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Author Roose, D.; Leroux, F.; De Vocht, N.; Guglielmetti, C.; Pintelon, I.; Adriaensen, D.; Ponsaerts, P.; Van der Linden, A.; Bals, S. doi  openurl
  Title Multimodal imaging of micron-sized iron oxide particles following in vitro and in vivo uptake by stem cells: down to the nanometer scale Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging Abbreviated Journal Contrast Media Mol I  
  Volume 9 Issue 6 Pages 400-408  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT);  
  Abstract In this study, the interaction between cells and micron-sized paramagnetic iron oxide (MPIO) particles was investigated by characterizing MPIO in their original state, and after cellular uptake in vitro as well as in vivo. Moreover, MPIO in the olfactory bulb were studied 9 months after injection. Using various imaging techniques, cell-MPIO interactions were investigated with increasing spatial resolution. Live cell confocal microscopy demonstrated that MPIO co-localize with lysosomes after in vitro cellular uptake. In more detail, a membrane surrounding the MPIO was observed by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Following MPIO uptake in vivo, the same cell-MPIO interaction was observed by HAADF-STEM in the subventricular zone at 1 week and in the olfactory bulb at 9 months after MPIO injection. These findings provide proof for the current hypothesis that MPIO are internalized by the cell through endocytosis. The results also show MPIO are not biodegradable, even after 9 months in the brain. Moreover, they show the possibility of HAADF-STEM generating information on the labeled cell as well as on the MPIO. In summary, the methodology presented here provides a systematic route to investigate the interaction between cells and nanoparticles from the micrometer level down to the nanometer level and beyond.  
  Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Wos 000346172100002 Publication Date 2014-04-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1555-4309; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.307 Times cited 8 Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes IAP-PAI; 262348 ESMI; Hercules Type 1: AUHA 09/001 and AUHA 11/01 Approved Most recent IF: 3.307; 2014 IF: 2.923  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ Serial 3938  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Zanaga, D.; Altantzis, T.; Sanctorum, J.; Freitag, B.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title An alternative approach for ζ-factor measurement using pure element nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 164 Issue 164 Pages 11-16  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract It is very challenging to measure the chemical composition of hetero nanostructures in a reliable and quantitative manner. Here, we propose a novel and straightforward approach that can be used to quantify energy dispersive X-ray spectra acquired in a transmission electron microscope. Our method is based on a combination of electron tomography and the so-called ζ-factor technique. We will demonstrate the reliability of our approach as well as its applicability by investigating Au-Ag and Au-Pt hetero nanostructures. Given its simplicity, we expect that the method could become a new standard in the field of chemical characterization using electron microscopy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000373526200002 Publication Date 2016-03-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 19 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS) and the European Union under the FP7 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative N. 312483 – ESTEEM2). The authors would also like to thank Luis M. Liz-Marzán, Ana Sánchez-Iglesias, Stefanos Mourdikoudis and Cristina Fernández-López for sample provision and useful discussions.; esteem2jra4; ECASSara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 2.843  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ Serial 4019  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Pramanik, G.; Kvakova, K.; Thottappali, M.A.; Rais, D.; Pfleger, J.; Greben, M.; El-Zoka, A.; Bals, S.; Dracinsky, M.; Valenta, J.; Cigler, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Inverse heavy-atom effect in near infrared photoluminescent gold nanoclusters Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 13 Issue 23 Pages 10462-10467  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract Fluorophores functionalized with heavy elements show enhanced intersystem crossing due to increased spin–orbit coupling, which in turn shortens the fluorescence decay lifetime (<italic>τ</italic><sup>PL</sup>). This phenomenon is known as the heavy-atom effect (HAE). Here, we report the observation of increased<italic>τ</italic><sup>PL</sup>upon functionalisation of near-infrared photoluminescent gold nanoclusters with iodine. The heavy atom-mediated increase in<italic>τ</italic><sup>PL</sup>is in striking contrast with the HAE and referred to as inverse HAE. Femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy revealed overcompensation of a slight decrease in lifetime of the transition associated with the Au core (ps) by a large increase in the long-lived triplet state lifetime associated with the Au shell, which contributed to the observed inverse HAE. This unique observation of inverse HAE in gold nanoclusters provides the means to enhance the triplet excited state lifetime.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2021-05-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge support from GACR project Nr.18- 12533S. G. P. acknowledges support from EUSMI project No. E180200060; J.P. from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic – Program INTER-EXCELLENCE (LTAUSA19066). Approved Most recent IF: 7.367  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ Serial 6950  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wang, J.; Zhang, K.; Kavak, S.; Bals, S.; Meynen, V. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Modifying the Stöber Process: Is the Organic Solvent Indispensable? Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2022 Publication Chemistry-A European Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem-Eur J  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract The Stöber method is one of the most important and fundamental processes for the synthesis of inorganic (nano)materials but has the drawback of using a large amount of organic solvent. Herein, ethanol was used as an example to explore if the organic solvent in a typical Stöber method can be omitted. It was found that ethanol increases the particle size of the obtained silica spheres and aids the formation of uniform silica particles rather than forming a gel. Nevertheless, the results indicated that an organic solvent in the initial synthesis mixture is not indispensable. An initially immiscible synthesis method was discovered, which can replace the organic solvent-based Stöber method to successfully synthesize silica particles with the same size ranges as the original Stöber process without addition of organic solvents. Moreover, this process can be of further value for the extension to synthesis processes of other materials based on the Stöber process.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000898283500001 Publication Date 2022-12-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0947-6539 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.3 Times cited 3 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors are grateful to Alexander Vansant and Dr. Steven Mullens of VITO for their contributions to the DLS measurements in this paper. J.W acknowledges the State Scholarship funded by the China Scholarship Council (201806060123). K.Z acknowledges the EASiCHEM project funded by the Flemish Strategic Basic Research Program of the Catalisti cluster and Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (HBC.2018.0484). S.K acknowledges the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Flanders) through a PhD research grant (1181122N). Approved Most recent IF: 4.3  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:191646 Serial 7233  
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Author Teunissen, J.L.; Braeckevelt, T.; Skvortsova, I.; Guo, J.; Pradhan, B.; Debroye, E.; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Hofkens, J.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.; Rogge, S.M.J.; Van Speybroeck, V. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Additivity of Atomic Strain Fields as a Tool to Strain-Engineering Phase-Stabilized CsPbI3Perovskites Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication The Journal of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J. Phys. Chem. C  
  Volume 127 Issue 48 Pages 23400-23411  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract CsPbI3 is a promising perovskite material for photovoltaic applications in its photoactive perovskite or black phase. However, the material degrades to a photovoltaically inactive or yellow phase at room temperature. Various mitigation strategies are currently being developed to increase the lifetime of the black phase, many of which rely on inducing strains in the material that hinder the black-to-yellow phase transition. Physical insight into how these strategies exactly induce strain as well as knowledge of the spatial extent over which these strains impact the material is crucial to optimize these approaches but is still lacking. Herein, we combine machine learning potential-based molecular dynamics simulations with our in silico strain engineering approach to accurately quantify strained large-scale atomic structures on a nanosecond time scale. To this end, we first model the strain fields introduced by atomic substitutions as they form the most elementary strain sources. We demonstrate that the magnitude of the induced strain fields decays exponentially with the distance from the strain source, following a decay rate that is largely independent of the specific substitution. Second, we show that the total strain field induced by multiple strain sources can be predicted to an excellent approximation by summing the strain fields of each individual source. Finally, through a case study, we illustrate how this additive character allows us to explain how complex strain fields, induced by spatially extended strain sources, can be predicted by adequately combining the strain fields caused by local strain sources. Hence, the strain additivity proposed here can be adopted to further our insight into the complex strain behavior in perovskites and to design strain from the atomic level onward to enhance their sought-after phase stability.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001116862000001 Publication Date 2023-12-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by iBOF-21-085 PERsist (Special Research Fund of Ghent University, KU Leuven Research Fund, and the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp). S.M.J.R., T.B., and B.P. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) through two postdoctoral fellow- ships [grant nos. 12T3522N (S.M.J.R.) and 1275521N (B.P.)] and an SB-FWO fellowship [grant no. 1SC1319 (T.B.)]. E.D., M.B.J.R., and J.H. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO, grant nos. G.0B39.15, G.0B49.15, G098319N, S002019N, S004322N, and ZW15_09- GOH6316). J.H. acknowledges support from the Flemish government through long-term structural funding Methusalem (CASAS2, Meth/15/04) and the MPI as an MPI fellow. S.V.A. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO, grant no. G0A7723N). S.M.J.R. and V.V.S. acknowledge funding from the Research Board of Ghent University (BOF). The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation- Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government�department EWI.; KU Leuven, iBOF-21-085 PERsist ; Universiteit Antwerpen, iBOF-21-085 PERsist ; Universiteit Gent, iBOF-21-085 PERsist ; Vlaamse regering, CASAS2, Meth/15/04 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0B39.15 G098319N G.0B49.15 1SC1319 12T3522N ZW15 09-GOH6316 G0A7723N 1275521N S004322N S002019N ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.7; 2023 IF: 4.536  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:202124 Serial 8985  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Marchetti, A.; Gori, A.; Ferretti, A.M.; Esteban, D.A.; Bals, S.; Pigliacelli, C.; Metrangolo, P. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Templated Out‐of‐Equilibrium Self‐Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells (Small 12/2023) Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Small Abbreviated Journal Small  
  Volume 19 Issue 12 Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract Out-of-equilibrium self-assembly of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been devised using different

types of strategies and fuels, but the achievement of finite 3D structures with a controlled

morphology through this assembly mode is still rare. Here we used a spherical peptide-gold

superstructure (PAuSS) as a template to control the out-of-equilibrium self-assembly of Au NPs,

obtaining a transient 3D branched Au-nanoshell (BAuNS) stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulphate

(SDS). The BAuNS dismantled upon concentration gradient equilibration over time in the solution,

leading to NPs disassembly. Notably, BAuNS assembly and disassembly favoured temporary

interparticle plasmonic coupling, leading to a remarkable oscillation of their optical properties.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2023-03-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1613-6810 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor 13.3 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes P.M. is grateful to the European Research Council (ERC) for the Starting Grant ERC-2012- StG_20111012 FOLDHALO (Grant Agreement no. 307108) and the Proof-of-Concept Grant ERC-2017-PoC MINIRES (Grant Agreement no.789815). A. M. and P. M. are thankful to the project Hydrogex funded by Cariplo Foundation (grant no. 2018-1720). D.A.E. and S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO and Grant Agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI). Approved Most recent IF: 13.3; 2023 IF: 8.643  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:200859 Serial 8960  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Van Gordon, K.; Baúlde, S.; Mychinko, M.; Heyvaert, W.; Obelleiro-Liz, M.; Criado, A.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Mosquera, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Tuning the Growth of Chiral Gold Nanoparticles Through Rational Design of a Chiral Molecular Inducer Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett.  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract The bottom-up production of chiral gold nanomaterials holds great potential for the advancement of biosensing and nano-optics, among other applications. Reproducible preparations of colloidal nanomaterials with chiral morphology have been reported, using cosurfactants or chiral inducers such as thiolated amino acids. However, the underlying growth mechanisms for these nanomaterials remain insufficiently understood. We introduce herein a purposely devised chiral inducer, a cysteine modified with a hydrophobic chain, as a versatile chiral inducer. The amphiphilic and chiral features of this molecule provide control over the chiral morphology and the chiroptical signature of the obtained nanoparticles by simply varying the concentration of chiral inducer. These results are supported by circular dichroism and electromagnetic modeling as well as electron tomography to analyze structural evolution at the facet scale. Our observations suggest complex roles for the factors involved in chiral synthesis: the chemical nature of the chiral inducers and the influence of cosurfactants.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001092787000001 Publication Date 2023-10-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 10.8 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes J.M. Taboada and F. Obelleiro are thanked for support with electromagnetic simulations. The authors acknowledge financial support by the European Research Council (ERC CoG No. 815128 REALNANO to S. Bals; ERC AdG No. 787510, 4DbioSERS to L.M.L.-M.) and from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” (Grant PID2020-117779RB-I00 to L.M.L.-M., Grant RYC2020-030183-I to A.C., and Grants RYC2019-027842-I, PID2020-117885GA-I00 to J.M.). Approved Most recent IF: 10.8; 2023 IF: 12.712  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:200590 Serial 8963  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author de la Croix, T.; Claes, N.; Eyley, S.; Thielemans, W.; Bals, S.; De Vos, D. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Heterogeneous Pt-catalyzed transfer dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes with ethylene Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Catalysis Science & Technology Abbreviated Journal Catal. Sci. Technol.  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract The dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes to olefins and alkylaromatics is a challenging endothermic reaction, typically requiring harsh conditions which can lead to low selectivity and coking. More favorable thermodynamics can be achieved by using a hydrogen acceptor, such as ethylene. In this work, the potential of heterogeneous platinum catalysts for the transfer dehydrogenation of long-chain alkanes is investigated, using ethylene as a convenient hydrogen acceptor. Pt/C and Pt–Sn/C catalysts were prepared<italic>via</italic>a simple polyol method and characterized with CO pulse chemisorption, HAADF-STEM, and EDX measurements. Conversion of ethylene was monitored<italic>via</italic>gas-phase FTIR, and distribution of liquid products was analyzed<italic>via</italic>GC-FID, GC-MS, and 1H-NMR. Compared to unpromoted Pt/C, Sn-promoted catalysts show lower initial reaction rates, but better resistance to catalyst deactivation, while increasing selectivity towards alkylaromatics. Both reaction products and ethylene were found to inhibit the reaction significantly. At 250 °C for 22 h, TON up to 28 and 86 mol per mol Pt were obtained for Pt/C and PtSn<sub>2</sub>/C, respectively, with olefin selectivities of 94% and 53%. The remaining products were mainly unbranched alkylaromatics. These findings show the potential of simple heterogeneous catalysts in alkane transfer dehydrogenation, for the preparation of valuable olefins and alkylaromatics, or as an essential step in various tandem reactions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001104905100001 Publication Date 2023-11-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2044-4753 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 5 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes T. de la Croix gratefully acknowledges the support of the Flanders Research Foundation (FWO) under project 11F6622N. D. De Vos is grateful to FWO for support of project G0D3721N, and to KU Leuven for the iBOF project 21/016/C3. S. Bals and N. Claes acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128- REALNANO). W. Thielemans and S. Eyley thank KU Leuven (grant C14/18/061) and FWO (G0A1219N) for financial support. Approved Most recent IF: 5; 2023 IF: 5.773  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:201010 Serial 8968  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Bhatia, H.; Keshavarz, M.; Martin, C.; Van Gaal, L.; Zhang, Y.; de Coen, B.; Schrenker, N.J.; Valli, D.; Ottesen, M.; Bremholm, M.; Van de Vondel, J.; Bals, S.; Hofkens, J.; Debroye, E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Achieving High Moisture Tolerance in Pseudohalide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Light-Emitting Diode Application Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication ACS Applied Optical Materials Abbreviated Journal ACS Appl. Opt. Mater.  
  Volume 1 Issue 6 Pages 1184-1191  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract The addition of potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) to the FAPbBr3 structure and subsequent post-treatment of nanocrystals (NCs) lead to high quantum confinement, resulting in a photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) approaching unity and microsecond decay times. This synergistic approach demonstrated exceptional stability under humid conditions, retaining 70% of the PLQY for over a month, while the untreated NCs degrade within 24 h. Additionally, the devices incorporating the post-treated NCs displayed 1.5% external quantum efficiency (EQE), a 5-fold improvement over untreated devices. These results provide promising opportunities for the use of perovskites in moisture-stable optoelectronics.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2023-06-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2771-9855 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Hercules Foundation, HER/11/14 ; European Commission; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n, PID2021-128761OA-C22 ; European Regional Development Fund; Vlaamse regering, CASAS2 Meth/15/04 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1238622N 1514220N 1S45223N G.0B39.15 G.0B49.15 G098319N S002019N ZW15_09-GOH6316 ; Onderzoeksraad, KU Leuven, C14/19/079 db/21/006/bm iBOF-21-085 STG/21/010 ; Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, SBPLY/21/180501/000127 ; H2020 European Research Council, 642196 815128 ; Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:201011 Serial 8975  
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Author Grünewald, L.; Chezganov, D.; De Meyer, R.; Orekhov, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bogaerts, A.; Bals, S.; Verbeeck, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title In Situ Plasma Studies Using a Direct Current Microplasma in a Scanning Electron Microscope Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Advanced Materials Technologies Abbreviated Journal Adv Materials Technologies  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract Microplasmas can be used for a wide range of technological applications and to improve the understanding of fundamental physics. Scanning electron microscopy, on the other hand, provides insights into the sample morphology and chemistry of materials from the mm‐ down to the nm‐scale. Combining both would provide direct insight into plasma‐sample interactions in real‐time and at high spatial resolution. Up till now, very few attempts in this direction have been made, and significant challenges remain. This work presents a stable direct current glow discharge microplasma setup built inside a scanning electron microscope. The experimental setup is capable of real‐time in situ imaging of the sample evolution during plasma operation and it demonstrates localized sputtering and sample oxidation. Further, the experimental parameters such as varying gas mixtures, electrode polarity, and field strength are explored and experimental<italic>V</italic>–<italic>I</italic>curves under various conditions are provided. These results demonstrate the capabilities of this setup in potential investigations of plasma physics, plasma‐surface interactions, and materials science and its practical applications. The presented setup shows the potential to have several technological applications, for example, to locally modify the sample surface (e.g., local oxidation and ion implantation for nanotechnology applications) on the µm‐scale.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001168639900001 Publication Date 2024-02-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2365-709X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 6.8 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes L.G., S.B., and J.V. acknowledge support from the iBOF-21-085 PERsist research fund. D.C., S.V.A., and J.V. acknowledge funding from a TOPBOF project of the University of Antwerp (FFB 170366). R.D.M., A.B., and J.V. acknowledge funding from the Methusalem project of the University of Antwerp (FFB 15001A, FFB 15001C). A.O. and J.V. acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) project SBO S000121N. Approved Most recent IF: 6.8; 2024 IF: NA  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:204363 Serial 8995  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Meyer, R.; Gorbanev, Y.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Importance of plasma discharge characteristics in plasma catalysis: Dry reforming of methane vs. ammonia synthesis Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chemical Engineering Journal  
  Volume 488 Issue Pages 150838  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Gas conversion Dry reforming of methane Ammonia Microdischarges Dielectric barrier discharge; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract Plasma catalysis is a rapidly growing field, often employing a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor. Such dielectric barrier discharges are complex, especially when a packing material (e.g., a catalyst) is introduced in the discharge volume. Catalysts are known to affect the plasma discharge, though the underlying mechanisms influencing the plasma physics are not fully understood. Moreover, the effect of the catalysts on the plasma discharge and its subsequent effect on the overall performance is often overlooked. In this work, we deliberately design and synthesize catalysts to affect the plasma discharge in different ways. These Ni or Co alumina-based catalysts are used in plasma-catalytic dry reforming of methane and ammonia synthesis. Our work shows that introducing a metal to the dielectric packing can affect the plasma discharge, and that the distribution of the metal is crucial in this regard. Further, the altered discharge can greatly influence the overall performance. In an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge reactor, this apparently more uniform plasma yields a significantly better performance for ammonia synthesis compared to the more conventional filamentary discharge, while it underperforms in dry reforming of methane. This study stresses the importance of analyzing the plasma discharge in plasma catalysis experiments. We hope this work encourages a more critical view on the plasma discharge characteristics when studying various catalysts in a plasma reactor.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-03-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes This research was supported through long-term structural funding (Methusalem FFB15001C) and by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme with grant agreement No 810182 (SCOPE ERC Synergy project) and with grant agreement No 815128 (REALNANO). We acknowledge the practical contribution of Senne Van Doorslaer. Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2024 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:205154 Serial 9115  
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Author Chakraborty, J.; Chatterjee, A.; Molkens, K.; Nath, I.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Bourda, L.; Watson, G.; Liu, C.; Van Thourhout, D.; Bals, S.; Geiregat, P.; Van der Voort, P. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Decoding Excimer Formation in Covalent–Organic Frameworks Induced by Morphology and Ring Torsion Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Advanced Materials Abbreviated Journal Advanced Materials  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract A thorough and quantitative understanding of the fate of excitons in covalent–organic frameworks (COFs) after photoexcitation is essential for their augmented optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications via precise structure tuning. The synthesis of a library of COFs having identical chemical backbone with impeded conjugation, but varied morphology and surface topography to study the effect of these physical properties on the photophysics of the materials is herein reported. The variation of crystallite size and surface topography substantified different aggregation pattern in the COFs, which leads to disparities in their photoexcitation and relaxation properties. Depending on aggregation, an inverse correlation between bulk luminescence decay time and exciton binding energy of the materials is perceived. Further transient absorption spectroscopic analysis confirms the presence of highly localized, immobile, Frenkel excitons (of diameter 0.3–0.5 nm) via an absence of annihilation at high density, most likely induced by structural torsion of the COF skeletons, which in turn preferentially relaxes via long‐lived (nanosecond to microsecond) excimer formation (in femtosecond scale) over direct emission. These insights underpin the importance of structural and topological design of COFs for their targeted use in photocatalysis.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001206226700001 Publication Date 2024-04-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0935-9648 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 29.4 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes PVDV, JC, AC, and IN acknowledge the FWO-Vlaanderen for research grant G020521N and the research board of UGent (BOF) through a Concerted Research Action (GOA010-17). JC acknowledges UGent for BOF postdoctoral grant (2022.0032.01). AC acknowledges FWO- Vlaanderen for postdoctoral grant (12T7521N). KM, DVT and PG acknowledges FWO- Vlaanderen for research grant G0B2921N. SB and DAE acknowledge financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. CHL acknowledges China Scholarship Council doctoral grant (201908110280). PVDV acknowledges Hercules Project AUGE/17/07 for the UV VIS DRS spectrometer and UGent BASBOF BOF20/BAS/015 for the powder X-Ray Diffractometer. PG thanks UGent for support of the Core Facility NOLIMITS. Approved Most recent IF: 29.4; 2024 IF: 19.791  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:205967 Serial 9118  
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Author Ignatova, K.; Vlasov, E.; Seddon, S.D.; Gauquelin, N.; Verbeeck, J.; Wermeille, D.; Bals, S.; Hase, T.P.A.; Arnalds, U.B. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Phase coexistence induced surface roughness in V2O3/Ni magnetic heterostructures Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication APL Materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract We present an investigation of the microstructure changes in V2O3 as it goes through its inherent structural phase transition. Using V2O3 films with a well-defined crystal structure deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on r-plane Al2O3 substrates, we study the phase coexistence region and its impact on the surface roughness of the films and the magnetic properties of overlying Ni magnetic layers in V2O3/Ni hybrid magnetic heterostructures. The simultaneous presence of two phases in V2O3 during its structural phase transition was identified with high resolution x-ray diffraction and led to an increase in surface roughness observed using x-ray reflectivity. The roughness reaches its maximum at the midpoint of the transition. In V2O3/Ni hybrid heterostructures, we find a concomitant increase in the coercivity of the magnetic layer correlated with the increased roughness of the V2O3 surface. The chemical homogeneity of the V2O3 is confirmed through transmission electron microscopy analysis. High-angle annular dark field imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy reveal an atomically flat interface between Al2O3 and V2O3, as well as a sharp interface between V2O3 and Ni.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001202661800003 Publication Date 2024-04-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2166-532X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 6.1 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes This work was supported by the funding from the University of Iceland Research Fund, the Icelandic Research Fund Grant No. 207111. Instrumentation funding from the Icelandic Infrastructure Fund is acknowledged. This work was based on experiments per- formed at the BM28 (XMaS) beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France. XMaS is a National Research Facility funded by the UK EPSRC and managed by the Universi- ties of Liverpool and Warwick. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 823717—ESTEEM3. Approved Most recent IF: 6.1; 2024 IF: 4.335  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:205569 Serial 9120  
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Author Vlasov, E.; Heyvaert, W.; Ni, B.; Van Gordon, K.; Girod, R.; Verbeeck, J.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title High-Throughput Morphological Chirality Quantification of Twisted and Wrinkled Gold Nanorods Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication ACS Nano Abbreviated Journal ACS Nano  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract Chirality in gold nanostructures offers an exciting opportunity to tune their differential optical response to left- and right-handed circularly polarized light, as well as their interactions with biomolecules and living matter. However, tuning and understanding such interactions demands quantification of the structural features that are responsible for the chiral behavior. Electron tomography (ET) enables structural characterization at the single-particle level and has been used to quantify the helicity of complex chiral nanorods. However, the technique is time-consuming and consequently lacks statistical value. To address this issue, we introduce herein a high-throughput methodology that combines images acquired by secondary electron-based electron beam-induced current (SEEBIC) with quantitative image analysis. As a result, the geometric chirality of hundreds of nanoparticles can be quantified in less than 1 h. When combining the drastic gain in data collection efficiency of SEEBIC with a limited number of ET data sets, a better understanding of how the chiral structure of individual chiral nanoparticles translates into the ensemble chiroptical response can be reached.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-04-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 17.1 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support by the European Research Council (ERC CoG No. 815128 REALNANO to S.B.) and from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Grant PID2020-117779RB-I00 to L.M.L.-M and FPI Fellowship PRE2021-097588 to K.V.G.). Funded by the European Union under Project 101131111 − DELIGHT, JV acknowledges the eBEAM project supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program FETPROACT-EIC-07- 2020: emerging paradigms and communities. Approved Most recent IF: 17.1; 2024 IF: 13.942  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ Serial 9121  
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Author Guerrero, R.M.; Lemir, I.D.; Carrasco, S.; Fernández-Ruiz, C.; Kavak, S.; Pizarro, P.; Serrano, D.P.; Bals, S.; Horcajada, P.; Pérez, Y. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Scaling-Up Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Highly Defective Pd@UiO-66-NH2Catalysts for Selective Olefin Hydrogenation under Ambient Conditions Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Abbreviated Journal ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract The need to develop green and cost-effective industrial catalytic processes has led to growing interest in preparing more robust, efficient, and selective heterogeneous catalysts at a large scale. In this regard, microwave-assisted synthesis is a fast method for fabricating heterogeneous catalysts (including metal oxides, zeolites, metal–organic frameworks, and supported metal nanoparticles) with enhanced catalytic properties, enabling synthesis scale-up. Herein, the synthesis of nanosized UiO-66-NH2 was optimized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method to obtain defective matrices essential for the stabilization of metal nanoparticles, promoting catalytically active sites for hydrogenation reactions (760 kg·m–3·day–1 space time yield, STY). Then, this protocol was scaled up in a multimodal microwave reactor, reaching 86% yield (ca. 1 g, 1450 kg·m–3·day–1 STY) in only 30 min. Afterward, Pd nanoparticles were formed in situ decorating the nanoMOF by an effective and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, resulting in the formation of Pd@UiO-66-NH2 composites. Both the localization and oxidation states of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) in the MOF were achieved using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The optimal composite, loaded with 1.7 wt % Pd, exhibited an extraordinary catalytic activity (>95% yield, 100% selectivity) under mild conditions (1 bar H2, 25 °C, 1 h reaction time), not only in the selective hydrogenation of a variety of single alkenes (1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-tridecene, cyclohexene, and tetraphenyl ethylene) but also in the conversion of a complex mixture of alkenes (i.e., 1-hexene, 1-tridecene, and anethole). The results showed a powerful interaction and synergy between the active phase (Pd NPs) and the catalytic porous scaffold (UiO-66-NH2), which are essential for the selectivity and recyclability.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-04-26  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from “Comunidad de Madrid” and European Regional Development Fund-FEDER through the project HUB MADRID+CIRCULAR; the State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033) through the grant with reference number CEX2019-000931-M received in the 2019 call for “Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence” and “María de Maeztu Units of Excellence” of the State Programme for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the R&D&I System; and MICIU through the project “NAPOLION” (PID2022-139956OB-I00). S.K. acknowledges the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a PhD research grant (1181124N). Approved Most recent IF: 9.5; 2024 IF: 7.504  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ Serial 9126  
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Author Van Gordon, K.; Ni, B.; Girod, R.; Mychinko, M.; Bevilacqua, F.; Bals, S.; Liz‐Marzán, L.M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Single Crystal and Pentatwinned Gold Nanorods Result in Chiral Nanocrystals with Reverse Handedness Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Angewandte Chemie International Edition Abbreviated Journal Angew Chem Int Ed  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract Handedness is an essential attribute of chiral nanocrystals, having a major influence on their properties. During chemical growth, the handedness of nanocrystals is usually tuned by selecting the corresponding enantiomer of chiral molecules involved in asymmetric growth, often known as chiral inducers. We report that, even using the same chiral inducer enantiomer, the handedness of chiral gold nanocrystals can be reversed by using Au nanorod seeds with either single crystalline or pentatwinned structure. This effect holds for chiral growth induced both by amino acids and by chiral micelles. Although it was challenging to discern the morphological handedness for<italic>L</italic>‐cystine‐directed particles, even using electron tomography, both cases showed circular dichroism bands of opposite sign, with nearly mirrored chiroptical signatures for chiral micelle‐directed growth, along with quasi‐helical wrinkles of inverted handedness. These results expand the chiral growth toolbox with an effect that might be exploited to yield a host of interesting morphologies with tunable optical properties.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-05-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1433-7851 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 16.6 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Ana Sánchez-Iglesias is acknowledged for support in the synthesis of pentatwinned gold nanorods. The authors acknowledge financial support by the European Research Council (ERC CoG No. 815128 REALNANO to S.B.), from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Grant PID2020- 117779RB-I00 to L.M.L.-M and FPI Fellowship PRE2021- 097588 to K.V.G.), and by KU Leuven (C14/22/085). This work has been funded by the European Union under Project 101131111—DELIGHT. Funding for open access charge: Universidade de Vigo/ CRUE-CISUG. Approved Most recent IF: 16.6; 2024 IF: 11.994  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ Serial 9129  
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Author Chakraborty, J.; Chatterjee, A.; Molkens, K.; Nath, I.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Bourda, L.; Watson, G.; Liu, C.; Van Thourhout, D.; Bals, S.; Geiregat, P.; Van der Voort, P. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Decoding Excimer Formation in Covalent–Organic Frameworks Induced by Morphology and Ring Torsion Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Advanced Materials Abbreviated Journal Advanced Materials  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;  
  Abstract A thorough and quantitative understanding of the fate of excitons in covalent–organic frameworks (COFs) after photoexcitation is essential for their augmented optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications via precise structure tuning. The synthesis of a library of COFs having identical chemical backbone with impeded conjugation, but varied morphology and surface topography to study the effect of these physical properties on the photophysics of the materials is herein reported. The variation of crystallite size and surface topography substantified different aggregation pattern in the COFs, which leads to disparities in their photoexcitation and relaxation properties. Depending on aggregation, an inverse correlation between bulk luminescence decay time and exciton binding energy of the materials is perceived. Further transient absorption spectroscopic analysis confirms the presence of highly localized, immobile, Frenkel excitons (of diameter 0.3–0.5 nm) via an absence of annihilation at high density, most likely induced by structural torsion of the COF skeletons, which in turn preferentially relaxes via long‐lived (nanosecond to microsecond) excimer formation (in femtosecond scale) over direct emission. These insights underpin the importance of structural and topological design of COFs for their targeted use in photocatalysis.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001206226700001 Publication Date 2024-04-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0935-9648 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 29.4 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes PVDV, JC, AC, and IN acknowledge the FWO-Vlaanderen for research grant G020521N and the research board of UGent (BOF) through a Concerted Research Action (GOA010-17). JC acknowledges UGent for BOF postdoctoral grant (2022.0032.01). AC acknowledges FWOVlaanderen for postdoctoral grant (12T7521N). KM, DVT and PG acknowledges FWOVlaanderen for research grant G0B2921N. SB and DAE acknowledge financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. CHL acknowledges China Scholarship Council doctoral grant (201908110280). PVDV acknowledges Hercules Project AUGE/17/07 for the UV VIS DRS spectrometer and UGent BASBOF BOF20/BAS/015 for the powder X-Ray Diffractometer. PG thanks UGent for support of the Core Facility NOLIMITS. Approved Most recent IF: 29.4; 2024 IF: 19.791  
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:205967 Serial 9130  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Batenburg, K.J.; Bals, S.; Sijbers, J.; Kübel, C.; Midgley, P.A.; Hernandez, J.C.; Kaiser, U.; Encina, E.R.; Coronado, E.A.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title 3D imaging of nanomaterials by discrete tomography Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2009 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 109 Issue 6 Pages 730-740  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract The field of discrete tomography focuses on the reconstruction of samples that consist of only a few different materials. Ideally, a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of such a sample should contain only one grey level for each of the compositions in the sample. By exploiting this property in the reconstruction algorithm, either the quality of the reconstruction can be improved significantly, or the number of required projection images can be reduced. The discrete reconstruction typically contains fewer artifacts and does not have to be segmented, as it already contains one grey level for each composition. Recently, a new algorithm, called discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (DART), has been proposed that can be used effectively on experimental electron tomography datasets. In this paper, we propose discrete tomography as a general reconstruction method for electron tomography in materials science. We describe the basic principles of DART and show that it can be applied successfully to three different types of samples, consisting of embedded ErSi2 nanocrystals, a carbon nanotube grown from a catalyst particle and a single gold nanoparticle, respectively.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000265816400005 Publication Date 2009-02-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 220 Open Access  
  Notes Fwo; Esteem 026019 Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2009 IF: 2.067  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:74665 c:irua:74665 Serial 12  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Roelandts, T.; Batenburg, K.J.; Biermans, E.; Kübel, C.; Bals, S.; Sijbers, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Accurate segmentation of dense nanoparticles by partially discrete electron tomography Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 114 Issue Pages 96-105  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract Accurate segmentation of nanoparticles within various matrix materials is a difficult problem in electron tomography. Due to artifacts related to image series acquisition and reconstruction, global thresholding of reconstructions computed by established algorithms, such as weighted backprojection or SIRT, may result in unreliable and subjective segmentations. In this paper, we introduce the Partially Discrete Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (PDART) for computing accurate segmentations of dense nanoparticles of constant composition. The particles are segmented directly by the reconstruction algorithm, while the surrounding regions are reconstructed using continuously varying gray levels. As no properties are assumed for the other compositions of the sample, the technique can be applied to any sample where dense nanoparticles must be segmented, regardless of the surrounding compositions. For both experimental and simulated data, it is shown that PDART yields significantly more accurate segmentations than those obtained by optimal global thresholding of the SIRT reconstruction.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000301954300011 Publication Date 2012-01-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 34 Open Access  
  Notes Fwo Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2012 IF: 2.470  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:97710 Serial 52  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S.; Verbeeck, J.; van Dyck, D. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Advanced electron microscopy for advanced materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication Advanced materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Mater  
  Volume 24 Issue 42 Pages 5655-5675  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract The idea of this Review is to introduce newly developed possibilities of advanced electron microscopy to the materials science community. Over the last decade, electron microscopy has evolved into a full analytical tool, able to provide atomic scale information on the position, nature, and even the valency atoms. This information is classically obtained in two dimensions (2D), but can now also be obtained in 3D. We show examples of applications in the field of nanoparticles and interfaces.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Weinheim Editor  
  Language Wos 000310602200001 Publication Date 2012-08-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0935-9648; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 19.791 Times cited 107 Open Access  
  Notes This work was supported by funding from the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7), ERC grant No 246791 – COUNTATOMS. J.V. Acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7), ERC Starting Grant 278510 VORTEX. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). The Qu-Ant-EM microscope was partly funded by the Hercules Fund from the Flemish Government. We thank Rafal Dunin-Borkowski for providing Figure 5d. The authors would like to thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including K.J. Batenburg, R. Erni, B. Goris, F. Leroux, H. Lichte, A. Lubk, B. Partoens, M. D. Rossell, P. Schattschneider, B. Schoeters, D. Schryvers, H. Tan, H. Tian, S. Turner, M. van Huis. ECASJO_; Approved Most recent IF: 19.791; 2012 IF: 14.829  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:100470UA @ admin @ c:irua:100470 Serial 70  
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Author Goris, B.; Roelandts, T.; Batenburg, K.J.; Heidari Mezerji, H.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Advanced reconstruction algorithms for electron tomography : from comparison to combination Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy  
  Volume 127 Issue Pages 40-47  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract In this work, the simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT), the total variation minimization (TVM) reconstruction technique and the discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (DART) for electron tomography are compared and the advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Furthermore, we describe how the result of a three dimensional (3D) reconstruction based on TVM can provide objective information that is needed as the input for a DART reconstruction. This approach results in a tomographic reconstruction of which the segmentation is carried out in an objective manner.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor  
  Language Wos 000316659100007 Publication Date 2012-08-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 63 Open Access  
  Notes Fwo Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2013 IF: 2.745  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:101217 Serial 72  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lentijo-Mozo, S.; Tan, R.P.; Garcia-Marcelot, C.; Altantzis, T.; Fazzini, P.F.; Hungria, T.; Cormary, B.; Gallagher, J.R.; Miller, J.T.; Martinez, H.; Schrittwieser, S.; Schotter, J.; Respaud, M.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Gatel, C.; Soulantica, K. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Air- and water-resistant noble metal coated ferromagnetic cobalt nanorods Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano  
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 2792-2804  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Cobalt nanorods possess ideal magnetic properties for applications requiring magnetically hard nanoparticles. However, their exploitation is undermined by their sensitivity toward oxygen and water, which deteriorates their magnetic properties. The development of a continuous metal shell inert to oxidation could render them stable, opening perspectives not only for already identified applications but also for uses in which contact with air and/or aqueous media is inevitable. However, the direct growth of a conformal noble metal shell on magnetic metals is a challenge. Here, we show that prior treatment of Co nanorods with a tin coordination compound is the crucial step that enables the subsequent growth of a continuous noble metal shell on their surface, rendering them air- and water-resistant, while conserving the monocrystallity, metallicity and the magnetic properties of the Co core. Thus, the as-synthesized coreshell ferromagnetic nanorods combine high magnetization and strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, even after exposure to air and water, and hold promise for successful implementation in in vitro biodiagnostics requiring probes of high magnetization and anisotropic shape.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000351791800055 Publication Date 2015-03-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 25 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes 312483 Esteem2; 246791 Countatoms; 335078 Colouratom; esteem2ta; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2015 IF: 12.881  
  Call Number c:irua:125380 c:irua:125380 Serial 87  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Casavola, M.; van Huis, M.A.; Bals, S.; Lambert, K.; Hens, Z.; Vanmaekelbergh, D. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Anisotropic cation exchange in PbSe/CdSe core/shell nanocrystals of different geometry Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater  
  Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 294-302  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract We present a study of Cd2+-for-Pb2+ exchange in PbSe nanocrystals (NCs) with cube, star, and rod shapes. Prolonged temperature-activated cation exchange results in PbSe/CdSe heterostructured nanocrystals (HNCs) that preserve their specific overall shape, whereas the PbSe core is strongly faceted with dominance of {111} facets. Hence, cation exchange proceeds while the Se anion lattice is preserved, and well-defined {111}/{111} PbSe/CdSe interfaces develop. Interestingly, by quenching the reaction at different stages of the cation exchange new structures have been isolated, such as coreshell nanorods, CdSe rods that contain one or two separated PbSe dots and fully zinc blende CdSe nanorods. The crystallographically anisotropic cation exchange has been characterized by a combined HRTEM/HAADF-STEM study of heterointerface evolution over reaction time and temperature. Strikingly, Pb and Cd are only intermixed at the PbSe/CdSe interface. We propose a plausible model for the cation exchange based on a layer-by-layer replacement of Pb2+ by Cd2+ enabled by a vacancy-assisted cation migration mechanism.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor  
  Language Wos 000299367500008 Publication Date 2011-11-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0897-4756;1520-5002; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 136 Open Access  
  Notes Esteem 026019 Approved Most recent IF: 9.466; 2012 IF: 8.238  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:94211 Serial 124  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Bals, S.; Kabius, B.; Haider, M.; Radmilovic, V.; Kisielowski, C. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Annular dark field imaging in a TEM Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2004 Publication Solid state communications Abbreviated Journal Solid State Commun  
  Volume 130 Issue 10 Pages 675-680  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Annular objective apertures are fabricated for a CM300 transmission electron microscope using a focused ion beam system. A central beam stop in the back focal plane of the objective lens of the microscope blocks all electrons scattered up to a semi-angle of approximately 20 mrad. In this manner, contributions to the image from Bragg scattering are largely reduced and the image contrast is sensitive to the atomic number Z. Experimentally, we find that single atom scattering cross sections measured with this technique are close to Rutherford scattering values. A comparison between this new method and STEM-HAADF shows that both techniques result in qualitatively similar images although the resolution of ADF-TEM is limited by contrast delocalization caused by the spherical aberration of the objective lens. This problem can be overcome by using an aberration corrected microscope.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000221489300007 Publication Date 2004-04-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0038-1098; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.554 Times cited 43 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.554; 2004 IF: 1.523  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:87584 Serial 132  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Leroux, F.; Bladt, E.; Timmermans, J.-P.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S. doi  openurl
  Title Annular dark-field transmission electron microscopy for low contrast materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal  
  Volume 19 Issue 3 Pages 629-634  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Imaging soft matter by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is anything but straightforward. Recently, interest has grown in developing alternative imaging modes that generate contrast without additional staining. Here, we present a dark-field TEM technique based on the use of an annular objective aperture. Our experiments demonstrate an increase in both contrast and signal-to-noise ratio in comparison to conventional bright-field TEM. The proposed technique is easy to implement and offers an alternative imaging mode to investigate soft matter.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge, Mass. Editor  
  Language Wos 000319126300014 Publication Date 2013-04-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1431-9276;1435-8115; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.891 Times cited 5 Open Access  
  Notes 262348 Esmi; Fwo G002410n G018008 Approved Most recent IF: 1.891; 2013 IF: 2.161  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:108712 Serial 133  
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Author Turner, S.; Tavernier, S.M.F.; Huyberechts, G.; Bals, S.; Batenburg, K.J.; Van Tendeloo, G. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Assisted spray pyrolysis production and characterisation of ZnO nanoparticles with narrow size distribution Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2010 Publication Journal of nanoparticle research Abbreviated Journal J Nanopart Res  
  Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages 615-622  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract Nano-sized ZnO particles with a narrow size distribution and high crystallinity were prepared from aqueous solutions with high concentrations of Zn2+ containing salts and citric acid in a conventional spray pyrolysis setup. Structure, morphology and size of the produced material were compared to ZnO material produced by simple spray pyrolysis of zinc nitrates in the same experimental setup. Using transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography it has been shown that citric acid-assisted spray pyrolysed material is made up of micron sized secondary particles comprising a shell of lightly agglomerated, monocrystalline primary ZnO nanoparticles with sizes in the 2030 nm range, separable by a simple ultrasonic treatment step.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication S.l. Editor  
  Language Wos 000275318700025 Publication Date 2009-04-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1388-0764;1572-896X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.02 Times cited 27 Open Access  
  Notes Esteem 026019 Approved Most recent IF: 2.02; 2010 IF: 3.253  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:81771 Serial 156  
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Author Pfannmöller, M.; Heidari, H.; Nanson, L.; Lozman, O.R.; Chrapa, M.; Offermans, T.; Nisato, G.; Bals, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Quantitative Tomography of Organic Photovoltaic Blends at the Nanoscale Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Nano letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett  
  Volume 15 Issue 15 Pages 6634-6642  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract The success of semiconducting organic materials has enabled green technologies for electronics, lighting, and photovoltaics. However, when blended together, these materials have also raised novel fundamental questions with respect to electronic, optical, and thermodynamic properties. This is particularly important for organic photovoltaic cells based on the bulk heterojunction. Here, the distribution of nanoscale domains plays a crucial role depending on the specific device structure. Hence, correlation of the aforementioned properties requires 3D nanoscale imaging of materials domains, which are embedded in a multilayer device. Such visualization has so far been elusive due to lack of contrast, insufficient signal, or resolution limits. In this Letter, we introduce spectral scanning transmission electron tomography for reconstruction of entire volume plasmon spectra from rod-shaped specimens. We provide 3D structural correlations and compositional mapping at a resolution of approximately 7 nm within advanced organic photovoltaic tandem cells. Novel insights that are obtained from quantitative 3D analyses reveal that efficiency loss upon thermal annealing can be attributed to subtle, fundamental blend properties. These results are invaluable in guiding the design and optimization of future devices in plastic electronics applications and provide an empirical basis for modeling and simulation of organic solar cells.  
  Address EMAT-University of Antwerp , Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Wos 000363003100052 Publication Date 2015-09-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1530-6984;1530-6992; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 26 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This work was supported by the FP7 European collaborative project SUNFLOWER (FP7-ICT-2011-7-contract num. 287594). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). M.P. gratefully acknowledges the SIM NanoForce program for their financial support. We acknowledge AGFA for providing the neutral PEDOT:PSS and GenesInk for the ZnO nanoparticles. We would like to thank Stijn Van den broeck for extensive support on FIB sample preparation. M.P. and H.H. thank Daniele Zanaga for the many fruitful discussions.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 12.712; 2015 IF: 13.592  
  Call Number c:irua:129423 c:irua:129423 Serial 3973  
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Author Deng, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.; He, Z.; Cott, D.J.; Vereecken, P.M.; Martens, J.A.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Detavernier, C. doi  openurl
  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 (down)  
  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 Dendooven, J.; Devloo-Casier, K.; Ide, M.; Grandfield; Kurttepeli; Ludwig, K.F.; Bals, S.; Van der Voort, P.; Detavernier, C. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Atomic layer deposition-based tuning of the pore size in mesoporous thin films studied by in situ grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale  
  Volume 6 Issue 24 Pages 14991-14998  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) enables the conformal coating of porous materials, making the technique suitable for pore size tuning at the atomic level, e.g., for applications in catalysis, gas separation and sensing. It is, however, not straightforward to obtain information about the conformality of ALD coatings deposited in pores with diameters in the low mesoporous regime (<10 nm). In this work, it is demonstrated that in situ synchrotron based grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) can provide valuable information on the change in density and internal surface area during ALD of TiO2 in a porous titania film with small mesopores (3-8 nm). The results are shown to be in good agreement with in situ X-ray fluorescence data representing the evolution of the amount of Ti atoms deposited in the porous film. Analysis of both datasets indicates that the minimum pore diameter that can be achieved by ALD is determined by the size of the Ti-precursor molecule.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor  
  Language Wos 000345458200051 Publication Date 2014-10-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 41 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes 239865 Cocoon; 335078 Colouratom; Fwo; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2014 IF: 7.394  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:122227 Serial 169  
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Author Van Aert, S.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S.; Erni, R.; van Dyck, D.; Van Tendeloo, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Atomic resolution mapping using quantitative high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2009 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal  
  Volume 15 Issue S:2 Pages 464-465  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge, Mass. Editor  
  Language Wos 000208119100230 Publication Date 2009-07-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title (down)  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1431-9276;1435-8115; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.891 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.891; 2009 IF: 3.035  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:96555UA @ admin @ c:irua:96555 Serial 178  
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