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Author Payne, L.M.; Albrecht, W.; Langbein, W.; Borri, P.
Title The optical nanosizer – quantitative size and shape analysis of individual nanoparticles by high-throughput widefield extinction microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume Issue Pages (up)
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanoparticles are widely utilised for a range of applications, from catalysis to medicine, requiring accurate knowledge of their size and shape. Current techniques for particle characterisation are either not very accurate or time consuming and expensive. Here we demonstrate a rapid and quantitative method for particle analysis based on measuring the polarisation-resolved optical extinction cross-section of hundreds of individual nanoparticles using wide-field microscopy, and determining the particle size and shape from the optical properties. We show measurements on three samples consisting of nominally spherical gold nanoparticles of 20 nm and 30 nm diameter, and gold nanorods of 30 nm length and 10 nm diameter. Nanoparticle sizes and shapes in three dimensions are deduced from the measured optical cross-sections at different wavelengths and light polarisation, by solving the inverse problem, using an ellipsoid model of the particle polarisability in the dipole limit. The sensitivity of the method depends on the experimental noise and the choice of wavelengths. We show an uncertainty down to about 1 nm in mean diameter, and 10% in aspect ratio when using two or three color channels, for a noise of about 50 nm<sup>2</sup>in the measured cross-section. The results are in good agreement with transmission electron microscopy, both 2D projection and tomography, of the same sample batches. Owing to its combination of experimental simplicity, ease of access to statistics over many particles, accuracy, and geometrical particle characterisation in 3D, this “optical nanosizer” method has the potential to become the technique of choice for quality control in next-generation particle manufacturing.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000558928800022 Publication Date 2020-07-08
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 6.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by a Welsh Government Life Sciences Bridging Fund (grant LSBF/R6-005) and by the UK EPSRC (grant no. EP/I005072/1 and EP/M028313/1). PB acknowledges the Royal Society for her Wolfson research merit award (grant WM140077). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission (Grant EUSMI E191000350). WA acknowledges an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) under the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (Grant 797153, SOPMEN), and Sara Bals for supporting the STEM measurements. The bright-field TEM was performed by Thomas Davies at Cardiff University. We acknowledge Attilio Zilli for helpful discussions and contributions in calculating the relative field strengths in the illumination and finite-element simulation of cross-sections shown in the ESI.† We acknowledge Iestyn Pope for technical support of the optical equipment. Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2020 IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ lucian @c:irua:170485 Serial 6397
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Author Yagmurcukardes, M.; Sozen, Y.; Baskurt, M.; Peeters, F.M.; Sahin, H.
Title Interface-dependent phononic and optical properties of GeO/MoSO heterostructures Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume Issue Pages (up)
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract The interface-dependent electronic, vibrational, piezoelectric, and optical properties of van der Waals heterobilayers, formed by buckled GeO (b-GeO) and Janus MoSO structures, are investigated by means of first-principles calculations. The electronic band dispersions show that O/Ge and S/O interface formations result in a type-II band alignment with direct and indirect band gaps, respectively. In contrast, O/O and S/Ge interfaces give rise to the formation of a type-I band alignment with an indirect band gap. By considering the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) on top of G(0)W(0) approximation, it is shown that different interfaces can be distinguished from each other by means of the optical absorption spectra as a consequence of the band alignments. Additionally, the low- and high-frequency regimes of the Raman spectra are also different for each interface type. The alignment of the individual dipoles, which is interface-dependent, either weakens or strengthens the net dipole of the heterobilayers and results in tunable piezoelectric coefficients. The results indicate that the possible heterobilayers of b-GeO/MoSO asymmetric structures possess various electronic, optical, and piezoelectric properties arising from the different interface formations and can be distinguished by means of various spectroscopic techniques.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000738899600001 Publication Date 2021-12-09
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 5 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184722 Serial 6998
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Author Conti, S.; Chaves, A.; Pandey, T.; Covaci, L.; Peeters, F.M.; Neilson, D.; Milošević, M.V.
Title Flattening conduction and valence bands for interlayer excitons in a moire MoS₂/WSe₂ heterobilayer Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages (up) 1-11
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract We explore the flatness of conduction and valence bands of interlayer excitons in MoS2/WSe2 van der Waals heterobilayers, tuned by interlayer twist angle, pressure, and external electric field. We employ an efficient continuum model where the moire pattern from lattice mismatch and/or twisting is represented by an equivalent mesoscopic periodic potential. We demonstrate that the mismatch moire potential is too weak to produce significant flattening. Moreover, we draw attention to the fact that the quasi-particle effective masses around the Gamma-point and the band flattening are reduced with twisting. As an alternative approach, we show (i) that reducing the interlayer distance by uniform vertical pressure can significantly increase the effective mass of the moire hole, and (ii) that the moire depth and its band flattening effects are strongly enhanced by accessible electric gating fields perpendicular to the heterobilayer, with resulting electron and hole effective masses increased by more than an order of magnitude – leading to record-flat bands. These findings impose boundaries on the commonly generalized benefits of moire twistronics, while also revealing alternative feasible routes to achieve truly flat electron and hole bands to carry us to strongly correlated excitonic phenomena on demand.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001047512300001 Publication Date 2023-07-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited 1 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 25.01.2024
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198290 Serial 8819
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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 (up) 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.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
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 Zanaga, D.; Bleichrodt, F.; Altantzis, T.; Winckelmans, N.; Palenstijn, W.J.; Sijbers, J.; de Nijs, B.; van Huis, M.A.; Sanchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.; van Blaaderen, A.; Joost Batenburg, K.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Quantitative 3D analysis of huge nanoparticle assemblies Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 8 Issue 8 Pages (up) 292-299
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract Nanoparticle assemblies can be investigated in 3 dimensions using electron tomography. However, it is not straightforward to obtain quantitative information such as the number of particles or their relative position. This becomes particularly difficult when the number of particles increases. We propose a novel approach in which prior information on the shape of the individual particles is exploited. It improves the quality of the reconstruction of these complex assemblies significantly. Moreover, this quantitative Sparse Sphere Reconstruction approach yields directly the number of particles and their position as an output of the reconstruction technique, enabling a detailed 3D analysis of assemblies with as many as 10 000 particles. The approach can also be used to reconstruct objects based on a very limited number of projections, which opens up possibilities to investigate beam sensitive assemblies where previous reconstructions with the available electron tomography techniques failed.
Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. sara.bals@uantwerpen.be
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000366911700028 Publication Date 2015-11-19
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 34 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS, ERC Advanced Grant # 291667 HierarSACol and ERC Advanced Grant 267867 – PLASMAQUO), the European Union under the FP7 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative N. 262348 European Soft Matter Infrastructure, ESMI and N. 312483 ESTEEM2), and from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), project number 639.072.005 and NWO CW 700.57.026. Networking support was provided by COST Action MP1207.; esteem2jra4; ECASSara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number c:irua:131062 c:irua:131062 Serial 3979
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Author Zarenia, M.; Pereira, J.M.; Peeters, F.M.; Farias, G. de A.
Title Topological confinement in an antisymmetric potential in bilayer graphene in the presence of a magnetic field Type A1 Journal article
Year 2011 Publication Nanoscale research letters Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale Res Lett
Volume 6 Issue Pages (up) 452,1-452,10
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract We investigate the effect of an external magnetic field on the carrier states that are localized at a potential kink and a kink-antikink in bilayer graphene. These chiral states are localized at the interface between two potential regions with opposite signs.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor
Language Wos 000293299800001 Publication Date 2011-07-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1556-276X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.833 Times cited 4 Open Access
Notes ; This work was supported by the Brazilian agency CNPq (Pronex), the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl), the Belgian Science Policy (IAP), and the bilateral projects between Flanders and Brazil and FWO-CNPq. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.833; 2011 IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:91745 Serial 3674
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Author Khalilov, U.; Vets, C.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Molecular evidence for feedstock-dependent nucleation mechanisms of CNTs Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Nanoscale Horizons Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale Horiz.
Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages (up) 674-682
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Atomic scale simulations have been shown to be a powerful tool for elucidating the growth mechanisms of carbon nanotubes. The growth picture is however not entirely clear yet due to the gap between current simulations and real experiments. We here simulate for the first time the nucleation and subsequent growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) from oxygen-containing hydrocarbon feedstocks using the hybrid Molecular Dynamics/Monte Carlo technique. The underlying nucleation mechanisms of Ni-catalysed SWNT growth are discussed in detail. Specifically, we find that as a function of the feedstock, different carbon fractions may emerge as the main growth species, due to a competition between the feedstock decomposition, its rehydroxylation and its contribution to etching of the growing SWNT. This study provides a further understanding of the feedstock effects in SWNT growth in comparison with available experimental evidence as well as with<italic>ab initio</italic>and other simulation data, thereby reducing the simulation–experiment gap.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000471816500011 Publication Date 2019-01-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2055-6756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 03.01.2020
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12M1318N 1S22516N ; The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Belgium (Grant numbers 12M1318N and 1S22516N). The work was carried out in part using the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre VSC, funded by FWO and the Flemish Government (Department EWI). We thank Prof. A. C. T. van Duin for sharing the reax-code and forcefield parameters. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @UA @ admin @ c:irua:159658 Serial 5169
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Author Khalilov, U.; Pourtois, G.; Bogaerts, A.; van Duin, A.C.T.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Reactive molecular dynamics simulations on SiO2-coated ultra-small Si-nanowires Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages (up) 719-725
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The application of coreshell SiSiO2 nanowires as nanoelectronic devices strongly depends on their structure, which is difficult to tune precisely. In this work, we investigate the formation of the coreshell nanowires at the atomic scale, by reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The occurrence of two temperature-dependent oxidation mechanisms of ultra-small diameter Si-NWs is demonstrated. We found that control over the Si-core radius and the SiOx (x ≤ 2) oxide shell is possible by tuning the growth temperature and the initial Si-NW diameter. Two different structures were obtained, i.e., ultrathin SiO2 silica nanowires at high temperature and Si core|ultrathin SiO2 silica nanowires at low temperature. The transition temperature is found to linearly decrease with the nanowire curvature. Finally, the interfacial stress is found to be responsible for self-limiting oxidation, depending on both the initial Si-NW radius and the oxide growth temperature. These novel insights allow us to gain control over the exact morphology and structure of the wires, as is needed for their application in nanoelectronics.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000313426200036 Publication Date 2012-11-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 17 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2013 IF: 6.739
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:102584 Serial 2824
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Author Jalali, H.; Khoeini, F.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M.
Title Hydration effects and negative dielectric constant of nano-confined water between cation intercalated MXenes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages (up) 922-929
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Using electrochemical methods a profound enhancement of the capacitance of electric double layer capacitor electrodes was reported when water molecules are strongly confined into the two-dimensional slits of titanium carbide MXene nanosheets [A. Sugahara et al., Nat. Commun., 2019, 10, 850]. We study the effects of hydration on the dielectric properties of nanoconfined water and supercapacitance properties of the cation intercalated MXene. A model for the electric double layer capacitor is constructed where water molecules are strongly confined in two-dimensional slits of MXene. We report an abnormal dielectric constant and polarization of nano-confined water between MXene layers. We found that by decreasing the ionic radius of the intercalated cations and in a critical hydration shell radius the capacitance of the system increases significantly (similar or equal to 200 F g(-1)) which can be interpreted as a negative permittivity. This study builds a bridge between the fundamental understanding of the dielectric properties of nanoconfined water and the capability of using MXene films for supercapacitor technology, and in doing so provides a solid theoretical support for recent experiments.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000610368100035 Publication Date 2020-12-08
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 Not_Open_Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176141 Serial 6690
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Author Khalilov, U.; Bogaerts, A.; Xu, B.; Kato, T.; Kaneko, T.; Neyts, E.C.
Title How the alignment of adsorbed ortho H pairs determines the onset of selective carbon nanotube etching Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages (up) 1653-1661
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Unlocking the enormous technological potential of carbon nanotubes strongly depends on our ability to specifically produce metallic or semiconducting tubes. While selective etching of both has already been demonstrated, the underlying reasons, however, remain elusive as yet. We here present computational and experimental evidence on the operative mechanisms at the atomic scale. We demonstrate that during the adsorption of H atoms and their coalescence, the adsorbed ortho hydrogen pairs on single-walled carbon nanotubes induce higher shear stresses than axial stresses, leading to the elongation of HC–CH bonds as a function of their alignment with the tube chirality vector, which we denote as the γ-angle. As a result, the C–C cleavage occurs more rapidly in nanotubes containing ortho H-pairs with a small γ-angle. This phenomenon can explain the selective etching of small-diameter semiconductor nanotubes with a similar curvature. Both theoretical and experimental results strongly indicate the important role of the γ-angle in the selective etching mechanisms of carbon nanotubes, in addition to the nanotube curvature and metallicity effects and lead us to clearly understand the onset of selective synthesis/removal of CNT-based materials.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000395422800036 Publication Date 2016-12-19
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 6 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes U. K. gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium (Grant No. 12M1315N). This work was also supported in part by Grant-in- Aid for Young Scientists A (Grant No. 25706028), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Grant No. 26107502) from JSPS KAKENHI. This work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UA. The authors also thank Prof. A. C. T. van Duin for sharing the ReaxFF code and J. Razzokov for his assistance to perform the DFT calculations. Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:140091 Serial 4417
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Author Lebedev, O.I.; Turner, S.; Liu, S.; Cool, P.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title New nano-architectures of mesoporous silica spheres analyzed by advanced electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 4 Issue 5 Pages (up) 1722-1727
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
Abstract Using template-containing silica microspheres as a precursor, novel ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a narrow pore size distribution and high crystallinity have been synthesized by various hydrothermal merging processes. Several architectures like chains, dumbbells, triangles, squares and flowers have been discovered. The linking mechanisms of these interacting silica spheres leading to the formation of ordered nano-structures are studied by HRTEM, HAADF-STEM and electron tomography and a plausible model is presented for several merging processes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000300433700051 Publication Date 2011-12-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 5 Open Access
Notes Fwo Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2012 IF: 6.233
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:95038 Serial 2328
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Author Liu, P.; Arslan Irmak, E.; De Backer, A.; De wael, A.; Lobato, I.; Béché, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title Three-dimensional atomic structure of supported Au nanoparticles at high temperature Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 13 Issue Pages (up)
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Au nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on CeO2 are extensively used as thermal catalysts since the morphology of the NPs is expected to be stable at elevated temperatures. Although it is well known that the activity of Au NPs depends on their size and surface structure, their three-dimensional (3D) structure at the atomic scale has not been completely characterized as a function of temperature. In this paper, we overcome the limitations of conventional electron tomography by combining atom counting applied to aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy images and molecular dynamics relaxation. In this manner, we are able to perform an atomic resolution 3D investigation of supported Au NPs. Our results enable us to characterize the 3D equilibrium structure of single NPs as a function of temperature. Moreover, the dynamic 3D structural evolution of the NPs at high temperatures, including surface layer jumping and crystalline transformations, has been studied.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000612999200029 Publication Date 2020-12-29
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 13 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 815128 REALNANO to SB, Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to SVA, Grant 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A. D. w. and A. D. B. and project funding G.0267.18N.; sygma; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:174858 Serial 6665
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Author Lombardo, J.; Jelić, Ž.L.; Baumans, X.D.A.; Scheerder, J.E.; Nacenta, J.P.; Moshchalkov, V.V.; Van de Vondel, J.; Kramer, R.B.G.; Milošević, M.V.; Silhanek, A.V.
Title In situ tailoring of superconducting junctions via electro-annealing Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 10 Issue 4 Pages (up) 1987-1996
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract We demonstrate the in situ engineering of superconducting nanocircuitry by targeted modulation of material properties through high applied current densities. We show that the sequential repetition of such customized electro-annealing in a niobium (Nb) nanoconstriction can broadly tune the superconducting critical temperature T-c and the normal-state resistance R-n in the targeted area. Once a sizable R-n is reached, clear magneto-resistance oscillations are detected along with a Fraunhofer-like field dependence of the critical current, indicating the formation of a weak link but with further adjustable characteristics. Advanced Ginzburg-Landau simulations fully corroborate this picture, employing the detailed parametrization from the electrical characterization and high resolution electron microscope images of the region within the constriction where the material has undergone amorphization by electro-annealing.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000423355300049 Publication Date 2017-12-29
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 23 Open Access
Notes ; The authors thank the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique – FNRS, the ARC grant 13/18-08 for Concerted Research Actions, financed by the French Community of Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels Federation), the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) and the COST action NanoCoHybri (CA16218). The work is also suppported by Methusalem Funding by the Flemish Government. J. Lombardo acknowledges support from F. R. S.-FNRS (FRIA Research Fellowship). The LANEF framework (ANR-10-LABX-51-01) and the Nanoscience Foundation are acknowledged for their support with mutualized infrastructure. The work of A. V. Silhanek is partially supported by PDR T.0106.16 of the F. R. S.-FNRS. The authors thank the ULg Microscopy facility CAREM for part of the SEM investigations. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:149315UA @ admin @ c:irua:149315 Serial 4937
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Author Turner, S.; Idrissi, H.; Sartori, A.F.; Korneychuck, S.; Lu, Y.-G.; Verbeeck, J.; Schreck, M.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Direct imaging of boron segregation at dislocations in B:diamond heteroepitaxial films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 8 Issue 8 Pages (up) 2212-2218
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A thin film of heavily B-doped diamond has been grown epitaxially by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition on an undoped diamond layer, on top of a Ir/YSZ/Si(001) substrate stack, to study the boron segregation and boron environment at the dislocations present in the film. The density and nature of the dislocations were investigated by conventional and weak-beam dark-field transmission electron microscopy techniques, revealing the presence of two types of dislocations: edge and mixed-type 45 degrees dislocations. The presence and distribution of B in the sample was studied using annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Using these techniques, a segregation of B at the dislocations in the film is evidenced, which is shown to be intermittent along the dislocation. A single edge-type dislocation was selected to study the distribution of the boron surrounding the dislocation core. By imaging this defect at atomic resolution, the boron is revealed to segregate towards the tensile strain field surrounding the edge-type dislocations. An investigation of the fine structure of the B-K edge at the dislocation core shows that the boron is partially substitutionally incorporated into the diamond lattice and partially present in a lower coordination (sp(2)-like hybridization).
Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. stuart.turner@uantwerpen.be
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000368860900053 Publication Date 2015-12-21
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 15 Open Access
Notes S. T. acknowledges the fund for scien tific research Flanders (FWO) for a post-doctoral scholarship and under contract number G.0044.13N Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number c:irua:131597UA @ admin @ c:irua:131597 Serial 4121
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Author Reguera, J.; Flora, T.; Winckelmans, N.; Rodriguez-Cabello, J.C.; Bals, S.
Title Self-assembly of Janus Au:Fe₃O₄ branched nanoparticles. From organized clusters to stimuli-responsive nanogel suprastructures Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Nanoscale Advances Abbreviated Journal
Volume 2 Issue 6 Pages (up) 2525-2530
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Janus nanoparticles offer enormous possibilities through a binary selective functionalization and dual properties. Their self-assembly has attracted strong interest due to their potential as building blocks to obtain molecular colloids, supracrystals and well-organized nanostructures that can lead to new functionalities. However, this self-assembly has been focused on relatively simple symmetrical morphologies, while for complex nanostructures this process has been unexplored. Here, we study the assembly of plasmonic-magnetic Janus nanoparticles with a branched (nanostar) – sphere morphology. The branched morphology enhances their plasmonic properties in the near-infrared region and therefore their applicability, but at the same time constrains their self-assembly capabilities to obtain more organized or functional suprastructures. We describe the self-assembly of these nanoparticles after amphiphilic functionalization. The role of the nanoparticle branching, as well as the size of the polymer-coating, is explored. We show how the use of large molecular weight stabilizing polymers can overcome the anisotropy of the nanoparticles producing a change in the morphology from small clusters to larger quasi-cylindrical nanostructures. Finally, the Janus nanoparticles are functionalized with a thermo-responsive elastin-like recombinamer. These nanoparticles undergo reversible self-assembly in the presence of free polymer giving rise to nanoparticle-stabilized nanogel-like structures with controlled size, providing the possibility to expand their applicability to multi-stimuli controlled self-assembly.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000543283200032 Publication Date 2020-04-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2516-0230 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.7 Times cited 10 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; J. R. acknowledges the.nancial support of Basque Country Elkartek-KK-2019/ 00101. T. F. and J. C. R-C acknowledge the funding from the European Commission (NMP-2014-646075), the Spanish Government (PCIN-2015-010 (FunBioPlas), MAT2016-78903-R), Junta de Castilla y Leon (VA317P18) and Centro en Red de Medicina Regenerativa y Terapia Celular de Castilla y Leon. ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.7; 2020 IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:170773 Serial 6600
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Author Meledina, M.; Turner, S.; Galvita, V.V.; Poelman, H.; Marin, G.B.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Local environment of Fe dopants in nanoscale Fe : CeO2-x oxygen storage material Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages (up) 3196-3204
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanoscale Fe : CeO2-x oxygen storage material for the process of chemical looping has been investigated by advanced transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy before and after a model looping procedure, consisting of redox cycles at heightened temperature. Separately, the activity of the nanomaterial has been tested in a toluene total oxidation reaction. The results show that the material consists of ceria nanoparticles, doped with single Fe atoms and small FeOx clusters. The iron ion is partially present as Fe3+ in a solid solution within the ceria lattice. Furthermore, enrichment of reduced Fe2+ species is observed in nanovoids present in the ceria nanoparticles, as well as at the ceria surface. After chemical looping, agglomeration occurs and reduced nanoclusters appear at ceria grain boundaries formed by sintering. These clusters originate from surface Fe2+ aggregation, and from bulk Fe3+, which “leaks out” in reduced state after cycling to a slightly more agglomerated form. The activity of Fe : CeO2 during the toluene total oxidation part of the chemical looping cycle is ensured by the dopant Fe in the Fe1-xCexO2 solid solution, and by surface Fe species. These measurements on a model Fe : CeO2-x oxygen storage material give a unique insight into the behavior of dopants within a nanosized ceria host, and allow to interpret a plethora of (doped) cerium oxide-based reactions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000349473200046 Publication Date 2015-01-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 17 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2015 IF: 7.394
Call Number c:irua:125299 Serial 1828
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Author Turner, S.; Lazar, S.; Freitag, B.; Egoavil, R.; Verbeeck, J.; Put, S.; Strauven, Y.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title High resolution mapping of surface reduction in ceria nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2011 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 3 Issue 8 Pages (up) 3385-3390
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Surface reduction of ceria nano octahedra with predominant {111} and {100} type surfaces is studied using a combination of aberration-corrected Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) at high energy resolution and atomic spatial resolution. The valency of cerium ions at the surface of the nanoparticles is mapped using the fine structure of the Ce M4,5 edge as a fingerprint. The valency of the surface cerium ions is found to change from 4+ to 3+ owing to oxygen deficiency (vacancies) close to the surface. The thickness of this Ce3+ shell is measured using atomic-resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM)-EELS mapping over a {111} surface (the predominant facet for this ceria morphology), {111} type surface island steps and {100} terminating planes. For the {111} facets and for {111} surface islands, the reduction shell is found to extend over a single fully reduced surface plane and 12 underlying mixed valency planes. For the {100} facets the reduction shell extends over a larger area of 56 oxygen vacancy-rich planes. This finding provides a plausible explanation for the higher catalytic activity of the {100} surface facets in ceria.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000293521700057 Publication Date 2011-06-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 127 Open Access
Notes Fwo Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2011 IF: 5.914
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:90361UA @ admin @ c:irua:90361 Serial 1458
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Author Schouteden, K.; Zeng, Y.-J.; Lauwaet, K.; Romero, C.P.; Goris, B.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Lievens, P.; Van Haesendonck, C.
Title Band structure quantization in nanometer sized ZnO clusters Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 5 Issue 9 Pages (up) 3757-3763
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanometer sized ZnO clusters are produced in the gas phase and subsequently deposited on clean Au(111) surfaces under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The zinc blende atomic structure of the approximately spherical ZnO clusters is resolved by high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The large band gap and weak n-type conductivity of individual clusters are determined by scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy at cryogenic temperatures. The conduction band is found to exhibit clear quantization into discrete energy levels, which can be related to finite-size effects reflecting the zero-dimensional confinement. Our findings illustrate that gas phase cluster production may provide unique possibilities for the controlled fabrication of high purity quantum dots and heterostructures that can be size selected prior to deposition on the desired substrate under controlled ultra-high vacuum conditions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000317859400026 Publication Date 2013-03-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 13 Open Access
Notes FWO; Hercules; COUNTATOMS Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2013 IF: 6.739
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:108518 Serial 219
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Author Pramanik, G.; Humpolickova, J.; Valenta, J.; Kundu, P.; Bals, S.; Bour, P.; Dracinsky, M.; Cigler, P.
Title Gold nanoclusters with bright near-infrared photoluminescence Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages (up) 3792-3798
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The increase in nonradiative pathways with decreasing emission energy reduces the luminescence quantum yield (QY) of near-infrared photoluminescent (NIR PL) metal nanoclusters. Efficient surface ligand chemistry can significantly improve the luminescence QY of NIR PL metal nanoclusters. In contrast to the widely reported but modestly effective thiolate ligand-to-metal core charge transfer, we show that metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) can be used to greatly enhance the luminescence QY of NIR PL gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). We synthesized water-soluble and colloidally stable NIR PL AuNCs with unprecedentedly high QY (similar to 25%) upon introduction of triphenylphosphonium moieties into the surface capping layer. By using a combination of spectroscopic and theoretical methods, we provide evidence for gold core-to-ligand charge transfer occurring in AuNCs. We envision that this work can stimulate the development of these unusually bright AuNCs for promising optoelectronic, bioimaging, and other applications.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000426148500026 Publication Date 2018-01-08
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 97 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; The authors acknowledge support from the GACR project Nr. 18-12533S. J. V. acknowledges funding from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic via the V4+Japan project No. 8F15001 (cofinanced by the International Visegrad Fund). P. B. acknowledges GACR project No. 16-05935S and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic project No. LTC17012. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:149901UA @ admin @ c:irua:149901 Serial 4935
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Author Borgatti, F.; Park, C.; Herpers, A.; Offi, F.; Egoavil, R.; Yamashita, Y.; Yang, A.; Kobata, M.; Kobayashi, K.; Verbeeck, J.; Panaccione, G.; Dittmann, R.;
Title Chemical insight into electroforming of resistive switching manganite heterostructures Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 5 Issue 9 Pages (up) 3954-3960
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We have investigated the role of the electroforming process in the establishment of resistive switching behaviour for Pt/Ti/Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3/SrRuO3 layered heterostructures (Pt/Ti/PCMO/SRO) acting as non-volatile Resistance Random Access Memories (RRAMs). Electron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the higher resistance state resulting from electroforming of as-prepared devices is strictly correlated with the oxidation of the top electrode Ti layer through field-induced electromigration of oxygen ions. Conversely, PCMO exhibits oxygen depletion and downward change of the chemical potential for both resistive states. Impedance spectroscopy analysis, supported by the detailed knowledge of these effects, provides an accurate model description of the device resistive behaviour. The main contributions to the change of resistance from the as-prepared (low resistance) to the electroformed (high resistance) states are respectively due to reduced PCMO at the boundary with the Ti electrode and to the formation of an anisotropic np junction between the Ti and the PCMO layers.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000317859400051 Publication Date 2013-03-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 40 Open Access
Notes Vortex; Countatoms ECASJO_; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2013 IF: 6.739
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:108710UA @ admin @ c:irua:108710 Serial 348
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Author Wang, Y.; Yuan, Y.; Liao, X.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Zhao, Y.; Sun, C.
Title Chip-based in situ TEM investigation of structural thermal instability in aged layered cathode Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Advances Abbreviated Journal
Volume 5 Issue 16 Pages (up) 4182-4190
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Thermally induced oxygen release is an intrinsic structural instability in layered cathodes, which causes thermal runaway issues and becomes increasingly critical with the continuous improvement in energy density. Furthermore, thermal runaway events always occur in electrochemically aged cathodes, where the coupling of the thermal and electrochemical effect remains elusive. Herein, we report the anomalous segregation of cobalt metal in an aged LiCoO2 cathode, which is attributed to the local exposure of the high-energy (100) surface of LiCoO2 and weak interface Co-O dangling bonds significantly promoting the diffusion of Co. The presence of the LCO-Co interface severely aggregated the oxygen release in the form of dramatic Co growth. A unique particle-to-particle oxygen release pathway was also found, starting from the isolated high reduction areas induced by the cycling heterogeneity. This study provides atomistic insight into the robust coupling between the intrinsic structural instability and electrochemical cycling.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001030149900001 Publication Date 2023-07-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2516-0230 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 4.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.7; 2023 IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198281 Serial 8841
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Author Geerts, L.; Geerts-Claes, H.; Skorikov, A.; Vermeersch, J.; Vanbutsele, G.; Galvita, V.; Constales, D.; Chandran, C.V.; Radhakrishnan, S.; Seo, J.W.; Breynaert, E.; Bals, S.; Sree, S.P.; Martens, J.A.
Title Spherical core–shell alumina support particles for model platinum catalysts Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 13 Issue 7 Pages (up) 4221-4232
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract γ- and δ-alumina are popular catalyst support materials. Using a hydrothermal synthesis method starting from aluminum nitrate and urea in diluted solution, spherical core–shell particles with a uniform particle size of about 1 μm were synthesized. Upon calcination at 1000 °C, the particles adopted a core–shell structure with a γ-alumina core and δ-alumina shell as evidenced by 2D and 3D electron microscopy and<sup>27</sup>Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The spherical alumina particles were loaded with Pt nanoparticles with an average size below 1 nm using the strong electrostatic adsorption method. Electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed a homogeneous platinum dispersion over the alumina surface. These platinum loaded alumina spheres were used as a model catalyst for bifunctional catalysis. Physical mixtures of Pt/alumina spheres and spherical zeolite particles are equivalent to catalysts with platinum deposited on the zeolite itself facilitating the investigation of the catalyst components individually. The spherical alumina particles are very convenient supports for obtaining a homogeneous distribution of highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles. Obtaining such a small Pt particle size is challenging on other support materials such as zeolites. The here reported and well-characterized Pt/alumina spheres can be combined with any zeolite and used as a bifunctional model catalyst. This is an interesting strategy for the examination of the acid catalytic function without the interference of the supported platinum metal on the investigated acid material.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000621767000026 Publication Date 2021-01-21
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 3 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G0A5417N G038116N ; Vlaamse regering, Methusalem ; Hercules Foundation, AKUL/13/19 ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:176021 Serial 6679
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Author Smeyers, R.; Milošević, M.V.; Covaci, L.
Title Strong gate-tunability of flat bands in bilayer graphene due to moiré encapsulation between hBN monolayers Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 9 Pages (up) 4561-4569
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract When using hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN) as a substrate for graphene, the resulting moire pattern creates secondary Dirac points. By encapsulating a multilayer graphene within aligned hBN sheets the controlled moire stacking may offer even richer benefits. Using advanced tight-binding simulations on atomistically-relaxed heterostructures, here we show that the gap at the secondary Dirac point can be opened in selected moire-stacking configurations, and is independent of any additional vertical gating of the heterostructure. On the other hand, gating can broadly tune the gap at the principal Dirac point, and may thereby strongly compress the first moire mini-band in width against the moire-induced gap at the secondary Dirac point. We reveal that in hBN-encapsulated bilayer graphene this novel mechanism can lead to isolated bands flatter than 10 meV under moderate gating, hence presenting a convenient pathway towards electronically-controlled strongly-correlated states on demand.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000933052600001 Publication Date 2023-02-07
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364; 2040-3372 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:195249 Serial 7340
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Author Mourdikoudis, S.; Chirea, M.; Altantzis, T.; Pastoriza-Santos, I.; Perez-Juste, J.; Silva, F.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.
Title Dimethylformamide-mediated synthesis of water-soluble platinum nanodendrites for ethanol oxidation electrocatalysis Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 5 Issue 11 Pages (up) 4776-4784
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Herein we describe the synthesis of water-soluble platinum nanodendrites in dimethylformamide (DMF), in the presence of polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a stabilizing agent. The average size of the dendrites is in the range of 20-25 nm while their porosity can be tuned by modifying the concentration of the metal precursor. Electron tomography revealed different crystalline orientations of nanocrystallites in the nanodendrites and allowed a better understanding of their peculiar branching and porosity. The high surface area of the dendrites (up to 22 m(2) g(-1)) was confirmed by BET measurements, while X-ray diffraction confirmed the abundance of high-index facets in the face-centered-cubic crystal structure of Pt. The prepared nanodendrites exhibit excellent performance in the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol in alkaline solution. Sensing, selectivity, cycleability and great tolerance toward poisoning were demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry measurements.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000319008700028 Publication Date 2013-04-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 50 Open Access
Notes Esf; 262348 Esmi Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2013 IF: 6.739
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:109060 Serial 705
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Author Albrecht, W.; Goris, B.; Bals, S.; Hutter, E.M.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.; van Huis, M.A.; van Blaaderen, A.
Title Morphological and chemical transformations of single silica-coated CdSe/CdS nanorods upon fs-laser excitation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages (up) 4810-4818
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Radiation-induced modifications of nanostructures are of fundamental interest and constitute a viable out-of-equilibrium approach to the development of novel nanomaterials. Herein, we investigated the structural transformation of silica-coated CdSe/CdS nanorods (NRs) under femtosecond (fs) illumination. By comparing the same nanorods before and after illumination with different fluences we found that the silica-shell did not only enhance the stability of the NRs but that the confinement of the NRs also led to novel morphological and chemical transformations. Whereas uncoated CdSe/CdS nanorods were found to sublimate under such excitations the silica-coated nanorods broke into fragments which deformed towards a more spherical shape. Furthermore, CdS decomposed which led to the formation of metallic Cd, confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), whereby an epitaxial interface with the remaining CdS lattice was formed. Under electron beam exposure similar transformations were found to take place which we followed in situ.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000398954800022 Publication Date 2017-03-23
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 4 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council under the European Unions Seventh Framework Programme (FP-2007-2013)/ERC Advanced Grant Agreement 291667 HierarSACol. The authors furthermore acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 335078-COLOURATOMS and ERC Consolidator Grant 683076 NANO-INSITU). The authors also appreciate financial support from the European Union under the Seventh Framework Program (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative No. 262348 European Soft Matter Infrastructure, ESMI). This work was supported by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a postdoctoral research grant to B. G. The authors furthermore thank Dave J. van den Heuvel and Hans C. Gerritsen for use of the Thorlabs powermeter. We furthermore thank Ernest van der Wee for the simulation of the confocal point spread functions. ; ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:142384UA @ admin @ c:irua:142384 Serial 4670
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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 (up) 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.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
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 Sree, S.P.; Dendooven, J.; Masschaele, K.; Hamed, H.M.; Deng, S.; Bals, S.; Detavernier, C.; Martens, J.A.
Title Synthesis of uniformly dispersed anatase nanoparticles inside mesoporous silica thin films via controlled breakup and crystallization of amorphous TiO2 deposited using atomic layer deposition Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 5 Issue 11 Pages (up) 5001-5008
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Amorphous titanium dioxide was introduced into the pores of mesoporous silica thin films with 75% porosity and 12 nm average pore diameter via Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) using alternating pulses of tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium and water. Calcination provoked fragmentation of the deposited amorphous TiO2 phase and its crystallization into anatase nanoparticles inside the nanoporous film. The narrow particle size distribution of 4 ± 2 nm and the uniform dispersion of the particles over the mesoporous silica support were uniquely revealed using electron tomography. These anatase nanoparticle bearing films showed photocatalytic activity in methylene blue degradation. This new synthesis procedure of the anatase nanophase in mesoporous silica films using ALD is a convenient fabrication method of photocatalytic coatings amenable to application on very small as well as very large surfaces
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000319008700056 Publication Date 2013-04-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 22 Open Access
Notes Fwo; Iap-Pai; Erc Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2013 IF: 6.739
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:108774 Serial 3460
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Author Craig, T.M.; Kadu, A.A.; Batenburg, K.J.; Bals, S.
Title Real-time tilt undersampling optimization during electron tomography of beam sensitive samples using golden ratio scanning and RECAST3D Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 11 Pages (up) 5391-5402
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Electron tomography is a widely used technique for 3D structural analysis of nanomaterials, but it can cause damage to samples due to high electron doses and long exposure times. To minimize such damage, researchers often reduce beam exposure by acquiring fewer projections through tilt undersampling. However, this approach can also introduce reconstruction artifacts due to insufficient sampling. Therefore, it is important to determine the optimal number of projections that minimizes both beam exposure and undersampling artifacts for accurate reconstructions of beam-sensitive samples. Current methods for determining this optimal number of projections involve acquiring and post-processing multiple reconstructions with different numbers of projections, which can be time-consuming and requires multiple samples due to sample damage. To improve this process, we propose a protocol that combines golden ratio scanning and quasi-3D reconstruction to estimate the optimal number of projections in real-time during a single acquisition. This protocol was validated using simulated and realistic nanoparticles, and was successfully applied to reconstruct two beam-sensitive metal–organic framework complexes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000937908900001 Publication Date 2023-02-13
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 6.7 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes H2020 European Research Council, 815128 ; H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, 860942 ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2023 IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195235 Serial 7260
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Author Chen, J.-J.; Ke, X.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Meng, J.; Zhou, Y.-B.; Liao, Z.-M.; Yu, D.-P.
Title Magnetotransport across the metal-graphene hybrid interface and its modulation by gate voltage Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages (up) 5516-5524
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The graphene-metal contact is very important for optimizing the performance of graphene based electronic devices. However, it is difficult to probe the properties of the graphene/metal interface directly via transport measurements in traditional graphene lateral devices, because the dominated transport channel is graphene, not the interface. Here, we employ the Au/graphene/Au vertical and lateral hybrid structure to unveil the metal-graphene interface properties, where the transport is dominated by the charge carriers across the interface. The magnetoresistance (MR) of Au/monolayer graphene/Au and Au/stacked two-layered graphene/Au devices is measured and modulated by gate voltage, demonstrating that the interface is a device. The gate-tunable MR is identified from the graphene lying on the SiO2 substrate and underneath the top metal electrode. Our unique structures couple the in-plane and out-of-plane transport and display linear MR with small amplitude oscillations at low temperatures. Under a magnetic field, the electronic coupling between the graphene edge states and the electrode leads to the appearance of quantum oscillations. Our results not only provide a new pathway to explore the intrinsic transport mechanism at the graphene/metal interface but also open up new vistas of magnetoelectronics.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000351372400050 Publication Date 2015-02-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes 246791 Countatoms Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2015 IF: 7.394
Call Number c:irua:125533 Serial 1931
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Author Schütte, K.; Doddi, A.; Kroll, C.; Meyer, H.; Wiktor, C.; Gemel, C.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Fischer, R.A.; Janiak, C.
Title Colloidal nickel/gallium nanoalloys obtained from organometallic precursors in conventional organic solvents and in ionic liquids : noble-metal-free alkyne semihydrogenation catalysts Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 6 Issue 10 Pages (up) 5532-5544
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Efforts to replace noble-metal catalysts by low-cost alternatives are of constant interest. The organometallic, non-aqueous wet-chemical synthesis of various hitherto unknown nanocrystalline Ni/Ga intermetallic materials and the use of NiGa for the selective semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes are reported. Thermal co-hydrogenolysis of the all-hydrocarbon precursors [Ni(COD)(2)] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and GaCp* (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) in high-boiling organic solvents mesitylene and n-decane in molar ratios of 1 : 1, 2 : 3 and 3 : 1 yields the nano-crystalline powder materials of the over-all compositions NiGa, Ni2Ga3 and Ni3Ga, respectively. Microwave induced co-pyrolysis of the same precursors without additional hydrogen in the ionic liquid [BMIm][BF4] (BMIm = 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium) selectively yields the intermetallic phases NiGa and Ni3Ga from the respective 1 : 1 and 3 : 1 molar ratios of the precursors. The obtained materials are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), IR, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The single-source precursor [Ni(GaCp*)(PMe3)(3)] with a fixed Ni : Ga stoichiometry of 1 : 1 was employed as well. In comparison with the co-hydrogenolytic dual precursor source approach it turned out to be less practical due to inefficient nickel incorporation caused by the parasitic formation of stable [Ni(PMe3)(4)]. The use of ionic liquid [BMIm][BF4] as a non-conventional solvent to control the reaction and stabilize the nanoparticles proved to be particularly advantageous and stable colloids of the nanoalloys NiGa and Ni3Ga were obtained. A phase-selective Ni/Ga colloid synthesis in conventional solvents and in the presence of surfactants such as hexadecylamine (HDA) was not feasible due to the undesired reactivity of HDA with GaCp* leading to inefficient gallium incorporation. Recyclable NiGa nanoparticles selectively semihydrogenate 1-octyne and diphenylacetylene (tolan) to 1-octene and diphenylethylene, respectively, with a yield of about 90% and selectivities of up to 94 and 87%. Ni-NPs yield alkanes with a selectivity of 97 or 78%, respectively, under the same conditions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000335148800069 Publication Date 2014-03-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364;2040-3372; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 40 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 7.367; 2014 IF: 7.394
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:117251 Serial 390
Permanent link to this record