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Author Dubinina, T.; Maklakov, S.; Petrusevich, E.; Borisova, N.E.; Trashin, S.A.; De Wael, K.; Tomilova, L.G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Photoactive layers for photovoltaics based on near-infrared absorbing aryl-substituted naphthalocyanine complexes : preparation and investigation of properties Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication New Journal Of Chemistry Abbreviated Journal New J Chem  
  Volume 45 Issue 32 Pages 14815-14821  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)  
  Abstract (up) Photoactive layers based on aryl- and aryloxy-substituted naphthalocyanines and conductive polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) were prepared using the spin-coating technique and their conductivity was tested in dark and under illumination. For this purpose novel octa-2-naphthoxy-substituted naphthalocyanines were synthesized starting from 6,7-di(2-naphthoxy)naphthalene-2,3-dicarbonitrile. For those novel naphthalocyanine complexes, spectral and electrochemical data were measured and compared with corresponding ones for other aryl-substituted analogues. In comparison to the previously studied naphthalocyanines with alkyl- and phenyl- groups, the formal oxidation and reduction potentials were rather similar. All target complexes demonstrate intense near-infrared absorption at 760-790 nm, which is about 30 nm bathochromically shifted in thin films. The photo-resistive effect was found increasing from composites comprised of naphthoxy- to phenyl-substituted naphthalocyanines. This peculiarity was explained by using optical and atomic force microscopy in terms of different sizes of aggregates formed. The photo-response time for novel composited was approximately 3 s, which is about 20 times faster than measured previously for the films deposited via the drop-casting technique.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000680389800001 Publication Date 2021-07-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1144-0546 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.269 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.269  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179884 Serial 8379  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Borah, R. url  openurl
  Title Photoactive nanostructures : from single plasmonic nanoparticles to self-assembled films Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2022 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages xxxiv, 220 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Photoactive nanoparticles and their light-driven applications have gained tremendous scientific attention towards remediation of the global environmental problems, meeting alternative energy demands, and other new technological discoveries. The research work presented in this dissertation includes a fundamental investigation of such nanoparticles to gain deeper insights that will ultimately benefit their application. In particular, the study of plasmonic metal nanoparticles and metal oxide nanoparticles for light driven applications is the major theme of this work. The investigation begins with isolated plasmonic Au and Ag nanoparticles, followed by a natural extension to nanoparticle clusters, and then further to nanoparticle films. Next, the application of such plasmonic nanoparticle films for gaseous phase sensing of volatile organic compounds is explored. Finally, the film formation of metal-oxide nanoparticles by self-assembly is investigated for the fabrication of photoactive functional interfaces. The fundamental theoretical investigation of the isolated plasmonic nanoparticles encompasses alloy and core-shell nanostructures of Au-Ag bimetallic compositions. First, the optical properties of bimetallic alloy and core-shell nanoparticles are compared for different structures such as nanospheres, nanotriangles and nanorods. Based on the optical properties, the photothermal properties of these nanostructures are also evaluated for relevant light-driven applications. Further, to bridge the gap between the theoretical and experimental optical properties of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles, the effect of different statistical parameters pertaining to the particle size distribution is studied. Going from isolated nanoparticles to nanoparticle clusters, the changes in the optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles when they form finite clusters is investigated. A strong effect of clustering on the absorption intensities of the nanoparticles and hence, on the photothermal properties is found. Next, for the study of plasmonic nanoparticle infinite arrays, Au and Ag nanoparticles films are experimentally obtained by the self-assembly at the air-ethylene glycol interface. Upon further validation of the computational models with the experimental optical properties of these films, the near-field and far-field optical response of the plasmonic nanoparticle arrays is investigated. An application of the self-assembled Au nanoparticle film is then demonstrated in the sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Finally, the focus is shifted from plasmonic nanoparticles to metal oxide nanoparticles for their self-assembly at the air-water interface to obtain self-assembled films. For this, the hydrophobic functionalization of four metal oxides nanoparticles namely, TiO2, ZnO, WO3 and CuO is investigated. The insights from this work is useful for the design and fabrication of functional nanoparticles and interfaces for light driven applications.  
  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:189155 Serial 7188  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Spanoghe, J.; Ost, K.J.; Van Beeck, W.; Vermeir, P.; Lebeer, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Purple bacteria screening for photoautohydrogenotrophic food production : are new H₂-fed isolates faster and nutritionally better than photoheterotrophically obtained reference species? Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication New biotechnology Abbreviated Journal New Biotechnol  
  Volume 72 Issue Pages 38-47  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Photoautohydrogenotrophic enrichments of wastewater treatment microbiomes were performed to obtain hypothetically high-potential specialist species for biotechnological applications. From these enrichment cultures, ten photoautohydrogenotrophic species were isolated: six Rhodopseudomonas species, three Rubrivivax members and Rhodobacter blasticus. The performance of these isolates was compared to three commonly studied, and originally photoheterotrophically enriched species (Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides), designated as reference species. Repeated subcultivations were applied to improve the initial poor performance of the isolates (acclimation effect), which resulted in increases in both maximum growth rate and protein productivity. However, the maximum growth rate of the reference species remained 3–7 times higher compared to the isolates (0.42–0.84 d−1 at 28 °C), while protein productivities remained 1.5–1.7 times higher. This indicated that H2-based enrichment did not result in photoautohydrogenotrophic specialists, suggesting that the reference species are more suitable for intensified biomass and protein production. On the other hand, the isolates were able to provide equally high protein quality profiles as the references species, providing full dietary essential amino acid matches for human food. Lastly, the effect of metabolic carbon/electron switching (back and forth between auto- to heterotrophic conditions) initially boosted µmax when returning to photoautohydrogenotrophic conditions. However, the switch negatively impacted lag phase, protein productivities and pigment contents. In the case of protein productivity, the acquired acclimation was partially lost with decreases of up to 44 % and 40 % respectively for isolates and reference species. Finally, the three reference species, and specifically Rh. capsulatus, remained the most suitable candidate(s) for further biotechnological development.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000861078800005 Publication Date 2022-08-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1871-6784; 1876-4347 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.4  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190188 Serial 7199  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author van Walsem, J. pdf  openurl
  Title Design and optimization of a photocatalytic reactor for air purification in ventilation systems Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2019 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 158 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Photocatalysis has been labeled for decades as a promising technique for air purification. The principle seems straightforward and requires a photocatalyst that is immobilized on a substrate, and one or more UV sources to activate the photocatalyst. No waste products are produced, the reactions occur in mild conditions and the supplies are relatively cheap. Yet it seems that the commercialization of photocatalytic systems does not break through on the global market. The aim of this thesis is to identify and tackle the bottlenecks that impede commercialization from an application-oriented approach. The problem of indoor air pollution is enhanced by the fact that people spend more and more time indoors and that ventilation is kept to a minimum as an energy-saving measure. This inevitably leads to an accumulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted by e.g. building materials, paint and furniture. Human exposure to VOCs is directly related to the sick building syndrome leading to complaints such as headache, fatigue, dizziness and lack of concentration. In addition, exposure to VOCs is related to serious long-term health effects such as cancer or respiratory diseases. Therefore, significant research efforts are focused on advanced indoor air purification methods. Integration or retrofitting of a photocatalytic (PCO) air purifying unit into heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment has been chosen as an interesting approach. As a starting point of this thesis, the operational conditions of a ventilation system were mapped. These systems are characterized by high flow rates and the necessity of minimal pressure losses. Pressure losses increase the energy demand and can lead to failure of the ventilation fan and thereby undermine the proper functioning of the ventilation system. A suitable substrate must allow the contaminated air to pass through with a minimal pressure drop, allow sufficient contact time between VOC and photocatalyst, have a large surface area available for coating with excellent adhesion, and be transparent to UV light. Therefore, the permeability and the available exposed surface were selected as main selection criteria. After a thorough quantitative analysis of potential substrates, borosilicate glass tubes were selected. Glass tubes can easily be stacked to constitute a transparent monolithic multi-tube reactor, with their length parallel to the air flow in order to minimize the pressure drop. Moreover, borosilicate glass is relatively inexpensive and has excellent UV-A light transmitting properties. Based on a literature study, a sol-gel coating procedure was selected that is extremely suitable for coating glass substrates. The next step was to optimize the amount of P25 (commercial titanium dioxide) in the photocatalytic sol-gel coating for its application. More P25 in the sol-gel coating results in a higher adsorption capacity and consequently a higher photocatalytic activity, but greatly reduces the transparency of the coating. After an in-depth study, the concentration of 10 g L-1 P25 was selected as the most feasible for multi-tube reactors. Since the operation of photocatalytic reactors is based on a complex interaction of physical and chemical processes, mathematical models were developed, supported by experimental data, that include all these phenomena as a tool for reactor design and optimization. By making use of such models, time-consuming and expensive experimental research can be minimized. However, the experimental validation of models is of utmost importance to prove its reliability and accuracy. Intrinsic kinetic parameters provide the fundamentals for these models as they describe the photocatalytic reaction rate, independent of fluid dynamics, reactor geometry and radiation field. In this work they were estimated by means of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study, based on FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) experiments with a lab scale multi-tube reactor. The kinetic parameters were validated by an alternative analytic approach, emphasizing the accuracy and reliability of the simulations. Finally, the aforementioned CFD approach, based on the simultaneously modelling of airflow, mass transfer, UV light irradiation and photocatalytic reactions, was used to obtain insights for the light source configuration in upscaled multi-tube reactors. After taking all these insights and some practical implications into account, a final upscaled multi-tube reactor design was proposed and converted into a first built prototype. Subsequently, it was evaluated according the CEN-EN-16486-1 standard for VOC removal by the external scientific research center ‘CERTECH’. The scientific results, regarding the mineralization of the VOCs and photocatalytic efficiency of the reactor, demonstrated the feasibility for indoor air purification by the upscaled multi-tube reactor and the possible implementation in ventilation 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 no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160205 Serial 7763  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Zhang, K.; Wang, J.; Ninakanti, R.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 with tunable surface area, crystal size and surface hydroxylation for efficient photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 474 Issue Pages 145188-14  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)  
  Abstract (up) Photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation exhibits satisfactory performance only at relatively low acetaldehyde flow rates, predominately below 10 × 10-3 mL/min, leaving ample room for improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare more efficient photocatalysts for acetaldehyde degradation. Moreover, the impact of the interaction strength between the titania surface and surface water on the photocatalytic acetaldehyde efficiency is poorly understood. To address these issues, in this work a series of (0 0 1)-faceted anatase titania samples with various surface properties and structures were synthesized via a solvothermal method and tested at high acetaldehyde flow rates under UV light irradiation. With increasing solvothermal time, the pore volume, surface area, and the abundance of surface OH groups all increased, while the crystallite size decreased. These were all identified to be beneficial to promote the degradation performance. When the solvothermal temperature was 180 ℃ and the reaction time was 5 h, the prepared sample displayed the most efficient performance at 19.25× 10-3 mL/min of acetaldehyde (conversion of (74 ± 1)% versus (29 ± 1)% for P25), and achieved a 100 % conversion at 16 × 10-3 mL/min. A weaker interaction strength between surface water and the titania surface was found to improve the acetaldehyde adsorption capacity, thereby promoting the acetaldehyde degradation efficiency. The stability of the best performing sample was tested over 48 h, demonstrating a highly stable performance with no signs of deactivation. Even at a relative humidity of 30 %, the acetaldehyde conversion retains 82% of its efficiency in a dry atmosphere, highlighting its potential in practical applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001144928800001 Publication Date 2023-08-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 06.02.2024  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198652 Serial 8933  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Zhao, H.; Li, C.-F.; Yong, X.; Kumar, P.; Palma, B.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Siahrostami, S.; Larter, S.; Zheng, D.; Wang, S.; Chen, Z.; Kibria, M.G.; Hu, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Coproduction of hydrogen and lactic acid from glucose photocatalysis on band-engineered Zn1-xCdxS homojunction Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication iScience Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 102109  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract (up) Photocatalytic transformation of biomass into value-added chemicals coupled with co-production of hydrogen provides an explicit route to trap sunlight into the chemical bonds. Here, we demonstrate a rational design of Zn1-xCdxS solidsolution homojunction photocatalyst with a pseudo-periodic cubic zinc blende (ZB) and hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure for efficient glucose conversion to simultaneously produce hydrogen and lactic acid. The optimized Zn0.6Cd0.4S catalyst consists of a twinning superlattice, has a tuned bandgap, and displays excellent efficiency with respect to hydrogen generation (690 +/- 27.6 mu mol.h(-1).g(cat).(-1)), glucose conversion (similar to 90%), and lactic acid selectivity (similar to 87%) without any co-catalyst under visible light irradiation. The periodic WZ/ZB phase in twinning superlattice facilitates better charge separation, while superoxide radical (center dot O-2(-)) and photogenerated holes drive the glucose transformation and water oxidation reactions, respectively. This work demonstrates that rational photocatalyst design could realize an efficient and concomitant production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals from glucose photocatalysis.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000621266700080 Publication Date 2021-01-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2589-0042 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176744 Serial 6720  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Minja, A.C.; Ag, K.R.; Raes, A.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Recent progress in developing non-noble metal-based photocathodes for solar green hydrogen production Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 43 Issue Pages 101000  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology  
  Abstract (up) Photocathodes play a vital role in photoelectrocatalytic water splitting by acting as catalysts for reducing protons to hydrogen gas when exposed to light. Recent advancements in photocathodes have focused on addressing the limitations of noble metal-based materials. These noble metal-based photocathodes rely on expensive and scarce metals such as platinum and gold as cocatalysts or ohmic back contacts, respectively, rendering the final system less sustainable and costly when applied at scale. This mini-review summarizes the important recent progress in the development of non-noble metal-based photocathodes and their performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction during photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. These advancements bring non-noble metal-based photocathodes closer to their noble metal-based counterparts in terms of performance, thereby paving the way forward toward industrial-scale photoelectrolyzers or PEC cells for green hydrogen production.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001166826200001 Publication Date 2024-01-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2211-3398 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 6.6 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.6; 2024 IF: 3.403  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202625 Serial 9080  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Neven, L.; Barich, H.; Pelmuş, M.; Gorun, S.M.; De Wael, K. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title The role of singlet oxygen, superoxide, hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide in the photoelectrochemical response of phenols at a supported highly fluorinated zinc phthalocyanine Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ChemElectroChem Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 9 Issue 6 Pages e202200108-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)  
  Abstract (up) Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing of phenolic compounds using singlet oxygen (1O2)-generating photocatalysts has emerged as a powerful detection tool. However, it is currently not known how experimental parameters, such as pH and applied potential, influence the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their photocurrents. In this article, the PEC response was studied over the 6 to 10 pH range using a rotating (ring) disk (R(R)DE) set-up in combination with quenchers, to identify the ROS formed upon illumination of a supported photosensitizer, F64PcZn. The photocurrents magnitude depended on the applied potential and the pH of the buffer solution. The anodic responses were caused by the oxidation of O2.−, generated due to the quenching of 1O2 with −OH and the reaction of 3O2 with [F64Pc(3-)Zn]. The cathodic responses were assigned to the reduction of 1O2 and O2.−, yielding H2O2. These insights may benefit 1O2 – based PEC sensing applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000773947300003 Publication Date 2022-02-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2196-0216 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:187524 Serial 8926  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Chernozem, R., V; Romanyuk, K.N.; Grubova, I.; Chernozem, P., V.; Surmeneva, M.A.; Mukhortova, Y.R.; Wilhelm, M.; Ludwig, T.; Mathur, S.; Kholkin, A.L.; Neyts, E.; Parakhonskiy, B.; Skirtach, A.G.; Surmenev, R.A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Enhanced piezoresponse and surface electric potential of hybrid biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate scaffolds functionalized with reduced graphene oxide for tissue engineering Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Nano Energy Abbreviated Journal Nano Energy  
  Volume 89 Issue B Pages 106473  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Piezoelectricity is considered to be one of the key functionalities in biomaterials to boost bone tissue regeneration, however, integrating biocompatibility, biodegradability and 3D structure with pronounced piezoresponse remains a material challenge. Herein, novel hybrid biocompatible 3D scaffolds based on biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) flakes have been developed. Nanoscale insights revealed a more homogenous distribution and superior surface potential values of PHB fibers (33 +/- 29 mV) with increasing rGO content up to 1.0 wt% (314 +/- 31 mV). The maximum effective piezoresponse was detected at 0.7 wt% rGO content, demonstrating 2.5 and 1.7 times higher out-of-plane and in-plane values, respectively, than that for pure PHB fibers. The rGO addition led to enhanced zigzag chain formation between paired lamellae in PHB fibers. In contrast, a further increase in rGO content reduced the alpha-crystal size and prevented zigzag chain conformation. A corresponding model explaining structural and molecular changes caused by rGO addition in electrospun PHB fibers is proposed. In addition, finite element analysis revealed a negligible vertical piezoresponse compared to lateral piezoresponse in uniaxially oriented PHB fibers based on alpha-phase (P2(1)2(1)2(1) space group). Thus, the present study demonstrates promising results for the development of biodegradable hybrid 3D scaffolds with an enhanced piezoresponse for various tissue engineering applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000703592700002 Publication Date 2021-08-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2211-2855 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.343 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.343  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182579 Serial 7914  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Parrilla, M.; Sena-Torralba, A.; Steijlen, A.; Morais, S.; Maquieira, Á.; De Wael, K. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title A 3D-printed hollow microneedle-based electrochemical sensing device for in situ plant health monitoring Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Biosensors and bioelectronics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 251 Issue Pages 116131-116139  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)  
  Abstract (up) Plant health monitoring is devised as a new concept to elucidate in situ physiological processes. The need for increased food production to nourish the growing global population is inconsistent with the dramatic impact of climate change, which hinders crop health and exacerbates plant stress. In this context, wearable sensors play a crucial role in assessing plant stress. Herein, we present a low-cost 3D-printed hollow microneedle array (HMA) patch as a sampling device coupled with biosensors based on screen-printing technology, leading to affordable analysis of biomarkers in the plant fluid of a leaf. First, a refinement of the 3D-printing method showed a tip diameter of 25.9 ± 3.7 μm with a side hole diameter on the microneedle of 228.2 ± 18.6 μm using an affordable 3D printer (<500 EUR). Notably, the HMA patch withstanded the forces exerted by thumb pressing (i.e. 20-40 N). Subsequently, the holes of the HMA enabled the fluid extraction tested in vitro and in vivo in plant leaves (i.e. 13.5 ± 1.1 μL). A paper-based sampling strategy adapted to the HMA allowed the collection of plant fluid. Finally, integrating the sampling device onto biosensors facilitated the in situ electrochemical analysis of plant health biomarkers (i.e. H2O2, glucose, and pH) and the electrochemical profiling of plants in five plant species. Overall, this electrochemical platform advances precise and versatile sensors for plant health monitoring. The wearable device can potentially improve precision farming practices, addressing the critical need for sustainable and resilient agriculture in changing environmental conditions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001198047000001 Publication Date 2024-02-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0956-5663 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 12.6 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.6; 2024 IF: 7.78  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:203204 Serial 8998  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Shi, P.; Ratkowsky, D.A.; Li, Y.; Zhang, L.; Lin, S.; Gielis, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A general leaf area geometric formula exists for plants evidence from the simplified Gielis equation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Forests (19994907) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 9 Issue 11 Pages 714  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Plant leaves exhibit diverse shapes that enable them to utilize a light resource maximally. If there were a general parametric model that could be used to calculate leaf area for different leaf shapes, it would help to elucidate the adaptive evolutional link among plants with the same or similar leaf shapes. We propose a simplified version of the original Gielis equation (SGE), which was developed to describe a variety of object shapes ranging from a droplet to an arbitrary polygon. We used this equation to fit the leaf profiles of 53 species (among which, 48 bamboo plants, 5 woody plants, and 10 geographical populations of a woody plant), totaling 3310 leaves. A third parameter (namely, the floating ratio c in leaf length) was introduced to account for the case when the theoretical leaf length deviates from the observed leaf length. For most datasets, the estimates of c were greater than zero but less than 10%, indicating that the leaf length predicted by the SGE was usually smaller than the actual length. However, the predicted leaf areas approximated their actual values after considering the floating ratios in leaf length. For most datasets, the mean percent errors of leaf areas were lower than 6%, except for a pooled dataset with 42 bamboo species. For the elliptical, lanceolate, linear, obovate, and ovate shapes, although the SGE did not fit the leaf edge perfectly, after adjusting the parameter c, there were small deviations of the predicted leaf areas from the actual values. This illustrates that leaves with different shapes might have similar functional features for photosynthesis, since the leaf areas can be described by the same equation. The anisotropy expressed as a difference in leaf shape for some plants might be an adaptive response to enable them to adapt to different habitats.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000451310300054 Publication Date 2018-11-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1999-4907 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:156324 Serial 7389  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Li, Y.; Quinn, B.K.; Niinemets, Ü.; Schrader, J.; Gielis, J.; Liu, M.; Shi, P. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Ellipticalness index : a simple measure of the complexity of oval leaf shape Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Pakistan journal of botany : An official publication of pakistan botanical society Abbreviated Journal Pak J Bot  
  Volume 54 Issue 6 Pages 1-8  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Plants have diverse leaf shapes that have evolved to adapt to the environments they have experienced over their evolutionary history. Leaf shape and leaf size can greatly influence the growth rate, competitive ability, and productivity of plants. However, researchers have long struggled to decide how to properly quantify the complexity of leaf shape. Prior studies recommended the leaf roundness index (RI = 4πA/P2) or dissection index (DI = ), where P is leaf perimeter and A is leaf area. However, these two indices merely measure the extent of the deviation of leaf shape from a circle, which is usually invalid as leaves are seldom circular. In this study, we proposed a simple measure, named the ellipticalness index (EI), for quantifying the complexity of leaf shape based on the hypothesis that the shape of any oval leaf can be regarded as a variation from a standard ellipse. 2220 leaves from nine species of Magnoliaceae were sampled to check the validity of the EI. We also tested the validity of the Montgomery equation (ME), which assumes a proportional relationship between leaf area and the product of leaf length and width, because the EI actually comes from the proportionality coefficient of the ME. We also compared the ME with five other models of leaf area. The ME was found to be the best model for calculating leaf area based on consideration of the trade-off between model fit vs. complexity, which strongly supported the robustness of the EI for describing oval leaf shape. The new index can account for both leaf shape and size, and we conclude that it is a promising method for quantifying and comparing oval leaf shapes across species in future studies.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000814279700028 Publication Date 2022-05-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0556-3321 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.2  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188469 Serial 7153  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Fridman, A.; Lin, A.; Miller, V.; Bekeschus, S.; Wende, K.; Weltmann, K.-D. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title The plasma treatment unit : an attempt to standardize cold plasma treatment for defined biological effects Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Plasma medicine Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 195-201  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma bioscience and medicine are both rapidly growing fields. Their aim is to utilize cold physical plasmas for desired biological outcomes in medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, and general hygienic purposes. Great success has been achieved in many applications with individually designed plasma sources and plasma parameters. Although lab and application-specific tuning of plasmas is a great advantage of this technology, standardized units to define plasma treatments are required to facilitate comparison of the effects found by different researchers who do not use the same plasma sources. By drawing conclusions from over a century of plasma biomedical research, we propose that all researchers adopt the use of a standardized value, the plasma treatment unit (PTU), to describe the biological effects of different cold plasma sources and treatment regimens. It quantifies a key plasma effector in biological systems as an indicator and may provide the foundation for an analogous and clinically relevant unit in the future.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2018-06-13  
  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 Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:155652 Serial 5123  
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Author Kaliyappan, P.; Paulus, A.; D’Haen, J.; Samyn, P.; Uytdenhouwen, Y.; Hafezkhiabani, N.; Bogaerts, A.; Meynen, V.; Elen, K.; Hardy, A.; Van Bael, M.K. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Probing the impact of material properties of core-shell SiO₂@TiO₂ spheres on the plasma-catalytic CO₂ dissociation using a packed bed DBD plasma reactor Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Co2 Utilization Abbreviated Journal J Co2 Util  
  Volume 46 Issue Pages 101468  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma catalysis, a promising technology for conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals near room temperature, is gaining increasing interest. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma has attracted attention due to its simple design and operation at near ambient conditions, ease to implement catalysts in the plasma zone and upscaling ability to industrial applications. To improve its main drawbacks, being relatively low conversion and energy efficiency, a packing material is used in the plasma discharge zone of the reactor, sometimes decorated by a catalytic material. Nevertheless, the extent to which different properties of the packing material influence plasma performance is still largely unexplored and unknown. In this study, the particular effect of synthesis induced differences in the morphology of a TiO2 shell covering a SiO2 core packing material on the plasma conversion of CO2 is studied. TiO2 has been successfully deposited around 1.6–1.8 mm sized SiO2 spheres by means of spray coating, starting from aqueous citratoperoxotitanate(IV) precursors. Parameters such as concentration of the Ti(IV) precursor solutions and addition of a binder were found to affect the shells’ properties and surface morphology and to have a major impact on the CO2 conversion in a packed bed DBD plasma reactor. Core-shell SiO2@TiO2 obtained from 0.25 M citratoperoxotitante(IV) precursors with the addition of a LUDOX binder showed the highest CO2 conversion 37.7% (at a space time of 70 s corresponding to an energy efficiency of 2%) and the highest energy efficiency of 4.8% (at a space time of 2.5 s corresponding to a conversion of 3%).  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000634280300004 Publication Date 2021-02-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2212-9820 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.292 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.292  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175958 Serial 6773  
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Author Xu, W. openurl 
  Title Plasma-catalytic DRM : study of LDH derived catalyst for DRM in a GAP plasma system Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 350 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma is considered one of the promising technologies to solve greenhouse gas problems, as it can activate CO2 and CH4 at relatively low temperatures. Among the various types of plasmas, the gliding arc plasmatron (GAP) is promising, as it has a high level of non-equilibrium and high electron density. Nevertheless, the conversion of CO2 and CH4 in the GAP reactor is limited. Therefore, combining the GAP reactor with catalysts and making use of the heat produced by the plasma to provide thermal energy to the catalyst, forming a post-plasma catalytic (PPC) system, is hypothesized to improve its performance. Therefore, in this PhD research, we investigate important aspects of the PPC concept towards the use of the heat produced by GAP plasma to heat the plasma bed, without additional energy input. Aiming at this, based on a literature study (chapter 1), Ni-loaded layered double hydroxide (LDH) derived catalyst with good thermal catalytic DRM performance were chosen as the catalyst material. Before applying the LDH as a support material, the rehydration property of calcined LDH in moist and liquid environment was studied as part of chapter 2. The data indicated that after high temperatures calcination (600-900 C), the obtained layered double oxides (LDOs) can rehydrate into LDH, although, the rehydrated LDH were different from the original LDH. In chapter 3, different operating conditions, such as gas flow rate, gas compositions (e.g. CH4/CO2 ratio and nitrogen dilution), and addition of H2O were studied to investigate optimal conditions for PPC DRM, identifying possible differences in temperature profiles and exhaust gas compositions that might influence the catalytic performance. Subsequently, the impact of different PPC configurations, making use of the heat and exhaust gas composition produced by the GAP plasma, is shown in Chapter 4. Experiments studying the impact of adjusting the catalyst bed distance to the post-plasma, the catalyst amount, the influence of external heating (below 250 C) and the addition of H2O are discussed. As only limited improvement in the performance was achieved, a new type of catalyst bed was designed and utilized, as described in chapter 5. This improved configuration can realize better heat and mass transfer by directly connecting to the GAP device. The performance was improved and became comparable to the traditional thermal catalytic DRM results obtained at 800 C, although obtained by a fully electrically driven plasma.  
  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:201534 Serial 9074  
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Author Chai, Z.-N.; Wang, X.-C.; Yusupov, M.; Zhang, Y.-T. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of cold atmospheric plasma and amino acids by machine learning Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Plasma processes and polymers Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-26  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma medicine has attracted tremendous interest in a variety of medical conditions, ranging from wound healing to antimicrobial applications, even in cancer treatment, through the interactions of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and various biological tissues directly or indirectly. The underlying mechanisms of CAP treatment are still poorly understood although the oxidative effects of CAP with amino acids, peptides, and proteins have been explored experimentally. In this study, machine learning (ML) technology is introduced to efficiently unveil the interaction mechanisms of amino acids and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in seconds based on the data obtained from the reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which are performed to probe the interaction of five types of amino acids with various ROS on the timescale of hundreds of picoseconds but with the huge computational load of several days. The oxidative reactions typically start with H-abstraction, and the details of the breaking and formation of chemical bonds are revealed; the modification types, such as nitrosylation, hydroxylation, and carbonylation, can be observed. The dose effects of ROS are also investigated by varying the number of ROS in the simulation box, indicating agreement with the experimental observation. To overcome the limits of timescales and the size of molecular systems in reactive MD simulations, a deep neural network (DNN) with five hidden layers is constructed according to the reaction data and employed to predict the type of oxidative modification and the probability of occurrence only in seconds as the dose of ROS varies. The well-trained DNN can effectively and accurately predict the oxidative processes and productions, which greatly improves the computational efficiency by almost ten orders of magnitude compared with the reactive MD simulation. This study shows the great potential of ML technology to efficiently unveil the underpinning mechanisms in plasma medicine based on the data from reactive MD simulations or experimental measurements. In this study, since reactive molecular dynamics simulation can currently only describe interactions between a few hundred atoms in a few hundred picoseconds, deep neural networks (DNN) are introduced to enhance the simulation results by predicting more data efficiently. image  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001202061200001 Publication Date 2024-04-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1612-8850 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.5 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.5; 2024 IF: 2.846  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:205512 Serial 9181  
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Author Biondo, O. openurl 
  Title Towards a fundamental understanding of energy-efficient, plasma-based CO<sub>2</sub> conversion Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 221 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma-based CO2 conversion is worldwide gaining increasing interest. The aim of this work is to find potential pathways to improve the energy efficiency of plasma-based CO2 conversion beyond what is feasible for thermal chemistry. To do so, we use a combination of modeling and experiments to better understand the underlying mechanisms of CO2 conversion, ranging from non-thermal to thermal equilibrium conditions. Zero-dimensional (0D) chemical kinetics modelling, describing the detailed plasma chemistry, is developed to explore the vibrational kinetics of CO2, as the latter is known to play a crucial role in the energy efficient CO2 conversion. The 0D model is successfully validated against pulsed CO2 glow discharge experiments, enabling the reconstruction of the complex dynamics underlying gas heating in a pure CO2 discharge, paving the way towards the study of gas heating in more complex gas mixtures, such as CO2 plasmas with high dissociation degrees. Energy-efficient, plasma-based CO2 conversion can also be obtained upon the addition of a reactive carbon bed in the post-discharge region. The reaction between solid carbon and O2 to form CO allows to both reduce the separation costs and increase the selectivity towards CO, thus, increasing the energy efficiency of the overall conversion process. In this regard, a novel 0D model to infer the mechanism underlying the performance of the carbon bed over time is developed. The model outcome indicates that gas temperature and oxygen complexes formed at the surface of solid carbon play a fundamental and interdependent role. These findings open the way towards further optimization of the coupling between plasma and carbon bed. Experimentally, it has been demonstrated that “warm” plasmas (e.g. microwave or gliding arc plasmas) can yield very high energy efficiency for CO2 conversion, but typically only at reduced pressure. For industrial application, it will be important to realize such good energy efficiency at atmospheric pressure as well. However, recent experiments illustrate that the microwave plasma at atmospheric pressure is too close to thermal conditions to achieve a high energy efficiency. Hence, we use a comprehensive set of advanced diagnostics to characterize the plasma and the reactor performance, focusing on CO2 and CO2/CH4 microwave discharges. The results lead to a deeper understanding of the mechanism of power concentration with increasing pressure, typical of plasmas in most gases, which is of great importance for model validation and understanding of reactor performance.  
  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:197213 Serial 9108  
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Author Andersen, J.A.; Christensen, J.M.; Østberg, M.; Bogaerts, A.; Jensen, A.D. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Plasma-catalytic ammonia decomposition using a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication International Journal Of Hydrogen Energy Abbreviated Journal Int J Hydrogen Energ  
  Volume 47 Issue 75 Pages 32081-32091  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma-catalytic ammonia decomposition as a method for producing hydrogen was studied in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor at ambient pressure and a fixed plasma power. The influence of packing the plasma zone with various dielectric materials, typically used as catalyst supports, was examined. At conditions (21 W, 75 Nml/min NH3) where an NH3 conversion of 5% was achieved with plasma alone, an improved decomposition was found when introducing dielectric materials with dielectric constants between 4 and 30. Of the tested materials, MgAl2O4 yielded the highest conversion (15.1%). The particle size (0.3-1.4 mm) of the MgAl2O4 packing was found to have a modest influence on the conversion, which dropped from 15.1% to 12.6% with increasing particle size. Impregnation of MgAl2O4 with different metals was found to decrease the NH3 conversion, with the Ni impregnation still showing an improved conversion (7%) compared to plasma-only. The plasma-assisted ammonia decomposition occurs in the gas phase due to micro-discharges, as evident from a linear correlation between the conversion and the frequency of micro-discharges for both plasma alone and with the various solid packing materials. The primary function of the solid is thus to facilitate the gas phase reaction by assisting the creation of micro-discharges. Lastly, insulation of the reactor to raise the temperature to 230 degrees C in the plasma zone was found to have a negative effect on the conversion, as a change from volume discharges to surface discharges occurred. The study shows that NH3 can be decomposed to provide hydrogen by exposure to a non-thermal plasma, but further developments are needed for it to become an energy efficient technology. (C)2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000865421200012 Publication Date 2022-08-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0360-3199 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.2  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191512 Serial 7191  
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Author Cui, Z.; Meng, S.; Yi, Y.; Jafarzadeh, A.; Li, S.; Neyts, E.C.; Hao, Y.; Li, L.; Zhang, X.; Wang, X.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma-catalytic methanol synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation over a supported Cu cluster catalyst : insights into the reaction mechanism Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Acs Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal  
  Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages 1326-1337  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract (up) Plasma-catalytic CO, hydrogenation for methanol production is gaining increasing interest, but our understanding of its reaction mechanism remains primitive. We present a combined experimental/computational study on plasma-catalytic CO, hydrogenation to CH3OH over a size-selected Cu/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst. Our experiments demonstrate a synergistic effect between the Cu/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst and the CO2/H-2 plasma, achieving a CO2 conversion of 10% at 4 wt % Cu loading and a CH3OH selectivity near 50% further rising to 65% with H2O addition (for a H2O/CO2 ratio of 1). Furthermore, the energy consumption for CH3OH production was more than 20 times lower than with plasma only. We carried out density functional theory calculations over a Cu-13/gamma-Al2O3 model, which reveal that the interfacial sites of the Cu-13 cluster and gamma-Al2O3 support show a bifunctional effect: they not only activate the CO2 molecules but also strongly adsorb key intermediates to promote their hydrogenation further. Reactive plasma species can regulate the catalyst surface reactions via the Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanism, which accelerates the hydrogenation process and promotes the generation of the key intermediates. H2O can promote the CH3OH desorption by competitive adsorption over the Cu-13/gamma-Al2O3 surface. This study provides new insights into CO2 hydrogenation through plasma catalysis, and it provides inspiration for the conversion of some other small molecules (CH4, N-2, CO, etc.) by plasma catalysis using supported-metal clusters.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000742735600001 Publication Date 2022-01-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.9 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:186416 Serial 7192  
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Author Joy, R.M.; Pobedinskas, P.; Bourgeois, E.; Chakraborty, T.; Goerlitz, J.; Herrmann, D.; Noel, C.; Heupel, J.; Jannis, D.; Gauquelin, N.; D'Haen, J.; Verbeeck, J.; Popov, C.; Houssiau, L.; Becher, C.; Nesladek, M.; Haenen, K. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Photoluminescence of germanium-vacancy centers in nanocrystalline diamond films : implications for quantum sensing applications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication ACS applied nano materials Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 7 Issue 4 Pages 3873-3884  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract (up) Point defects in diamond, promising candidates for nanoscale pressure- and temperature-sensing applications, are potentially scalable in polycrystalline diamond fabricated using the microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MW PE CVD) technique. However, this approach introduces residual stress in the diamond films, leading to variations in the characteristic zero phonon line (ZPL) of the point defect in diamond. Here, we report the effect of residual stress on germanium-vacancy (GeV) centers in MW PE CVD nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films fabricated using single crystal Ge as the substrate and solid dopant source. GeV ensemble formation indicated by the zero phonon line (ZPL) at similar to 602 nm is confirmed by room temperature (RT) photoluminescence (PL) measurements. PL mapping results show spatial nonuniformity in GeV formation along with other defects, including silicon-vacancy centers in the diamond films. The residual stress in NCD results in shifts in the PL peak positions. By estimating a stress shift coefficient of (2.9 +/- 0.9) nm/GPa, the GeV PL peak position in the NCD film is determined to be between 598.7 and 603.2 nm. A larger ground state splitting due to the strain on a GeV-incorporated NCD pillar at a low temperature (10 K) is also reported. We also report the observation of intense ZPLs at RT that in some cases could be related to low Ge concentration and the surrounding crystalline environment. In addition, we also observe thicker microcrystalline diamond (MCD) films delaminate from the Ge substrate due to film residual stress and graphitic phase at the diamond/Ge substrate interface (confirmed by electron energy loss spectroscopy). Using this approach, a free-standing color center incorporated MCD film with dimensions up to 1 x 1 cm(2) is fabricated. Qualitative analysis using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy reveals the presence of impurities, including Ge and silicon, in the MCD film. Our experimental results will provide insights into the scalability of GeV fabrication using the MW PE CVD technique and effectively implement NCD-based nanoscale-sensing applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001164609600001 Publication Date 2024-02-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2574-0970 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 5.9 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.9; 2024 IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:204826 Serial 9164  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Hassani, H. url  openurl
  Title First-principles study of polarons in WO₃ Type Doctoral thesis
  Year 2023 Publication Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 181 p.  
  Keywords Doctoral thesis; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract (up) Polarons are quasiparticles emerging in materials from the interaction of extra charge carriers with the surrounding atomic lattice. They appear in a wide va- riety of compounds and can have a profound impact on their properties, making the concept of a polaron a central and ubiquitous topic in material science. Al- though the concept is known for about 75 years, the origin of polarons is not yet fully elucidated. This thesis focuses on WO 3 as a well-known prototypical system for studying polarons, which inherent polaronic nature is linked to its remark- able electrical and chromic properties. The primary objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive atomistic description and understanding of polaron formation in WO 3 using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calcula- tions. Additionally, the investigation explores the interactions between polarons and the possibility of bipolaron formation. Following a systematic strategy, we first extensively analyze the dielectric and lattice dynamical properties of WO 3 in both the room-temperature P 2 1 /n and ground-state P 2 1 /c phases. Our specific focus is on characterizing the zone-center phonons, which serve as the founda- tion for identifying the phonon modes involved in the polaron formation and charge localization process. Subsequently, we examine the impact of structural distortions on the electronic structure of WO 3 to elucidate the interplay between structural distortions and electronic properties, thereby laying the groundwork for understanding electron-phonon couplings. By incorporating these critical fac- tors, we address our primary research goals. The most common explanation for the polaron formation is associated with the electrostatic screening of the extra charge by the polarizable lattice. Here, we show that, even in ionic crystals, this is not necessarily the case. We demonstrate that polarons in this compound arise primarily from non-polar atomic distortions. We then unveil that this unexpected behavior originates from the undoing of distortive atomic motions, which lowers the bandgap. As such, we coin the name of anti-distortive polaron and validate its appearance through a simple quantum-dot model, in which charge localization is the result of balancing structural, electronic, and confinement energy costs. Then, we also study the polaron-polaron interaction and present the formation of the antiferromagnetic W 4+ bipolaronic state with relatively large formation energy. Our analysis of the W 4+ bipolaronic distortions on the global structure reveals the same behavior as in experiments where the highly distorted monoclinic phase transforms into a tetragonal phase as a function of doping. Additionally, leveraging our previous findings on asymmetric polaronic distortion and examin- ing different merging orientations, we stabilize the antiferromagnetic W 5+ -W 5+ bipolaronic state with an energy lower than the W 4+ state. This thesis clari- fies the formation of unusual medium-size 2D polarons and bipolarons in WO3,which might be relevant to the whole family of ABO 3 perovskites, to which WO 3 is closely related. The simplicity of the concept provides also obvious guidelines for tracking similar behavior in other families of compounds.  
  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:198169 Serial 8868  
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Author Chen, Y.; Wu, Y.; Wang, D.; Li, H.; Wang, Q.; Liu, Y.; Peng, L.; Yang, Q.; Li, X.; Zeng, G.; Chen, Y. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Understanding the mechanisms of how poly aluminium chloride inhibits short-chain fatty acids production from anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 334 Issue Pages 1351-1360  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Poly aluminum chloride (PAC) is accumulated in waste activated sludge at high levels. However, details of how PAC affects short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) production from anaerobic sludge fermentation has not been documented. This work therefore aims to fill this knowledge gap by analyzing the impact of PAC on the aggregate of sludge flocs, disruption of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and the bio-processes of hydrolysis, acid-ogenesis, and methanogenesis. The relationship between SCFA production and different aluminum species (i.e., Ala, Alb, and Alc) was also identified by controlling different OH/Al ratio and pH in different fermentation systems. Experimental results showed that with the increase of PAC addition from 0 to 40 mg Al per gram of total suspended solids, SCFA yield decreased from 212.2 to 138.4 mg COD/g volatile suspended solids. Mechanism exploration revealed that PAC benefited the aggregates of sludge flocs and caused more loosely-and tightly-bound extracellular polymeric substances remained in sludge cells. Besides, it was found that the hydrolysis, acidiogenesis, and methanogenesis processes were all inhibited by PAC. Although three types of Al species, i.e., Ala (Al monomers, dimer, and trimer), Alb (Al-13(AlO4Al12(OH)(24)(H2O) 7+ 12), and Alc (Al polymer molecular weight normally larger than 3000 Da), were co-existed in fermentation systems, their impacts on SCFA production were different. No correlation was found between SCFA and Ala, whereas SCFA production decreased with the contents of Alb and Alc. Compared with Alb, Alc was the major contributor to the decreased SCFA production ( R-2 = 0.5132 vs R-2 = 0.98). This is the first report revealing the underlying mechanism of how PAC affects SCFA production and identifying the contribution of different Al species to SCFA inhibition.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000418533400135 Publication Date 2017-11-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:148413 Serial 8708  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Hendrickx, M.; Tang, Y.; Hunter, E.C.; Battle, P.D.; Hadermann, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Structural and magnetic properties of the perovskites A₂LaFe₂SbO₉ (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Solid State Chemistry Abbreviated Journal J Solid State Chem  
  Volume 295 Issue Pages 121914  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract (up) Polycrystalline samples of A(2)LaFe(2)SbO(9) (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) perovskites appeared monophasic to X-ray or neutron powder diffraction but a single-crystal study utilising transmission electron microscopy revealed a greater level of complexity. Although local charge balance is maintained, compositional and structural variations are present among and within the submicron-sized crystals. Despite the inhomogeneity, A = Ca is monophasic with a partially-ordered distribution of Fe3+ and Sb5+ cations across two crystallographically-distinct octahedral sites, i.e. Ca2La(Fe1.25Sb0.25)(2d) (Fe0.75Sb0.75)(2c)O-9. For A = Sr or Ba, the inhomogeneities result in differences in the filling patterns of the octahedra and the ordering of the B cations. Particles of A = Sr contain a phase (Fe:Sb similar to 2:1) without B cation ordering and one (Fe:Sb similar to 1:1) with B cation ordering. Monophasic A = Ba lacks long-range cation order although ordered nanodomains are present within the disordered phase. The temperature dependence of the magnetic properties of each sample is discussed.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000615711800013 Publication Date 2020-12-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-4596 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.299 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.299  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176663 Serial 6739  
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Author Al-Emam, E.; Beltran, V.; De Meyer, S.; Nuyts, G.; Wetemans, V.; De Wael, K.; Caen, J.; Janssens, K. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Removal of a past varnish treatment from a 19th-century Belgian wall painting by means of a solvent-loaded double network hydrogel Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Polymers Abbreviated Journal Polymers-Basel  
  Volume 13 Issue 16 Pages 2651-20  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Art; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS)  
  Abstract (up) Polymeric materials have been used by painting conservator-restorers as consolidants and/or varnishes for wall paintings. The application of these materials is carried out when confronting loose paint layers or as a protective coating. However, these materials deteriorate and cause physiochemical alterations to the treated surface. In the past, the monumental neo-gothic wall painting 'The Last Judgment' in the chapel of Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege in Antwerp, Belgium was treated with a synthetic polymeric material. This varnish deteriorated significantly and turned brown, obscuring the paint layers. Given also that the varnish was applied to some parts of the wall painting and did not cover the entire surface, it was necessary to remove it in order to restore the original appearance of the wall painting. Previous attempts carried out by conservator-restorers made use of traditional cleaning methods, which led to damage of the fragile paint layers. Therefore, gel cleaning was proposed as a less invasive and more controllable method for gently softening and removing the varnish. The work started by identifying the paint stratigraphy and the deteriorated varnish via optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A polyvinyl alcohol-borax/agarose (PVA-B/AG) hydrogel loaded with a number of solvents/solvent mixtures was employed in a series of tests to select the most suitable hydrogel composite. By means of the hydrogel composite loaded with 10% propylene carbonate, it was possible to safely remove the brown varnish layer. The results were verified by visual examinations (under visible light 'VIS' and ultraviolet light 'UV') as well as OM and FTIR spectroscopy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000690248000001 Publication Date 2021-08-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2073-4360 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.364 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.364  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181567 Serial 8470  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Vandevoorde, D.; Pamplona, M.; Schalm, O.; Vanhellemont, Y.; Cnudde, V.; Verhaeven, E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Contact sponge method : performance of a promising tool for measuring the initial water absorption Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2009 Publication Journal of cultural heritage Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 41-47  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)  
  Abstract (up) Porous limestone and mortar are able to absorb large quantities of water. This phenomenon will accelerate the deterioration of the material. In such cases, the material might be treated with a hydrophobic product, which creates a superficial layer that hampers the penetration of water. In order to decide if such a treatment should be applied or not, the water absorbing behaviour of the material should be measured. With the same measuring technique the efficiency of the hydrophobic barrier can be evaluated. Moreover, it allows the monitoring of such barriers as a function of time. At the same time, the water absorption of porous stone material is an indication of the degree of deterioration and its sensitivity to future deterioration. Up to now, two different measuring techniques exist, but one can only be used in laboratory and the other, which can be operated in laboratory as well as in situ, is not always reliable for in situ analyses. This article proposes an alternative method: the contact sponge method. This recently developed method was tested on non-treated porous stone materials in a laboratory environment in order to evaluate its performance in comparison with the two existing methods.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000264831900005 Publication Date 2009-03-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1296-2074 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:115023 Serial 7728  
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Author Zhang, Z.; Bourgeois, L.; Zhang, Y.; Rosalie, J.M.; Medhekar, N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Advanced imaging and simulations of precipitate interfaces in aluminium alloys and their role in phase transformations Type P1 Proceeding
  Year 2020 Publication MATEC web of conferences T2 – 17th International Conference on Aluminium Alloys (ICAA), October 26-29, 2020 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 09003  
  Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract (up) Precipitation is accompanied by the formation and migration of heterophase interfaces. Using the combined approach of advanced imaging and atomistic simulations, we studied the precipitate-matrix interfaces in various aluminium alloy systems, aiming to resolve their detailed atomic structures and illuminate their role in phase transformations.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000652552200053 Publication Date 2020-11-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume 326 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2261-236x; 2274-7214 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179147 Serial 6851  
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Author Ma, R.; He, Y.; Feng, J.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Li, D. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title A facile synthesis of Ag@PdAg core-shell architecture for efficient purification of ethene feedstock Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Journal of catalysis Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 369 Issue Pages 440-449  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)  
  Abstract (up) Precise control of elemental configurations within multimetallic nanoparticles could enable access to functional nanomaterials with significant performance benefits. Here, we present a one-pot synthesis of supported Ag@PdAg core-shell catalyst with an ordered PdAg alloy shell and an Ag core. Both the relative reduction potential and ratio of metal precursors are essential for this synthesis strategy. The distinguished properties of Ag@PdAg, particularly the electronic structure, indicates the existence of electron modification not only between Pd and Ag on PdAg shell, but between Ag core and alloy shell. The Ag@PdAg catalyst displays 97% ethene yield in the partial hydrogenation of acetylene, which is 2.0 and 8.1 times that of over PdAg alloy and pure Pd catalysts, and this is the most selective catalyst reported to data under industrial evaluation conditions. Moreover, this core-shell structure exhibits preferable stability with comparison to PdAg alloy catalyst. The facile synthesis of core-shell architecture with alloy shell structure provides a new platform for efficient catalytic transfer of chemical resource. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000460711700045 Publication Date 2018-12-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-9517 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:181261 Serial 6848  
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Author Chakravorty, R.; Van Grieken, R. doi  openurl
  Title Co-precipitation with iron hydroxide and X-ray fluorescence analysis of trace metals in water Type A1 Journal article
  Year 1982 Publication International journal of environmental analytical chemistry Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 67-80  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)  
  Abstract (up) Preconcentration of transition trace ions by coprecipitation on iron-hydroxide has been combined with energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence for environmental water analysis. The optimized preconcentration procedure implies adding 2 mg of iron to a 200 ml water sample, adding dilute NaOH up to pH 9, filtering off on a Nuclepore membrane after a 1 h equilibration time, and analyzing. Quantitative recoveries could then be obtained for Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb, e.g. at the 10 μg/l level in waters of varying salinity while Mn was partially collected. (In fact, for a given problem the iron carrier amount can be adjusted to obtain a satisfactory compromise between high recovery and low detection limit). The precision is 7-8% at the 10 μg/l level, and the detection limits are in the 0.5-1 μg/l range. Various environmental water samples are analysed by way of illustration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos A1982NG99200007 Publication Date 2007-07-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0306-7319 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:116573 Serial 7676  
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Author Mobaraki, A.; Sevik, C.; Yapicioglu, H.; Cakir, D.; Gulseren, O. doi  openurl
  Title Temperature-dependent phonon spectrum of transition metal dichalcogenides calculated from the spectral energy density: Lattice thermal conductivity as an application Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Physical review B Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 100 Issue 3 Pages 035402  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)  
  Abstract (up) Predicting the mechanical and thermal properties of quasi-two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalco-genides (TMDs) is an essential task necessary for their implementation in device applications. Although rigorous density-functional-theory-based calculations are able to predict mechanical and electronic properties, mostly they are limited to zero temperature. Classical molecular dynamics facilitates the investigation of temperature-dependent properties, but its performance highly depends on the potential used for defining interactions between the atoms. In this study, we calculated temperature-dependent phonon properties of single-layer TMDs, namely, MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2, by utilizing Stillinger-Weber-type potentials with optimized sets of parameters with respect to the first-principles results. The phonon lifetimes and contribution of each phonon mode in thermal conductivities in these monolayer crystals are systematically investigated by means of the spectralenergy-density method based on molecular dynamics simulations. The obtained results from this approach are in good agreement with previously available results from the Green-Kubo method. Moreover, detailed analysis of lattice thermal conductivity, including temperature-dependent mode decomposition through the entire Brillouin zone, shed more light on the thermal properties of these 2D crystals. The LA and TA acoustic branches contribute most to the lattice thermal conductivity, while ZA mode contribution is less because of the quadratic dispersion around the Brillouin zone center, particularly in MoSe2 due to the phonon anharmonicity, evident from the redshift, especially in optical modes, by increasing temperature. For all the considered 2D crystals, the phonon lifetime values are compelled by transition metal atoms, whereas the group velocity spectrum is dictated by chalcogen atoms. Overall, the lattice thermal conductivity is linearly proportional with inverse temperature.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000473536400003 Publication Date 2019-07-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2469-9969; 2469-9950 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:193764 Serial 8645  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Shi, P.; Wang, L.; Quinn, B.K.K.; Gielis, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A new program to estimate the parameters of Preston's equation, a general formula for describing the egg shape of birds Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Symmetry Abbreviated Journal Symmetry-Basel  
  Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 231-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract (up) Preston's equation is a general model describing the egg shape of birds. The parameters of Preston's equation are usually estimated after re-expressing it as the Todd-Smart equation and scaling the egg's actual length to two. This method assumes that the straight line through the two points on an egg's profile separated by the maximum distance (i.e., the longest axis of an egg's profile) is the mid-line. It hypothesizes that the photographed egg's profile is perfectly bilaterally symmetrical, which seldom holds true because of photographic errors and placement errors. The existing parameter estimation method for Preston's equation considers an angle of deviation for the longest axis of an egg's profile from the mid-line, which decreases prediction errors to a certain degree. Nevertheless, this method cannot provide an accurate estimate of the coordinates of the egg's center, and it leads to sub-optimal parameter estimation. Thus, it is better to account for the possible asymmetry between the two sides of an egg's profile along its mid-line when fitting egg-shape data. In this paper, we propose a method based on the optimization algorithm (optimPE) to fit egg-shape data and better estimate the parameters of Preston's equation by automatically searching for the optimal mid-line of an egg's profile and testing its validity using profiles of 59 bird eggs spanning a wide range of existing egg shapes. We further compared this method with the existing one based on multiple linear regression (lmPE). This study demonstrated the ability of the optimPE method to estimate numerical values of the parameters of Preston's equation and provide the theoretical egg length (i.e., the distance between two ends of the mid-line of an egg's profile) and the egg's maximum breadth. This provides a valuable approach for comparing egg shapes among conspecifics or across different species, or even different classes (e.g., birds and reptiles), in future investigations.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000927531000001 Publication Date 2023-01-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2073-8994 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.7; 2023 IF: 1.457  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:195347 Serial 7279  
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