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Author (up) Schoeters, B.; Neyts, E.C.; Khalilov, U.; Pourtois, G.; Partoens, B.
Title Stability of Si epoxide defects in Si nanowires : a mixed reactive force field/DFT study Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Physical chemistry, chemical physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Chem Chem Phys
Volume 15 Issue 36 Pages 15091-15097
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Modeling the oxidation process of silicon nanowires through reactive force field based molecular dynamics simulations suggests that the formation of Si epoxide defects occurs both at the Si/SiOx interface and at the nanowire surface, whereas for flat surfaces, this defect is experimentally observed to occur only at the interface as a result of stress. In this paper, we argue that the increasing curvature stabilizes the defect at the nanowire surface, as suggested by our density functional theory calculations. The latter can have important consequences for the opto-electronic properties of thin silicon nanowires, since the epoxide induces an electronic state within the band gap. Removing the epoxide defect by hydrogenation is expected to be possible but becomes increasingly difficult with a reduction of the diameter of the nanowires.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000323520600029 Publication Date 2013-07-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1463-9076;1463-9084; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.123 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes ; BS gratefully acknowledges financial support of the IWT, Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders, via the SBO project “SilaSol”. This work was carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish government and the Universiteit Antwerpen. ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.123; 2013 IF: 4.198
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:110793 Serial 3130
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Author (up) Shariat, M.; Hosseini, S.I.; Shokri, B.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Plasma enhanced growth of single walled carbon nanotubes at low temperature : a reactive molecular dynamics simulation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Carbon Abbreviated Journal Carbon
Volume 65 Issue Pages 269-276
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Low-temperature growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been claimed to provide a route towards chiral-selective growth, enabling a host of applications. In this contribution, we employ reactive molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate how plasma-based deposition allows such low-temperature growth. We first show how ion bombardment during the growth affects the carbon dissolution and precipitation process. We then continue to demonstrate how a narrow ion energy window allows CNT growth at 500 K. Finally, we also show how CNTs in contrast cannot be grown in thermal CVD at this low temperature, but only at high temperature, in agreement with experimental data. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Oxford Editor
Language Wos 000326773200031 Publication Date 2013-08-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0008-6223; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.337 Times cited 21 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.337; 2013 IF: 6.160
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:112697 Serial 2635
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Author (up) Shariat, M.; Shokri, B.; Neyts, E.C.
Title On the low-temperature growth mechanism of single walled carbon nanotubes in plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Chemical physics letters Abbreviated Journal Chem Phys Lett
Volume 590 Issue Pages 131-135
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Despite significant progress in single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) production by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the growth mechanism in this method is not clearly understood. We employ reactive molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how plasma-based deposition allows growth at low temperature. We first investigate the SWCNT growth mechanism at low and high temperatures under conditions similar to thermal CVD and PECVD. We then show how ion bombardment during the nucleation stage increases the carbon solubility in the catalyst at low temperature. Finally, we demonstrate how moderate energy ions sputter amorphous carbon allowing for SWCNT growth at 500 K. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000327721000024 Publication Date 2013-10-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0009-2614; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.815 Times cited 14 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.815; 2013 IF: 1.991
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:112775 Serial 2439
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Author (up) Shirazi, M.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C.
Title A DFT study of H-dissolution into the bulk of a crystalline Ni(111) surface: a chemical identifier for the reaction kinetics Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Physical chemistry, chemical physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Chem Chem Phys
Volume 19 Issue 19 Pages 19150-19158
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract In this study, we investigated the diffusion of H-atoms to the subsurface and their further diffusion into the bulk of a Ni(111) crystal by means of density functional theory calculations in the context of thermal and plasma-assisted catalysis. The H-atoms at the surface can originate from the dissociative adsorption of H2 or CH4 molecules, determining the surface H-coverage. When a threshold H-coverage is passed, corresponding to 1.00 ML for the crystalline Ni(111) surface, the surface-bound H-atoms start to diffuse to the subsurface. A similar threshold coverage is observed for the interstitial H-coverage. Once the interstitial sites are filled up with a coverage above 1.00 ML of H, dissolution of interstitial H-atoms to the layer below the interstitial sites will be initiated. Hence, by applying a high pressure or inducing a reactive plasma and high temperature, increasing the H-flux to the surface, a large amount of hydrogen can diffuse in a crystalline metal like Ni and can be absorbed. The formation of metal hydride may modify the entire reaction kinetics of the system. Equivalently, the H-atoms in the bulk can easily go back to the surface and release a large amount of heat. In a plasma process, H-atoms are formed in the plasma, and therefore the energy barrier for dissociative adsorption is dismissed, thus allowing achievement of the threshold coverage without applying a high pressure as in a thermal process. As a result, depending on the crystal plane and type of metal, a large number of H-atoms can be dissolved (absorbed) in the metal catalyst, explaining the high efficiency of plasma-assisted catalytic reactions. Here, the mechanism of H-dissolution is established as a chemical identifier for the investigation of the reaction kinetics of a chemical process.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000406334300034 Publication Date 2017-06-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1463-9076 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.123 Times cited 10 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Financial support from the Reactive Atmospheric Plasma processIng – eDucation (RAPID) network, through the EU 7th Framework Programme (grant agreement no. 606889), is gratefully acknowledged. The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government department (EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 4.123
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:144794 Serial 4633
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Author (up) Shirazi, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title DFT study of Ni-catalyzed plasma dry reforming of methane Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Applied catalysis : B : environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ
Volume 205 Issue 205 Pages 605-614
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract tWe investigated the plasma-assisted catalytic reactions for the production of value-added chemicalsfrom Ni-catalyzed plasma dry reforming of methane by means of density functional theory (DFT). Weinspected many activation barriers, from the early stage of adsorption of the major chemical fragmentsderived fromCH4andCO2molecules up to the formation of value-added chemicals at the surface, focusingon the formation of methanol, as well as the hydrogenation of C1and C2hydrocarbon fragments. Theactivation barrier calculations show that the presence of surface-bound H atoms and in some cases alsoremaining chemical fragments at the surface facilitates the formation of products. This implies that thehydrogenation of a chemical fragment on the hydrogenated crystalline surface is energetically favouredcompared to the simple hydrogenation of the chemical fragment at the bare Ni(111) surface. Indeed, thepresence of hydrogen modifies the electronic structure of the surface and the course of the reactions.We therefore conclude that surface-bound H atoms, and to some extent also the remaining chemicalfragments at the crystalline surface, induce the following effects: they facilitate associative desorption ofmethanol and ethane by increasing the rate of H-transfer to the adsorbed fragments while they impedehydrogenation of ethylene to ethane, thus promoting again the desorption of ethylene. Overall, they thusfacilitate the catalytic conversion of the formed fragments from CH4and CO2, into value-added chemicals.Finally, we believe that the retention of methane fragments, especially CH3, in the presence of surface-boundHatoms (as observed here for Ni) can be regarded as an identifier for the proper choice of a catalystfor the production of value-added chemicals.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000393931000063 Publication Date 2017-01-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0926-3373 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.446 Times cited 26 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Financial support from the Reactive Atmospheric Plasmaprocessing –eDucation network (RAPID), through the EU 7thFramework Programme (grant agreement no. 606889) is grate-fully acknowledged. The calculations were performed using theTuring HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Univer-siteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer CenterVSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Approved Most recent IF: 9.446
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:139514 Serial 4343
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Author (up) Somers, W.; Bogaerts, A.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Huygh, S.; Bal, K.M.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Temperature influence on the reactivity of plasma species on a nickel catalyst surface : an atomic scale study Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Catalysis today Abbreviated Journal Catal Today
Volume 211 Issue Pages 131-136
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract In recent years, the potential use of hydrogen as a clean energy source has gained considerable attention. Especially H2 formation by Ni-catalyzed reforming of methane at elevated temperatures is an attractive process. However, a more fundamental knowledge at the atomic level is needed for a full comprehension of the reactions at the catalyst surface. In this contribution, we therefore investigate the H2 formation after CHx impacts on a Ni(1 1 1) surface in the temperature range 4001600 K, by means of reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the ReaxFF potential. While some H2 formation is already observed at the lower temperatures, substantial H2 formation is only obtained at elevated temperatures of 1400 K and above. At 1600 K, the H2 molecules are even the most frequently formed species. In direct correlation with the increasing dehydrogenation at elevated temperatures, an increased surface-to-subsurface C-diffusivity is observed as well. This study highlights the major importance of the temperature on the H2 formation.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000320697800020 Publication Date 2013-03-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0920-5861; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.636 Times cited 27 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.636; 2013 IF: 3.309
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:108675 Serial 3500
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Author (up) Somers, W.; Bogaerts, A.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Interactions of plasma species on nickel catalysts : a reactive molecular dynamics study on the influence of temperature and surface structure Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Applied catalysis : B : environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ
Volume 154 Issue Pages 1-8
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Methane reforming by plasma catalysis is a complex process that is far from understood. It requires a multidisciplinary approach which ideally takes into account all effects from the plasma on the catalyst, and vice versa. In this contribution, we focus on the interactions of CHx (x = {1,2,3}) radicals that are created in the plasma with several nickel catalyst surfaces. To this end, we perform reactive molecular dynamics simulations, based on the ReaxFF potential, in a wide temperature range of 4001600 K. First, we focus on the H2 formation as a function of temperature and surface structure. We observe that substantial H2 formation is obtained at 1400 K and above, while the role of the surface structure seems limited. Indeed, in the initial stage, the type of nickel surface influences the CH bond breaking efficiency of adsorbed radicals; however, the continuous carbon diffusion into the surface gradually diminishes the surface crystallinity and therefore reduces the effect of surface structure on the H2 formation probability. Furthermore, we have also investigated to what extent the species adsorbed on the catalyst surface can participate in surface reactions more in general, for the various surface structures and as a function of temperature. These results are part of the ongoing research on the methane reforming by plasma catalysis, a highly interesting yet complex alternative to conventional reforming processes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000335098800001 Publication Date 2014-02-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0926-3373; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.446 Times cited 23 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.446; 2014 IF: 7.435
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:114607 Serial 1686
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Author (up) Somers, W.; Bogaerts, A.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Plasma species interacting with nickel surfaces : toward an atomic scale understanding of plasma-catalysis Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 116 Issue 39 Pages 20958-20965
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The adsorption probability and reaction behavior of CHx plasma species on various nickel catalyst surfaces is investigated by means of reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the ReaxFF potential. Such catalysts are used in the reforming of hydrocarbons and in the growth of carbon nanotubes, and further insight in the underlying mechanisms of these processes is needed to increase their applicability. Single and consecutive impacts of CHx radicals (x={1,2,3}) were performed on four different Ni surfaces, at a temperature of 400 K. The adsorption probability is shown to be related to the number of free electrons, i.e. a higher number leads to more adsorptions, and the steric hindrance caused by the hydrogen atoms bonded to the impacting CHx species. Furthermore, some of the CH bonds break after adsorption, which generally leads to diffusion of the hydrogen atom over the surface. Additionally, these adsorbed H-atoms can be used in reactions to form new molecules, such as CH4 and C2Hx, although this is dependent on the precise morphology of the surface. New molecules are also formed by subtraction of H-atoms from adsorbed radicals, leading to occasional formation of H2 and C2Hx molecules.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos 000309375700040 Publication Date 2012-09-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447;1932-7455; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 37 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2012 IF: 4.814
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:101522 Serial 2640
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Author (up) Somers, W.; Dubreuil, M.F.; Neyts, E.C.; Vangeneugden, D.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Incorporation of fluorescent dyes in atmospheric pressure plasma coatings for in-line monitoring of coating homogeneity Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Plasma processes and polymers Abbreviated Journal Plasma Process Polym
Volume 11 Issue 7 Pages 678-684
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract This paper reports on the incorporation of three commercial fluorescent dyes, i.e., rhodamine 6G, fluorescein, and fluorescent brightener 184, in plasma coatings, by utilizing a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, and the subsequent monitoring of the coatings homogeneity based on the emitted fluorescent light. The plasma coatings are qualitatively characterized with fluorescence microscopy, UVvis spectroscopy and profilometry for the determination of the coating thickness. The emitted fluorescent light of the coating correlates to the amount of dye per area, and deviations of these factors can hence be observed by monitoring the intensity of this light. This allows monitoring the homogeneity of the plasma coatings in a fast and simple way, without making major adjustments to the process.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Weinheim Editor
Language Wos 000340416300007 Publication Date 2014-05-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1612-8850; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.846 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.846; 2014 IF: 2.453
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:118063 Serial 1598
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Author (up) Tinck, S.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Fluorinesilicon surface reactions during cryogenic and near room temperature etching Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 118 Issue 51 Pages 30315-30324
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Cyrogenic etching of silicon is envisaged to enable better control over plasma processing in the microelectronics industry, albeit little is known about the fundamental differences compared to the room temperature process. We here present molecular dynamics simulations carried out to obtain sticking probabilities, thermal desorption rates, surface diffusion speeds, and sputter yields of F, F2, Si, SiF, SiF2, SiF3, SiF4, and the corresponding ions on Si(100) and on SiF13 surfaces, both at cryogenic and near room temperature. The different surface behavior during conventional etching and cryoetching is discussed. F2 is found to be relatively reactive compared to other species like SiF03. Thermal desorption occurs at a significantly lower rate under cryogenic conditions, which results in an accumulation of physisorbed species. Moreover, ion incorporation is often observed for ions with energies of 30400 eV, which results in a relatively low net sputter yield. The obtained results suggest that the actual etching of Si, under both cryogenic and near room temperature conditions, is based on the complete conversion of the Si surface to physisorbed SiF4, followed by subsequent sputtering of these molecules, instead of direct sputtering of the SiF03 surface.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos 000347360200101 Publication Date 2014-11-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447;1932-7455; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 11 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2014 IF: 4.772
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:122957 Serial 1239
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Author (up) Tinck, S.; Tillocher, T.; Dussart, R.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Elucidating the effects of gas flow rate on an SF6inductively coupled plasma and on the silicon etch rate, by a combined experimental and theoretical investigation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 49 Issue 49 Pages 385201
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Experiments show that the etch rate of Si with SF6 inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is significantly influenced by the absolute gas flow rate in the range of 50–600 sccm, with a maximum at around 200 sccm. Therefore, we numerically investigate the effects of the gas flow rate on the bulk plasma properties and on the etch rate, to obtain more insight in the underlying reasons of this effect. A hybrid Monte Carlo—fluid model is applied to simulate an SF6 ICP. It is found that the etch rate is influenced by two simultaneous effects: (i) the residence time of the gas and (ii) the temperature profile of the plasma in the ICP volume, resulting indeed in a maximum etch rate at 200 sccm.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000384095900011 Publication Date 2016-08-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0022-3727 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes We are very grateful to Mark Kushner for providing the computational model. The Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO; grant no. 0880.212.840) is acknowledged for financial support of this work. The work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 2.588
Call Number c:irua:134867 Serial 4108
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Author (up) Van de Sompel, P.; Khalilov, U.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Contrasting H-etching to OH-etching in plasma-assisted nucleation of carbon nanotubes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 14 Pages 7849-7855
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract To gain full control over the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a thorough understanding of the underlying plasma-catalyst mechanisms is required. Oxygen-containing species are often used as or added to the growth precursor gas, but these species also yield various radicals and ions, which may simultaneously etch the CNT during the growth. At present, the effect of these reactive species on the growth onset has not yet been thoroughly investigated. We here report on the etching mechanism of incipient CNT structures from OH and O radicals as derived from combined (reactive) molecular dynamics (MD) and force-bias Monte Carlo (tfMC) simulations. Our results indicate that the oxygen-containing radicals initiate a dissociation process. In particular, we show how the oxygen species weaken the interaction between the CNT and the nanocluster. As a result of this weakened interaction, the CNT closes off and dissociates from the cluster in the form of a fullerene. Beyond the specific systems studied in this work, these results are generically important in the context of PECVD-based growth of CNTs using oxygen-containing precursors.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000641307100032 Publication Date 2021-04-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447; 1932-7455 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:178393 Serial 7729
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Author (up) Van der Paal, J.; Aernouts, S.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Interaction of O and OH radicals with a simple model system for lipids in the skin barrier : a reactive molecular dynamics investigation for plasma medicine Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 46 Issue 39 Pages 395201
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Plasma medicine has been claimed to provide a novel route to heal wounds and regenerate skin, although very little is currently known about the elementary processes taking place. We carried out a series of ReaxFF-based reactive molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction of O and OH radicals with lipids, more specifically with α-linolenic acid as a model for the free fatty acids present in the upper skin layer. Our calculations predict that the O and OH radicals most typically abstract a H atom from the fatty acids, which can lead to the formation of a conjugated double bond, but also to the incorporation of alcohol or aldehyde groups, thereby increasing the hydrophilic character of the fatty acids and changing the general lipid composition of the skin. Within the limitations of the investigated model, no formation of possibly toxic products was observed.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication London Editor
Language Wos 000324810400007 Publication Date 2013-09-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 36 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2013 IF: 2.521
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:109904 Serial 1684
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Author (up) Van der Paal, J.; Neyts, E.C.; Verlackt, C.C.W.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Effect of lipid peroxidation on membrane permeability of cancer and normal cells subjected to oxidative stress Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Chemical science Abbreviated Journal Chem Sci
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 489-498
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We performed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of lipid peroxidation products on the structural and dynamic properties of the cell membrane. Our simulations predict that the lipid order in a phospholipid bilayer, as a model system for the cell membrane, decreases upon addition of lipid peroxidation products. Eventually, when all phospholipids are oxidized, pore formation can occur. This will allow reactive species, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), to enter the cell and cause oxidative damage to intracellular macromolecules, such as DNA or proteins. On the other hand, upon increasing the cholesterol fraction of lipid bilayers, the cell membrane order increases, eventually reaching a certain threshold, from which cholesterol is able to protect the membrane against pore formation. This finding is crucial for cancer treatment by plasma technology, producing a large number of RONS, as well as for other cancer treatment methods that cause an increase in the concentration of extracellular RONS. Indeed, cancer cells contain less cholesterol than their healthy counterparts. Thus, they will be more vulnerable to the consequences of lipid peroxidation, eventually enabling the penetration of RONS into the interior of the cell, giving rise to oxidative stress, inducing pro-apoptotic factors. This provides, for the first time, molecular level insight why plasma can selectively treat cancer cells, while leaving their healthy counterparts undamaged, as is indeed experimentally demonstrated.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000366826900058 Publication Date 2015-10-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2041-6520 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 8.668 Times cited 106 Open Access
Notes The authors acknowledge nancial support from the Fund for Scientic Research (FWO) Flanders, grant number G012413N. The calculations were performed in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 8.668
Call Number c:irua:131058 Serial 3986
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Author (up) Van der Paal, J.; Verheyen, C.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Hampering Effect of Cholesterol on the Permeation of Reactive Oxygen Species through Phospholipids Bilayer: Possible Explanation for Plasma Cancer Selectivity Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Scientific reports Abbreviated Journal Sci Rep-Uk
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 39526
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract In recent years, the ability of cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPS) to selectively induce cell death in cancer cells has been widely established. This selectivity has been assigned to the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) created in CAPs. To provide new insights in the search for an explanation

for the observed selectivity, we calculate the transfer free energy of multiple ROS across membranes containing a varying amount of cholesterol. The cholesterol fraction is investigated as a selectivity parameter because membranes of cancer cells are known to contain lower fractions of cholesterol compared to healthy cells. We find that cholesterol has a significant effect on the permeation of

reactive species across a membrane. Indeed, depending on the specific reactive species, an increasing cholesterol fraction can lead to (i) an increase of the transfer free energy barrier height and width, (ii) the formation of a local free energy minimum in the center of the membrane and (iii) the creation of extra free energy barriers due to the bulky sterol rings. In the context of plasma oncology, these observations suggest that the increased ingress of RONS in cancer cells can be explained by the decreased cholesterol fraction of their cell membrane.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000391306900001 Publication Date 2017-01-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2045-2322 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.259 Times cited 27 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) Flanders, grant number 11U5416N. The calculations were performed in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 4.259
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:139512 Serial 4340
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Author (up) Van der Paal, J.; Verlackt, C.C.; Yusupov, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Structural modification of the skin barrier by OH radicals : a reactive molecular dynamics study for plasma medicine Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 48 Issue 48 Pages 155202
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract While plasma treatment of skin diseases and wound healing has been proven highly effective, the underlying mechanisms, and more generally the effect of plasma radicals on skin tissue, are not yet completely understood. In this paper, we perform ReaxFF-based reactive molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction of plasma generated OH radicals with a model system composed of free fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol molecules. This model system is an approximation of the upper layer of the skin (stratum corneum). All interaction mechanisms observed in our simulations are initiated by H-abstraction from one of the ceramides. This reaction, in turn, often starts a cascade of other reactions, which eventually lead to the formation of aldehydes, the dissociation of ceramides or the elimination of formaldehyde, and thus eventually to the degradation of the skin barrier function.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication London Editor
Language Wos 000351856600007 Publication Date 2015-03-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 20 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2015 IF: 2.721
Call Number c:irua:124230 Serial 3242
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Author (up) Verlackt, C.C.W.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Atomic scale behavior of oxygen-based radicals in water Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 50 Issue 50 Pages 11LT01
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas in and in contact with liquids represent a growing field of research for various applications. Understanding the interactions between the plasma generated species and the liquid is crucial. In this work we perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on a quantum mechanical method, i.e. density-functional based tight-binding (DFTB), to examine the interactions of OH radicals and O atoms in bulk water. Our calculations reveal that the transport of OH radicals through water is not only governed by diffusion, but also by an equilibrium reaction of H-abstraction with water molecules. Furthermore, when two OH radicals encounter each other, they either form a stable cluster, or react, resulting in the formation of a new water molecule and an O atom. In addition,

the O atoms form either oxywater (when in singlet configuration) or they remain stable in solution (when in triplet configuration), stressing the important role that O atoms can play in aqueous solution, and in contact with biomolecules. Our observations are in line with both experimental and ab initio results from the literature.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000415252400001 Publication Date 2017-02-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0022-3727 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors thank Peter Bruggeman (University of Minnesota, USA) and Jan Benedikt (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany) for the interesting discussions regarding the existence of O in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, they acknowledge financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) Flanders (project number G012413N). The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 2.588
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:140845 Serial 4420
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Author (up) Verlackt, C.C.W.; Neyts, E.C.; Jacob, T.; Fantauzzi, D.; Golkaram, M.; Shin, Y.-K.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Atomic-scale insight into the interactions between hydroxyl radicals and DNA in solution using the ReaxFF reactive force field Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication New journal of physics Abbreviated Journal New J Phys
Volume 17 Issue 17 Pages 103005
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas have proven to provide an alternative treatment of cancer by targeting tumorous cells while leaving their healthy counterparts unharmed. However, the underlying mechanisms of the plasma–cell interactions are not yet fully understood. Reactive oxygen species, and in particular hydroxyl radicals (OH), are known to play a crucial role in plasma driven apoptosis of

malignant cells. In this paper we investigate the interaction of OH radicals, as well as H2O2 molecules and HO2 radicals, with DNA by means of reactive molecular dynamics simulations using the ReaxFF force field. Our results provide atomic-scale insight into the dynamics of oxidative stress on DNA caused by the OH radicals, while H2O2 molecules appear not reactive within the considered timescale. Among the observed processes are the formation of 8-OH-adduct radicals, forming the first stages towards the formation of 8-oxoGua and 8-oxoAde, H-abstraction reactions of the amines, and the partial opening of loose DNA ends in aqueous solution.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000367328100001 Publication Date 2015-10-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1367-2630; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.786 Times cited 18 Open Access
Notes CCWV,ECN and AB acknowledge the contribution of J Van Beeck who is investigating the interaction between H2O2 andDNAusingrMDsimulations. Furthermore, they acknowledge financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders (project number G012413N). The calculations were performed using the Turing HPCinfrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. TJ and DF gratefully acknowledge support from the European Research Council through the ERC-Starting GrantTHEOFUN(Grant Agreement No. 259608). Approved Most recent IF: 3.786; 2015 IF: 3.558
Call Number c:irua:129178 Serial 3955
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Author (up) Verlackt, C.C.W.; Van Boxem, W.; Dewaele, D.; Lemière, F.; Sobott, F.; Benedikt, J.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Mechanisms of Peptide Oxidation by Hydroxyl Radicals: Insight at the Molecular Scale Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 5787-5799
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to provide atomic scale insight in the initial interaction between hydroxyl radicals (OH) and peptide systems in solution. These OH radicals are representative reactive oxygen species produced by cold atmospheric plasmas. The use of plasma for biomedical applications is gaining increasing interest, but the fundamental mechanisms behind the plasma modifications still remain largely elusive. This study helps to gain more insight in the underlying mechanisms of plasma medicine but is also more generally applicable to peptide oxidation, of interest for other applications. Combining both reactive and nonreactive MD simulations, we are able to elucidate the reactivity of the amino acids inside the peptide systems and their effect on their structure up to 1 μs. Additionally, experiments were performed, treating the simulated peptides with a plasma jet. The computational results presented here correlate well with the obtained experimental data and highlight the importance of the chemical environment for the reactivity of the individual amino acids, so that specific amino acids are attacked in higher numbers than expected. Furthermore, the long time scale simulations suggest that a single oxidation has an effect on the 3D conformation due to an increase in hydrophilicity and intra- and intermolecular interactions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000396969900037 Publication Date 2017-03-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G012413N ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:142202 Serial 4537
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Author (up) Vets, C.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Stabilities of bimetallic nanoparticles for chirality-selective carbon nanotube growth and the effect of carbon interstitials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 28 Pages 15430-15436
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Bimetallic nanoparticles play a crucial role in various applications. A better understanding of their properties would facilitate these applications and possibly even enable chirality-specific growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We here examine the stabilities of NiFe, NiGa, and FeGa nanoparticles and the effect of carbon dissolved in NiFe nanoparticles through density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Born Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations. We establish that nanoparticles with more Fe in the core and more Ga on the surface are more stable and compare these results with well-known properties such as surface energy and atom size. Furthermore, we find that the nanoparticles become more stable with increasing carbon content, both at 0 K and at 700 K. These results provide a basis for further research into the chirality-specific growth of CNT's.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos 000406355700050 Publication Date 2017-06-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447; 1932-7455 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 2 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:145206 Serial 4725
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Author (up) Villarreal, R.; Lin, P.-C.; Faraji, F.; Hassani, N.; Bana, H.; Zarkua, Z.; Nair, M.N.; Tsai, H.-C.; Auge, M.; Junge, F.; Hofsaess, H.C.; De Gendt, S.; De Feyter, S.; Brems, S.; Ahlgren, E.H.; Neyts, E.C.; Covaci, L.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M.; Pereira, L.M.C.
Title Breakdown of universal scaling for nanometer-sized bubbles in graphene Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 21 Issue 19 Pages 8103-8110
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We report the formation of nanobubbles on graphene with a radius of the order of 1 nm, using ultralow energy implantation of noble gas ions (He, Ne, Ar) into graphene grown on a Pt(111) surface. We show that the universal scaling of the aspect ratio, which has previously been established for larger bubbles, breaks down when the bubble radius approaches 1 nm, resulting in much larger aspect ratios. Moreover, we observe that the bubble stability and aspect ratio depend on the substrate onto which the graphene is grown (bubbles are stable for Pt but not for Cu) and trapped element. We interpret these dependencies in terms of the atomic compressibility of the noble gas as well as of the adhesion energies between graphene, the substrate, and trapped atoms.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000709549100026 Publication Date 2021-09-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184137 Serial 6857
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Author (up) Wang, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Neyts, E.C.; Cao, X.; Zhang, X.; Jang, B.W.-L.; Liu, C.-jun
Title Catalyst preparation with plasmas : how does it work? Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication ACS catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal
Volume 8 Issue 3 Pages 2093-2110
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Catalyst preparation with plasmas is increasingly attracting interest. A plasma is a partially ionized gas, consisting of electrons, ions, molecules, radicals, photons, and excited species, which are all active species for catalyst preparation and treatment. Under the influence of plasma, nucleation and crystal growth in catalyst preparation can be very different from those in the conventional thermal approach. Some thermodynamically unfavorable reactions can easily take place with plasmas. Compounds such as sulfides, nitrides, and phosphides that are produced under harsh conditions can be synthesized by plasma under mild conditions. Plasmas can produce catalysts with smaller particle sizes and controllable structure. Plasma is also a facile tool for reduction, oxidation, doping, etching, coating, alloy formation, surface treatment, and surface cleaning in a simple and direct way. A rapid and convenient plasma template removal has thus been established for zeolite synthesis. It can operate at room temperature and allows the catalyst preparation on temperature-sensitive supporting materials. Plasma is typically effective for the production of various catalysts on metallic substrates. In addition, plasma-prepared transition-metal catalysts show enhanced low-temperature activity with improved stability. This provides a useful model catalyst for further improvement of industrial catalysts. In this review, we aim to summarize the recent advances in catalyst preparation with plasmas. The present understanding of plasma-based catalyst preparation is discussed. The challenges and future development are addressed.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer chemical soc Place of Publication Washington Editor
Language Wos 000426804100055 Publication Date 2018-01-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited 81 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 10.614
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:150880 Serial 4963
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Author (up) Xie, L.; Brault, P.; Coutanceau, C.; Bauchire, J.-M.; Caillard, A.; Baranton, S.; Berndt, J.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Efficient amorphous platinum catalyst cluster growth on porous carbon : a combined molecular dynamics and experimental study Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Applied catalysis : B : environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ
Volume 162 Issue 162 Pages 21-26
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Amorphous platinum clusters supported on porous carbon have been envisaged for high-performance fuel cell electrodes. For this application, it is crucial to control the morphology of the Pt layer and the Ptsubstrate interaction to maximize activity and stability. We thus investigate the morphology evolution during Pt cluster growth on a porous carbon substrate employing atomic scale molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations are based on the Pt-C interaction potential using parameters derived from density functional theory and are found to yield a Pt cluster morphology similar to that observed in low loaded fuel cell electrodes prepared by plasma sputtering. Moreover, the simulations show amorphous Pt cluster growth in agreement with X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy experiments on high performance low Pt content (10 μgPt cm−2) loaded fuel cell electrodes and provide a fundamental insight in the cluster growth mechanism.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000343686900003 Publication Date 2014-06-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0926-3373; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.446 Times cited 20 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.446; 2015 IF: 7.435
Call Number c:irua:117949 Serial 874
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Author (up) Yi, Y.; Wang, X.; Jafarzadeh, A.; Wang, L.; Liu, P.; He, B.; Yan, J.; Zhang, R.; Zhang, H.; Liu, X.; Guo, H.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Plasma-Catalytic Ammonia Reforming of Methane over Cu-Based Catalysts for the Production of HCN and H2at Reduced Temperature Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Acs Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal
Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 1765-1773
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Industrial production of HCN from NH3 and CH4 not only uses precious Pt or Pt−Rh catalysts but also requires extremely high temperatures (∼1600 K). From an energetic, operational, and safety perspective, a drastic decrease in temperature is highly desirable. Here, we report ammonia reforming of methane for the production of HCN and H2 at 673 K by the combination of CH4/NH3 plasma and a supported Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst. 30% CH4 conversion has been achieved with 79% HCN selectivity. Catalyst characterization and plasma diagnostics reveal that the excellent reaction performance is attributed to metallic Cu active sites. In addition, we propose a possible reaction pathway, viz. E-R reactions with N, NH, NH2, and CH radicals produced in the plasma, for the production of HCN, based on density functional theory calculations. Importantly, the Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst costs less than 5% of the commercial Pt mesh catalyst.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000618540300057 Publication Date 2021-02-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Universiteit Antwerpen, 32249 ; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2015M580220 2016T90217 ; PetroChina Innovation Foundation, 2018D-5007-0501 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 21503032 ; We acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [21503032], the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant numbers 2015M580220 and 2016T90217, 2016], the PetroChina Innovation Foundation [2018D-5007-0501], and the TOP research project of the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp [grant ID 32249]. Approved Most recent IF: 10.614
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175880 Serial 6675
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Author (up) Yusupov, M.; Bogaerts, A.; Huygh, S.; Snoeckx, R.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Plasma-induced destruction of bacterial cell wall components : a reactive molecular dynamics simulation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 117 Issue 11 Pages 5993-5998
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasmas are gaining increasing attention for biomedical applications. However, very little fundamental information on the interaction mechanisms between the plasma species and biological cells is currently available. We investigate the interaction of important plasma species, such as OH, H2O2, O, O3, as well as O2 and H2O, with bacterial peptidoglycan by means of reactive molecular dynamics simulations, aiming for a better understanding of plasma disinfection. Our results show that OH, O, O3, and H2O2 can break structurally important bonds of peptidoglycan (i.e., CO, CN, or CC bonds), which consequently leads to the destruction of the bacterial cell wall. The mechanisms behind these breakups are, however, dependent on the impinging plasma species, and this also determines the effectiveness of the cell wall destruction.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos 000316773000056 Publication Date 2013-02-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447;1932-7455; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 59 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2013 IF: 4.835
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:107154 Serial 2636
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Author (up) Yusupov, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Khalilov, U.; Snoeckx, R.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Atomic-scale simulations of reactive oxygen plasma species interacting with bacterial cell walls Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication New journal of physics Abbreviated Journal New J Phys
Volume 14 Issue 9 Pages 093043
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for biomedical applications. Currently, however, there is very little fundamental knowledge regarding the relevant interaction mechanisms of plasma species with living cells. In this paper, we investigate the interaction of important plasma species, such as O3, O2 and O atoms, with bacterial peptidoglycan (or murein) by means of reactive molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we use the peptidoglycan structure to model the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus murein. Peptidoglycan is the outer protective barrier in bacteria and can therefore interact directly with plasma species. Our results demonstrate that among the species mentioned above, O3 molecules and especially O atoms can break important bonds of the peptidoglycan structure (i.e. CO, CN and CC bonds), which subsequently leads to the destruction of the bacterial cell wall. This study is important for gaining a fundamental insight into the chemical damaging mechanisms of the bacterial peptidoglycan structure on the atomic scale.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Bristol Editor
Language Wos 000309393400001 Publication Date 2012-09-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1367-2630; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.786 Times cited 47 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.786; 2012 IF: 4.063
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:101014 Serial 189
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Author (up) Yusupov, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Simon, P.; Berdiyorov, G.; Snoeckx, R.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Reactive molecular dynamics simulations of oxygen species in a liquid water layer of interest for plasma medicine Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 47 Issue 2 Pages 025205-25209
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The application of atmospheric pressure plasmas in medicine is increasingly gaining attention in recent years, although very little is currently known about the plasma-induced processes occurring on the surface of living organisms. It is known that most bio-organisms, including bacteria, are coated by a liquid film surrounding them, and there might be many interactions between plasma species and the liquid layer before the plasma species reach the surface of the bio-organisms. Therefore, it is essential to study the behaviour of the reactive species in a liquid film, in order to determine whether these species can travel through this layer and reach the biomolecules, or whether new species are formed along the way. In this work, we investigate the interaction of reactive oxygen species (i.e. O, OH, HO2 and H2O2) with water, which is assumed as a simple model system for the liquid layer surrounding biomolecules. Our computational investigations show that OH, HO2 and H2O2 can travel deep into the liquid layer and are hence in principle able to reach the bio-organism. Furthermore, O, OH and HO2 radicals react with water molecules through hydrogen-abstraction reactions, whereas no H-abstraction reaction takes place in the case of H2O2. This study is important to gain insight into the fundamental operating mechanisms in plasma medicine, in general, and the interaction mechanisms of plasma species with a liquid film, in particular.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication London Editor
Language Wos 000329108000013 Publication Date 2013-12-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 51 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2014 IF: 2.721
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:112286 Serial 2823
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Author (up) Yusupov, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Verlackt, C.C.; Khalilov, U.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Inactivation of the endotoxic biomolecule lipid A by oxygen plasma species : a reactive molecular dynamics study Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Plasma processes and polymers Abbreviated Journal Plasma Process Polym
Volume 12 Issue 12 Pages 162-171
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Reactive molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the interaction of reactive oxygen species, such as OH, HO2 and H2O2, with the endotoxic biomolecule lipid A of the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. It is found that the aforementioned plasma species can destroy the lipid A, which consequently results in reducing its toxic activity. All bond dissociation events are initiated by hydrogen-abstraction reactions. However, the mechanisms behind these dissociations are dependent on the impinging plasma species, i.e. a clear difference is observed in the mechanisms upon impact of HO2 radicals and H2O2 molecules on one hand and OH radicals on the other hand. Our simulation results are in good agreement with experimental observations.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Weinheim Editor
Language Wos 000350275400005 Publication Date 2014-09-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1612-8850; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.846 Times cited 18 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.846; 2015 IF: 2.453
Call Number c:irua:123540 Serial 1589
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Author (up) Yusupov, M.; Van der Paal, J.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Synergistic effect of electric field and lipid oxidation on the permeability of cell membranes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Biochimica et biophysica acta : G : general subjects Abbreviated Journal Bba-Gen Subjects
Volume 1861 Issue 1861 Pages 839-847
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Background: Strong electric fields are knownto affect cell membrane permeability,which can be applied for therapeutic purposes, e.g., in cancer therapy. A synergistic enhancement of this effect may be accomplished by the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as generated in cold atmospheric plasmas. Little is known about the synergy between lipid oxidation by ROS and the electric field, nor on howthis affects the cell membrane permeability.

Method: We here conduct molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the dynamics of the permeation process under the influence of combined lipid oxidation and electroporation. A phospholipid bilayer (PLB), consisting of di-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine molecules covered with water layers, is used as a model system for the plasma membrane.

Results and conclusions:Weshow howoxidation of the lipids in the PLB leads to an increase of the permeability of the bilayer to ROS, although the permeation free energy barriers still remain relatively high. More importantly, oxidation of the lipids results in a drop of the electric field threshold needed for pore formation (i.e., electroporation) in the PLB. The created pores in the membrane facilitate the penetration of reactive plasma species deep into the cell interior, eventually causing oxidative damage.

General significance: This study is of particular interest for plasma medicine, as plasma generates both ROS and electric fields, but it is also of more general interest for applications where strong electric fields and ROS both come into play.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000397366200012 Publication Date 2017-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0304-4165 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.702 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work is financially supported by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO; grant numbers: 1200216N and 11U5416N). The work was carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flem Approved Most recent IF: 4.702
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:140095 Serial 4413
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Author (up) Yusupov, M.; Wende, K.; Kupsch, S.; Neyts, E.C.; Reuter, S.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Effect of head group and lipid tail oxidation in the cell membrane revealed through integrated simulations and experiments Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Scientific reports Abbreviated Journal Sci Rep-Uk
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 5761
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We report on multi-level atomistic simulations for the interaction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the head groups of the phospholipid bilayer, and the subsequent effect of head group and lipid tail oxidation on the structural and dynamic properties of the cell membrane. Our simulations are validated by experiments using a cold atmospheric plasma as external ROS source. We found that plasma treatment leads to a slight initial rise in membrane rigidity, followed by a strong and persistent increase in fluidity, indicating a drop in lipid order. The latter is also revealed by our simulations. This study is important for cancer treatment by therapies producing (extracellular) ROS, such as plasma treatment. These ROS will interact with the cell membrane, first oxidizing the head groups, followed by the lipid tails. A drop in lipid order might allow them to penetrate into the cell interior (e.g., through pores created due to oxidation of the lipid tails) and cause intracellular oxidative damage, eventually leading to cell death. This work in general elucidates the underlying mechanisms of ROS interaction with the cell membrane at the atomic level.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000405746500072 Publication Date 2017-07-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2045-2322 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.259 Times cited 27 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes M.Y. gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), grant number 1200216 N. The computational work was carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UA. S.R. and S.K. acknowledge funding by the BMBF (FKZ: 03Z2DN12). S.R. acknowledges funding by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (AU 15001). The authors thank M. Hammer for the support and discussion in the biophysical studies and J. Van der Paal for the interesting discussions. Approved Most recent IF: 4.259
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:144627 Serial 4630
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