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Author | De Backer, A.; Jones, L.; Lobato, I.; Altantzis, T.; Goris, B.; Nellist, P.D.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. | ||||
Title | Three-dimensional atomic models from a single projection using Z-contrast imaging: verification by electron tomography and opportunities | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Nanoscale | Abbreviated Journal | Nanoscale |
Volume | 9 | Issue | 9 | Pages | 8791-8798 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | In order to fully exploit structure–property relations of nanomaterials, three-dimensional (3D) characterization at the atomic scale is often required. In recent years, the resolution of electron tomography has reached the atomic scale. However, such tomography typically requires several projection images demanding substantial electron dose. A newly developed alternative circumvents this by counting the number of atoms across a single projection. These atom counts can be used to create an initial atomic model with which an energy minimization can be applied to obtain a relaxed 3D reconstruction of the nanoparticle. Here, we compare, at the atomic scale, this single projection reconstruction approach with tomography and find an excellent agreement. This new approach allows for the characterization of beam-sensitive materials or where the acquisition of a tilt series is impossible. As an example, the utility is illustrated by the 3D atomic scale characterization of a nanodumbbell on an in situ heating holder of limited tilt range. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000404614700031 | Publication Date | 2017-06-09 | |
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Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 2040-3364 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 7.367 | Times cited | 33 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0374.13N, G.0369.15N, G.0368.15N, and WO.010.16N) and postdoctoral grants to T. Altantzis, A. De Backer, and B. Goris. S. Bals acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078). Funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiatieve-I3) is acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Luis Liz-Marzán, Marek Grzelczak, and Ana Sánchez-Iglesias for sample provision. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 7.367 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144436UA @ admin @ c:irua:144436 | Serial | 4617 | ||
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Author | Schnepf, M.J.; Mayer, M.; Kuttner, C.; Tebbe, M.; Wolf, D.; Dulle, M.; Altantzis, T.; Formanek, P.; Förster, S.; Bals, S.; König, T.A.F.; Fery, A. | ||||
Title | Nanorattles with tailored electric field enhancement | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Nanoscale | Abbreviated Journal | Nanoscale |
Volume | 9 | Issue | 9 | Pages | 9376-9385 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Nanorattles are metallic core–shell particles with core and shell separated by a dielectric spacer. These nanorattles have been identified as a promising class of nanoparticles, due to their extraordinary high electric-field enhancement inside the cavity. Limiting factors are reproducibility and loss of axial symmetry owing to the movable metal core; movement of the core results in fluctuation of the nanocavity dimensions and commensurate variations in enhancement factor. We present a novel synthetic approach for the robust fixation of the central gold rod within a well-defined box, which results in an axisymmetric nanorattle. We determine the structure of the resulting axisymmetric nanorattles by advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Optical absorption and scattering cross-sections obtained from UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy quantitatively agree with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations based on the structural model derived from SAXS. The predictions of high and homogenous field enhancement are evidenced by scanning TEM electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) measurement on single-particle level. Thus, comprehensive understanding of structural and optical properties is achieved for this class of nanoparticles, paving the way for photonic applications where a defined and robust unit cell is crucial. |
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Language | Wos | 000405387100015 | Publication Date | 2017-06-22 | |
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ISSN | 2040-3364 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 7.367 | Times cited | 69 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This study was funded by the European Research Council under grant Template-assisted assembly of METAmaterials using MECHanical instabilities (METAMECH) ERC-2012-StG 306686. This work was also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the Cluster of Excellence ‘Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden’ (cfaed). M. T. wants to acknowledge funding by the Elite Network of Bavaria, the Bavarian Ministry of State according to the Bavarian elite promotion act (BayEFG), as well as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a Feodor-Lynen Research Fellowship. S. B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078) and T. A. acknowledges funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. We thank Ken Harris from the National Research Council Canada for valuable discussion of the manuscript. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 7.367 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144797UA @ admin @ c:irua:144797 | Serial | 4631 | ||
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Author | Pulinthanathu Sree, S.; Dendooven, J.; Geerts, L.; Ramachandran, R.K.; Javon, E.; Ceyssens, F.; Breynaert, E.; Kirschhock, C.E.A.; Puers, R.; Altantzis, T.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Bals, S.; Detavernier, C.; Martens, J.A. | ||||
Title | 3D porous nanostructured platinum prepared using atomic layer deposition | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability | Abbreviated Journal | J Mater Chem A |
Volume | 5 | Issue | 5 | Pages | 19007-19016 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | A robust and easy to handle 3D porous platinum structure was created via replicating the 3D channel system of an ordered mesoporous silica material using atomic layer deposition (ALD) over micrometer distances. After ALD of Pt in the silica material, the host template was digested using hydrogen fluoride (HF). A fully connected ordered Pt nanostructure was obtained with morphology and sizes corresponding to that of the pores of the host matrix, as revealed with high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography. The Pt nanostructure consisted of hexagonal Pt rods originating from the straight mesopores (11 nm) of the host structure and linking features resulting from Pt replication of the interconnecting mesopore segments (2–4 nm) present in the silica host structure. Electron tomography of partial replicas, made by incomplete infilling of Zeotile-4 material with Pt, provided insight in the connectivity and formation mechanism of the Pt nanostructure by ALD. The Pt replica was evaluated for its potential use as electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, one of the half-reactions of water electrolysis, and as microelectrode for biomedical sensing. The Pt replica showed high activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction and electrochemical characterization revealed a large impedance improvement in comparison with reference Pt electrodes. |
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Language | Wos | 000411232100010 | Publication Date | 2017-06-28 | |
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Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 2050-7488 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 8.867 | Times cited | 9 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work was supported by the Flemish government through long-term structural funding (Methusalem) to JAM and FWO for a research project (G0A5417N). JD, TA and FC acknowledge Flemish FWO for a post-doctoral fellowship. S. B. acknowledges funding from ERC Starting Grant COLOURATOMS (335078). (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 8.867 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144624 c:irua:144624 c:irua:144624UA @ admin @ c:irua:144624 | Serial | 4634 | ||
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Author | Barreca, D.; Carraro, G.; Gasparotto, A.; Maccato, C.; Altantzis, T.; Sada, C.; Kaunisto, K.; Ruoko, T.-P.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | Vapor Phase Fabrication of Nanoheterostructures Based on ZnO for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Advanced Materials Interfaces | Abbreviated Journal | Adv Mater Interfaces |
Volume | 4 | Issue | 4 | Pages | 1700161 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Nanoheterostructures based on metal oxide semiconductors have emerged as promising materials for the conversion of sunlight into chemical energy. In the present study, ZnO-based nanocomposites have been developed by a hybrid vapor phase route, consisting in the chemical vapor deposition of ZnO systems on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates, followed by the functionalization with Fe2O3 or WO3 via radio frequency-sputtering. The target systems are subjected to thermal treatment in air both prior and after sputtering, and their properties, including structure, chemical composition, morphology, and optical absorption, are investigated by a variety of characterization methods. The obtained results evidence the formation of highly porous ZnO nanocrystal arrays, conformally covered by an ultrathin Fe2O3 or WO3 overlayer. Photocurrent density measurements for solar-triggered water splitting reveal in both cases a performance improvement with respect to bare zinc oxide, that is mainly traced back to an enhanced separation of photogenerated charge carriers thanks to the intimate contact between the two oxides. This achievement can be regarded as a valuable result in view of future optimization of similar nanoheterostructured photoanodes. |
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Language | Wos | 000411525700007 | Publication Date | 2017-05-15 | |
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Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 2196-7350 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 4.279 | Times cited | 30 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | The authors kindly acknowledge the financial support under Padova University ex-60% 2013–2016, P-DiSC #SENSATIONAL BIRD2016- UNIPD projects and the post-doc fellowship ACTION. S.B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078) and T.A. acknowledges funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. Many thanks are also due to Dr. Rosa Calabrese (Department of Chemistry, Padova University, Italy) for experimental assistance. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.279 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:146104UA @ admin @ c:irua:146104 | Serial | 4731 | ||
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Author | Montanarella, F.; Altantzis, T.; Zanaga, D.; Rabouw, F.T.; Bals, S.; Baesjou, P.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.; van Blaaderen, A. | ||||
Title | Composite Supraparticles with Tunable Light Emission | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | ACS nano | Abbreviated Journal | Acs Nano |
Volume | 11 | Issue | 11 | Pages | 9136-9142 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Robust luminophores emitting light with broadly tunable colors are desirable in many applications such as light-emitting diode (LED)-based lighting, displays, integrated optoelectronics and biology. Nanocrystalline quantum dots with multicolor emission, from core- and shell-localized excitons, as well as solid layers of mixed quantum dots that emit different colors have been proposed. Here, we report on colloidal supraparticles that are composed of three types of Cd(Se,ZnS) core/(Cd,Zn)S shell nanocrystals with emission in the red, green, and blue. The emission of the supraparticles can be varied from pure to composite colors over the entire visible region and finetuned into variable shades of white light by mixing the nanocrystals in controlled proportions. Our approach results in supraparticles with sizes spanning the colloidal domain and beyond that combine versatility and processability with a broad, stable, and tunable emission, promising applications in lighting devices and biological research. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000411918200062 | Publication Date | 2017-09-26 | |
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ISSN | 1936-0851 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 13.942 | Times cited | 36 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | We thank J. J. Geuchies for help with the optical analysis, W. Vlug for providing silica particles filled with RITC, J. D. Meeldijk for his assistance with SE-STEM measurements, E. B. van der Wee for help with the calculation of the radial distribution functions, and M. van Huis and S. Dussi for very fruitful discussions. This work was supported by the European Comission via the Marie-Sklodowska Curie action Phonsi (H2020-MSCA-ITN-642656). D.V. wishes to thank the Dutch FOM (program DDC13), NWO−CW (Toppunt 718.015.002), and the European Research Council under HORIZON 2020 (grant 692691 FIRSTSTEP) for financial support. A.v.B. and F.M. acknowledge partial funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP-2007-2013)/ERC advanced grant agreement 291667: HierarSACol. S.B. and D.Z. acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (starting grant no. COLOURATOM 335078), and T.A. acknowledges funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. ECAS_Sara (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); | Approved | Most recent IF: 13.942 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:146095UA @ admin @ c:irua:146095 | Serial | 4732 | ||
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Author | Altantzis, T.; Zanaga, D.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | Advanced electron tomography of nanoparticle assemblies | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Europhysics letters | Abbreviated Journal | Epl-Europhys Lett |
Volume | 119 | Issue | 119 | Pages | 38001 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Nanoparticle assemblies have attracted enormous scientific interest during the last years, due to their unique properties compared to those of their building blocks. To understand the origin of these properties and to establish the connection with their structure, a detailed and quantitative structural characterization is essential. Transmission electron microscopy has been widely used to investigate nano-assemblies. However, TEM images only correspond to a twodimensional projection of a three-dimensional object. Therefore, in order to obtain the necessary 3D structural information electron tomography has to be applied. By means of advanced electron tomography, both qualitative and quantitative information can be obtained, which can be used for detailed theoretical studies. |
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Language | Wos | 000415019400023 | Publication Date | 2017-10-12 | |
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ISSN | 0295-5075 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 1.957 | Times cited | 8 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | We would like to thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including L. M. Liz- Marzan, M. Grzelczak, A. Sanchez-Iglesias, D. Vanmaekelbergh, M. P. Boneschanscher, W. H. Evers, J. J. Geuchies, B. Goris, A. de Backer, S. van Aert, M.-P. Pileni, Z. Yang, K. J. Batenburg, J. Sijbers, F. Bleichrodt, W. J. Palenstijn, A. van Blaaderen, M. A. van Huis, F. M. Peeters, N. Winckelmans and D. Wang. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (G.0381.16N, G.036915 G.0374.13 and funding of a postdoctoral grant to TA). SB and DZ acknowledge funding from the European Research Council, ERC grant No. 335078 – Colouratom. (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 1.957 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:146096UA @ admin @ c:irua:146096 | Serial | 4733 | ||
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Author | González-Rubio, G.; de Oliveira, T.M.; Altantzis, T.; La Porta, A.; Guerrero-Martínez, A.; Bals, S.; Scarabelli, L.; Liz-Marzán, L.M. | ||||
Title | Disentangling the effect of seed size and crystal habit on gold nanoparticle seeded growth | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Chemical communications | Abbreviated Journal | Chem Commun |
Volume | 53 | Issue | 53 | Pages | 11360-11363 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Oxidative etching was used to produce gold seeds of different sizes and crystal habits. Following detailed characterization, the seeds were grown under different conditions. Our results bring new insights toward understanding the effect of size and crystallinity on the growth of anisotropic particles, whilst identifying guidelines for the optimisation of new synthetic protocols of predesigned seeds. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000412814900019 | Publication Date | 2017-09-26 | |
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ISSN | 1359-7345 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 6.319 | Times cited | 29 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work was funded by the Spanish MINECO (grant # MAT2013-46101-R, Ramon y Cajal fellowship to A. G.-M. and FPI fellowship to G. G.-R.). Financial support is acknowledged from the European Commission (EUSMI, 731019). S. B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS). T. A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). ECAS_Sara (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); | Approved | Most recent IF: 6.319 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:146101UA @ admin @ c:irua:146101 | Serial | 4734 | ||
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Author | Udayabhaskararao, T.; Altantzis, T.; Houben, L.; Coronado-Puchau, M.; Langer, J.; Popovitz-Biro, R.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Vuković, L.; Král, P.; Bals, S.; Klajn, R. | ||||
Title | Tunable porous nanoallotropes prepared by post-assembly etching of binary nanoparticle superlattices | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2017 | Publication | Science | Abbreviated Journal | Science |
Volume | 358 | Issue | 358 | Pages | 514-518 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles has been used to prepare hundreds of different colloidal crystals, but almost invariably with the restriction that the particles must be densely packed. Here,we show that non–close-packed nanoparticle arrays can be fabricated through the selective removal of one of two components comprising binary nanoparticle superlattices. First, a variety of binary nanoparticle superlattices were prepared at the liquid-air interface, including several arrangements that were previously unknown. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the particular role of the liquid in templating the formation of superlattices not achievable through self-assembly in bulk solution. Second, upon stabilization, all of these binary superlattices could be transformed into distinct “nanoallotropes”—nanoporous materials having the same chemical composition but differing in their nanoscale architectures. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000413757500043 | Publication Date | 2017-10-27 | |
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ISSN | 0036-8075 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 37.205 | Times cited | 113 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work was supported by the European Research Council (grants 336080 CONFINEDCHEM to R.K. and 335078 COLOURATOM to S.B.), the Rothschild Caesarea Foundation (R.K.), the NSF (Division of Materials Research, grant 1506886) (P.K.), the European Commission (grant EUSMI 731019 to L.M.L.-M. and S.B.), and the startup funding from the University of Texas at El Paso (L.V.). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant MAT2013- 46101-R). T.A. acknowledges funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. The computer support was provided by the Texas Advanced Computing Center. All data are reported in the main text and supplementary materials. ECAS_Sara (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); | Approved | Most recent IF: 37.205 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147242UA @ admin @ c:irua:147242 | Serial | 4770 | ||
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Author | Kus, M.; Altantzis, T.; Vercauteren, S.; Caretti, I.; Leenaerts, O.; Batenburg, K.J.; Mertens, M.; Meynen, V.; Partoens, B.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Bals, S.; Cool, P. | ||||
Title | Mechanistic Insight into the Photocatalytic Working of Fluorinated Anatase {001} Nanosheets | 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 | 26275-26286 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA) | ||||
Abstract | Anatase nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have gained increasing interest for photocatalytic applications. To fully understand the structure-to-activity relation, combined experimental and computational methods have been exploited. Anatase nanosheets were prepared under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of fluorine ions. High resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy was used to fully characterize the synthesized material, confirming the TiO2 nanosheet morphology. Moreover, the surface structure and composition of a single nanosheet could be determined by annular bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ABF-STEM) and STEM electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS). The photocatalytic activity was tested for the decomposition of organic dyes rhodamine 6G and methyl orange and compared to a reference TiO2 anatase sample. The anatase nanosheets with exposed {001} facets revealed a significantly lower photocatalytic activity compared to the reference. In order to understand the mechanism for the catalytic performance, and to investigate the role of the presence of F−, light-induced electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments were performed. The EPR results are in agreement with TEM, proving the presence of Ti3+ species close to the surface of the sample and allowing the analysis of the photoinduced formation of paramagnetic species. Further, ab initio calculations of the anisotropic effective mass of electrons and electron holes in anatase show a very high effective mass of electrons in the [001] direction, having a negative impact on the mobility of electrons toward the {001} surface and thus the photocatalysis. Finally, motivated by the experimental results that indicate the presence of fluorine atoms at the surface, we performed ab initio calculations to determine the position of the band edges in anatase slabs with different terminations of the {001} surface. The presence of fluorine atoms near the surface is shown to strongly shift down the band edges, which indicates another reason why it can be expected that the prepared samples with a large amount of {001} surface, but with fluorine atoms near the surface, show only a low photocatalytic activity. |
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Language | Wos | 000417228500017 | Publication Date | 2017-11-30 | |
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ISSN | 1932-7447 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 4.536 | Times cited | 20 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | The authors acknowledge the University of Antwerp for financial support in the frame of a GOA project. S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Grant No. 335078 COLOURATOM. S.V.D. and V.M. acknowledge funding from the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (G.0687.13). T.A. acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.536 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147240UA @ admin @ c:irua:147240 | Serial | 4771 | ||
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Author | Winckelmans, N.; Altantzis, T.; Grzelczak, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | Multimode Electron Tomography as a Tool to Characterize the Internal Structure and Morphology of Gold Nanoparticles | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces | Abbreviated Journal | J Phys Chem C |
Volume | 122 | Issue | 122 | Pages | 13522-13528 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Three dimensional (3D) characterization of structural defects in nanoparticles by transmission electron microscopy is far from straightforward. We propose the use of a dose-efficient approach, so-called multimode tomography, during which tilt series of low and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy projection images are acquired simultaneously. In this manner, not only reliable information can be obtained concerning the shape of the nanoparticles, but also the twin planes can be clearly visualized in 3D. As an example, we demonstrate the application of this approach to identify the position of the seeds with respect to the twinning planes in anisotropic gold nanoparticles synthesized using a seed mediated growth approach. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000437811500036 | Publication Date | 2018-01-16 | |
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ISSN | 1932-7447 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 4.536 | Times cited | 23 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | S.B. and N.W. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Grant No. 335078 COLOURATOM. S.B. and T.A. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0369.15N and G.0218.14N) and a postdoctoral research grant to T.A. L.M.L.-M. and M.G. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant MAT2013-46101-R). L.M.L.-M. and S.B. acknowledge funding from the European Commission (grant EUSMI 731019). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.536 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:148164UA @ admin @ c:irua:148164 | Serial | 4807 | ||
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Author | Yang, Z.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Tendeloo, G.V.; Pileni, M.-P. | ||||
Title | Do Binary Supracrystals Enhance the Crystal Stability? | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces | Abbreviated Journal | J Phys Chem C |
Volume | 122 | Issue | 122 | Pages | 13515-13521 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | We study the oxygen thermal stability of two binary systems. The larger particles are magnetic amorphous Co (7.2 nm) or Fe3O4 (7.5 nm) nanocrystals, whereas the smaller ones (3.7 nm) are Au nanocrystals. The nanocrystal ordering as well as the choice of the magnetic nanoparticles very much influence the stability of the binary system. A perfect crystalline structure is obtained with the Fe3O4/Au binary supracrystals. For the Co/Au binary system, oxidation of Co results in the chemical transformation from Co to CoO, where the size of the amorphous Co nanoparticles increases from 7.2 to 9.8 nm in diameter. During the volume expansion of the Co nanoparticles, Au nanoparticles within the binary assemblies coalesce and are at the origin of the instability of the binary nanoparticle supracrystals. On the other hand, for the Fe3O4/Au binary system, the oxidation of Fe3O4 to γ-Fe2O3 does not lead to a size change of the nanoparticles, which maintains the stability of the binary nanoparticle supracrystals. A similar behavior is observed for an AlB2-type Co−Ag binary system: The crystalline structure is maintained, whereas in disordered assemblies, coalescence of Ag nanocrystals is observed. |
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000437811500035 | Publication Date | 2018-01-30 | |
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 | The research leading to these results has been supported by an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council under Grant 267129. The authors appreciate financial support by the European Union under the Framework 7 program under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (Reference No. 262348 ESMI). S.B. acknowledges funding from ERC Starting Grant COLOURATOMS (335078). T.A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.536 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149388UA @ admin @ c:irua:149388 | Serial | 4812 | ||
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Author | Barreca, D.; Carraro, G.; Maccato, C.; Altantzis, T.; Kaunisto, K.; Gasparotto, A. | ||||
Title | Controlled Growth of Supported ZnO Inverted Nanopyramids with Downward Pointing Tips | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | Crystal growth & design | Abbreviated Journal | Cryst Growth Des |
Volume | Issue | Pages | acs.cgd.8b00198 | ||
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | High purity porous ZnO nanopyramids with controllable properties are grown on their tips on Si(100) substrates by means of a catalyst-free vapor phase deposition route in a wet oxygen reaction environment. The system degree of preferential [001] orientation, as well as nanopyramid size, geometrical shape and density distribution, can be finely tuned by varying the growth temperature between 300 and 400°C, whereas higher temperatures lead to more compact systems with a three-dimensional (3D) morphology. A growth mechanism of the obtained ZnO nanostructures based on a self-catalytic vapor-solid (VS) mode is proposed, in order to explain the evolution of nanostructure morphologies as a function of the adopted process conditions. The results obtained by a thorough chemico-physical characterization enable to get an improved control over the properties of ZnO nanopyramids grown by this technique. Taken together, they are of noticeable importance not only for fundamental research on ZnO nanomaterials with controlled nano-organization, but also to tailor ZnO functionalities in view of various potential applications. |
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000429508200073 | Publication Date | 2018-03-06 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1528-7483 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 4.055 | Times cited | 6 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work has been supported by Padova University ex-60% 2015–2017, P-DiSC #03BIRD2016-UNIPD projects and ACTION post-doc fellowship. T. A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). Thanks are also due to Dr. Rosa Calabrese (Department of Chemical Sciences, Padova University, Italy) and to Dr. T.-P. Ruoko (Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Finland) for skilful technical support. | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.055 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149514 | Serial | 4904 | ||
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Author | van den Bos, K.H.W.; Altantzis, T.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | Recent breakthroughs in scanning transmission electron microscopy of small species | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | Advances in Physics: X | Abbreviated Journal | Advances in Physics: X |
Volume | 3 | Issue | 3 | Pages | 1480420 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Over the last decade, scanning transmission electron microscopy has become one of the most powerful tools to characterise nanomaterials at the atomic scale. Often, the ultimate goal is to retrieve the three-dimensional structure, which is very challenging since small species are typically sensitive to electron irradiation. Nevertheless, measuring individual atomic positions is crucial to understand the relation between the structure and physicochemical properties of these (nano)materials. In this review, we highlight the latest approaches that are available to reveal the 3D atomic structure of small species. Finally, we will provide an outlook and will describe future challenges where the limits of electron microscopy will be pushed even further. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000441619500001 | Publication Date | 2018-08-13 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 2374-6149 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | Times cited | 8 | Open Access | OpenAccess | |
Notes | This work was supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) under Grant G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, and G.0267.18N, by personal FWO Grants to K. H. W. van den Bos, T. Altantzis, and A. De Backer, and the European Research Council under Grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S. Bals. The authors would like to thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including A. M. Abakumov, K. J. Batenburg, E. Countiño-Gonzalez, C. de Mello Donega, R. Erni, J. J. Geuchies, B. Goris, J. Hofkens, L. Jones, P. Lievens, L. M. Liz-Marzán, I. Lobato, G. T. Martinez, P. D. Nellist, B. Partoens, M. B. J. Roeffaers, M.D. Rossell, B. Schoeters, M. J. Van Bael, W. van der Stam, M. van Huis, G. Van Tendeloo, D. Vanmaekelbergh, and N. Winckelmans. (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: NA | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152820UA @ admin @ c:irua:152820 | Serial | 5007 | ||
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Author | Amini, M.N.; Altantzis, T.; Lobato, I.; Grzelczak, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Van Aert, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Partoens, B.; Bals, S.; Neyts, E.C. | ||||
Title | Understanding the Effect of Iodide Ions on the Morphology of Gold Nanorods | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | Particle and particle systems characterization | Abbreviated Journal | Part Part Syst Char |
Volume | 35 | Issue | 35 | Pages | 1800051 |
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 | The presence of iodide ions during the growth of gold nanorods strongly affects the shape of the final products, which is proposed to be due to selective iodide adsorption on certain crystallographic facets. Therefore, a detailed structural and morphological characterization of the starting rods is crucial toward understanding this effect. Electron tomography is used to determine the crystallographic indices of the lateral facets of gold nanorods, as well as those present at the tips. Based on this information, density functional theory calculations are used to determine the surface and interface energies of the observed facets and provide insight into the relationship between the amount of iodide ions in the growth solution and the final morphology of anisotropic gold nanoparticles. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000441893400002 | Publication Date | 2018-06-10 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 0934-0866 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 4.474 | Times cited | 6 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S.B.). T.A., S.V.A. S.B. and E.C.N., acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium), through project funding (G.0218.14N and G.0369.15N) and a postdoctoral grant to T.A. L.M.L.-M. and M.G. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant MAT2013-46101-R). Mozhgan N. Amini and Thomas Altantzis contributed equally to this work. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.474 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152998UA @ admin @ c:irua:152998 | Serial | 5010 | ||
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Author | Peters, J.L.; Altantzis, T.; Lobato, I.; Jazi, M.A.; van Overbeek, C.; Bals, S.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.; Sinai, S.B. | ||||
Title | Mono- and Multilayer Silicene-Type Honeycomb Lattices by Oriented Attachment of PbSe Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Analysis of the Disorder | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | Chemistry of materials | Abbreviated Journal | Chem Mater |
Volume | 30 | Issue | 30 | Pages | 4831-4837 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Nanocrystal (NC) solids are commonly prepared from nonpolar organic NC suspensions. In many cases, the capping on the NC surface is preserved and forms a barrier between the NCs. More recently, superstructures with crystalline connections between the NCs, implying the removal of the capping, have been reported, too. Here, we present large-scale uniform superstructures of attached PbSe NCs with a silicene-type honeycomb geometry, resulting from solvent evaporation under nearly reversible conditions. We also prepared multilayered silicene honeycomb structures by using larger amounts of PbSe NCs. We show that the two-dimensional silicene superstructures can be seen as a crystallographic slice from a 3-D simple cubic structure. We describe the disorder in the silicene lattices in terms of the nanocrystals position and their atomic alignment. The silicene honeycomb sheets are large enough to be used in transistors and optoelectronic devices. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000440105500042 | Publication Date | 2018-07-24 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 0897-4756 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 9.466 | Times cited | 33 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission (Grant EUSMI 731019). S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (Grant 335078 COLOURATOM). T.A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by means of the Grant Agreement No. 731019 EUSMI. (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara | Approved | Most recent IF: 9.466 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152997UA @ admin @ c:irua:152997 | Serial | 5011 | ||
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Author | Altantzis, T.; Lobato, I.; De Backer, A.; Béché, A.; Zhang, Y.; Basak, S.; Porcu, M.; Xu, Q.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | Three-Dimensional Quantification of the Facet Evolution of Pt Nanoparticles in a Variable Gaseous Environment | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2019 | Publication | Nano letters | Abbreviated Journal | Nano Lett |
Volume | 19 | Issue | 19 | Pages | 477-481 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Pt nanoparticles play an essential role in a wide variety of catalytic reactions. The activity of the particles strongly depends on their three-dimensional (3D) structure and exposed facets, as well as on the reactive environment. High-resolution electron microscopy has often been used to characterize nanoparticle catalysts but unfortunately most observations so far have been either performed in vacuum and/or using conventional (2D) in situ microscopy. The latter however does not provide direct 3D morphological information. We have implemented a quantitative methodology to measure variations of the 3D atomic structure of nanoparticles under the flow of a selected gas. We were thereby able to quantify refaceting of Pt nanoparticles with atomic resolution during various oxidation−reduction cycles. In a H2 environment, a more faceted surface morphology of the particles was observed with {100} and {111} planes being dominant. On the other hand, in O2 the percentage of {100} and {111} facets decreased and a significant increase of higher order facets was found, resulting in a more rounded morphology. This methodology opens up new opportunities toward in situ characterization of catalytic nanoparticles because for the first time it enables one to directly measure 3D morphology variations at the atomic scale in a specific gaseous reaction environment. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000455561300061 | Publication Date | 2019-01-09 | |
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 | 82 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S.B. and Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A.). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI 731019 to S.B., L.M.L.-M., and Q.X. and MUMMERING 765604 to S.B. and Q.X.). The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, and G.0267.18N), postdoctoral grants to T.A. and A.D.B, and an FWO [PEGASUS]2 Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship to Y.Z. (12U4917N). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grant MAT2017-86659-R). We gratefully acknowledge the support of NVIDIA Corporation with the donation of the Titan X Pascal GPU used for this research. ecas_sara Realnano 815128; sygma | Approved | Most recent IF: 12.712 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:156390 | Serial | 5150 | ||
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Author | Barreca, D.; Gri, F.; Gasparotto, A.; Carraro, G.; Bigiani, L.; Altantzis, T.; Žener, B.; Lavrenčič Štangar, U.; Alessi, B.; Padmanaban, D.B.; Mariotti, D.; Maccato, C. | ||||
Title | Multi-functional MnO2nanomaterials for photo-activated applications by a plasma-assisted fabrication route | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2019 | Publication | Nanoscale | Abbreviated Journal | Nanoscale |
Volume | 11 | Issue | 1 | Pages | 98-108 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Supported MnO2-based nanomaterials were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates by plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) between 100 °C and 400 °C, starting from a fluorinated Mn(II) diamine diketonate precursor. Growth experiments yielded -MnO2 nanosystems with hierarchical morphology tuneable from dendritic structures to quasi-1D nanosystems as a function of growth temperature, whose variation enabled also a concomitant tailoring of the system fluorine content, and of the optical absorption and band gap. Preliminary photocatalytic tests were aimed at the investigation of photoinduced hydrophilic (PH) and solid phase photocatalytic (PC) performances of the present nanomaterials, as well as at the photodegradation of Plasmocorinth B azo-dye aqueous solutions. The obtained findings highlighted an attractive system photoactivity even under visible light, finely tailored by fluorine content, morphological organization and optical properties of the prepared nanostructures. The results indicate that the synthesized MnO2 nanosystems have potential applications as advanced smart materials for anti-fogging/self-cleaning end uses and water purification. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000454327500037 | Publication Date | 2018-10-10 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 2040-3364 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 7.367 | Times cited | 7 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | Padova University DOR 2016–2017, P-DiSC #03BIRD2016-UNIPD projects, HERALD Cost Action MP1402 – 37831 and ACTION post-doc fellowship are acknowledged for financial support. T.A. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Thanks are also due to Prof. Sara Bals (EMAT, University of Antwerp, Belgium), Prof. Romana Cerc Korošec and to Dr. Lev Matoh (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), and to Prof. Elza Bontempi (Brescia University, Italy). The work was also supported by EPSRC (award EP/R008841/1, EP/M024938/1). | Approved | Most recent IF: 7.367 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:156388 | Serial | 5148 | ||
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Author | Guzzinati, G.; Altantzis, T.; Batuk, M.; De Backer, A.; Lumbeeck, G.; Samaee, V.; Batuk, D.; Idrissi, H.; Hadermann, J.; Van Aert, S.; Schryvers, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | Recent Advances in Transmission Electron Microscopy for Materials Science at the EMAT Lab of the University of Antwerp | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | Materials | Abbreviated Journal | Materials |
Volume | 11 | Issue | 11 | Pages | 1304 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | The rapid progress in materials science that enables the design of materials down to the nanoscale also demands characterization techniques able to analyze the materials down to the same scale, such as transmission electron microscopy. As Belgium’s foremost electron microscopy group, among the largest in the world, EMAT is continuously contributing to the development of TEM techniques, such as high-resolution imaging, diffraction, electron tomography, and spectroscopies, with an emphasis on quantification and reproducibility, as well as employing TEM methodology at the highest level to solve real-world materials science problems. The lab’s recent contributions are presented here together with specific case studies in order to highlight the usefulness of TEM to the advancement of materials science. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000444112800041 | Publication Date | 2018-07-28 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1996-1944 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 2.654 | Times cited | 15 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, G.0120.12N, G.0365.15N, G.0934.17N, S.0100.18N AUHA13009 ; European Research Council, COLOURATOM 335078 ; Universiteit Antwerpen, GOA Solarpaint ; G. Guzzinati, T. Altantzis and A. De Backer have been supported by postdoctoral fellowship grants from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Funding was also received from the European Research Council (starting grant no. COLOURATOM 335078), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 770887), the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, G.0120.12N, G.0365.15N, G.0934.17N, S.0100.18N, G.0401.16N) and from the University of Antwerp through GOA project Solarpaint. Funding for the TopSPIN precession system under grant AUHA13009, as well as for the Qu-Ant-EM microscope, is acknowledged from the HERCULES Foundation. H. Idrissi is mandated by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS). (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; | Approved | Most recent IF: 2.654 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:153737UA @ admin @ c:irua:153737 | Serial | 5064 | ||
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Author | Serrano-Sevillano, J.; Reynaud, M.; Saracibar, A.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; van Tendeloo, G.; Casas-Cabanas, M. | ||||
Title | Enhanced electrochemical performance of Li-rich cathode materials through microstructural control | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2018 | Publication | Physical chemistry, chemical physics | Abbreviated Journal | Phys Chem Chem Phys |
Volume | 20 | Issue | 20 | Pages | 23112-23122 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | The microstructural complexity of Li-rich cathode materials has so far hampered understanding the critical link between size, morphology and structural defects with both capacity and voltage fadings that this family of materials exhibits. Li2MnO3 is used here as a model material to extract reliable structure–property relationships that can be further exploited for the development of high-performing and long-lasting Li-rich oxides. A series of samples with microstructural variability have been prepared and thoroughly characterized using the FAULTS software, which allows quantification of planar defects and extraction of average crystallite sizes. Together with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and density functional theory (DFT) results, the successful application of FAULTS analysis to Li2MnO3 has allowed rationalizing the synthesis conditions and identifying the individual impact of concurrent microstructural features on both voltage and capacity fadings, a necessary step for the development of high-capacity Li-ion cathode materials with enhanced cycle life. |
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000445220500071 | Publication Date | 2018-08-24 | |
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 | 36 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de la Economı´a y de la Competitividad through the project IONSTORE (MINECO ref. ENE2016-81020-R). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3). JSS and AS are grateful for computing time provided by the Spanish i2Basque Centers. MR acknowledges the Spanish State for its financial support through her post-doctoral grant Juan de la Cierva – Formacio´n (MINECO ref. FJCI-2014-19990) and her international mobility grant Jose´ Castillejos (MECD ref. CAS15/00354). S. B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078 Colouratom) and T. A. a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara | Approved | Most recent IF: 4.123 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:154782UA @ admin @ c:irua:154782 | Serial | 5062 | ||
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Author | Gonzalez-Rubio, G.; Kumar, V.; Llombart, P.; Diaz-Nunez, P.; Bladt, E.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Pena-Rodriguez, O.; Noya, E.G.; MacDowell, L.G.; Guerrero-Martinez, A.; Liz-Marzan, L.M. | ||||
Title | Disconnecting Symmetry Breaking from Seeded Growth for the Reproducible Synthesis of High Quality Gold Nanorods | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2019 | Publication | ACS nano | Abbreviated Journal | Acs Nano |
Volume | 13 | Issue | 13 | Pages | 4424-4435 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | One of the major difficulties hindering the widespread application of colloidal anisotropic plasmonic nanoparticles is the limited robustness and reproducibility of multistep synthetic methods. We demonstrate herein that the reproducibility and reliability of colloidal gold nanorod (AuNR) synthesis can be greatly improved by disconnecting the symmetry-breaking event from the seeded growth process. We have used a modified silver-assisted seeded growth method in the presence of the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and n-decanol as a co-surfactant to prepare small AuNRs in high yield, which were then used as seeds for the growth of high quality AuNR colloids. Whereas the use of n-decanol provides a more-rigid micellar system, the growth on anisotropic seeds avoids sources of irreproducibility during the symmetry breaking step, yielding uniform AuNR colloids with narrow plasmon bands, ranging from 600 to 1270 nm, and allowing the fine-tuning of the final dimensions. This method provides a robust route for the preparation of high quality AuNR colloids with tunable morphology, size, and optical response in a reproducible and scalable manner. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000466052900067 | Publication Date | 2019-04-02 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1936-0851 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 13.942 | Times cited | 100 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | ; This work has been funded by the Spanish MINECO (grant nos. FIS2017-89361-C3-2-P and MAT2017-86659-R), the Madrid Regional Government (grant no. P2018/NMT-4389) and the Complutense University of Madrid (grant no. PR75/18-21616). Funding is acknowledged from the European Commission (grant no. EUSMI 731019). G.G.-R. acknowledges receipt of FPI Fellowship from the Spanish MINECO. E.B. and T.A. acknowledge postdoctoral grants from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). The authors are indebted to Profs. Justin Gooding, Watson Loh, Nicholas Kotov, Deqing Zhang, Mihaela Delcea, Maurizio Prato, and Krishna Ganesh, for providing milli-Q water samples. ; | Approved | Most recent IF: 13.942 | ||
Call Number | UA @ admin @ c:irua:160417 | Serial | 5246 | ||
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Author | Ramachandran, R.K.; Filez, M.; Solano, E.; Poelman, H.; Minjauw, M.M.; Van Daele, M.; Feng, J.-Y.; La Porta, A.; Altantzis, T.; Fonda, E.; Coati, A.; Garreau, Y.; Bals, S.; Marin, G.B.; Detavernier, C.; Dendooven, J. | ||||
Title | Chemical and Structural Configuration of Pt Doped Metal Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2019 | Publication | Chemistry of materials | Abbreviated Journal | Chem Mater |
Volume | 31 | Issue | 31 | Pages | 9673-9683 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Pt doped semiconducting metal oxides and Pt metal clusters embedded in an oxide matrix are of interest for applications such as catalysis and gas sensing, energy storage and memory devices. Accurate tuning of the dopant level is crucial for adjusting the properties of these materials. Here, a novel atomic layer deposition (ALD) based method for doping Pt into In2O3 in specific, and metals in metal oxides in general, is demonstrated. This approach combines alternating exposures of Pt and In2O3 ALD processes in a single ‘supercycle’, followed by supercycle repetition leading to multilayered nanocomposites. The atomic level control of ALD and its conformal nature make the method suitable for accurate dopant control even on high surface area supports. Oxidation state, local structural environment and crystalline phase of the embedded Pt dopants were obtained by means of X-ray characterization methods and high angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). In addition, this approach allows characterization of the nucleation stages of metal ALD processes, by stacking those states multiple times in an oxide matrix. Regardless of experimental conditions, a few Pt ALD cycles leads to the formation of oxidized Pt species due to their highly dispersed nature, as proven by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and highresolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (HR-STEM/EDXS) show that Pt is evenly distributed in the In2O3 metal oxide matrix without the formation of clusters. For a larger number of Pt ALD cycles, typ. > 10, the oxidation state gradually evolves towards fully metallic, and metallic Pt clusters are obtained within the In2O3 metal oxide matrix. This work reveals how tuning of the ALD supercycle approach for Pt doping allows controlled engineering of the Pt compositional and structural configuration within a metal oxide matrix. |
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Corporate Author | Thesis | ||||
Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000502418000010 | Publication Date | 2019-11-11 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 0897-4756 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 9.466 | Times cited | 6 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This research was supported by the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen), the Flemish Government (Long term structural funding – Methusalem funding and Medium scale research infrastructure funding-Hercules funding), the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA 01G01513) and the CALIPSO Trans National Access Program funded by the European Commission in supplying financing of travel costs. We are grateful to the SIXS and SAMBA-SOLEIL staff for smoothly running the beamline facilities. J.D. and R.K.R. are postdoctoral fellows of the FWO. | Approved | Most recent IF: 9.466 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:164056 | Serial | 5380 | ||
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Author | Kirkwood, N.; De Backer, A.; Altantzis, T.; Winckelmans, N.; Longo, A.; Antolinez, F.V.; Rabouw, F.T.; De Trizio, L.; Geuchies, J.J.; Mulder, J.T.; Renaud, N.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Houtepen, A.J. | ||||
Title | Locating and controlling the Zn content in In(Zn)P quantum dots | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2019 | Publication | Chemistry of materials | Abbreviated Journal | Chem Mater |
Volume | 32 | Issue | 32 | Pages | 557-565 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) | ||||
Abstract | Zinc is routinely employed in the synthesis of InP quantum dots (QDs) to improve the photoluminescence efficiency and carrier mobility of the resulting In(Zn)P alloy nanostructures. The exact location of Zn in the final structures and the mechanism by which it enhances the optoelectronic properties of the QDs is debated. We use synchrotron X-ray absorbance spectroscopy to show that the majority of Zn in In(Zn)P QDs is located at their surface as Zn-carboxylates. However, a small amount of Zn is present inside the bulk of the QDs with the consequent contraction of their lattice, as confirmed by combining high resolution high-angle annular dark-field imaging scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) with statistical parameter estimation theory. We further demonstrate that the Zn content and its incorporation into the QDs can be tuned by the ligation of commonly employed Zn carboxylate precursors: the use of highly reactive Zn-acetate leads to the formation of undesired Zn3P2 and the final nanostructures being characterized by broad optical features, whereas Zn-carboxylates with longer carbon chains lead to InP crystals with much lower zinc content and narrow optical features. These results can explain the differences between structural and optical properties of In(Zn)P samples reported across the literature, and provide a rational method to tune the amount of Zn in InP nanocrystals and to drive the incorporation of Zn either as surface Zn-carboxylate, as a substitutional dopant inside the InP crystal lattice, or even predominantly as Zn3P2. | ||||
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Corporate Author | Thesis | ||||
Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000507721600056 | Publication Date | 2019-12-13 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 0897-4756 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 9.466 | Times cited | 39 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | A.J.H. acknowledges support from the European Research Council Horizon 2020 ERC Grant Agreement No. 678004 (Doping on Demand). This research is supported by the Dutch Technology Foundation TTW, which is part of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and which is partly funded by Ministry of Economic Affairs. SB acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (grant 815128 REALNANO). The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project funding G.0381.16N and a postdoctoral grant to A.D.B. AJH, LM and JM acknowledge support from the H2020 Collaborative Project TEQ (Grant No. 766900).; sygma | Approved | Most recent IF: 9.466 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:165234 | Serial | 5438 | ||
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Author | Choukroun, D.; Daems, N.; Kenis, T.; Van Everbroeck, T.; Hereijgers, J.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Cool, P.; Breugelmans, T. | ||||
Title | Bifunctional nickel-nitrogen-doped-carbon-supported copper electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Journal Of Physical Chemistry C | Abbreviated Journal | J Phys Chem C |
Volume | 124 | Issue | 124 | Pages | 1369-1381 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Bifunctionality is a key feature of many industrial catalysts, supported metal clusters and particles in particular, and the development of such catalysts for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to hydrocarbons and alcohols is gaining traction in light of recent advancements in the field. Carbon-supported Cu nanoparticles are suitable candidates for integration in the state-of-the-art reaction interfaces, and here, we propose, synthesize, and evaluate a bifunctional Ni–N-doped-C-supported Cu electrocatalyst, in which the support possesses active sites for selective CO2 conversion to CO and Cu nanoparticles catalyze either the direct CO2 or CO reduction to hydrocarbons. In this work, we introduce the scientific rationale behind the concept, its applicability, and the challenges with regard to the catalyst. From the practical aspect, the deposition of Cu nanoparticles onto carbon black and Ni–N–C supports via an ammonia-driven deposition precipitation method is reported and explored in more detail using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) give further evidence of the presence of Cu-containing nanoparticles on the Ni–N–C supports while revealing an additional relationship between the nanoparticle’s composition and the electrode’s electrocatalytic performance. Compared to the benchmark carbon black-supported Cu catalysts, Ni–N–C-supported Cu delivers up to a 2-fold increase in the partial C2H4 current density at −1.05 VRHE (C1/C2 = 0.67) and a concomitant 10-fold increase of the CO partial current density. The enhanced ethylene production metrics, obtained by virtue of the higher intrinsic activity of the Ni–N–C support, point out toward a synergistic action between the two catalytic functionalities. | ||||
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Corporate Author | Thesis | ||||
Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000508467700015 | Publication Date | 2020-01-07 | |
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 | 3.7 | Times cited | 24 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | ; N.D. acknowledges sponsoring from the research foundation of Flanders (FWO) in the frame of a postdoctoral grant (12Y3919N N.D.). J.H. greatly acknowledges the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for support through a postdoctoral fellowship (28761). T.V.E. and P.C. acknowledge financial support from the EU-Partial-PGMs project (H2020NMP-686086). The authors also acknowledge financial support from the university research fund (BOF-GOA PS ID No. 33928). ; | Approved | Most recent IF: 3.7; 2020 IF: 4.536 | ||
Call Number | UA @ admin @ c:irua:165326 | Serial | 6286 | ||
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Author | Agrawal, H.; Patra, B.K.; Altantzis, T.; De Backer, A.; Garnett, E.C. | ||||
Title | Quantifying Strain and Dislocation Density at Nanocube Interfaces after Assembly and Epitaxy | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Acs Applied Materials & Interfaces | Abbreviated Journal | Acs Appl Mater Inter |
Volume | 12 | Issue | 7 | Pages | 8788-8794 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Nanoparticle self-assembly and epitaxy are utilized extensively to make 1D and 2D structures with complex shapes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has shown that single-crystalline interfaces can form, but little is known about the strain and dislocations at these interfaces. Such information is critically important for applications: drastically reducing dislocation density was the key breakthrough enabling widespread implementation of light-emitting diodes, while strain engineering has been fundamental to modern high-performance transistors, solar cells, and thermoelectrics. In this work, the interfacial defect and strain formation after selfassembly and room temperature epitaxy of 7 nm Pd nanocubes capped with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is examined. It is observed that, during ligand removal, the cubes move over large distances on the substrate, leading to both spontaneous self-assembly and epitaxy to form single crystals. Subsequently, atomically resolved images are used to quantify the strain and dislocation density at the epitaxial interfaces between cubes with different lateral and angular misorientations. It is shown that dislocation- and strain-free interfaces form when the nanocubes align parallel to each other. Angular misalignment between adjacent cubes does not necessarily lead to grain boundaries but does cause dislocations, with higher densities associated with larger rotations. |
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Corporate Author | Thesis | ||||
Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000515214300101 | Publication Date | 2020-02-19 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1944-8244 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 9.5 | Times cited | Open Access | OpenAccess | |
Notes | Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek; H2020 Research Infrastructures, 731019 ; Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 14846 ; The work at AMOLF is part of the research program of the “Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek” (NWO). This work was supported by the NWO VIDI grant (project no. 14846). The authors would like to thank Reinout Jaarsma and Dr. Sven Askes for helping with the XPS measurements. A.D.B. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the research foundation Flanders (FWO). The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by means of the grant agreement no. 731019 EUSMI. | Approved | Most recent IF: 9.5; 2020 IF: 7.504 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:167770 | Serial | 6398 | ||
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Author | Milagres de Oliveira, T.; Albrecht, W.; González-Rubio, G.; Altantzis, T.; Lobato Hoyos, I.P.; Béché, A.; Van Aert, S.; Guerrero-Martínez, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | 3D Characterization and Plasmon Mapping of Gold Nanorods Welded by Femtosecond Laser Irradiation | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Acs Nano | Abbreviated Journal | Acs Nano |
Volume | 14 | Issue | Pages | acsnano.0c02610 | |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Ultrafast laser irradiation can induce morphological and structural changes in plasmonic nanoparticles. Gold nanorods (Au NRs), in particular, can be welded together upon irradiation with femtosecond laser pulses, leading to dimers and trimers through the formation of necks between individual nanorods. We used electron tomography to determine the 3D (atomic) structure at such necks for representative welding geometries and to characterize the induced defects. The spatial distribution of localized surface plasmon modes for different welding configurations was assessed by electron energy loss spectroscopy. Additionally, we were able to directly compare the plasmon line width of single-crystalline and welded Au NRs with single defects at the same resonance energy, thus making a direct link between the structural and plasmonic properties. In this manner, we show that the occurrence of (single) defects results in significant plasmon broadening. | ||||
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Corporate Author | Thesis | ||||
Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000586793400016 | Publication Date | 2020-08-19 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1936-0851 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 17.1 | Times cited | 25 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This project has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants #815128 – REALNANO and #770887 – PICOMETRICS). The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project funding G.0381.16N and G.0267.18N. W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie 27 Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 797153, SOPMEN). G.G.-R. acknowledge receipt of FPI Fellowship from the Spanish MINECO. This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) (Grants RTI2018-095844-B-I00 and MAT2017-86659-R) and the Madrid Regional Government (Grant P2018/NMT-4389). A.B. acknowledges funding from FWO project G093417N and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3. L.M.L.-M. acknowledges the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. MDM-2017-0720); Comunidad de Madrid, P2018/NMT-4389 ; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, MAT2017-86659-R RTI2018-095844-B-I00 ; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, 797153 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0267.18N G.0381.16N G093417N ; H2020 Research Infrastructures, 823717 ; H2020 European Research Council, 770887 815128 ; Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, MDM-2017-0720 ; sygma | Approved | Most recent IF: 17.1; 2020 IF: 13.942 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:172440 | Serial | 6426 | ||
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Author | Wang, D.; Dasgupta, T.; van der Wee, E.B.; Zanaga, D.; Altantzis, T.; Wu, Y.; Coli, G.M.; Murray, C.B.; Bals, S.; Dijkstra, M.; van Blaaderen, A. | ||||
Title | Binary icosahedral clusters of hard spheres in spherical confinement | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2020 | Publication | Nature Physics | Abbreviated Journal | Nat Phys |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 1-9 | ||
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | The influence of geometry on the local and global packing of particles is important to many fundamental and applied research themes, such as the structure and stability of liquids, crystals and glasses. Here we show by experiments and simulations that a binary mixture of hard-sphere-like nanoparticles crystallizing into a MgZn(2)Laves phase in bulk spontaneously forms icosahedral clusters in slowly drying droplets. Using advanced electron tomography, we are able to obtain the real-space coordinates of all the spheres in the icosahedral clusters of up to about 10,000 particles. The local structure of 70-80% of the particles became similar to that of the MgCu(2)Laves phase. These observations are important for photonic applications. In addition, we observed in simulations that the icosahedral clusters nucleated away from the spherical boundary, which is distinctly different from that of the single species clusters. Our findings open the way for particle-level studies of nucleation and growth of icosahedral clusters, and of binary crystallization. The authors investigate out-of-equilibrium crystallization of a binary mixture of sphere-like nanoparticles in small droplets. They observe the spontaneous formation of an icosahedral structure with stable MgCu(2)phases, which are promising for photonic applications. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000564497300002 | Publication Date | 2020-08-31 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1745-2473; 1745-2481 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 19.6 | Times cited | 38 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | ; D.W., E.B.v.d.W. and A.v.B. acknowledge partial financial support from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP-2007-2013)/ERC Advanced Grant Agreement 291667 HierarSACol. T.D. and M. D. acknowledge financial support from the Industrial Partnership Programme, 'Computational Sciences for Energy Research' (grant number 13CSER025), of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), which was co-financed by Shell Global Solutions International BV G.M.C. was also financially supported by NWO. S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. T.A. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). C.B.M. and Y.W. acknowledge support for materials synthesis from the Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Award ONR N00014-18-1-2497. G. A. Blab is gratefully acknowledged for 3D printing numerous truncated tetrahedra, which increased our understanding of the connection between the binary icosahedral cluster and Laves phase structures. N. Tasios is sincerely thanked for providing the code for the diffraction pattern calculation. M. Hermes is sincerely thanked for providing interactive views of the structures in this work. We thank G. van Tendeloo, M. Engel, J. Wang, S. Dussi, L. Filion, E. Boattini, S. Paliwal, N. Tasios, B. van der Meer, I. Lobato, J. Wu and L. Laurens for fruitful discussions. We acknowledge the EM Square centre at Utrecht University for the access to the microscopes. ; sygma | Approved | Most recent IF: 19.6; 2020 IF: 22.806 | ||
Call Number | UA @ admin @ c:irua:172044 | Serial | 6460 | ||
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Author | Bagiński, M.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Altantzis, T.; Tupikowska, M.; Vetter, A.; Tomczyk, E.; Suryadharma, R.N.S.; Pawlak, M.; Andruszkiewicz, A.; Górecka, E.; Pociecha, D.; Rockstuhl, C.; Bals, S.; Lewandowski, W. | ||||
Title | Understanding and Controlling the Crystallization Process in Reconfigurable Plasmonic Superlattices | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2021 | Publication | Acs Nano | Abbreviated Journal | Acs Nano |
Volume | Issue | Pages | acsnano.0c09746 | ||
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | The crystallization of nanomaterials is a primary source of solid-state, photonic structures. Thus, a detailed understanding of this process is of paramount importance for the successful application of photonic nanomaterials in emerging optoelectronic technologies. While colloidal crystallization has been thoroughly studied, for example, with advanced in situ electron microscopy methods, the noncolloidal crystallization (freezing) of nanoparticles (NPs) remains so far unexplored. To fill this gap, in this work, we present proof-of principle experiments decoding a crystallization of reconfigurable assemblies of NPs at a solid state. The chosen material corresponds to an excellent testing bed, as it enables both in situ and ex situ investigation using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical spectroscopy in visible and ultraviolet range (UV−vis) techniques. In particular, ensemble measurements with small-angle XRD highlighted the dependence of the correlation length in the NPs assemblies on the number of heating/cooling cycles and the rate of cooling. Ex situ TEM imaging further supported these results by revealing a dependence of domain size and structure on the sample preparation route and by showing we can control the domain size over 2 orders of magnitude. The application of HAADF-STEM tomography, combined with in situ thermal control, provided three-dimensional single-particle level information on the positional order evolution within assemblies. This combination of real and reciprocal space provides insightful information on the anisotropic, reversibly reconfigurable assemblies of NPs. TEM measurements also highlighted the importance of interfaces in the polydomain structure of nanoparticle solids, allowing us to understand experimentally observed differences in UV−vis extinction spectra of the differently prepared crystallites. Overall, the obtained results show that the combination of in situ heating HAADF-STEM tomography with XRD and ex situ TEM techniques is a powerful approach to study nanoparticle freezing processes and to reveal the crucial impact of disorder in the solid-state aggregates of NPs on their plasmonic properties. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000634569100101 | Publication Date | 2021-02-23 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 1936-0851 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 13.942 | Times cited | 10 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyzszego, 0112/DIA/2019/48 ; European Commission, 731019 E171000009 (EUSMI) ; Narodowe Centrum Nauki, 2016/21/N/ST5/03356 ; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, RO 3640/12-1 ; Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej, First TEAM2016–2/15 ; European Research Council, 815128 (REALNANO) ; sygma; | Approved | Most recent IF: 13.942 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:175872 | Serial | 6673 | ||
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Author | Wu, L.; Kolmeijer, K.E.; Zhang, Y.; An, H.; Arnouts, S.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; Hofmann, J.P.; Costa Figueiredo, M.; Hensen, E.J.M.; Weckhuysen, B.M.; van der Stam, W. | ||||
Title | Stabilization effects in binary colloidal Cu and Ag nanoparticle electrodes under electrochemical CO₂ reduction conditions | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2021 | Publication | Nanoscale | Abbreviated Journal | Nanoscale |
Volume | 13 | Issue | 9 | Pages | 4835-4844 |
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Nanoparticle modified electrodes constitute an attractive way to tailor-make efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction catalysts. However, the restructuring and sintering processes of nanoparticles under electrochemical reaction conditions not only impedes the widespread application of nanoparticle catalysts, but also misleads the interpretation of the selectivity of the nanocatalysts. Here, we colloidally synthesized metallic copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (<10%) and utilized them in electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions. Monometallic Cu and Ag nanoparticle electrodes showed severe nanoparticle sintering already at low overpotential of -0.8 V vs. RHE, as evidenced by ex situ SEM investigations, and potential-dependent variations in product selectivity that resemble bulk Cu (14% for ethylene at -1.3 V vs. RHE) and Ag (69% for carbon monoxide at -1.0 V vs. RHE). However, by co-deposition of Cu and Ag nanoparticles, a nanoparticle stabilization effect was observed between Cu and Ag, and the sintering process was greatly suppressed at CO2 reducing potentials (-0.8 V vs. RHE). Furthermore, by varying the Cu/Ag nanoparticle ratio, the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) selectivity towards methane (maximum of 20.6% for dense Cu-2.5-Ag-1 electrodes) and C-2 products (maximum of 15.7% for dense Cu-1-Ag-1 electrodes) can be tuned, which is attributed to a synergistic effect between neighbouring Ag and Cu nanoparticles. We attribute the stabilization of the nanoparticles to the positive enthalpies of Cu-Ag solid solutions, which prevents the dissolution-redeposition induced particle growth under CO2RR conditions. The observed nanoparticle stabilization effect enables the design and fabrication of active CO2 reduction nanocatalysts with high durability. | ||||
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000628024200011 | Publication Date | 2021-02-22 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 2040-3364 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 7.367 | Times cited | 24 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | This work is funded by the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project ‘Joint Centre for Chemergy Research’ (budget holder B. M. W.). S. B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128 REALNANO). S. A. and T. A. acknowledge funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). We thank Eric Hellebrand (Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University) for the assistance in SEM measurements. Dr Ramon Oord (ARC Chemical Building Blocks Consortium, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University) is acknowledged for assisting with the grazing incidence XRD measurements; sygma | Approved | Most recent IF: 7.367 | ||
Call Number | UA @ admin @ c:irua:176723 | Serial | 6737 | ||
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Author | Albrecht, W.; Arslan Irmak, E.; Altantzis, T.; Pedrazo‐Tardajos, A.; Skorikov, A.; Deng, T.‐S.; van der Hoeven, J.E.S.; van Blaaderen, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S. | ||||
Title | 3D Atomic‐Scale Dynamics of Laser‐Light‐Induced Restructuring of Nanoparticles Unraveled by Electron Tomography | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2021 | Publication | Advanced Materials | Abbreviated Journal | Adv Mater |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 2100972 | ||
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Understanding light–matter interactions in nanomaterials is crucial for optoelectronic, photonic, and plasmonic applications. Specifically, metal nanoparticles (NPs) strongly interact with light and can undergo shape transformations, fragmentation and ablation upon (pulsed) laser excitation. Despite being vital for technological applications, experimental insight into the underlying atomistic processes is still lacking due to the complexity of such measurements. Herein, atomic resolution electron tomography is performed on the same mesoporous-silica-coated gold nanorod, before and after femtosecond laser irradiation, to assess the missing information. Combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on the experimentally determined 3D atomic-scale morphology, the complex atomistic rearrangements, causing shape deformations and defect generation, are unraveled. These rearrangements are simultaneously driven by surface diffusion, facet restructuring, and strain formation, and are influenced by subtleties in the atomic distribution at the surface. |
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Publisher | Place of Publication | Editor | |||
Language | Wos | 000671662000001 | Publication Date | 2021-07-11 | |
Series Editor | Series Title | Abbreviated Series Title | |||
Series Volume | Series Issue | Edition | |||
ISSN | 0935-9648 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 19.791 | Times cited | 8 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | W.A. and E.A.I. contributed equally to this work. The authors acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants No. 815128 – REALNANO and No. 770887 – PICOMETRICS), the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (ERC Advanced Grant No. 291667 – HierarSACol), and the European Commission (EUSMI). W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in the Horizon2020 program (Grant 797153, SOPMEN). T.-S.D. acknowledges financial support from the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant No. 61905056). The authors also acknowledge financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO Grant G.0267.18N).; sygmaSB | Approved | Most recent IF: 19.791 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:179781 | Serial | 6805 | ||
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Author | Hudry, D.; De Backer, A.; Popescu, R.; Busko, D.; Howard, I.A.; Bals, S.; Zhang, Y.; Pedrazo‐Tardajos, A.; Van Aert, S.; Gerthsen, D.; Altantzis, T.; Richards, B.S. | ||||
Title | Interface Pattern Engineering in Core‐Shell Upconverting Nanocrystals: Shedding Light on Critical Parameters and Consequences for the Photoluminescence Properties | Type | A1 Journal article | ||
Year | 2021 | Publication | Small | Abbreviated Journal | Small |
Volume | Issue | Pages | 2104441 | ||
Keywords | A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) | ||||
Abstract | Advances in controlling energy migration pathways in core-shell lanthanide (Ln)-based hetero-nanocrystals (HNCs) have relied heavily on assumptions about how optically active centers are distributed within individual HNCs. In this article, it is demonstrated that different types of interface patterns can be formed depending on shell growth conditions. Such interface patterns are not only identified but also characterized with spatial resolution ranging from the nanometer- to the atomic-scale. In the most favorable cases, atomic-scale resolved maps of individual particles are obtained. It is also demonstrated that, for the same type of core-shell architecture, the interface pattern can be engineered with thicknesses of just 1 nm up to several tens of nanometers. Total alloying between the core and shell domains is also possible when using ultra-small particles as seeds. Finally, with different types of interface patterns (same architecture and chemical composition of the core and shell domains) it is possible to modify the output color (yellow, red, and green-yellow) or change (improvement or degradation) the absolute upconversion quantum yield. The results presented in this article introduce an important paradigm shift and pave the way toward the emergence of a new generation of core-shell Ln-based HNCs with better control over their atomic-scale organization. | ||||
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Language | Wos | 000710758000001 | Publication Date | 2021-10-25 | |
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ISSN | 1613-6810 | ISBN | Additional Links | UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles | |
Impact Factor | 8.643 | Times cited | 17 | Open Access | OpenAccess |
Notes | The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Helmholtz Recruitment Initiative Fellowship (B.S.R.) and the Helmholtz Association's Research Field Energy (Materials and Technologies for the Energy Transition program, Topic 1 Photovoltaics and Wind Energy). The authors would like to thank the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF) for STEM access. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant agreement no. 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant agreement no. 815128 REALNANO to S.B.). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through Projects no. G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, and a postdoctoral grant to A.D.B. T.A. acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). This project had received funding (EUSMI proposal #E181100205) from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant agreement no 731019 (EUSMI). D.H. would like to thank “CGFigures” for helpful tutorials on 3D graphics with Blender.; sygmaSB | Approved | Most recent IF: 8.643 | ||
Call Number | EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183285 | Serial | 6817 | ||
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