Acs Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Abbreviated Journal Acs Sustain Chem Eng  
  Volume 9 Issue 39 Pages 13151-13163  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article;Plasma catalysis; Eley−Rideal reactions; Volcano plots; Vibrational excitation; Radical reactions; Dielectric barrier discharge; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract Plasma catalysis is an emerging new technology for the electrification and downscaling of NH3 synthesis. Increasing attention is being paid to the optimization of plasma catalysis with respect to the plasma conditions, the catalyst material, and their mutual interaction. In this work we use microkinetic models to study how the total conversion process is impacted by the combination of different plasma conditions and transition metal catalysts. We study how plasma-generated radicals and vibrationally excited N2 (present in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma) interact with the catalyst and impact the NH3 turnover frequencies (TOFs). Both filamentary and uniform plasmas are studied, based on plasma chemistry models that provided plasma phase speciation and vibrational distribution functions. The Langmuir−Hinshelwood reaction rate coefficients (i.e., adsorption reactions and subsequent reactions among adsorbates) are determined using conventional scaling relations. An additional set of Eley−Rideal reactions (i.e., direct reactions of plasma radicals with adsorbates) was added and a sensitivity analysis on the assumed reaction rate coefficients was performed. We first show the impact of different vibrational distribution functions on the catalytic dissociation of N2 and subsequent production of NH3, and we gradually include more radical reactions, to illustrate the contribution of these species and their corresponding reaction pathways. Analysis over a large range of catalysts indicates that different transition metals (metals such as Rh, Ni, Pt, and Pd) optimize the NH3TOFs depending on the population of the vibrational levels of N2. At higher concentrations of plasma-generated radicals, the NH3 TOFs become less dependent on the catalyst material, due to radical adsorptions on the more noble catalysts and Eley−Rideal reactions on the less noble catalysts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000705367800004 Publication Date 2021-10-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2168-0485 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.951 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Basic Energy Sciences, DE-SC0021107 ; Vlaamse regering, HBC.2019.0108 ; H2020 European Research Council, 810182 ; Methusalem project – University of Antwerp; Excellence of science FWO-FNRS, GoF9618n ; TOP-BOF – University of Antwerp; DOCPRO3 – University of Antwerp; We acknowledge the financial support from the DOC-PRO3, the TOP-BOF, and the Methusalem project of the University of Antwerp, as well as from the European Research Council (ERC) (grant agreement No, 810182−SCOPE ERC Synergy project), under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the Flemish Government through the Moonshot cSBO project P2C (HBC.2019.0108), and the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023). Calculations were carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (Department EWI), 13162 Approved Most recent IF: 5.951  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:182482 Serial 6811  
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Author Villarreal, R.; Lin, P.-C.; Faraji, F.; Hassani, N.; Bana, H.; Zarkua, Z.; Nair, M.N.; Tsai, H.-C.; Auge, M.; Junge, F.; Hofsaess, H.C.; De Gendt, S.; De Feyter, S.; Brems, S.; Ahlgren, E.H.; Neyts, E.C.; Covaci, L.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M.; Pereira, L.M.C. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Breakdown of universal scaling for nanometer-sized bubbles in graphene Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett  
  Volume 21 Issue 19 Pages 8103-8110  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract We report the formation of nanobubbles on graphene with a radius of the order of 1 nm, using ultralow energy implantation of noble gas ions (He, Ne, Ar) into graphene grown on a Pt(111) surface. We show that the universal scaling of the aspect ratio, which has previously been established for larger bubbles, breaks down when the bubble radius approaches 1 nm, resulting in much larger aspect ratios. Moreover, we observe that the bubble stability and aspect ratio depend on the substrate onto which the graphene is grown (bubbles are stable for Pt but not for Cu) and trapped element. We interpret these dependencies in terms of the atomic compressibility of the noble gas as well as of the adhesion energies between graphene, the substrate, and trapped atoms.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000709549100026 Publication Date 2021-09-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.712  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184137 Serial 6857  
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Author Javdani, Z.; Hassani, N.; Faraji, F.; Zhou, R.; Sun, C.; Radha, B.; Neyts, E.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Clogging and unclogging of hydrocarbon-contaminated nanochannels Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication The journal of physical chemistry letters Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem Lett  
  Volume 13 Issue 49 Pages 11454-11463  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The recent advantages of the fabrication of artificial nanochannels enabled new research on the molecular transport, permeance, and selectivity of various gases and molecules. However, the physisorption/chemisorption of the unwanted molecules (usually hydrocarbons) inside nanochannels results in the alteration of the functionality of the nanochannels. We investigated contamination due to hydrocarbon molecules, nanochannels made of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, BC2N, and molybdenum disulfide using molecular dynamics simulations. We found that for a certain size of nanochannel (i.e., h = 0.7 nm), as a result of the anomalous hydrophilic nature of nanochannels made of graphene, the hydrocarbons are fully adsorbed in the nanochannel, giving rise to full uptake. An increasing temperature plays an important role in unclogging, while pressure does not have a significant role. The results of our pioneering work contribute to a better understanding and highlight the important factors in alleviating the contamination and unclogging of nanochannels, which are in good agreement with the results of recent experiments.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000893147700001 Publication Date 2022-12-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1948-7185 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:192815 Serial 7263  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C.; Guaitella, O.; Murphy, A.B. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Foundations of plasma catalysis for environmental applications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Plasma Sources Science & Technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various applications, but the underlying mechanisms are still far from understood. Hence, more fundamental research is needed to understand these mechanisms. This can be obtained by both modelling and experiments. This foundations paper describes the fundamental insights in plasma catalysis, as well as efforts to gain more insights by modelling and experiments. Furthermore, it discusses the state-of-the-art of the major plasma catalysis applications, as well as successes and challenges of technology transfer of these applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000804396200001 Publication Date 2022-03-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.8 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, 823745 ; H2020 European Research Council, 810182 ; We acknowldege financial support from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 813393 (PIONEER). Approved Most recent IF: 3.8  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:188539 Serial 7070  
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Author Nematollahi, P.; Barbiellini, B.; Bansil, A.; Lamoen, D.; Qingying, J.; Mukerjee, S.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Identification of a Robust and Durable FeN4CxCatalyst for ORR in PEM Fuel Cells and the Role of the Fifth Ligand Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal  
  Volume Issue Pages 7541-7549  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Although recent studies have advanced the understanding of pyrolyzed

Fe−N−C materials as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, the atomic and

electronic structures of the active sites and their detailed reaction mechanisms still remain unknown. Here, based on first-principles density functional theory (DFT) computations, we discuss the electronic structures of three FeN4 catalytic centers with different local topologies of the surrounding C atoms with a focus on unraveling the mechanism of their ORR activity in acidic electrolytes. Our study brings back a forgotten, synthesized pyridinic Fe−N coordinate to the community’s attention, demonstrating that this catalyst can exhibit excellent activity for promoting direct four-electron ORR through the addition of a fifth ligand such as −NH2, −OH, and −SO4. We also identify sites with good stability properties through the combined use of our DFT calculations and Mössbauer spectroscopy data.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000823193100001 Publication Date 2022-06-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.9 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Basic Energy Sciences, DE-FG02-07ER46352 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1261721N ; Opetus- ja Kulttuuriministeri?; Department of Energy, DE-EE0008416 ; Approved Most recent IF: 12.9  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:189000 Serial 7073  
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Author Gogoi, A.; Neyts, E.C.; Milošević, M.V.; Peeters, F.M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Arresting aqueous swelling of layered graphene-oxide membranes with H3O+ and OH- ions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter  
  Volume 14 Issue 30 Pages 34946-34954  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Over the past decade, graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a promising membrane material with superior separation performance and intriguing mechanical/chemical stability. However, its practical implementation remains very challenging primarily because of its undesirable swelling in an aqueous environment. Here, we demonstrated that dissociation of water molecules into H3O+ and OH- ions inside the interlayer gallery of a layered GO membrane can strongly affect its stability and performance. We reveal that H3O+ and OH- ions form clusters inside the GO laminates that impede the permeance of water and salt ions through the membrane. Dynamics of those clusters is sensitive to an external ac electric field, which can be used to tailor the membrane performance. The presence of H3O+ and OH- ions also leads to increased stability of the hydrogen bond (H-bond) network among the water molecules and the GO layers, which further reduces water permeance through the membrane, while crucially imparting stability to the layered GO membrane against undesirable swelling. KEYWORDS: layered graphene-oxide membrane, aqueous stability, H3O+ and OH- ions, external electric field, molecular dynamics  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000835946500001 Publication Date 2022-07-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.5  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189467 Serial 7127  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Nematollahi, P.; Neyts, E.C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Distribution pattern of metal atoms in bimetal-doped pyridinic-N₄ pores determines their potential for electrocatalytic N₂ reduction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry A Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem A  
  Volume 126 Issue 20 Pages 3080-3089  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Doping two single transition-metal (TM) atoms on a substrate host opens numerous possibilities for catalyst design. However, what if the substrate contains more than one vacancy site? Then, the combination of two TMs along with their distribution patterns becomes a design parameter potentially complementary to the substrate itself and the bimetal composition. In this study, we investigate ammonia synthesis under mild electrocatalytic conditions on a transition-metal-doped porous C24N24 catalyst using density functional theory (DFT). The TMs studied include Ti, Mn, and Cu in a 2:4 dopant ratio (Ti2Mn4@C24N24 and Ti2Cu4@N-24(24)). Our computations show that a single Ti atom in both catalysts exhibits the highest selectivity for N-2 fixation at ambient conditions. This work is a good theoretical model to establish the structure-activity relationship, and the knowledge earned from the metal-N-4 moieties may help studies of related nanomaterials, especially those with curved structures.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000804119800003 Publication Date 2022-05-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1089-5639; 1520-5215 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.9 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189023 Serial 7146  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Faraji, F.; Neek-Amal, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Peeters, F.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Indentation of graphene nano-bubbles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 14 Issue 15 Pages 5876-5883  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effect of an AFM tip when indenting graphene nano bubbles filled by a noble gas (i.e. He, Ne and Ar) up to the breaking point. The failure points resemble those of viral shells as described by the Foppl-von Karman (FvK) dimensionless number defined in the context of elasticity theory of thin shells. At room temperature, He gas inside the bubbles is found to be in the liquid state while Ne and Ar atoms are in the solid state although the pressure inside the nano bubble is below the melting pressure of the bulk. The trapped gases are under higher hydrostatic pressure at low temperatures than at room temperature.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis (up)  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000776763000001 Publication Date 2022-03-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:187924 Serial 7171  
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