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	Author	Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Blommaerts, N.; Lenaerts, S.; Cool, P.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Recent trends in plasmon‐assisted photocatalytic CO₂ reduction			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Chemsuschem	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	16	Issue	5	Pages	e202201647-25
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Direct photocatalytic reduction of CO2 has become an highly active field of research. It is thus of utmost importance to maintain an overview of the various materials used to sustain this process, find common trends, and, in this way, eventually improve the current conversions and selectivities. In particular, CO2 photoreduction using plasmonic photocatalysts under solar light has gained tremendous attention, and a wide variety of materials has been developed to reduce CO2 towards more practical gases or liquid fuels (CH4, CO, CH3OH/CH3CH2OH) in this manner. This Review therefore aims at providing insights in current developments of photocatalysts consisting of only plasmonic nanoparticles and semiconductor materials. By classifying recent studies based on product selectivity, this Review aims to unravel common trends that can provide effective information on ways to improve the photoreduction yield or possible means to shift the selectivity towards desired products, thus generating new ideas for the way forward.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000926901300001	Publication Date	2023-01-10
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1864-5631	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 7.226
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:193633			Serial	7335
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	Author	Blommaerts, N.; Vanrompay, H.; Nuti, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Unraveling Structural Information of Turkevich Synthesized Plasmonic Gold-Silver Bimetallic Nanoparticles			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2019	Publication	Small	Abbreviated Journal	Small
	Volume	15	Issue	15	Pages	1902791
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	For the synthesis of gold-silver bimetallic nanoparticles, the Turkevich method has been the state-of-the-art method for several decades. It has been presumed that this procedure results in a homogeneous alloy, although this has been debatable for many years. In this work, it is shown that neither a full alloy, nor a perfect core-shell particle is formed but rather a core-shell-like particle with altering metal composition along the radial direction. In-depth wet-chemical experiments are performed in combination with advanced transmission electron microscopy, including EDX tomography, and Finite Element Method modeling to support the observations. From the electron tomography results, the core-shell structure could be clearly visualized and the spatial distribution of gold and silver atoms could be quantified. Theoretical simulations are performed to demonstrate that even though UV-Vis spectra show only one plasmon band, this still originates from core-shell type structures. The simulations also indicate that the core-shell morphology does not so much affect the location of the plasmon band, but mainly results in significant band broadening. Wet-chemistry experiments provide the evidence that the synthesis pathway starts with gold enriched alloy cores, and later on in the synthesis mainly silver is incorporated to end up with a silver enriched alloy shell.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000482637100001	Publication Date	2019-08-25
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1613-6810	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.643	Times cited	26	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	Universiteit Antwerpen; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1S32617N G.0369.15N G.0381.16N ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 8.643
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:161636			Serial	5290
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	Author	Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Ninakanti, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Probing oxygen activation on plasmonic photocatalysts			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Frontiers in Chemistry	Abbreviated Journal	Front Chem
	Volume	10	Issue		Pages	988542-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	In this work we present an assay to probe the oxygen activation rate on plasmonic nanoparticles under visible light. Using a superoxide-specific XTT molecular probe, the oxygen activation rate on bimetallic gold-silver “rainbow” nanoparticles with a broadband visible light (> 420 nm) response, is determined at different light intensities by measuring its conversion into the colored XTT-formazan derivate. A kinetic model is applied to enable a quantitative estimation of the rate constant, and is shown to match almost perfectly with the experimental data. Next, the broadband visible light driven oxygen activation capacity of this plasmonic rainbow system, supported on nano-sized SiO 2 , is demonstrated towards the oxidation of aniline to azobenzene in DMSO. To conclude, a brief theoretical discussion is devoted to the possible mechanisms behind such plasmon-driven reactions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000860818400001	Publication Date	2022-09-12
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2296-2646	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	5.5	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 5.5
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:190868			Serial	7197
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	Author	Zhang, K.; Wang, J.; Ninakanti, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 with tunable surface area, crystal size and surface hydroxylation for efficient photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Chemical engineering journal	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	474	Issue		Pages	145188-14
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation exhibits satisfactory performance only at relatively low acetaldehyde flow rates, predominately below 10 × 10-3 mL/min, leaving ample room for improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare more efficient photocatalysts for acetaldehyde degradation. Moreover, the impact of the interaction strength between the titania surface and surface water on the photocatalytic acetaldehyde efficiency is poorly understood. To address these issues, in this work a series of (0 0 1)-faceted anatase titania samples with various surface properties and structures were synthesized via a solvothermal method and tested at high acetaldehyde flow rates under UV light irradiation. With increasing solvothermal time, the pore volume, surface area, and the abundance of surface OH groups all increased, while the crystallite size decreased. These were all identified to be beneficial to promote the degradation performance. When the solvothermal temperature was 180 ℃ and the reaction time was 5 h, the prepared sample displayed the most efficient performance at 19.25× 10-3 mL/min of acetaldehyde (conversion of (74 ± 1)% versus (29 ± 1)% for P25), and achieved a 100 % conversion at 16 × 10-3 mL/min. A weaker interaction strength between surface water and the titania surface was found to improve the acetaldehyde adsorption capacity, thereby promoting the acetaldehyde degradation efficiency. The stability of the best performing sample was tested over 48 h, demonstrating a highly stable performance with no signs of deactivation. Even at a relative humidity of 30 %, the acetaldehyde conversion retains 82% of its efficiency in a dry atmosphere, highlighting its potential in practical applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2023-08-05
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1385-8947; 1873-3212	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor	15.1	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 06.02.2024
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:198652			Serial	8933
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	Author	Ag, K.R.; Minja, A.C.; Ninakanti, R.; Van Hal, M.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Impact of soot deposits on waste gas-to-electricity conversion in a TiO₂/WO₃-based photofuel cell			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Chemical engineering journal	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	470	Issue		Pages	144390-13
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	An unbiased photo-fuel cell (PFC) is a device that integrates the functions of a photoanode and a cathode to achieve simultaneous light-driven oxidation and dark reduction reactions. As such, it generates electricity while degrading pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The photoanode is excited by light to generate electron-hole pairs, which give rise to a photocurrent, and are utilized to oxidise organic pollutants simultaneously. Here we have systematically studied various TiO2/WO3 photoanodes towards their photocatalytic soot degradation performance, PFC performance in the presence of VOCs, and the combination of both. The latter thus mimics an urban environment where VOCs and soot are present simultaneously. The formation of a type-II heterojunction after the addition of a thin TiO2 top layer over a dense WO3 bottom layer, improved both soot oxidation efficiency as well as photocurrent generation, thus paving the way towards low-cost PFC technology for energy recovery from real polluted air.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001030456200001	Publication Date	2023-06-25
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1385-8947; 1873-3212	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	15.1	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 29.12.2023
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:197222			Serial	8882
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	Author	Mendonça, C.D.; Khan, S.U.; Rahemi, V.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Machado, S.A.S.; De Wael, K.
	Title	Surface plasmon resonance-induced visible light photocatalytic TiO₂ modified with AuNPs for the quantification of hydroquinone			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Electrochimica Acta	Abbreviated Journal	Electrochim Acta
	Volume	389	Issue		Pages	138734
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	The impregnation of size-controlled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on an anatase TiO2 structure (AuNPs@TiO2) was studied for the photoelectrochemical detection of hydroquinone (HQ) under visible light illumination integrated into a flow injection analysis (FIA) setup. The crystalline form of TiO2 was preserved during synthesis and the homogeneous distribution of AuNPs over the TiO2 structure was confirmed. Its photoelectrocatalytic activity was improved due to the presence of AuNPs, preventing charge recombination in TiO2 and improving its light absorption ability by the surface plasmon resonance effect (SPR). The FIA system was used in order to significantly reduce the electrode fouling during electroanalysis through periodic washing steps of the electrode surface. During the amperometric detection process, reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated by visible light illumination of AuNPs@TiO2, participate in the oxidation process of HQ. The reduction of the oxidized form of HQ, i.e. benzoquinone (BQ) occurs by applying a negative potential and the measurable amperometric response will be proportional to the initial HQ concentration. The influencing parameters on the response of the amperometric photocurrent such as applied potential, flow rate and pH were investigated. The linear correlation between the amperometric response and the concentration of HQ was recorded (range 0.0125 – 1.0 µM) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 33.8 nM and sensitivity of 0.22 A M−1 cm−2. In this study, we illustrated for the first time that the impregnation of AuNPs in TiO2 allows the sensitive detection of phenolic substances under green laser illumination by using a photoelectrochemical flow system.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000687283100018	Publication Date	2021-06-04
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0013-4686	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	4.798	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.798
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:178908			Serial	8626
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	Author	Kummamuru, N.B.; Watson, G.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Cool, P.; Van Der Voort, P.; Perreault, P.
	Title	Accelerated methane storage in clathrate hydrates using mesoporous (Organo-) silica materials			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Fuel	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	354	Issue		Pages	129403-129418
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Methane (CH4) clathrate hydrates have gained much attention in the ever-growing search for novel energy storage methods; however, they are currently limited due to their poor water-to-hydrate conversions and slow formation kinetics. To surmount these bottlenecks, significant research has been centered on the design of novel methods (porous media). In this vein, the present work explores two hydrophobic mesoporous solids, an alkyl-grafted mesoporous silica (SBA-15 C8) and a periodic mesoporous organosilica (Ring-PMO), in their ability to promote CH4 clathrates. Both materials have shown to facilitate CH4 clathrate formation at mild operating conditions (6 MPa and 269–276 K). The study revealed that the maximal CH4 storage capacities are strongly linked to the critical/optimal quantity of water in the system which was determined to be at 130% and 200% of the pore volume for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. Up to 90% and 95% of the maximum water-to-hydrate conversions were achieved in 90 min at the lowest experimental temperature and critical water content for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. At these conditions, SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO showed a maximum gas uptake of 98.2 and 101.2 mmol CH4/mol H2O, respectively. Both the materials exhibited no chemical or morphological changes post-clathrate formations (characterized using FT-IR, N2 sorption, XRD, and TEM), inferring their viability as clathrate promoters for multiple cycles. An integrated multistep model was considered adequate for representing the hydrate crystallization kinetics and fits well with the experimental kinetic data with a low average absolute deviation in water-to-hydrate conversions among the three distinct kinetic models analyzed. Overall, the results from this study demonstrate hydrophobic porous materials as effective promoters of CH4 clathrates, which could make clathrate-based CH4 storage and transport technology industrially viable.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001059413200001	Publication Date	2023-08-07
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0016-2361	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.4	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access: Available from 07.02.2024
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.601
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:197987			Serial	8829
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	Author	Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Effect of size distribution, skewness and roughness on the optical properties of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Colloids and surfaces: A: physicochemical and engineering aspects	Abbreviated Journal	Colloid Surface A
	Volume	640	Issue		Pages	128521
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	It is a generally accepted idea that the particle size distribution strongly affects the optical spectra of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles. It is often quoted as one of the main reasons while explaining the mismatch between the theoretical and experimental optical spectra of such nanoparticles. In this work, these aspects are critically analyzed by means of a bottom up statistical approach that considers variables such as mean, standard deviation and skewness of the nanoparticle size distribution independently from one another. By assuming normal and log-normal distributions of the particle size, the effect of the statistical parameters on the Mie analytical optical spectra of colloidal nanoparticles was studied. The effect of morphology was also studied numerically in order to understand to what extent it can play a role. It is our finding that the particle polydispersity, skewness and surface morphology in fact only weakly impact the optical spectra. While, the selection of suitable optical constants with regard to the crystallinity of the nanoparticles is a far more influential factor for correctly predicting both the plasmon band position and the plasmon bandwidth in theoretical simulations of the optical spectra. It is shown that the mean particle size can be correctly estimated directly from the plasmon band position, as it is the mean that determines the resonance wavelength. The standard deviation can on the other hand be estimated from the intensity distribution data obtained from dynamic light scattering experiments. The results reported herein clear the ambiguity around particle size distribution and optical response of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher	Elservier	Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000765946900002	Publication Date	2022-02-04
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0927-7757	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	5.2	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 5.2
	Call Number	DuEL @ duel @c:irua:185704			Serial	6908
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	Author	Blommaerts, N.; Hoeven, N.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Campos, R.; Mertens, M.; Borah, R.; Glisenti, A.; De Wael, K.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Cool, P.
	Title	Tuning the turnover frequency and selectivity of photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO and methane using platinum and palladium nanoparticles on Ti-Beta zeolites			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Chemical Engineering Journal	Abbreviated Journal	Chem Eng J
	Volume	410	Issue		Pages	128234
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
	Abstract	A Ti-Beta zeolite was used in gas phase photocatalytic CO2 reduction to reduce the charge recombination rate and increase the surface area compared to P25 as commercial benchmark, reaching 607 m2 g-1. By adding Pt nanoparticles, the selectivity can be tuned toward CO, reaching a value of 92% and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 96 µmol.gcat-1.h-1, nearly an order of magnitude higher in comparison with P25. By adding Pd nanoparticles the selectivity can be shifted from CO (70% for a bare Ti-Beta zeolite), toward CH4 as the prevalent species (60%). In this way, the selectivity toward CO or CH4 can be tuned by either using Pt or Pd. The TOF values obtained in this work outperform reported state-of-the-art values in similar research. The improved activity by adding the nanoparticles was attributed to an improved charge separation efficiency, together with a plasmonic contribution of the metal nanoparticles under the applied experimental conditions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000623394200004	Publication Date	2021-01-09
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1385-8947	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	6.216	Times cited	15	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	N.B., S.L., S.W.V. and P.C. wish to thank the Flemish government and Catalisti for financial support and coordination in terms of a sprint SBO in the context of the moonshot project D2M. N.H. thanks the Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) for the financial support. The Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research (SPHERE) group, R. Blust, University of Antwerp is acknowledged for the ICP-MS measurements.			Approved	Most recent IF: 6.216
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:174591			Serial	6662
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	Author	Kummamuru, N.B.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Perreault, P.
	Title	Experimental investigation of methane hydrate formation in the presence of metallic packing			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Fuel	Abbreviated Journal	Fuel
	Volume	323	Issue		Pages	124269-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Clathrate hydrates gained significant attention as a viable option for large-scale storage of natural gas, primarily methane (CH4). Unlike employing the nanoconfinement for enhancing the nucleation sites and hydrate growth as in the porous materials, whose synthesis is often associated with high costs and poor batch reproducibility, a new approach for promoting CH4 hydrates using pure water (H2O) in an unstirred reactor packed with stainless steel beads (SSB) was proposed in this fundamental work, where the interstitial space between the beads was exploited for enhanced hydrate growth. SSB of two diameters, 5 mm and 2 mm, were used as. a packed bed to investigate their effects on CH4 hydrate formation at 273.65 K, 275.65 K, and 277.65 K with an initial pressure of 6 MPa. The thermal conductivity of SSB packing potentially aided hydrate growth by expelling the hydration heat, while, the results also revealed that driving force has a substantial impact on the rate of CH4 hydrate formation and gas uptake. The experiments conducted in both 5 mm and 2 mm SSB packed bed reactors showed a maximum gas uptake of 0.147 mol CH4/mol H2O at 273.65 K with water to hydrate conversion of 84.42% with no significant variation. The results established the promotion effect on the kinetics of CH4 hydrate formation in the unstirred reactor packed with 2 mm SSB due to the availability of more interstitial space offering multiple nucleation sites for CH4 hydrate by providing a larger specific surface area for H2O-CH4 reaction. Experiments with varying H2O content were also performed and the results showed that the water to hydrate conversion and rate of hydrate formation could be enhanced at a lower H2O content in a packed bed reactor. This study demonstrates that the use of costly or intricate porous materials can be made redundant, by exploiting the interstitial voids in packing of cheap and widely available SSB as a promising alternative material for enhancing the kinetics of artificial CH4 hydrate synthesis.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000799165400007	Publication Date	2022-04-27
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0016-2361	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 7.4
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:187830			Serial	7159
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Van Hal, M.; Campos, R.; Lenaerts, S.; De Wael, K.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Gas phase photofuel cell consisting of WO₃- and TiO₂-photoanodes and an air-exposed cathode for simultaneous air purification and electricity generation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Applied Catalysis B-Environmental	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Catal B-Environ
	Volume	292	Issue		Pages	120204
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Research has shown the potential of photofuel cells (PFCs) for waste water treatment, enabling the (partial) recovery of the energy released from the degraded compounds as electricity. Literature on PFCs targeting air pollution on the other hand is extremely scarce. In this work an autonomously operating air purification device targeting sustainable electricity generation is presented. Knowledge on gas phase operation of PFCs was gathered by combining photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical measurements, both for TiO2 and WO3-based photocatalysts. While TiO2-based photocatalysts performed better in direct photocatalytic experiments, they were outperformed by WO3-based photoanodes in all-gas-phase PFC operation. Not only do WO3-based photocatalysts generate the highest steady state photocurrent, they also achieved the highest fuel-to-electricity conversion (>65 %). The discrepancies between gas phase photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical processes highlight the difference in driving material properties. This study serves as a proof-of-concept towards development of an autonomous, low-cost and widely applicable waste gas-to-electricity PFC device.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000663216500001	Publication Date	2021-04-06
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	9.446	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 9.446
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:177075			Serial	7989
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	Author	Peeters, H.; Keulemans, M.; Nuyts, G.; Vanmeert, F.; Li, C.; Minjauw, M.; Detavernier, C.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic gold-embedded TiO2 thin films as photocatalytic self-cleaning coatings			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2020	Publication	Applied Catalysis B-Environmental	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Catal B-Environ
	Volume	267	Issue	267	Pages	118654
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Transparent photocatalytic TiO2 thin films hold great potential in the development of self-cleaning glass sur- faces, but suffer from a poor visible light response that hinders the application under actual sunlight. To alleviate this problem, the photocatalytic film can be modified with plasmonic nanoparticles that interact very effectively with visible light. Since the plasmonic effect is strongly concentrated in the near surroundings of the nano- particle surface, an approach is presented to embed the plasmonic nanostructures in the TiO2 matrix itself, rather than deposit them loosely on the surface. This way the interaction interface is maximised and the plasmonic effect can be fully exploited. In this study, pre-fabricated gold nanoparticles are made compatible with the organic medium of a TiO2 sol-gel coating suspension, resulting in a one-pot coating suspension. After spin coating, homogeneous, smooth, highly transparent and photoactive gold-embedded anatase thin films are ob- tained.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000518865300002	Publication Date	2020-01-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	22.1	Times cited	57	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	H.P. is grateful to the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for an aspirant PhD scholarship.			Approved	Most recent IF: 22.1; 2020 IF: 9.446
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:165616			Serial	5446
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	Author	Peeters, H.; Raes, A.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic photocatalytic coatings with self-cleaning, antibacterial, air and water purifying properties tested according to ISO standards			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Journal of photochemistry and photobiology: A: chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	451	Issue		Pages	115529-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	ISO 10678:2010, ISO 22197–1 and 2, ISO 27447:2019 and ISO 27448:2009 for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes (methylene blue), air pollution (NOx and acetaldehyde), bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) and solid organic fouling (oleic acid) are performed on plasmon-embedded TiO2 thin films on Borofloat® glass, as well as the commercially available titania-based self-cleaning glass PilkingtonActivTM. These standardised protocols measure the performance for the four main applications of photocatalytic materials: water purification, air purification, antibacterial and self-cleaning activity, respectively. The standards are performed exactly as prescribed to measure the activity under UV irradiation, and also in a slightly adapted manner to measure the performance under simulated solar light or visible light. Performing experiments according to ISO standards, enables an objective comparison amongst samples tested here, as well as with results from literature. This is a major asset compared to the myriad of customised setups used in laboratories worldwide that hinder a fair comparison. We point at the importance of meticulously following the ISO instructions, as we have noticed that multiple published studies adopting the ISO standards too often deviate from these protocols, thereby nullifying the added value of standardized testing. Following the ISO tests to the letter, we have demonstrated the superior performance of a previously developed plasmonic titania coating with fully embedded gold-silver nanoparticles towards all four application areas. Furthermore, our empirical data strongly support the need for a nuanced understanding of standardized testing, to ensure accurate assessment of photocatalytic materials. An examination of the ISO standards used in this work reveals notable drawbacks, including concerns about the reliability of the methylene blue degradation protocol, the issues of HNO3 accumulation in the NOx removal test, and limitations in assessing antibacterial activity and water contact angles.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-02-15
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1010-6030	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	no
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203203			Serial	9075
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Dingenen, F.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Tapping hydrogen fuel from the ocean : a review on photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical and electrolytic splitting of seawater			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews	Abbreviated Journal	Renew Sust Energ Rev
	Volume	142	Issue		Pages	110866
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Direct splitting of earth-abundant seawater provides an eco-friendly route for the production of clean H2, but is hampered by selectivity and stability issues. Direct seawater electrolysis is the most established technology, attaining high current densities in the order of 1–2 A cm−2. Alternatively, light-driven processes such as photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical seawater splitting are particularly promising as well, as they rely on renewable solar power. Solar-to-Hydrogen efficiencies have increased over the past decade from negligible values to about 2%. Especially the absence of large local pH changes (in the order of several tenths of a pH unit compared to up to 9 pH units for electrolysis) is a strong asset for pure photocatalysis. This may lead to less adverse side-reactions such as Cl2 and ClO− formation, (acid or base induced) corrosion and scaling. Besides, additional requirements for electrolytic cells, e.g. membranes and electricity input, are not needed in pure photocatalysis systems. In this review, the state-of-the-art technologies in light-driven seawater splitting are compared to electrochemical approaches with a focus on sustainability and stability. Promising advances are identified at the level of the catalyst as well as the process, and insight is provided in solutions crossing different fields.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000632316600003	Publication Date	2021-03-03
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1364-0321; 1879-0690	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.05	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.05
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:175701			Serial	8642
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Raes, A.; Ninakanti, R.; Van den Bergh, L.; Borah, R.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Black titania by sonochemistry : a critical evaluation of existing methods			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2023	Publication	Ultrasonics sonochemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	100	Issue		Pages	106601-106609
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Theory and Spectroscopy of Molecules and Materials (TSM²); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
	Abstract	In the field of photocatalysis, the fabrication of black titania is a booming topic, as it offers a system with improved solar light harvesting properties and increased overall efficiency. The darkening of white TiO2 powders can be ascribed to surface hydroxylation, oxygen vacancies, Ti3+ centres, or a combination thereof. A handful of studies suggests these defects can be conveniently introduced by acoustic cavitation, generated during sonochemical treatment of pristine TiO2 powders. In reproducing these studies, P25 TiO2 samples were ultrasonicated for various hours with a power density of 8000 W/L, resulting in powders that indeed became gradually darker with increasing sonication time. However, HAADF–STEM revealed that extensive erosion of the sonotrode tip took place and contaminated the samples, which appeared to be the primary reason for the observed colour change. This was confirmed by UV–Vis DRS and DRIFTS, that showed no significant alteration of the catalyst surface after sonication. EPR measurements showed that only an insignificant fraction of Ti3+ centres were produced, far less than in a TiO2 sample that was chemically reduced with NaBH4. No evidence of the presence oxygen vacancies could be found. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of ultrasonicated materials reported in literature can therefore not be ascribed to the synthesis of actual black (defected) TiO2, but rather to specific changes in morphology as a result of acoustic cavitation. Also, this study underlines the importance of considering probe erosion in sonochemical catalyst synthesis, which is an unavoidable side effect that can have an important impact on the catalyst appearance, properties and performance.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001084391500001	Publication Date	2023-09-15
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1350-4177	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	8.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 4.218
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:198848			Serial	8838
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	Author	Minja, A.C.; Ag, K.R.; Raes, A.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Recent progress in developing non-noble metal-based photocathodes for solar green hydrogen production			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	43	Issue		Pages	101000
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Photocathodes play a vital role in photoelectrocatalytic water splitting by acting as catalysts for reducing protons to hydrogen gas when exposed to light. Recent advancements in photocathodes have focused on addressing the limitations of noble metal-based materials. These noble metal-based photocathodes rely on expensive and scarce metals such as platinum and gold as cocatalysts or ohmic back contacts, respectively, rendering the final system less sustainable and costly when applied at scale. This mini-review summarizes the important recent progress in the development of non-noble metal-based photocathodes and their performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction during photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. These advancements bring non-noble metal-based photocathodes closer to their noble metal-based counterparts in terms of performance, thereby paving the way forward toward industrial-scale photoelectrolyzers or PEC cells for green hydrogen production.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-01-20
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2211-3398	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	no
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202625			Serial	9080
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Verbruggen, S.W.; Mul, G.
	Title	Editorial overview : photocatalysis 2022 shining light on a diversity of research opportunities			Type	Editorial
	Year	2023	Publication	Current opinion in green and sustainable chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	42	Issue		Pages	100838-2
	Keywords	Editorial; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001034184800001	Publication Date	2023-06-03
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2452-2236	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	9.3	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 9.3; 2023 IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:197220			Serial	8854
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	Author	Van Eynde, E.; Lenaerts, B.; Tytgat, T.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Hauchecorne, B.; Blust, R.; Lenaerts, S.
	Title	Effect of pretreatment and temperature on the properties of Pinnularia biosilica frustules			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2014	Publication	RSC advances	Abbreviated Journal	Rsc Adv
	Volume	4	Issue		Pages	56200-56206
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Diatoms are unicellular microalgae that self-assemble an intricate porous silica cell wall, called frustule. Diatom frustules possess a unique combination of physical and chemical properties (chemical inertness, high mechanical strength, large surface area, low density, good porosity and highly ordered features on the nano-to-micro scale) making diatom frustules suited for many nanotechnological applications. For most proposed applications the organic material covering the frustules needs to be removed. In this paper we investigate the effect of different frustule cleaning methods (drying, autoclavation, SDS/EDTA treatment, H2O2 treatment and HNO3 treatment) and subsequent heat treatment at different temperatures (105 °C, 350 °C, 550 °C and 750 °C) on the material characteristics of the diatom Pinnularia sp. Material characteristics under study are morphology, surface area, pore size, elemental composition and organic content. The cleaned Pinnularia frustules are subsequently investigated as adsorbents to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000344997800060	Publication Date	2014-10-23
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2046-2069	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	3.108	Times cited	10	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 3.108; 2014 IF: 3.840
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:121377			Serial	5945
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	Author	Asapu, R.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Claes, N.; Blommaerts, N.; Minjauw, M.; Ahmad, T.; Dendooven, J.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Denys, S.; Detavernier, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic Near-Field Localization of Silver Core–Shell Nanoparticle Assemblies via Wet Chemistry Nanogap Engineering			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	ACS applied materials and interfaces	Abbreviated Journal	Acs Appl Mater Inter
	Volume	9	Issue	9	Pages	41577-41585
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Silver nanoparticles are widely used in the field of plasmonics because of their unique optical properties. The wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance gives rise to a strongly enhanced electromagnetic field, especially at so-called hot spots located in the nanogap in-between metal nanoparticle assemblies. Therefore, the interparticle distance is a decisive factor in plasmonic applications, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this study, the aim is to engineer this interparticle distance for silver nanospheres using a convenient wet-chemical approach and to predict and quantify the corresponding enhancement factor using both theoretical and experimental tools. This was done by building a tunable ultrathin polymer shell around the nanoparticles using the layer-by-layer method, in which the polymer shell acts as the separating interparticle spacer layer. Comparison of different theoretical approaches and corroborating the results with SERS analytical experiments using silver and silver−polymer core−shell nanoparticle clusters as SERS substrates was also done. Herewith, an approach is provided to estimate the extent of plasmonic near-field enhancement both theoretically as well as experimentally.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000417005900057	Publication Date	2017-11-29
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1944-8244	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.504	Times cited	29	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	financial support through a research fellowship. C.D. wishes to thank the Hercules foundation for the financial support (SPINAL). P.C. and R.-G.C. acknowledge financial support by FWO Vlaanderen (project no. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078-COLOURATOM). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara;			Approved	Most recent IF: 7.504
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147243			Serial	4804
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	Author	Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Coupled plasmon modes in 2D gold nanoparticle clusters and their effect on local temperature control			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	50	Pages	30594-30603
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Assemblies of closely separated gold nanoparticles exhibit a strong collective plasmonic response due to coupling of the plasmon modes of the individual nanostructures. In the context of self-assembly of nanoparticles, close-packed two-dimensional (2D) clusters of spherical nanoparticles present an important composite system that promises numerous applications. The present study probes the collective plasmonic characteristics and resulting photothermal behavior of close-packed 2D Au nanoparticle clusters to delineate the effects of the cluster size, interparticle distance, and particle size. Smaller nanoparticles (20 and 40 nm in diameter) that exhibit low individual scattering and high absorption were considered for their relevance to photothermal applications. In contrast to typical literature studies, the present study compares the optical response of clusters of different sizes ranging from a single nanoparticle up to large assemblies of 61 nanoparticles. Increasing the cluster size induces significant changes to the spectral position and optophysical characteristics. Based on the model outcome, an optimal cluster size for maximum absorption per nanoparticle is also determined for enhanced photothermal effects. The effect of the particle size and interparticle distance is investigated to elucidate the nature of interaction in terms of near-field and far-field coupling. The photothermal effect resulting from absorption is compared for different cluster sizes and interparticle distances considering a homogeneous water medium. A strong dependence of the steady-state temperature of the nanoparticles on the cluster size, particle position in the cluster, incident light polarization, and interparticle distance provides new physical insight into the local temperature control of plasmonic nanostructures.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000503919500061	Publication Date	2019-11-20
	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		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.536
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:164530			Serial	5938
Permanent link to this record



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



	Author	Kurttepeli, M.; Deng, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Guzzinati, G.; Cott, D.J.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Detavernier, C.; Bals, S.
	Title	Synthesis and characterization of photoreactive TiO₂carbon nanosheet composites			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2014	Publication	The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces	Abbreviated Journal	J Phys Chem C
	Volume	118	Issue	36	Pages	21031-21037
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	We report the atomic layer deposition of titanium dioxide on carbon nanosheet templates and investigate the effects of postdeposition annealing in a helium environment using different characterization techniques. The crystallization of the titanium dioxide coating upon annealing is observed using in situ X-ray diffraction. The (micro)structural characterization of the films is carried out by scanning electron microscopy and advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques. Our study shows that the annealing of the atomic layer deposition processed and carbon nanosheets templated titanium dioxide layers in helium environment resulting in the formation of a porous, nanocrystalline and photocatalytically active titanium dioxide-carbon nanosheet composite film. Such composites are suitable for photocatalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication	Washington, D.C.	Editor
	Language		Wos	000341619500034	Publication Date	2014-08-23
	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	9	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	This research was funded by the Flemish research foundation FWO-Vlaanderen, by the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. 239865) and by the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA-01G01513). G.G, M.K., J.V., S.B., and G.V.T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Starting Grant No. 278510 VORTEX and No. 335078 COLOURATOMS. ECASJO;; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot);			Approved	Most recent IF: 4.536; 2014 IF: 4.772
	Call Number	UA @ lucian @ c:irua:119085			Serial	3416
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	Author	Verbruggen, S.W.; Keulemans, M.; Martens, J.A.; Lenaerts, S.
	Title	Predicting the surface plasmon resonance wavelength of gold-silver alloy nanoparticles			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2013	Publication	The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces	Abbreviated Journal	J Phys Chem C
	Volume	117	Issue	37	Pages	19142-19145
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Gold-silver alloy nanoparticles display surface plasmon resonance (SPR) over a broad range of the UV-vis spectrum. We propose a model to predict the SPR wavelength of gold-silver alloy colloids based on the combined effect of alloy composition and particle size. The SPR wavelength is derived from extinction spectra simulated using available experimental dielectric constant data and accounts for particle size by applying Mie theory. Comparison of calculated values with experimental data evidences the accuracy of the model. The new SPR wavelength estimation tool will be of particular interest for developing dedicated bimetallic plasmonic nanostructures.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000330162600042	Publication Date	2013-08-27
	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	51	Open Access
	Notes	; S.W.V. acknowledges the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for financial support. JAM. acknowledges the Flemish government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem). ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 4.536; 2013 IF: 4.835
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:114837			Serial	5985
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	Author	Borah, R.; Ninakanti, R.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmon resonance of gold and silver nanoparticle arrays in the Kretschmann (attenuated total reflectance) vs. direct incidence configuration			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Scientific reports	Abbreviated Journal	Sci Rep-Uk
	Volume	12	Issue	1	Pages	15738-19
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	While the behaviour of plasmonic solid thin films in the Kretschmann (also known as Attenuated Total Reflection, ATR) configuration is well-understood, the use of discrete nanoparticle arrays in this optical configuration is not thoroughly explored. It is important to do so, since close packed plasmonic nanoparticle arrays exhibit exceptionally strong light-matter interactions by plasmonic coupling. The present work elucidates the optical properties of plasmonic Au and Ag nanoparticle arrays in both the direct normal incidence and Kretschmann configuration by numerical models, that are validated experimentally. First, hexagonal close packed Au and Ag nanoparticle films/arrays are obtained by air–liquid interfacial assembly. The numerical models for the rigorous solution of the Maxwell’s equations are validated using experimental optical spectra of these films before systematically investigating various parameters. The individual far-field/near-field optical properties, as well as the plasmon relaxation mechanism of the nanoparticles, vary strongly as the packing density of the array increases. In the Kretschmann configuration, the evanescent fields arising from p – and s -polarized (or TM and TE polarized) incidence have different directional components. The local evanescent field intensity and direction depends on the polarization, angle of incidence and the wavelength of incidence. These factors in the Kretschmann configuration give rise to interesting far-field as well as near-field optical properties. Overall, it is shown that plasmonic nanoparticle arrays in the Kretschmann configuration facilitate strong broadband absorptance without transmission losses, and strong near-field enhancement. The results reported herein elucidate the optical properties of self-assembled nanoparticle films, pinpointing the ideal conditions under which the normal and the Kretschmann configuration can be exploited in multiple light-driven applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000858344700048	Publication Date	2022-09-21
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2045-2322	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	4.6	Times cited	11	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	R.B. acknowledges financial support from the University of Antwerp Special Research Fund (BOF) for a DOCPRO4 doctoral scholarship (Grant FN541100001).			Approved	Most recent IF: 4.6
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:190864			Serial	7194
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	Author	Khan, S.U.; Trashin, S.; Beltran, V.; Korostei, Y.S.; Pelmus, M.; Gorun, S.M.; Dubinina, T., V.; Verbruggen, S.W.; De Wael, K.
	Title	Photoelectrochemical behavior of phthalocyanine-sensitized TiO₂ in the presence of electron-shuttling mediators			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Analytical chemistry	Abbreviated Journal	Anal Chem
	Volume	94	Issue	37	Pages	12723-12731
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
	Abstract	Dye-sensitized TiO(2 )has found many applications for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC), solar-to-chemical energy conversion, water/air purification systems, and (electro)chemical sensors. We report an electrochemical system for testing dye-sensitized materials that can be utilized in photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors and energy conversion. Unlike related systems, the reported system does not require a direct electron transfer from semiconductors to electrodes. Rather, it relies on electron shuttling by redox mediators. A range of model photocatalytic materials were prepared using three different TiO2 materials (P25, P90, and PC500) and three sterically hindered phthalocyanines (Pcs) with electron-rich tert-butyl substituents (t-Bu4PcZn, t-Bu4PcAlCl, and t-Bu4PcH2). The materials were compared with previously developed TiO(2 )modified by electron-deficient, also sterically hindered fluorinated phthalocyanine F64PcZn, a singlet oxygen (O-1(2)) producer, as well as its metal-free derivative, F64PcH2. The PEC activity depended on the redox mediator, as well as the type of TiO2 and Pc. By comparing the responses of one-electron shuttles, such as K4Fe(CN)(4), and O-1(2)-reactive electron shuttles, such as phenol, it is possible to reveal the action mechanism of the supported photosensitizers, while the overall activity can be assessed using hydroquinone. t-Bu4PcAlCl showed significantly lower blank responses and higher specific responses toward chlorophenols compared to t-Bu4PcZn due to the electron-withdrawing effect of the Al3+ metal center. The combination of reactivity insights and the need for only microgram amounts of sensing materials renders the reported system advantageous for practical applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000855284300001	Publication Date	2022-09-12
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0003-2700; 5206-882x	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.4	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 7.4
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:190602			Serial	7190
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Deng, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.; He, Z.; Cott, D.J.; Vereecken, P.M.; Martens, J.A.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Detavernier, C.
	Title	Atomic layer deposition-based synthesis of photoactive TiO₂ nanoparticle chains by using carbon nanotubes as sacrificial templates			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2014	Publication	RSC advances	Abbreviated Journal	Rsc Adv
	Volume	4	Issue	23	Pages	11648-11653
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Highly ordered and self supported anatase TiO2 nanoparticle chains were fabricated by calcining conformally TiO2 coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). During annealing, the thin tubular TiO2 coating that was deposited onto the MWCNTs by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was transformed into chains of TiO2 nanoparticles ([similar]12 nm diameter) with an ultrahigh surface area (137 cm2 per cm2 of substrate), while at the same time the carbon from the MWCNTs was removed. Photocatalytic tests on the degradation of acetaldehyde proved that these forests of TiO2 nanoparticle chains are highly photoactive under UV light because of their well crystallized anatase phase.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000332470000017	Publication Date	2014-02-14
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2046-2069;	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	3.108	Times cited	45	Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes	; The authors wish to thank the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and UGENT-GOA-01G01513 for financial support. The authors acknowledge the European Research Council for funding under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no. 239865-COCOON and no. 246791-COUNTATOMS. JAM acknowledges the Flemish government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem). ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 3.108; 2014 IF: 3.840
	Call Number	UA @ lucian @ c:irua:117298			Serial	168
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	Author	Yildiz, A.; Chouki, T.; Atli, A.; Harb, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Ninakanti, R.; Emin, S.
	Title	Efficient iron phosphide catalyst as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2021	Publication	ACS applied energy materials	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	4	Issue	10	Pages	10618-10626
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Developing an efficient material as a counter electrode (CE) with excellent catalytic activity, intrinsic stability, and low cost is essential for the commercial application of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Transition metal phosphides have been demonstrated as outstanding multifunctional catalysts in a broad range of energy conversion technologies. Here, we exploited different phases of iron phosphide as CEs in DSSCs with an I–/I3–-based electrolyte. Solvothermal synthesis using a triphenylphosphine precursor as a phosphorus source allows to grow a Fe2P phase at 300 °C and a FeP phase at 350 °C. The obtained iron phosphide catalysts were coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates and heat-treated at 450 °C under an inert gas atmosphere. The solar-to-current conversion efficiency of the solar cells assembled with the Fe2P material reached 3.96 ± 0.06%, which is comparable to the device assembled with a platinum (Pt) CE. DFT calculations support the experimental observations and explain the fundamental origin behind the improved performance of Fe2P compared to FeP. These results indicate that the Fe2P catalyst exhibits excellent performance along with desired stability to be deployed as an efficient Pt-free alternative in DSSCs.
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	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000711236300022	Publication Date	2021-10-08
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2574-0962	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:181953			Serial	7853
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	Author	Meire, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Lommens, P.; Van Der Voort, P.; Van Driessche, I.
	Title	Microwave-assisted synthesis of mesoporous titania with increased crystallinity, specific surface area, and photocatalytic activity			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2016	Publication	Journal of materials science	Abbreviated Journal	J Mater Sci
	Volume	51	Issue	21	Pages	9822-9829
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Mesoporous titanium dioxide is a material finding its use in a wide range of applications. For many of these, it is important to achieve a high degree of crystallinity in the material. It is generally accepted that the use of the soft templating approach to synthesize mesoporous titania, results in a compromise between crystallinity and specific surface area due to thermal instability of the used templates. In this paper, we explore how the use of microwave irradiation can influence the crystallinity, specific surface area, and the electronic properties of mesoporous titania. Therefore, we combined microwave radiation with an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) synthesis. We show that additional microwave treatment at carefully chosen synthesis steps can enhance the crystallinity with 20 % without causing significant loss of surface area (>360 m2/g). Surface photovoltage measurements were used to investigate the electronic properties. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated in aqueous media by following the degradation of an industrial dye, methylene blue, and the herbicide isoproturon under UV irradiation and in gaseous media looking at the degradation of acetaldehyde, a common indoor pollutant under UVA irradiation. In all cases, the microwave treatment results in more active materials.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000381182200023	Publication Date	2016-07-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0022-2461	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	2.599	Times cited	8	Open Access
	Notes	; M. Meire and S. W. Verbruggen acknowledge the FWO-Flanders (Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders) for financial support. We want to thank T. Planckaert for the N<INF>2</INF> sorption measurements, J. Watte for the XRD measurements, and professor K. De Buysser for the quantitative Rietveld refinements. ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 2.599
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:140098			Serial	5970
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	Author	Claes, N.; Asapu, R.; Blommaerts, N.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.
	Title	Characterization of silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles using electron microscopy			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2018	Publication	Nanoscale	Abbreviated Journal	Nanoscale
	Volume	10	Issue	10	Pages	9186-9191
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles show interesting optical properties, making them widely applicable in the field of plasmonics. The uniformity, thickness and homogeneity of the polymer shell will affect the properties of the system which makes a thorough structural characterization of these core–shell silver-polymer nanoparticles of great importance. However, visualizing the shell and the particle simultaneously is far from straightforward due to the sensitivity of the polymer shell towards the electron beam. In this study, we use different 2D and 3D electron microscopy techniques to investigate different structural aspects of the polymer coating.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000437007700028	Publication Date	2018-04-16
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2040-3364	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.367	Times cited	11	Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes	N. C. and S. B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the FWO through project funding (G038116N). R. A. and S. L. acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for financial support. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara			Approved	Most recent IF: 7.367
	Call Number	EMAT @ emat @c:irua:151290UA @ admin @ c:irua:151290			Serial	4959
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	Author	Minjauw, M.M.; Solano, E.; Sree, S.P.; Asapu, R.; Van Daele, M.; Ramachandran, R.K.; Heremans, G.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Martens, J.A.; Detavernier, C.; Dendooven, J.
	Title	Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of silver using Ag(fod)(PEt₃) and NH₃-plasma			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	Chemistry of materials	Abbreviated Journal	Chem Mater
	Volume	29	Issue	17	Pages	7114-7121
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	A plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) process using the Ag(fod)(PEt3) precursor [(triethylphosphine)(6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethy1-3,5-octanedionate)silver(I)] in combination with NH3-plasma is reported. The steady growth rate of the reported process (0.24 +/- 0.03 nm/cycle) was found to be 6 times larger than that of the previously reported Ag ALD process based on the same precursor in combination with H-2-plasma (0.04 +/- 0.02 nm/cycle). The ALD characteristics of the H-2-plasma and NH3-plasma processes were verified. The deposited Ag films were polycrystalline face-centered cubic Ag for both processes. The film morphology was investigated by ex situ scanning electron microscopy and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, and it was found that films grown with the NH3-plasma process exhibit a much higher particle areal density and smaller particle sizes on oxide substrates compared to those deposited using the H-2-plasma process. This control over morphology of the deposited Ag is important for applications in catalysis and plasmonics. While films grown with the H-2-plasma process had oxygen impurities (similar to 9 atom %) in the bulk, the main impurity for the NH3-plasma process was nitrogen (similar to 7 atom %). In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments suggest that these nitrogen impurities are derived from NH surface groups generated during the NH3-plasma, which interact with the precursor molecules during the precursor pulse. We propose that the reaction of these surface groups with the precursor leads to additional deposition of Ag atoms during the precursor pulse compared to the H-2-plasma process, which explains the enhanced growth rate of the NH3-plasma process.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000410868600012	Publication Date	2017-08-09
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0897-4756	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	9.466	Times cited	9	Open Access
	Notes	; M.M.M. and J.D. acknowledge the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen (FWO Vlaanderen) for financial support through a personal research grant. We also acknowledge FWO Vlaanderen for providing project funding for this work. We are grateful to the ESRF staff for smoothly running the synchrotron and beamline facilities. We also thank Olivier Janssens for performing the SEM measurements and Stefaan Broekaert for mechanical assistance. J.A.M. acknowledges the Flemish Government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem). ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 9.466
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:146757			Serial	5983
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