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Author van der Snickt, G.; de Boeck, A.; Keutgens, K.; Anthierens, D.
Title The SALUT project : study of advanced laser techniques for the uncovering of polychromed works of art Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2007 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume 116 Issue Pages 151-158 T2 - Proceedings of the 6th International
Keywords P1 Proceeding; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract (down) In order to find out whether the existing laser systems can be employed to remove superimposed layers of paint on secco wall paintings in a selective way, laser tests were carried out on three types of prepared samples simulating three stratigraphies that are frequently encountered in practice. OM, EPMA, colorimetry, mu Raman, and FT-IR were used to evaluate the results. It was found that Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers emitting at 1,064 nm could be employed to remove unwanted layers of oil paint and limewash, but the treatment of large areas requires implementation of a computer-controlled X-Y-Z station in order to control the parameters. However, the applicability of this technique will remain limited as ablation at the established optimum parameters implied a discoloration of the pigments cinnabar, yellow ochre, and burnt sienna. Moreover, it was observed that no ablation took place when the limewash thickness exceeds 25 mu m. Unwanted layers of acrylic could be removed in an efficient way with an excimer laser emitting at 193 nm.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000252680500018 Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-3-540-72129-1; 0930-8989 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:157216 Serial 8491
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Author Muys, M.
Title Microbial protein as sustainable feed and food ingredient : production and nutritional quality of phototrophs and aerobic heterotrophs Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 262 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) In iets meer dan 30 jaar moeten we tot 50% meer eiwit produceren, terwijl onze conventionele lineaire voedselproductieketen reeds de grenzen van duurzaamheid overschrijdt. Microbieel eiwit (MP), de eiwitrijke biomassa van micro-organismen, werd onderzocht als nieuw voeder en voedselingrediënt in een circulaire eiwitproductieketen. MP-productie kan gebaseerd zijn op primaire grondstoffen om zo de inefficiënte stappen in de huidige eiwitproductie over te slaan, of de productie kan gebaseerd zijn op secundaire grondstoffen afkomstig van de verliezen in de conventionele productieketen (bijvoorbeeld afvalwater). Zowel indirecte als directe strategiën voor nutriëntenherwinning kunnen geïdentificeerd worden. Indirecte nutriëntenherwinning werd onderzocht door struviet toe te passen als fosfor- en stikstofbron voor MP-productie. Struviet, een herwinningsproduct in de afvalwaterzuivering, bleek een hoge zuiverheidsgraad te hebben waardoor het een uitstekende selectieve barrière vormt tussen afvalstroom en MP productie. Oplossingssnelheden en MP groei-experimenten toonden aan dat struviet gemakkelijk gedoseerd kan worden in functie van de microbiële nutriëntenbehoeftes, waarnaast problemen vermeden worden gerelateerd aan de turbiditeit van nevenstromen, wat de productie van fototrofe MP mogelijk maakt. Daarnaast werd ook directe nutriëntenherwinning onderzocht. Hierbij werden de voedingswaarde en veiligheid geanalyseerd van biomassa bestaande uit aerobe heterotrofe bacteriën (AHB) afkomstig van effluentzuivering van 25 bedrijven in de voedings- en drankensector. Verder werd ook de temporele variabiliteit in kaart gebracht. Er werd een veelbelovend eiwitgehalte geobserveerd waarvan de variabiliteit aanzienlijke was. Verder werd aangetoond dat het eiwitgehalte positief gecorreleerd was met stikstofbelasting en negatief met slibverblijftijd, wat een indicatie is dat de implementatie van een geoptimaliseerd productieproces, de biomassakwaliteit gevoelig kan verhogen. Bovendien was de veiligheid als veevoeder gegarandeerd op vlak van de meeste contaminanten. In het daarop volgende hoofdstuk werd de variabiliteit in voedingswaarde en veiligheid bestudeerd van commerciële fototrofe MP (de microalgen Chlorella en Spirulina), gekweekt op primaire grondstoffen. De waargenomen variabiliteit in voedingswaarde vereist verdere optimalisatie van het productieproces. Er werd ook waargenomen dat een hoog eiwitgehalte geen hoge totale voedingswaarde impliceert, omdat de verteerbaarheid en de eiwitkwaliteit nog steeds ongunstig kunnen zijn. Op basis van gemeten contaminanten geeft een veilige consumptiedosis aan dat microalgen perfect kunnen worden geconsumeerd als volwaardige eiwitbron in plaats van als supplement, hun huidige hoofdtoepassing. In een laatste experimenteel hoofdstuk werd onderzocht hoe de variabiliteit in biomassakwaliteit van microalgen kan worden gereduceerd en hoe een stabiele, hoogwaardige biomassaproductie kan worden bekomen. De invloed van oogsttijd, operationele modus en fotoperiode werd bepaald op de productiviteit van biomassa, eiwit en essentiële aminozuren en er werden optimale productieparameters geïdentificeerd. Samengevat is MP-productie op basis van indirecte en directe nutriëntenherwinning veelbelovend. Verdere technologische ontwikkelingen en het verhogen van bewustwording en sociale acceptatie, moeten een verdere introductie van MP in de voeder- en voedingsmarkt faciliteren. Hier kan MP een belangrijke oplossing vertegenwoordigen om de exponentieel groeiende wereldbevolking op een duurzame manier te voeden.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160717 Serial 8244
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Author Kummamuru, N.B.
Title Methane and hydrogen storage in clathrate hydrates Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages XXV, 260 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp engineering, PhotoElectroChemistry & Sensing (A-PECS)
Abstract (down) In a world increasingly reliant on alternative energy sources, the quest for efficient and secure storage solutions is paramount. This doctoral thesis explores the exciting potential of a familiar material – water – to act as a vault for next-generation energy sources like hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4). Nature offers a solution in the form of clathrate hydrates, fascinating cage-like structures formed from water molecules that can trap these gas molecules within their framework. This research investigates on improving the formation kinetics and gas storage capabilities of clathrate hydrates utilizing porous materials and the interstitial space between non-porous materials to augment the contact between gas and water thereby catalysing the growth of hydrates and unlocking their full potential as efficient and secure energy storage reservoirs. A key outcome of this research is the formulation of an empirical correlation, offering predictive insights into CH4 hydrate phase equilibrium conditions. Innovative approaches utilizing thermally conductive beads have yielded substantial enhancements in CH4 uptake. Furthermore, the identification of optimal water content within porous materials showcases a pathway to maximize CH4 storage capacity and hydrate growth kinetics. In the domain of hydrogen storage, attention is also directed towards unstirred systems, where the integration of functionalized porous materials has demonstrated a significant improvement in the rate of hydrate formation and the overall H2 storage capacity. A noteworthy achievement of this research lies in the successful storage of H2 within confined CH4 hydrates through a gas exchange process and the preliminary results show the potential for safer and more sustainable method for H2 storage at mild thermodynamic conditions, offering promising prospects for future energy systems.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:206258 Serial 9160
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Author Caen, J.; Cagno, S.; Janssens, K.
Title The stained-glass panel depicting the anointing at Bethany : art historical research, technical analysis, and treatment Type H2 Book chapter
Year 2013 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 247-257
Keywords H2 Book chapter; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES)
Abstract (down) In 2008, Museum M in Louvain (Flanders, Belgium) acquired a panel depicting The Anointing at Bethany that is believed once to have adorned the citys former Charterhouse. The panel required conservation treatment, which was preceded by a thorough art-historical and technical examination. It emerged that comparable panels are kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Riverside Church in New York. Chemical analyses show most of the glass in the panel to have a typical 16th century high-limelow-alkali composition. The conservation treatment was based on the evaluation of these findings and focused very strongly on enhancing the aesthetic balance for an improved reading of the panel.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN 978-90-8932-113-8 Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:114605 Serial 5847
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Author Van Echelpoel, R.
Title Making an impact with voltammetric illicit drug sensors : bridging the gap between fundamental lab research and on-site application Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages xxviii, 194 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Pharmacology. Therapy; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
Abstract (down) Illicit drugs are harmful substances, posing a threat to the health and safety of society. Policies, such as supply reduction and harm reduction, are in place to combat the illicit drug problem. Science can play a substantial role in this fight, by providing tools that enable these policies to be successfully enforced. One example are on-site detection tools, i.e. sensors that allow the on-site identification of an illicit drug in a sample of interest. Several technologies, such as color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques, are currently employed for this goal. Although these are valuable techniques, there is an opportunity for voltammetry, an electrochemical technique, to make an impactful addition to this repertoire of on-site detection tools. Despite its attractive features (low-cost, portable, short analysis time, indifference to color,...), voltammetric illicit drug sensor have failed to make an impact in real scenarios. The work outlined in this PhD thesis aims to change this by bringing the technology from the lab to the field. Strategic choices, fueled by feedback from end-users, were made to further develop those specific aspects of the technology that previously haltered the technology to fulfill its potential. A detection algorithm was introduced that converts the voltammetric output into a clear-cut interpretation thereof, opening up the technology to end-users without prior knowledge of the technology. A sensor that allows qualitative and quantitative detection of the psychoactive drug MDMA was introduced, and importantly, validated on a large set of 212 confiscated samples. A state-of-the art mobile application and adequate sampling methodology were developed, alongside other, often more practical studies and product developments, to evolve the technology into a product that truly creates value for end-users. Important steps towards multidrug detection were made with a festival sensor and a flowchart based on visual appearance that ties together a variety of voltammetric single sensors into a single multidrug sensing approach. Last but not least, multiple valorization aspects were researched, including a market study and an analysis to determine the optimal commercialization strategy. Overall, this PhD thesis has facilitated the transition of the voltammetric illicit drug sensing technology from lab to on-site application. The final application creates value for end-users, and is ready to make an impact in real on-site scenarios.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN 987-90-5728-534-7 Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:200601 Serial 9055
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Author Vincze, L.; Vekemans, B.; Szaloki, I.; Brenker, F.E.; Falkenberg, G.; Rickers, K.; Aerts, K.; Van Grieken, R.; Adams, F.
Title X-ray fluorescence microtomography and polycapillary based confocal imaging using synchrotron radiation Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2004 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 220-231 T2 - 4th Conference on Developments in X-R
Keywords P1 Proceeding; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract (down) Ibis work illustrates the development of X-ray fluorescence tomography and polycapillary based confocal imaging towards a three-dimensional (313), quantitative analytical method with lateral resolution levels down to the 2-20 mum scale. Detailed analytical characterization is given for polycapillary based confocal XRF imaging, which is a new variant of the 3D micro-XRF technique. Applications for 2D/3D micro-XR-F are illustrated for the analysis of biological (zooplankton) and geological samples (microscopic inclusions in natural diamonds and fluid inclusions in quartz). Based on confocal imaging, fully three-dimensional distributions of trace elements could be obtained, representing a significant generalization of the regular 2D scanning technique for micro-XRF spectroscopy. The experimental work described in this paper has been carried out at the ESRF ID18F microfluorescence end-station and at HASYLAB Beam Line L.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000225665000023 Publication Date 2004-11-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0-8194-5473-7 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:94812 Serial 8767
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Author Van Hoecke, L.
Title CFD-Assisted design of fluidized reactors for H2 release from LOHC Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages XXXIII, 181 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology
Abstract (down) Hydrogen (H2) is expected to become a key molecule in the transition towards a society running on renewable energy. It can be used to store excess renewable energy at peak production moments and release this energy at a later stage when renewable energy production is less. However, storing H2 is challenging due to the low density of this gas. As a solution, Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers or LOHC molecules have been proposed in the passed to increase volumetric energy density of H2. LOHC are a class of molecules that have storage sites available, to which the H2 gas can be chemically bounded. The LOHC molecule under investigation was dibenzyltoluene (DBT), which is an oil like liquid, that is easy to transport and poses little fire or explosion risks. To release the H2 from the DBT carrier, via a so-called dehydrogenation reaction, efficient mass and heat transfer is required during the process, since a large volume increase is expected from H2 release and the reaction is endothermic, i.e., a self – cooling process that takes place at temperatures around 300 C. The heat has to be supplied specifically to the active sites of catalyst particles that are present inside the reactor and which enable the dehydrogenation to proceed. For heat transfer limited processes fluidized bed reactors are often used, which is a type of reactor where the particle phase is being agitated by the fluid flow. The research proposed in this work, was to explore via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations the possibilities and challenges of using fluidized bed reactors for the dehydrogenation of LOHC. The model selection required for CFD simulations of a three-phase system was investigated in this work, with a main emphasis on the drag model selection. The CFD modelling study was focused on the use of swirling fluidized bed reactors, since it was hypothesised that the swirling effect could also aid in increased removal of the gas phase from the reaction medium to increase the efficiency of the process. Ultimately, it was shown that the main challenges in the design of fluidized bed reactors will be to create uniform particle distribution inside the reactor. A new design for a dehydrogenation reactor is proposed based on the insights gained in this thesis.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2024-06-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:205645 Serial 9192
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Ahmadi Eshtehardi, H.
Title Combined computational-experimental study on plasma and plasma catalysis for N2 fixation Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 160 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract (down) Humanity feels the urge of shifting to a sustainable society more than at any other time in its history. Electrification of chemical industry plays a key role in this transition. The possibility of producing fertilizers from air using renewable electricity, and simultaneously, no greenhouse gas emission, resulted in an increasing interest toward plasma technology as a solution for electrification of a part of the chemical industry in the past few years. Additionally, the activation of nitrogen molecules by vibrational and electronic excitation reactions in plasma can lead to an energy-efficient process. Last but not least, the modularity (fast on/off characteristic) of plasma technology makes it capable of using intermittent renewable electricity on site for the production of fertilizers using air. All these advantages offered by plasma technology make it a potential solution for the on-site production of fertilizers in small and decentralized plants using air and renewable electricity, which leads to a considerable reduction in fertilizer production and transportation costs. However, industrialization of plasma-based NF suffers from several challenges, including challenges of plasma catalysis for the selective production of desired species, the high energy cost of plasma-based NF compared to current industrial processes, and the design and development of scaled up and energy-efficient plasma reactors for industrial purposes. In the framework of this thesis we have tried to add to the state-of-the-art (SOTA) in plasma-based NOx production and deal with its limitations using a combination of experimental and modelling work.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2024-06-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:205246 Serial 9139
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Author Nuyts, G.; Cagno, S.; Jaroszewicz, J.; Wouters, H.; De Vis, K.; Caen, J.; Janssens, K.
Title High-resolution desktop microcomputed tomography for the evaluation of reducing treatments on historical glass suffering from manganese browning Type H2 Book chapter
Year 2013 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 201-209
Keywords H2 Book chapter; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES)
Abstract (down) Historical glass, especially non-durable mediaeval glass, can undergo corrosion. This sometimes results in the formation of dark-coloured manganese-rich inclusions or stains that reduce the transparency of the glass. A conservation treatment with reducing or chelating agents may be considered with the aim of improving the transparency. In this paper, high-resolution desktop microcomputed tomography (µCT) is used in combination with element-specific twodimensional imaging methods for in situ monitoring of manganese removal by hydroxylamine hydrochloride from an archaeological stained-glass sample suffering from manganese browning and from artificially corroded model glass samples. µCT also proved itself useful for the study of the (re-)penetration of manganese into the gel layer during artificial corrosion of a model glass.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN 978-90-8932-113-8 Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:114604 Serial 5641
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Blommaerts, N.
Title Plasmonic core shell nanoparticles : from synthesis to photocatalytic applications Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 153 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) Het gebruik van plasmon-actieve nanodeeltjes heeft de laatste 10 jaar zeer veel interesse gewekt bij onderzoekers in verschillende toepassingsdomeinen zoals fotokatalyse of oppervlakte versterkte Raman spectroscopie. Er is echter een grote limiterende factor bij het gebruik van edelmetaal nanodeeltjes zoals goud en zilver en dat is de stabiliteit. Deze oxideren en aggregeren snel, zeker in oxidatieve omgeving zoals in lucht. Een interessante aanpak om plasmon-actieve nanodeeltjes te stabiliseren, is om ze te omgeven in een schil, met andere woorden om een kern-schil nanodeeltje te vormen. Er zijn een heel aantal verschillende manieren waarop kern-schil nanodeeltjes gesynthetiseerd kunnen worden. In eerste instantie werden metaal nanodeeltjes omgeven door een (dunne) TiO2 laag. Afhankelijk van de hoeveelheid TiO2 precursor kon de dikte van de laag gecontroleerd worden tot enkele nanometers dik. De stalen werden getest voor de fotokatalytische afbraak van een vaste laag stearinezuur waarbij toevoeging van 2 wt% metaal@TiO2 op P25 leidde tot een significante verbetering in afbraakefficiëntie in vergelijking met zuiver P25. Een andere manier voor het stabiliseren van metaal nanodeeltjes is door ze te omgeven met een polymeerschil. Op deze manier kon de laagdikte gecontroleerd worden met sub-nanometer controle wat een zeer belangrijke factor is voor de hoeveelheid near-field versterking dat buiten de polymeer schil kan gaan. Een XTT test werd uitgevoerd om te bepalen wat de zuurstofactivatie snelheid was van goud en zilver (en goud-zilver bimetallische) nanodeeltjes, al dan niet omgeven door een (niet-)geleidende polymeer laag. Wanneer de stalen gecoat werden met vier niet-geleidende polymeerlagen zakte de zuurstofactivatie nagenoeg tot nul. Aan de andere kant, als goud nanodeeltjes werden omgeven door een geleidende schil was er nog steeds zuurstofactivatie, hoewel lager dan in het geval van goud zonder laag. Het laatste deel van deze thesis focuste meer op mogelijke toepassingen in luchtzuivering. In dit werk werd een glazen buis, gecoat aan de binnenkant met (Ag@polymer gemodificeerd) TiO2, als een spiraal rond een UVA lamp gewikkeld. De geoptimaliseerde spiraalreactor werd dan vergeleken met een conventionele cilindervormige fotoreactor, met dezelfde dimensies en totale katalysatorbelading, over een grote range aan experimentele condities. Uit de resultaten bleek dat de spiraalreactor significant betere afbraakefficiënties vertoonde in vergelijking met de conventionele cilindervormige reactor over een grote range aan debieten. Een adsorptiestap in combinatie met de geoptimaliseerde spiraalreactor zou kunnen leiden tot een zeer krachtige luchtzuiveringstechnologie.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:164835 Serial 8389
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Zhang, K.
Title Revealing the correlation between titania support properties and propylphosphonic acid modification by in-depth characterization Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages XVI, 262 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
Abstract (down) Grafting organophosphonic acids modification (PAs) on metal oxides has shown to be a flexible technology to tune the surface properties of metal oxides for various applications. Nevertheless, there are still puzzles that need to be addressed, such as the correlations between metal oxides properties (types of surface reactive sites) and the modification (modification degree), the correlations between metal oxides properties and the properties of modified surfaces. Moreover, the currently used liquid-phase method for the grafting has associated impeding effects of solvent on tailoring the modification degrees, and also causes the formation of metal phosphonate side products. The solid-phase method can induce the unwanted changes in crystal phase of supports. Based on these questions, the three titania supports with divergent surface properties were selected as the metal oxides supports investigated, propylphosphonic acid (3PA) modification was carried out under the same synthesis conditions: four different concentrations, two solvents (water or toluene), and one reaction time (4 h) and temperature (90 ). MeOH chemisorption was introduced to probe the surface (un)reactive sites for 3PA modification. On the other hand, MeOH chemisorption and inverse gas chromatography (IGC) were combined to characterize the changes in surface polarity and acidic properties induced by the modification. Next, a solid-phase method, manual grinding, was proposed to graft 3PA on titania, avoiding the impeding effects of solvent on improving modification degree and the formation of the titania phosphonate side products, as well as preserving the crystal phase. The results indicate that methanol chemisorption can qualitatively analyze the surface active sites that are consumed by 3PA modification, its chemisorption capacity shows the consistent trend with the maximum modification degree, hereby revealing the kinds of interactions that are important in controlling surface coverage. Titania supports is found to play an important role in changes in surface polarity and acidic properties by charactering the three modified titania samples at a similar modification degree using the methanol chemisorption coupled with in-situ infrared and thermogravimetric-mass spectrometer, and the IGC. Moreover, IGC provides additional information about the changes in binding modes. Furthermore, grafting 3PA modification on titania was achieved by manual grinding. Compared to the liquid-phase method, the maximum modification degree obtained by the manual grinding is 25 % higher while using 83.3 % or 75.0% lower amounts of expensive 3PA and limiting the formation of titania phosphonate side products. Compared to the reactive milling method, the proposed manual grinding method preserves the crystal phase(s) of titania.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198726 Serial 8924
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Admasu, W.F.
Title Socioeconomic and environmental impact of expropriation of agricultural land for urbanisation in Ethiopia Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2021 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 162 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract (down) Globally, incorporation of agricultural lands into the urban boundary has been a common phenomenon. Governments use various alternatives to access the required land, including land expropriation procedures, which refers to the compulsorily taking of land from the landholders without their consent by paying compensation. In Ethiopia, the urban population is growing rapidly which resulted into an increase in the demand for urban land for housing construction, public services provision, and infrastructure developments. As the Ethiopian constitution prohibits sale of landholders, governments, at various levels, have been expropriating land from the surrounding farmers to meet the demand for urban land. The general objective of this thesis is to improve the understanding of the impacts of local land deals for urbanization on socioeconomics of farmers and the environment. The findings of this thesis revealed that there are gaps in the current practices of land expropriation for urban expansion that should be improved. The results showed that the compensation paid to the affected farmers is found to be economically inappropriate, i.e., not enough to restore the affected farmers’ livelihoods, in contrast with the land laws that allows a compensation amount that would put previous land users in a better or the same wellbeing as before the land expropriation. In addition, it is indicated that the land expropriation process does not take into account the value of ecosystem services, which are benefits obtain from the land, and important for the wellbeing of the society. We conclude that while land expropriation is an important tool to obtain land from the landholders when it is needed for public purposes, the practices in the study area show it is adversely affecting the socioeconomics of farmers and the environment.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177909 Serial 6944
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Gielis, J.; Caratelli, D.; de Jong van Coevorden, M.; Ricci, P.E.
Title The common descent of biological shape description and special functions Type H1 Book chapter
Year 2018 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume 230 Issue Pages 119-131 T2 - Differential and difference equations
Keywords H1 Book chapter; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) Gielis transformations, with their origin in botany, are used to define square waves and trigonometric functions of higher order. They are rewritten in terms of Chebyshev polynomials. The origin of both, a uniform descriptor and the origin of orthogonal polynomials, can be traced back to a letter of Guido Grandi to Leibniz in 1713 on the mathematical description of the shape of flowers. In this way geometrical description and analytical tools are seamlessly combined.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000451375900010 Publication Date 2018-05-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN 978-3-319-75646-2; 2194-1009; 978-3-319-75647-9; 978-3-319-75646-2 Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:150949 Serial 7685
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Gielis, J.; Tavkhelidze, I.
Title A note on Generalized Möbius-Listing Bodies Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 31-39 T2 - Proceedings of the 1st International Sy
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) Generalized Möbius-Listing surfaces and bodies generalize Möbius bands, and this research was motivated originally by solutions of boundary value problems. Analogous to cutting of the original Möbius band, for this class of surfaces and bodies, results have been obtained when cutting such bodies or surfaces. In general, cutting leads to interlinked and intertwined different surfaces or bodies, resulting in very complex systems. However, under certain conditions, the result of cutting can be a single surface or body, which reduces complexity considerably. These conditions are based on congruence and rotational symmetry of the resulting cross sections after cutting, and on the knife cutting the origin
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2023-11-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-90-833839-0-3 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:201047 Serial 9063
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Author Peeters, B.; Safdar, S.; Carlier, B.; Spasic, D.; Daems, D.; Lammertyn, J.
Title PCR amplified DNAzyme-amplicons for generic solid-phase antimicrobial resistance screening Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 971-974 T2 - Transducers 2019 : Eurosensors XXXIII
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract (down) Fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (FO-SPR) has shown its potential for the detection of nucleic acids and more recently the technology has been combined with catalytic active strands such as DNAzymes. In this work, an innovative, generic solid-phase DNA sensor concept is presented, based on FO-SPR and PCR amplified DNAzyme activity. Improved levels of specificity and sensitivity were obtained down to picomolar concentrations. Moreover, the FO-SPR sensor concept enables AuNP amplified DNA target detection, independent of the target sequence length. The FO-SPR sensor was demonstrated for the screening of the mobile colistin resistance (MCR-2) gene, a gene important for the antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative species such as E. Coli.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000539487000245 Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:166108 Serial 8367
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Author Roegiers, J.
Title Development of combined photocatalytic and active carbon fiber technology for indoor air purification based on Multiphysics models Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2021 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages XXX, 197 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remains a major public health concern. Indoor VOC concentrations typically far exceed outdoor levels due to a variety of emission sources and the stringent insulation measures that are imposed today. Many attempts have been made to use photocatalysis for indoor air purification. In an ideal situation, photocatalysis is capable of complete mineralization of VOCs to H2O and CO2, without any byproduct formation. Moreover, the process can take place at standard atmospheric conditions, i.e. ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, successful exploitation is still impeded due to low conversion efficiency, significant pressure loss (and hence a high energy consumption) and byproduct formation. In the first part of this thesis an attempt was made to tackles these problems by designing a novel type of photocatalytic (PCO) reactor. The PCO device consists of a cylindrical vessel filled with TiO2-coated glass tubes and equipped with UV fluorescence lamps. It was investigated in terms of fluid dynamics, coating properties, UV-light distribution and photocatalytic activity. Experimental data was later used to develop and calibrate a Multiphysics model. The model proved to be a useful tool for designing and upscaling the PCO reactor. Consequently, an optimized prototype reactor was constructed and tested according the CEN-EN-16846-1 standard for VOC removal. Although the prototype showed promising results for lab-scale conditions, it struggled with byproduct formation when purifying ppb-level VOCs. In the second part of this thesis, activated carbon adsorption was investigated in order to combine it with photocatalysis. Activated carbon fiber was opted for its fast kinetics, high adsorption capacity and thermo-electrical regeneration. The filter was studied in detail regarding the adsorption of polar and apolar VOCs at indoor air concentration levels and regeneration capabilities. Experimental data was used to develop a Multiphysics model for activated carbon adsorption as well. Consequently, a novel type of ACF filter was developed using the Multiphysics model, which was equipped with electrodes in the tips of the pleats for effective thermal regeneration. In the last part, the combination of both ACF and PCO was studied using a realistic case study. Based on the Multiphysics model, the feasibility of a so-called hybrid air purification device could be investigated. The Multiphysics model shows promising results for this hybrid PCO-ACF system and hence, a demo setup was constructed for future research.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181137 Serial 6860
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Author Ysebaert, T.
Title Modelling and experimental validation of deposition on vegetation to facilitate urban particulate matter mitigation Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages xxvi, 234 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) Exposure to air pollution, such as particulate matter (PM), causes adverse health effects, particularly to the respiratory tract and cardiovascular system. PM is the collective name for all kinds of particles ranging from small particles and liquid droplets, which contain organic compounds, acids and metals, to soil or dust particles. One distinguishes PM10, PM2.5 and PM0.1, which have aerodynamic particle sizes smaller than 10, 2.5 and 0.1 µm, respectively. It is mainly the latter that is the most harmful, as PM0.1 penetrates deep into the respiratory system and carries relatively more toxic substances than the other PM fractions. Over a 15-year period, PM concentrations in European member states have fallen by about 30%. Nevertheless, the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines, which became stricter in 2021, are exceeded in most places around the world. Particularly in cities, excessive levels of PM are measured and it is here that PM mitigation should be investigated. For this, the implementation of urban green infrastructure, including trees, shrubs, green roofs and green walls, is being looked at. Plants hinder airflow and remove PM from the air by deposition on their leaves and branches. This process is known as dry deposition. Plants can capture PM very efficiently, due to their complex structure of leaves and branches. Green walls offer significant advantages over other types of urban green infrastructure because they can grow on the huge available wall area and, because they do not hinder air circulation, as we sometimes see with trees. Green walls are believed to have a much greater, untapped potential to reduce PM pollution. However, a literature review showed that we do not know the quantitative impact of green walls and lack the tools and/or general methodology to do so. The objective of this thesis is therefore to develop a method for assessing PM removal by green walls, based on predictive models and based on relevant parameters that are experimentally determined. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a numerical method to simulate airflow in complex environments such as cities. These models can also simulate the vegetation-wind interaction in detail and are interesting tools to assess the effect of green walls on PM concentrations in real environments. It is important to first study the aerodynamic effect of green walls and parameterise it correctly in CFD models. Plants decrease the wind speed and create turbulence through a combination of viscous and form drag, which are determined by the permeability (K) and drag coefficient (Cd), respectively. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted with three commonly found climbers (Hedera helix, Parthenocissus tricuspidata and Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and the variation of leaf area density was investigated for two of them. It was observed that the air resistance depended on plant species, leaf area density and wind speed. The difference between the plant species was assigned to the functional leaf size (FLS), the ratio of the largest circle within the boundaries of the leaf to the total leaf area. FLS is likely associated with other morphological characteristics of plants that, when considered collectively, provide a more comprehensive representation of leaf complexity. The pressure and velocity measurements obtained were used to optimise the permeability and drag coefficient in a CFD model. At wind speeds below 0.6 m s-1, the resistance was mainly determined by viscous drag and a larger leaf size resulted in a higher viscous drag. At wind speeds above 1.5 m s-1, form drag was dominant and the parameterised Cd decreased with increasing wind speed due to the sheltering effect of successive plant elements. The leaf area density had a significant effect on K and Cd and, is therefore an important plant parameters in CFD models. The main conclusion here is that the common practice of using a constant Cd to model the influence of plants on the air flow leads to deviations from reality. Wind tunnels are highly suitable to study the impact of green walls on PM concentration under controlled environmental conditions. For this purpose, a new wind tunnel setup was built and great attention was paid to obtaining a uniform air flow. Thus, based on CFD models, appropriate flow controllers were chosen, consisting of honeycombs and screens with different mesh sizes. New PM generation devices and measuring equipment were installed and set up appropriately. Devices were available for generating and measuring ultrafine dust (<0.1 µm, i.e. PM0.1) and fine dust (<0.3 µm, i.e. PM0.3) consisting of soot particles, and, on the other hand, fine dust with particle sizes smaller than 2.5 (PM2.5) and 10 µm (PM10) consisting of 'Arizona fine test dust'. With the new wind tunnel setup, it was possible to measure the influence of Hedera helix (common ivy), grown in a planter against a climbing aid, on the PM concentration and this was expressed by a collection efficiency, i.e. the difference in concentration in front and behind the plants normalised for the incoming concentration. The collection efficiency of H. helix depended on the particle size of the PM and wind speed. The collection efficiency decreased when the particle size increased from 0.02 to 0.2 µm and increased again for particle sizes above 0.3 µm. The collection efficiency also increased with increasing wind speed, especially for particle sizes > 0.03 µm. On the other hand, relative humidity and the type of PM (soot or dust) did not significantly affect the collection efficiency. The main objective of this study was to obtain an optimised size-resolved deposition model. Dry deposition occurs through several mechanisms, in particular gravity, diffusion, impaction and interception, and the subsequent resuspension of deposited PM back to the environment. The modelling of these mechanisms was described by \citet{Zhang2001} and \citet{Petroff2010}. The data obtained from the wind tunnel experiments allowed validating these deposition models. It was for the first time that deposition of real PM on green walls was studied. The different PM deposition mechanisms were found to be strongly dependent on particle size and wind speed. The models of \citet{Zhang2001} and \citet{Petroff2010} each matched PM concentration measurements for only certain particle sizes. Therefore, a combination of the two models was investigated and the root mean square error was lower by on average 3.5% (PM < 0.03 µm) and 46% (PM > 0.03 µm) compared to the original models at wind speeds greater than 1.5 m s-1. For wind speeds less than 1.5 m s-1, the optimised model did not differ from the original models. The optimised model was able to meet the imposed criteria for air quality models, where a correct model exhibits low deviation from measurements ('normalised mean square error' < 1.5), low bias ('fractional bias' between -0.3 and 0.3) and high R2. In comparison, the R$2$ of the optimised model was 0.57, while that of Zhang et al. (2001) and Petroff et al. (2010) was 0.23 and 0.31, respectively. The optimised model was however characterised by a high scatter, with the fraction of modeled results located within a factor of two of the measurements being lower than 50. A model study with a green façade oriented parallel to the incoming airflow showed that deposition by interception and impaction reduced remarkably, but that the orientation had no effect on deposition by Brownian diffusion. A promising green wall form for PM mitigation is the living wall system (LWS). LWS consist of supporting structures with substrate to grow plants in and can be planted with a variety of plant species. This allows to select plant species with optimal characteristics to achieve PM deposition. These characteristics refer to the macro- and microstructure of the leaves, and research has been conducted mainly on these. On the other hand, the influence of the supporting structure and substrate on PM concentrations has rarely been studied. With the new wind tunnel setup, LWS from different manufacturers were tested for their ability to capture PM. The setups were subjected for three hours to an air flow with a low PM concentration (resuspension phase) and then for three hours to an air flow to which additional PM was added (deposition phase). Some setups were able to decrease the PM concentration during both phases, while others just caused the concentration to increase. Some systems were able to reduce particulate matter concentration during both phases, namely LWS consisting of planters (-2% and -4% for PM0.1 and PM2.5, respectively) and textile cloths (-23% and -5% for PM0.1 and PM2.5, respectively). While other systems actually resulted in an increase in concentration especially LWS existing textile fabrics consisting of geotextiles (+11% for both PM fractions) and with moss as substrate (+2% and +5% for PM0.1 and PM2.5, respectively). This highlights the importance of careful selection of suspension systems to reduce particulate matter concentrations. Further research is therefore needed on the materials used in these systems in relation to their particulate content, as well as on plant development in these systems. In addition to air measurements, measurements were taken of the amount of PM deposited on the leaves and suspension system of LWS. This allowed the difference in PM resuspension and deposition between plant species to be investigated. The amount of deposited particulate matter was determined based on 'saturation isothermal remanent magnetisation' (SIRM), a measure of magnetisable particulate matter. This was possible because the added 'Arizona fine test dust' contained iron oxide. However, no significant difference was observed between the SIRM values measured before the wind tunnel experiment, after resuspension and after deposition. This suggested that the iron oxide content in the Arizona fine test dust was too low to measure a significant difference in the SIRM values on leaves after three hours. The plant species did give rise to different SIRM values ranging between 5 and 260 µ A. In particular, SIRM values above 26 µ A were observed for the plant species that were grouped due to their significantly higher accumulation of PM. 'Specific leaf area' (SLA), specifically the ratio of the one-sided 'fresh' leaf area to its dry mass, was the significant leaf characteristic. SLA correlated with leaf complexity. In particular, plant species with elongated leaves were characterized by low SLA, high FLS and high complexity and showed significantly higher SIRM values. Finally, the optimised size-resolved deposition model was also tested in an urban model to get an idea of the impact of a green wall on PM concentrations in a so-called 'street canyon'. These are narrow streets with high buildings on both sides, making air pollution more persistent. To this end, an ideal scenario was tested in which a green wall was introduced along both sides of the street over a length of about 270 m. The model result showed a decrease in PM2.5 and PM10 of 46 ± 12% and 52 ± 14%. This result is of course for a very optimal scenario where the green wall covers the entire building façades. Since this is not feasible in reality, other ways of promoting contact between green walls and polluted air can be explored. The insights obtained illustrate that the use of climbing plants can be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to reduce PM concentrations. Moreover, the findings showed that models can be used to investigate the impact of green walls on PM levels. These findings fit within the broader context of designing healthy and sustainable urban environments and developing innovative solutions based on solid scientific knowledge.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199439 Serial 8900
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Author Pacquets, L.
Title Towards stable Cu-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles to boost the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2022 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages xvi, 188 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract (down) Ever since the industrial revolution, the emission of greenhouse gasses dramatically increased, resulting in high CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. The electrochemical conversion of CO2 to value added products, such as carbon monoxide, formic acid, methane, ethylene and ethanol is a very promising strategy to inhibit CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, at the moment, the electrochemical CO2 reduction (eCO2R) is not yet industrially viable, mainly due to the lack of good electrocatalysts. On the other hand, core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged over the last couple of years as promising candidates. It is believed that bimetallic enhancement effects are behind the improved performance of these core-shell NPs when compared to the individual metals. Although widely investigated, there are still some remaining issues and/or open questions. Indeed, the development of a robust and straightforward synthesis method along with fundamental insight into their resistance towards electrochemical stress remains absent. A good control over morphology, size and composition is key in determining which properties are beneficial for the eCO2R. Since these catalysts are designed to be implemented in electrolyzers, they have to maintain long-term performance. This makes the design of a reproducible method, unveiling structure-performance relationships the effect of electrochemical stress, a crucial aspect. Exploring and modifying existing synthesis methods, have led to the acquisition of a robust and reproducible synthesis method where thermal decomposition of the Cu core is combined with the galvanic replacement of Ag in organic solvents. The implementation of this method has led to the design of a wide variety of Cu-Ag bimetallic NPs and enabled to investigate their composition-selectivity profile. Introducing Ag on Cu suppressed hydrogen and increased the CO formation. CO production was boosted by using Cu@Ag core-shells and was promoted even more by changing the type of electrolyte. As these nanoparticles suffered from degradation, the 3D mapping of the structural changes of Cu@Ag core-shells under operating conditions led to the hypothesis of a two-step degradation mechanism where initially Cu leaching was observed with the subsequent sintering of the Ag shells. One approach to avoid this electrochemical degradation, investigated in this research, was the application of an ultrathin carbon layer to protect the active layer. This ultrathin carbon layer operated as a protective layer, suppressing hydrogen production and increasing the stability of the electrocatalyst. In conclusion, the product selectivity can be tuned by using different Cu-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles synthesized through a robust method. Their unique degradation pathway of Cu@Ag core-shell nanoparticles has led to the proposition of a more accurate stabilization strategy. These findings can contribute significantly in the quest for improved electrocatalysts for the eCO2R.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190236 Serial 7221
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Author Cioni, M.; Delle Piane, M.; Polino, D.; Rapetti, D.; Crippa, M.; Arslan Irmak, E.; Pavan, G.M.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title Data for Sampling Real‐Time Atomic Dynamics in Metal Nanoparticles by Combining Experiments, Simulations, and Machine Learning Type Dataset
Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Dataset; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) Even at low temperatures, metal nanoparticles (NPs) possess atomic dynamics that are key for their properties but challenging to elucidate. Recent experimental advances allow obtaining atomic‐resolution snapshots of the NPs in realistic regimes, but data acquisition limitations hinder the experimental reconstruction of the atomic dynamics present within them. Molecular simulations have the advantage that these allow directly tracking the motion of atoms over time. However, these typically start from ideal/perfect NP structures and, suffering from sampling limits, provide results that are often dependent on the initial/putative structure and remain purely indicative. Here, by combining state‐of‐the‐art experimental and computational approaches, how it is possible to tackle the limitations of both approaches and resolve the atomistic dynamics present in metal NPs in realistic conditions is demonstrated. Annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy enables the acquisition of ten high‐resolution images of an Au NP at intervals of 0.6 s. These are used to reconstruct atomistic 3D models of the real NP used to run ten independent molecular dynamics simulations. Machine learning analyses of the simulation trajectories allows resolving the real‐time atomic dynamics present within the NP. This provides a robust combined experimental/computational approach to characterize the structural dynamics of metal NPs in realistic conditions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:205843 Serial 9143
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Author Vanmeert, F.; Van der Snickt, G.; Legrand, S.; Janssens, K.
Title Velázquez? A portrait of Pope Innocent X : an X-ray imaging investigation (II) Type H3 Book chapter
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 132-141 T2 - Velázquez : Anregungen, Vorschläge, L
Keywords H3 Book chapter; Art; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract (down) Encompassing a broad spectrum of methodological approaches and aims, the scholars contributing to this volume offer renewed perspectives on the multifaceted oeuvre of Diego Velázquez. The seventeenth-century artist’s exceptional religious works as well as his numerous portraits are examined within the social and historical context of Velázquez’s milieu which included both the Spanish court as well as circles comprising important intellectual figures of his time. Following a close investigation of his works, which also includes the results of recent technological examinations on his paintings, the contributors to this volume offer new, exciting findings and discussions on the inspirations, sources and possible intentions of Velázquez.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN 978-3-99020-155-8 Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190783 Serial 8736
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Author Poppe, R.
Title Refining short-range order parameters from diffuse electron scattering Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages iv, 150 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) Electrons, X-rays and neutrons that pass through a thin crystalline sample will be diffracted. Diffraction patterns of crystalline materials contain Bragg reflections (sharp discrete intensity maxima) and diffuse scattering (a weak continuous background). The Bragg reflections contain information about the average crystal structure (the type of atoms and the average atomic positions), whereas the diffuse scattering contains information about the short-range order (deviations from the average crystal structure that are ordered on a local scale). Because the properties of many materials depend on the short-range order, refining short-range order parameters is essential for understanding and optimizing material properties. The refinement of short-range order parameters has previously been applied to the diffuse scattering in single-crystal X-ray and single-crystal neutron diffraction data but not yet to the diffuse scattering in single-crystal electron diffraction data. In this work, we will verify the possibility to refine short-range order parameters from the diffuse scattering in single-crystal electron diffraction data. Electron diffraction allows to acquire data on submicron-sized crystals, which are too small to be investigated with single-crystal X-ray and single-crystal neutron diffraction. In the first part of this work, we will refine short-range order parameters from the one-dimensional diffuse scattering in electron diffraction data acquired on the lithium-ion battery cathode material Li1.2Ni0.13Mn0.54Co0.13O2. The number of stacking faults and the twin percentages will be refined from the diffuse scattering using a Monte Carlo refinement. We will also describe a method to determine the spinel/layered phase ratio from the intensities of the Bragg reflections in electron diffraction data. In the second part of this work, we will refine short-range order parameters from the three-dimensional diffuse scattering in both single-crystal electron and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data acquired on Nb0.84CoSb. The correlations between neighbouring vacancies and the displacements of Sb and Co atoms will be refined from the diffuse scattering using a Monte Carlo refinement and a three-dimensional difference pair distribution function refinement. The effect of different experimental parameters on the spatial resolution of the observed diffuse scattering will also be investigated. Finally, the model of the short-range Nb-vacancy order in Nb0.84CoSb will also be applied to LiNi0.5Sn0.3Co0.2O2.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:200610 Serial 9084
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Author Vlasov, E.
Title Exploiting secondary electrons in transmission electron microscopy for 3D characterization of nanoparticle morphologies Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages x, 118 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) Electron tomography (ET) is an indispensable tool for determining the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanomaterials in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). ET enables 3D characterization of a variety of nanomaterials across different fields, including life sciences, chemistry, solid-state physics, and materials science down to atomic resolution. However, the acquisition of a conventional tilt series for ET is a time-consuming process and thus cannot capture fast transformations of materials in realistic conditions. Moreover, only a limited number of nanoparticles (NPs) can be investigated, hampering a general understanding of the average properties of the material. Therefore, alternative characterization techniques that allow for high-resolution characterization of the surface structure without the need to acquire a full tilt series in ET are required which would enable a more time-efficient investigation with better statistical value. In the first part of this work, an alternative technique for the characterization of the morphology of NPs to improve the throughput and temporal resolution of ET is presented. The proposed technique exploits surface-sensitive secondary electron (SE) imaging in STEM employed using a modification of electron beam-induced current (EBIC) setup. The time- and dose efficiency of SEEBIC are tested in comparison with ET and superior spatial resolution is shown compared to conventional scanning electron microscopy. Finally, contrast artefacts arising in SEEBIC images are described, and their origin is discussed. The second part of my thesis focuses on real applications of the proposed technique and introduces a high-throughput methodology that combines images acquired by SEEBIC with quantitative image analysis to retrieve information about the helicity of gold nanorods. It shows that SEEBIC imaging overcomes the limitation of ET providing a general understanding of the connection between structure and chiroptical properties.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2024-06-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:204905 Serial 9149
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Author Jannis, D.
Title Novel detection schemes for transmission electron microscopy Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2021 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages iv, 208 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) Electron microscopy is an excellent tool which provides resolution down to the atomic scale with up to pm precision in locating atoms. The characterization of materials in these length scales is of utmost importance to answer questions in biology, chemistry and material science. The successful implementation of aberration-corrected microscopes made atomic resolution imaging relatively easy, this could give the impression that the development of novel electron microscopy techniques would stagnate and only the application of these instruments as giant magnifying tools would continue. This is of course not true and a multitude of problems still exist in electron microscopy. Two of such issues are discussed below. One of the biggest problems in electron microscopy is the presence of beam damage which occurs due the fact that the highly energetic incoming electrons have sufficient kinetic energy to change the structure of the material. The amount of damage induced depends on the dose, hence minimizing this dose during an experiment is beneficial. This minimizing of the total dose comes at the expense of more noise due to the counting nature of the electrons. For this reason, the implementation of four dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D STEM) experiments has reduced the total dose needed per acquisition. However, the current cameras used to measure the diffraction patterns are still two orders of magnitude slower than to the conventional STEM methods. Improving the acquisition speed would make the 4D STEM technique more feasible and is of utmost importance for the beam sensitive materials since less dose is used during the acquisition. In TEM there is not only the possibility to perform imaging experiments but also spectroscopic measurements. There are two frequently used methods: electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). EELS measures the energy-loss spectrum of the incoming electron which gives information on the available excitations in the material providing elemental sensitivity. In EDX, the characteristic x-rays, arising from the decay of an atom which is initially excited due to the incoming electrons, are detected providing similar elemental analysis. Both methods are able to provide comparable elemental information where in certain circumstances one outperforms the other. However, both methods have a detection limit of approximately 100-1000 ppm which is not sufficient for some materials. In this thesis, two novel techniques which can make significant progress for the two problems discussed above.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182404 Serial 6872
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Author Derzsi, A.; Donko, Z.; Bogaerts, A.; Hoffmann, V.
Title The influence of the secondary electron emission coefficient and effect of the gas heating on the calculated electrical characteristics of a grimm type glow discharge cell Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2008 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 285-288
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract (down) Electron emission properties of cathode surfaces affect considerably the electrical characteristics of glow discharges. Using a heavy-particle hybrid model ill 2 dimensions, we investigate the influence of the secondary electron emission coefficient gamma oil the calculated discharge characteristics for both 'clean' and 'dirty' cathode surface conditions, and assuming a constant gamma parameter as well. The effect of the gas heating and the role of the heavy particles reflected from the cathode on this process is also studied.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Astronomical Observatory Place of Publication Belgrade Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 0000-00-00
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume 2008 Series Issue 84 Edition
ISSN 978-86-80019-27-7; 0373-3742 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:95705 Serial 1650
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Author Croitoru, M.D.; Shanenko, A.A.; Peeters, F.M.
Title Tuning the superconducting properties of nanomaterials Type H1 Book chapter
Year 2009 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 1-14
Keywords H1 Book chapter; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) Electron continement and its effect on the superconducting-to-normal phase transition driven by a magentic field and/or a current is studied in nanowires. Our investigation is based on a self-consistent numerical solution of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. We find that in a parallel magneitc field and/or in the presence of a supercurrent the transition from the superconducting to the normal phase occurs as a cascade of discontinuous jumps in the superconducting order parameter for diameters D < 10 divided by 15 nm at T = 0. The critical magentic field exhibits quantum-size oscillations with pronounced resonant enhancements as a function of the wire radius.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Springer Place of Publication Dordrecht Editor
Language Wos 000274282900001 Publication Date 2009-07-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1874-6500; ISBN 978-90-481-3118-1 Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:99226 Serial 3761
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Author Guzzinati, G.; Béché, A.; McGrouther, D.; Verbeeck, J.
Title Rotation of electron beams in the presence of localised, longitudinal magnetic fields Type Dataset
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Dataset; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) Electron Bessel beams have been generated by inserting an annular aperture in the illumination system of a TEM. These beams have passed through a localised magnetic field. As a result a low amount of image rotation (which is expected to be proportional to the longitudinal component of the magnetic field) is observed in the far field. A measure of this rotation should give access to the magneti field. The two datasets have been acquired in a FEI Titan3 microscope, operated at 300kV. The file focalseries.tif contains a series of images acquired varying the magnetic field through the objective lens. The file lineprofile.ser contains a series of images acquired by scanning the beam over a sample with several magnetised nanopillars. For reference, check the associated publication.
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Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:169135 Serial 6883
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Author Mescia, L.; Bia, P.; Gielis, J.; Caratelli, D.
Title Advanced particle swarm optimization methods for electromagnetics Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 109-122 T2 - Proceedings of the 1st International
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract (down) Electromagnetic design problems involve optimizing multiple parameters that are nonlinearly related to objective functions. Traditional optimization techniques require significant computational resources that grow exponentially as the problem size increases. Therefore, a method that can produce good results with moderate memory and computational resources is desirable. Bioinspired optimization methods, such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), are known for their computational efficiency and are commonly used in various scientific and technological fields. In this article we explore the potential of advanced PSO-based algorithms to tackle challenging electromagnetic design and analysis problems faced in real-life applications. It provides a detailed comparison between conventional PSO and its quantum-inspired version regarding accuracy and computational costs. Additionally, theoretical insights on convergence issues and sensitivity analysis on parameters influencing the stochastic process are reported. The utilization of a novel quantum PSO-based algorithm in advanced scenarios, such as reconfigurable and shaped lens antenna synthesis, is illustrated. The hybrid modeling approach, based on the unified geometrical description enabled by the Gielis Transformation, is applied in combination with a suitable quantum PSO-based algorithm, along with a geometrical tube tracing and physical optics technique for solving the inverse problem aimed at identifying the geometrical parameters that yield optimal antenna performance.
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Language Wos Publication Date 2023-11-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 978-90-833839-0-3 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:201048 Serial 9002
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Author Mychinko, M.
Title Advanced Electron Tomography to Investigate the Growth and Stability of Complex Metal Nanoparticles = Geavanceerde Elektronentomografie om de Groei en Stabiliteit van Complexe Metallische Nanodeeltjes te Onderzoeken Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2024 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 227 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract (down) During the past decades, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted great attention in materials science due to their specific optical properties based on surface plasmon resonances. Because of these phenomena, plasmonic NPs (or nanoplasmonics) are very promising for application in biosensing, photocatalysts, medicine, data storage, solar energy conversion, etc. Currently, colloidal synthesis techniques enable scientists to routinely produce mono and bimetallic NPs of various shapes, sizes, composition, and elemental distribution, with superior properties for plasmonic applications. Two primary directions for further advancing nanoplasmonic-based technologies include synthesizing novel morphologies, such as highly asymmetric chiral NPs, and gaining deeper insights into the factors affecting the stability of produced nanoplasmonics. With the increasing complexity of nanoplasmonics morphologies and higher stability requirements, there is a pressing need for thorough investigations into their 3D structures and their evolution under different conditions, with high resolution. Electron tomography (ET) emerges as an ideal tool to retrieve shape and element-sensitive information about individual nanoparticles in 3D, achieving resolutions down to the atomic level. Moreover, ET techniques can be combined with in situ holders, enabling detailed studies of processes mimicking real applications of nanoplasmonic-based devices. The first part of this thesis will focus on detailed studies of chiral Au NPs, promising for spectroscopy techniques based on the differential absorption of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light. Specifically, I will discuss the primary strategies for wet-colloidal growth of the various types of intrinsically chiral Au NPs. Advanced ET methods will be demonstrated as powerful tools for characterizing the final helical morphologies of the produced Au NPs and for studying the chiral growth mechanisms by examining intermediate structures obtained during chiral growth. The second part will focus on the heat-induced stability of various Au@Ag core-shell NPs. Operating in real conditions, such as elevated temperatures, may cause particle reshaping and redistribution of metals between the core and shell, gradually altering nanoplasmonics properties. Hence, a thorough understanding of the influence of size, shape, and defects on these processes is crucial for further developments. Recently developed techniques, combining fast ET with in-situ heating holders, have allowed me to evaluate the influence of various parameters (size, shape, defect structure) on heat-induced elemental redistribution in Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles qualitatively and quantitatively. Additionally, I will discuss the prospects of high-resolution ET for visualizing the diffusion of individual atoms within complex nanostructures.
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Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202976 Serial 9001
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Author Klaassen, L.; van der Snickt, G.; Legrand, S.; Higgitt, C.; Spring, M.; Vanmeert, F.; Rosi, F.; Brunetti, B.G.; Postec, M.; Janssens, K.
Title Characterization and removal of a disfiguring oxalate crust on a large altarpiece by Hans Memling Type H1 Book chapter
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 263-282 T2 - Metal soaps in art / Casadio, F. [edi
Keywords H1 Book chapter; Art; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES)
Abstract (down) During the conservation treatment of Memling’s Christ with Singing and Music-making Angels, three panel paintings that are among the most monumental works in early Netherlandish art, the conservators came across insoluble surface layers containing calcium oxalates. A very thin and irregular layer of this type, hardly visible to the naked eye, was spread across the surface of all three panels. A much thicker layer forming an opaque and highly disfiguring crust that obscured the composition (Figs. 15.1 and 15.7) was locally present on areas of dark copper-containing paint, where multiple layers of old discolored coatings and accretions remained in place before the most recent cleaning. This article describes the application of a wide range of analytical techniques in order to fully understand the stratigraphy and composition of the crusts on the Memling paintings. FTIR spectroscopy in transmission and reflection mode, micro-ATR-FTIR imaging and macro-rFTIR scanning, SEM-EDX, mobile XRD, and SR-μXRD showed that the crusts contained two related Ca-based oxalate salts, whewellite and weddellite, and were separated from the original paint surface by varnish, indicating that they did not originate from degradation of the original paint but from a combination of microbial action and a thick accumulation of dirt. Supported by the results from these different analytical techniques, which when used together proved to be very effective in providing complementary information that addressed this specific conservation problem, and aided by the presence of the intermediate varnish layer(s), the conservators were able to remove most of the crusts with spectacular results.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2019-03-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN ISBN 978-3-319-90616-4 Additional Links UA library record
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Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190778 Serial 7609
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Author Hellemans, K.
Title Laser ablation ICP-MS as a tool for surface analysis in comparison to other elemental analysis methods Type Doctoral thesis
Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 229 p.
Keywords Doctoral thesis; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract (down) Dit onderzoek presenteert een overzicht van de mogelijkheden van LA-ICP-MS als een techniek voor kwantitatieve analyse, bepalen van isotoopverhoudingen en elementaire beeldvorming. Hiervoor wordt de techniek zelf voorgesteld en worden de belangrijkste parameters die een invloed hebben op de kwaliteit van een LA-ICP-MS meting beschreven. Voor kwantitieve analyse worden de huidige calibratiestrategieën voor LA-ICP-MS toegelicht, zowel op het vlak van selectie en bereiding van standaarden als op het vlak van dataverwerking. Daarnaast werd een nieuwe calibratiestrategie voorgesteld, gebaseerd op een lineaire combinatie van standaarden. Een case study met de traditionele calibratiestrategie uit de literatuur werd uitgevoerd en vergeleken met data van SEM-EDX om een referentiekader te schetsen voor de performantie van de techniek. In een tweede case study werd onze nieuwe calibratiestrategie toegepast en werd er uitsluitend gebruik gemaakt van LA-ICP-MS, wat uitstekende resultaten opleverde. Met het oog op het bepalen van isotoopverhoudingen, werd er onderzocht wat de limieten zijn van het gebruik van een lage resolutie quadrupool massaspectrometer voor deze bepaling. Dit stelde ons in staat om de te verwachten accuraatheid en precisie in te schatten. De performantie bleek goed genoeg te zijn om weapon-grade plutonium te onderscheiden van global fall-out, zoals het werd aangetoond in de case study omtrent dit onderwerp. Uiteindelijk hebben we ook LA-ICP-MS geëvalueerd als een techniek voor elementaire beeldvorming, waarbij we tevens de meest courante multivariate data analyse hebben beschreven. Om de techniek te plaatsen tegenover andere elementaire technieken, werd een historisch verffragment geanalyseerd dat in het verleden reeds geanalyseerd was met SEM-EDX and μ-XRD. Op die manier konden we de resultaten accuraat vergelijken met de andere technieken.
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Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160063 Serial 8152
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