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Author Kertik, A.; Wee, L.H.; Şentosun, K.; Navarro, J.A.R.; Bals, S.; Martens, J.A.; Vankelecom, I.F.J.
Title High-performance CO2-selective hybrid membranes by exploiting MOF-breathing effects Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Acs Applied Materials & Interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter
Volume 12 Issue 2 Pages 2952-2961
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Conventional CO2 separation in the petrochemical industry via cryogenic distillation or amine-based absorber-stripper units is energy-intensive and environmentally unfriendly. Membrane-based gas separation technology, in contrast, has contributed significantly to the development of energy-efficient systems for processes such as natural gas purification. The implementation of commercial polymeric membranes in gas separation processes is restricted by their permeability-selectivity trade-off and by their insufficient thermal and chemical stability. Herein, we present the fabrication of a Matrimid-based membrane loaded with a breathing metal-organic framework (MOF) (NH2-MIL-53(Al)) which is capable of separating binary CO2/CH4 gas mixtures with high selectivities without sacrificing much of its CO2 permeabilities. NH2-MIL-53(Al) crystals were embedded in a polyimide (PI) matrix, and the mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) were treated at elevated temperatures (up to 350 degrees C) in air to trigger PI cross-linking and to create PI-MOF bonds at the interface to effectively seal the grain boundary. Most importantly, the MOF transitions from its narrow-pore form to its large-pore form during this treatment, which allows the PI chains to partly penetrate the pores and cross-link with the amino functions at the pore mouth of the NH2-MIL-53(Al) and stabilizes the open-pore form of NH2-MIL-53(Al). This cross-linked MMM, with MOF pore entrances was made more selective by the anchored PI-chains and achieves outstanding CO2/CH4 selectivities. This approach provides significant advancement toward the design of selective MMMs with enhanced thermal and chemical stabilities which could also be applicable for other potential applications, such as separation of hydrocarbons (olefin/paraffin or isomers), pervaporation, and solvent-resistant nanofiltration.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000508464500108 Publication Date 2019-12-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited 26 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; A.K. is grateful to the Erasmus Mundus Doctorate in Membrane Engineering (EUDIME) programme. L.H.W. thanks the FWO-Vlaanderen for a postdoctoral research fellowships under contract number 12M1418N. We thank Methusalem and IAP-PAI for research funding. S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC) (ERC Starting Grant No. 335078-COLOURATOM). We are also grateful to Frank Mathijs (KU Leuven) for the mechanical tests, Bart Goderis and Olivier Verkinderen for the DSC measurements, and Huntsman (Switzerland) for providing the Matrimid polymer. ; Approved Most recent IF: 9.5; 2020 IF: 7.504
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:166576 Serial 6534
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Author Bhatia, H.; Martin, C.; Keshavarz, M.; Dovgaliuk, I.; Schrenker, N.J.; Ottesen, M.; Qiu, W.; Fron, E.; Bremholm, M.; Van de Vondel, J.; Bals, S.; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Hofkens, J.; Debroye, E.
Title Deciphering the role of water in promoting the optoelectronic performance of surface-engineered lead halide perovskite nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 5 Pages 7294-7307
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Lead halide perovskites are promising candidates for applicability is limited by their structural instability toward moisture. Although a deliberate addition of water to the precursor solution has recently been shown to improve the crystallinity and optical properties of perovskites, the corresponding thin films still do not exhibit a near-unity quantum yield. Herein, we report that the direct addition of a minute amount of water to post-treated substantially enhances the stability while achieving a 95% photoluminescence quantum yield in a NC thin film. We unveil the mechanism of how moisture assists in the formation of an additional NH4Br component. Alongside, we demonstrate the crucial role of moisture in assisting localized etching of the perovskite crystal, facilitating the partial incorporation of NH4+, which is key for improved performance under ambient conditions. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, the application of post-treated and watertreated perovskites is tested in LEDs, with the latter exhibiting a superior performance, offering opportunities toward commercial application in moisture-stable optoelectronics.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000931729400001 Publication Date 2023-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes H.B. would like to express her sincere gratitude to Dr. Peter Erk (formerly BASF SE, Germany) for very insightful discussions. The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO grant numbers S002019N, 1514220N, G.0B39.15, G.0B49.15, G098319N, and ZW15_09-GOH6316) , the KU Leuven Research Fund (C14/19/079, iBOF-21-085 PERSIST, and STG/21/010) , the Flemish government through long-term structural funding Methusalem (CASAS2, Meth/15/04) , the Hercules Founda-tion (HER/11/14) , and the ERC through the Marie Curie ITN iSwitch Ph.D. fellowship to H.B. (grant number 642196) . C.M. acknowledges the financial support from grants PID2021-128761OA-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 by the ?European Union? and SBPLY/21/180501/000127 funded by JCCM and by the EU through Fondo Europeo de Desarollo Regional? (FEDER) . Martin Bremholm and Martin Ottesen acknowledge funding from the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences, under the Sapere Aude program (grant no. 7027-00077B) and VILLUM FONDEN through the Centre of Excellence for Dirac Materials (grant no. 11744) . Affiliation with the Center for Integrated Materials Research (iMAT) at Aarhus University is gratefully acknowledged.-N.J.S. acknowledges financial support from the research foundation Flanders (FWO) through a postdoctoral fellowship (FWO grant no. 1238622N) . S.B. acknowledges financial support from the European Commission by the ERC Consolidator grant REALNANO (no. 815128) . Approved Most recent IF: 9.5; 2023 IF: 7.504
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:195375 Serial 7293
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Author Mulder, J.T.; Meijer, M.S.; van Blaaderen, J.J.; du Fosse, I.; Jenkinson, K.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Houtepen, A.J.
Title Understanding and preventing photoluminescence quenching to achieve unity photoluminescence quantum yield in Yb:YLF nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 3274-3286
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Ytterbium-doped LiYF4 (Yb:YLF) is a commonly used material for laser applications, as a photon upconversion medium, and for optical refrigeration. As nanocrystals (NCs), the material is also of interest for biological and physical applications. Unfortunately, as with most phosphors, with the reduction in size comes a large reduction of the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), which is typically associated with an increase in surface-related PL quenching. Here, we report the synthesis of bipyramidal Yb:YLF NCs with a short axis of similar to 60 nm. We systematically study and remove all sources of PL quenching in these NCs. By chemically removing all traces of water from the reaction mixture, we obtain NCs that exhibit a near-unity PLQY for an Yb3+ concentration below 20%. At higher Yb3+ concentrations, efficient concentration quenching occurs. The surface PL quenching is mitigated by growing an undoped YLF shell around the NC core, resulting in near-unity PLQY values even for fully Yb3+-based LiYbF4 cores. This unambiguously shows that the only remaining quenching sites in core-only Yb:YLF NCs reside on the surface and that concentration quenching is due to energy transfer to the surface. Monte Carlo simulations can reproduce the concentration dependence of the PLQY. Surprisingly, Fo''rster resonance energy transfer does not give satisfactory agreement with the experimental data, whereas nearest-neighbor energy transfer does. This work demonstrates that Yb3+-based nanophosphors can be synthesized with a quality close to that of bulk single crystals. The high Yb3+ concentration in the LiYbF4/LiYF4 core/shell nanocrystals increases the weak Yb3+ absorption, making these materials highly promising for fundamental studies and increasing their effectiveness in bioapplications and optical refrigeration.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000912997300001 Publication Date 2023-01-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited 3 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 766900 (Testing the Large-Scale Limit of Quantum Mechanics). A.J.H. and I.d.F. further acknowledge the European Research Council Horizon 2020 ERC Grant Agreement No. 678004 (Doping on Demand) for financial support. The authors thank Freddy Rabouw and Andries Meijerink (Utrecht University) for very fruitful discussions and extremely useful advice. The author s thank Jos Thieme for his help with the laser setups used . The authors furthermore thank Niranjan Saikumar for proofreading the manuscript. Approved Most recent IF: 9.5; 2023 IF: 7.504
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:194317 Serial 7348
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Author Van den Hoek, J.; Daems, N.; Arnouts, S.; Hoekx, S.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T.
Title Improving stability of CO₂ electroreduction by incorporating Ag NPs in N-doped ordered mesoporous carbon structures Type A1 Journal article
Year 2024 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal
Volume 16 Issue 6 Pages 6931-6947
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract The electroreduction of carbon dioxide (eCO2RR) to CO using Ag nanoparticles as an electrocatalyst is promising as an industrial carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technique to mitigate CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, the long-term stability of these Ag nanoparticles has been insufficient despite initial high Faradaic efficiencies and/or partial current densities. To improve the stability, we evaluated an up-scalable and easily tunable synthesis route to deposit low-weight percentages of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on and into the framework of a nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (NOMC) structure. By exploiting this so-called nanoparticle confinement strategy, the nanoparticle mobility under operation is strongly reduced. As a result, particle detachment and agglomeration, two of the most pronounced electrocatalytic degradation mechanisms, are (partially) blocked and catalyst durability is improved. Several synthesis parameters, such as the anchoring agent, the weight percentage of Ag NPs, and the type of carbonaceous support material, were modified in a controlled manner to evaluate their respective impact on the overall electrochemical performance, with a strong emphasis on operational stability. The resulting powders were evaluated through electrochemical and physicochemical characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2-physisorption, Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SEM-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), STEM-EDS, electron tomography, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optimized Ag/soft-NOMC catalysts showed both a promising selectivity (∼80%) and stability compared with commercial Ag NPs while decreasing the loading of the transition metal by more than 50%. The stability of both the 5 and 10 wt % Ag/soft-NOMC catalysts showed considerable improvements by anchoring the Ag NPs on and into a NOMC framework, resulting in a 267% improvement in CO selectivity after 72 h (despite initial losses) compared to commercial Ag NPs. These results demonstrate the promising strategy of anchoring Ag NPs to improve the CO selectivity during prolonged experiments due to the reduced mobility of the Ag NPs and thus enhanced stability.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001158812100001 Publication Date 2023-12-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 21.06.2024
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.5; 2024 IF: 7.504
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202309 Serial 9045
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Author Guerrero, R.M.; Lemir, I.D.; Carrasco, S.; Fernández-Ruiz, C.; Kavak, S.; Pizarro, P.; Serrano, D.P.; Bals, S.; Horcajada, P.; Pérez, Y.
Title Scaling-Up Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Highly Defective Pd@UiO-66-NH2Catalysts for Selective Olefin Hydrogenation under Ambient Conditions Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2024 Publication ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Abbreviated Journal ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;
Abstract The need to develop green and cost-effective industrial catalytic processes has led to growing interest in preparing more robust, efficient, and selective heterogeneous catalysts at a large scale. In this regard, microwave-assisted synthesis is a fast method for fabricating heterogeneous catalysts (including metal oxides, zeolites, metal–organic frameworks, and supported metal nanoparticles) with enhanced catalytic properties, enabling synthesis scale-up. Herein, the synthesis of nanosized UiO-66-NH2 was optimized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method to obtain defective matrices essential for the stabilization of metal nanoparticles, promoting catalytically active sites for hydrogenation reactions (760 kg·m–3·day–1 space time yield, STY). Then, this protocol was scaled up in a multimodal microwave reactor, reaching 86% yield (ca. 1 g, 1450 kg·m–3·day–1 STY) in only 30 min. Afterward, Pd nanoparticles were formed in situ decorating the nanoMOF by an effective and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, resulting in the formation of Pd@UiO-66-NH2 composites. Both the localization and oxidation states of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) in the MOF were achieved using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The optimal composite, loaded with 1.7 wt % Pd, exhibited an extraordinary catalytic activity (>95% yield, 100% selectivity) under mild conditions (1 bar H2, 25 °C, 1 h reaction time), not only in the selective hydrogenation of a variety of single alkenes (1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-tridecene, cyclohexene, and tetraphenyl ethylene) but also in the conversion of a complex mixture of alkenes (i.e., 1-hexene, 1-tridecene, and anethole). The results showed a powerful interaction and synergy between the active phase (Pd NPs) and the catalytic porous scaffold (UiO-66-NH2), which are essential for the selectivity and recyclability.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2024-04-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN (down) 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links
Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited Open Access
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from “Comunidad de Madrid” and European Regional Development Fund-FEDER through the project HUB MADRID+CIRCULAR; the State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033) through the grant with reference number CEX2019-000931-M received in the 2019 call for “Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence” and “María de Maeztu Units of Excellence” of the State Programme for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the R&D&I System; and MICIU through the project “NAPOLION” (PID2022-139956OB-I00). S.K. acknowledges the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a PhD research grant (1181124N). Approved Most recent IF: 9.5; 2024 IF: 7.504
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ Serial 9126
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Author Lentijo-Mozo, S.; Tan, R.P.; Garcia-Marcelot, C.; Altantzis, T.; Fazzini, P.F.; Hungria, T.; Cormary, B.; Gallagher, J.R.; Miller, J.T.; Martinez, H.; Schrittwieser, S.; Schotter, J.; Respaud, M.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Gatel, C.; Soulantica, K.
Title Air- and water-resistant noble metal coated ferromagnetic cobalt nanorods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 2792-2804
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Cobalt nanorods possess ideal magnetic properties for applications requiring magnetically hard nanoparticles. However, their exploitation is undermined by their sensitivity toward oxygen and water, which deteriorates their magnetic properties. The development of a continuous metal shell inert to oxidation could render them stable, opening perspectives not only for already identified applications but also for uses in which contact with air and/or aqueous media is inevitable. However, the direct growth of a conformal noble metal shell on magnetic metals is a challenge. Here, we show that prior treatment of Co nanorods with a tin coordination compound is the crucial step that enables the subsequent growth of a continuous noble metal shell on their surface, rendering them air- and water-resistant, while conserving the monocrystallity, metallicity and the magnetic properties of the Co core. Thus, the as-synthesized coreshell ferromagnetic nanorods combine high magnetization and strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, even after exposure to air and water, and hold promise for successful implementation in in vitro biodiagnostics requiring probes of high magnetization and anisotropic shape.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000351791800055 Publication Date 2015-03-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 25 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes 312483 Esteem2; 246791 Countatoms; 335078 Colouratom; esteem2ta; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2015 IF: 12.881
Call Number c:irua:125380 c:irua:125380 Serial 87
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Author Javon, E.; Gaceur, M.; Dachraoui, W.; Margeat, O.; Ackermann, J.; Ilenia Saba, M.; Delugas, P.; Mattoni, A.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Competing forces in the self-assembly of coupled ZnO nanopyramids Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 3685-3694
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Self-assembly (SA) of nanostructures has recently gained increasing interest. A clear understanding of the process is not straightforward since SA of nanoparticles is a complex multiscale phenomenon including different driving forces. Here, we study the SA between aluminum doped ZnO nanopyramids into couples by combining inorganic chemistry and advanced electron microscopy techniques with atomistic simulations. Our results show that the SA of the coupled nanopyramids is controlled first by morphology, as coupling only occurs in the case of pyramids with well-developed facets of the basal planes. The combination of electron microscopy and atomistic modeling reveals that the coupling is further driven by strong ligandligand interaction between the bases of the pyramids as dominant force, while screening effects due to Al doping or solvent as well as corecore interaction are only minor contributions. Our combined approach provides a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between the interactions at work in the coupled SA of ZnO nanopyramids.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000353867000030 Publication Date 2015-03-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 21 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Esmi; 335078 Colouratom; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2015 IF: 12.881
Call Number c:irua:125978 Serial 434
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Author Bertoni, G.; Grillo, V.; Brescia, R.; Ke, X.; Bals, S.; Catellani, A.; Li, H.; Manna, L.
Title Direct determination of polarity, faceting, and core location in colloidal core/shell wurtzite semiconductor nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 6 Issue 7 Pages 6453-6461
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The ability to determine the atomic arrangement and termination of various facets of surfactant-coated nanocrystals is of great importance for understanding their growth mechanism and their surface properties and represents a critical piece of information that can be coupled to other experimental techniques and to calculations. This is especially appealing in the study of nanocrystals that can be grown in strongly anisotropic shapes, for which the relative growth rates of various facets can be influenced under varying reaction conditions. Here we show that in two representative cases of rod-shaped nanocrystals in the wurtzite phase (CdSe(core)/CdS(shell) and ZnSe(core)/ZnS(shell) nanorods) the terminations of the polar facets can be resolved unambiguously by combining advanced electron microscopy techniques, such as aberration-corrected HRTEM with exit wave reconstruction or aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM. The [0001] and [000-1] polar directions of these rods, which grow preferentially along their c-axis, are revealed clearly, with one side consisting of the Cd (or Zn)-terminated (0001) facet and the other side with a pronounced faceting due to Cd (or Zn)-terminated {10-1-1} facets. The lateral faceting of the rods is instead dominated by three nonpolar {10-10} facets. The core buried in the nanostructure can be localized in both the exit wave phase and HAADF-STEM images.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000306673800079 Publication Date 2012-06-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 63 Open Access
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under grant number 240111 (NANO-ARCH) and the financial support from the Flemish Hercules 3 Programme for large infrastructures. G.B. and V.G. thank E. Rotunno for his help with STEM_CELL and IWFR. Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2012 IF: 12.062
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:101138 Serial 710
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Author Sanz-Ortiz, M.N.; Sentosun, K.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.
Title Templated Growth of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering -Active Branched Au Nanoparticles within Radial Mesoporous Silica Shells Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 10489-10497
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Noble metal nanoparticles are widely used as probes or substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), due to their characteristic plasmon resonances in the visible and NIR spectral ranges. Aiming at obtaining a versatile system with high SERS performance we developed the synthesis of quasi-monodisperse, non-aggregated gold nanoparticles protected by radial mesoporous silica shells. The radial channels of such shells were used as templates for the growth of gold tips branching from the cores, thereby improving the plasmonic performance of the particles while favoring the localization of analyte molecules at high electric field regions: close to the tips, inside the pores. The method, which allows control over tip length, was successfully applied to various gold nanoparticle shapes, leading to materials with highly efficient SERS performance. The obtained nanoparticles are stable in ethanol and water upon thermal consolidation and can be safely stored as a powder.
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Language English Wos 000363915300105 Publication Date 2015-09-15
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 110 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work has been funded by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant 267867 Plasmaquo and Starting Grant Colouratom). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no. 312184, SACS). Help from Mert Kurttepeli is acknowledged. Pentatwinned nanorods and nanotriangles were synthesized by L. Scarabelli.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2015 IF: 12.881
Call Number c:irua:129194 Serial 3947
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Author Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Grzelczak, M.; Altantzis, T.; Goris, B.; Pérez-Juste, J.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Donaldson, S.H.; Chmelka, B.F.; Israelachvili, J.N.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.;
Title Hydrophobic interactions modulate self-assembly of nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 6 Issue 12 Pages 11059-11065
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Hydrophobic interactions constitute one of the most important types of nonspecific interactions in biological systems, which emerge when water molecules rearrange as two hydrophobic species come close to each other. The prediction of hydrophobic interactions at the level of nanoparticles (Brownian objects) remains challenging because of uncontrolled diffusive motion of the particles. We describe here a general methodology for solvent-induced, reversible self-assembly of gold nanoparticles into 3D clusters with well-controlled sizes. A theoretical description of the process confirmed that hydrophobic interactions are the main driving force behind nanoparticle aggregation.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000312563600070 Publication Date 2012-11-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 311 Open Access
Notes 267867 Plasma Quo; 246791 Countatoms; 262348 Esmi Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2012 IF: 12.062
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:105292 Serial 1538
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Author El-Gogary, R.I.; Rubio, N.; Wang, J.T.W.; Al-Jamal, W.T.; Bourgognon, M.; Kafa, H.; Naeem, M.; Klippstein, R.; Abbate, V.; Leroux, F.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Kamel, A.O.; Awad, G.A.S.; Mortada, N.D.; Al-Jamal, K.T.;
Title Polyethylene glycol conjugated polymeric nanocapsules for targeted delivery of quercetin to folate-expressing cancer cells in vitro and in vivo Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 1384-1401
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract In this work we describe the formulation and characterization of chemically modified polymeric nanocapsules incorporating the anticancer drug, quercetin, for the passive and active targeting to tumors. Folic acid was conjugated to poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer to facilitate active targeting to cancer cells. Two different methods for the conjugation of PLGA to folic acid were employed utilizing polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a spacer. Characterization of the conjugates was performed using FTIR and H-1 NMR studies. The PEG and folk acid content was independent of the conjugation methodology employed. PEGylation has shown to reduce the size of the nanocapsule; moreover, zeta-potential was shown to be polymer-type dependent. Comparative studies on the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the different formulations by He La cells, in the presence and absence of excess folic acid, were carried out using MTT assay and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, respectively. Both results confirmed the selective uptake and cytotoxicity of the folic acid targeted nanocapsules to the folate enriched cancer cells in a folate-dependent manner. Finally, the passive tumor accumulation and the active targeting of the nanocapsules to folate-expressing cells were confirmed upon intravenous administration in He La or IGROV-1 tumor-bearing mice. The developed nanocapsules provide a system for targeted delivery of a range of hydrophobic anticancer drugs in vivo.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000332059200032 Publication Date 2014-01-07
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 144 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes 290023 Raddel; 262348 Esmi; Iap-Pai Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2014 IF: 12.881
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:115862 Serial 2670
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Author Galván-Moya, J.E.; Altantzis, T.; Nelissen, K.; Peeters, F.M.; Grzelczak, M.; Liz-Marán, L.M.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Self-organization of highly symmetric nanoassemblies : a matter of competition Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 8 Issue 4 Pages 3869-3875
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract The properties and applications of metallic nanoparticles are inseparably connected not only to their detailed morphology and composition but also to their structural configuration and mutual interactions. As a result, the assemblies often have superior properties as compared to individual nanoparticles. Although it has been reported that nanoparticles can form highly symmetric clusters, if the configuration can be predicted as a function of the synthesis parameters, more targeted and accurate synthesis will be possible. We present here a theoretical model that accurately predicts the structure and configuration of self-assembled gold nanoclusters. The validity of the model is verified using quantitative experimental data extracted from electron tomography 3D reconstructions of different assemblies. The present theoretical model is generic and can in principle be used for different types of nanoparticles, providing a very wide window of potential applications.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000334990600084 Publication Date 2014-03-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 34 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes FWO; Methusalem; 246791 COUNTATOMS; 335078 COLOURATOM; 262348 ESMI; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2014 IF: 12.881
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:116955 Serial 2977
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Author Groeneveld, E.; Witteman, L.; Lefferts, M.; Ke, X.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; de Mello Donega, C.
Title Tailoring ZnSe-CdSe colloidal quantum dots via cation exchange : from core/shell to alloy nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 7 Issue 9 Pages 7913-7930
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We report a study of Zn2+ by Cd2+ cation exchange (CE) in colloidal ZnSe nanocrystals (NCs). Our results reveal that CE in ZnSe NCs is a thermally activated isotropic process. The CE efficiency (i.e., fraction of Cd2+ ions originally in solution, Cdsol, that is incorporated in the ZnSe NC) increases with temperature and depends also on the Cdsol/ZnSe ratio. Interestingly, the reaction temperature can be used as a sensitive parameter to tailor both the composition and the elemental distribution profile of the product (Zn,Cd)Se NCs. At 150 °C ZnSe/CdSe core/shell hetero-NCs (HNCs) are obtained, while higher temperatures (200 and 220 °C) produce (Zn1xCdx)Se gradient alloy NCs, with increasingly smoother gradients as the temperature increases, until homogeneous alloy NCs are obtained at T ≥ 240 °C. Remarkably, sequential heating (150 °C followed by 220 °C) leads to ZnSe/CdSe core/shell HNCs with thicker shells, rather than (Zn1xCdx)Se gradient alloy NCs. Thermal treatment at 250 °C converts the ZnSe/CdSe core/shell HNCs into (Zn1xCdx)Se homogeneous alloy NCs, while preserving the NC shape. A mechanism for the cation exchange in ZnSe NCs is proposed, in which fast CE takes place at the NC surface, and is followed by relatively slower thermally activated solid-state cation diffusion, which is mediated by Frenkel defects. The findings presented here demonstrate that cation exchange in colloidal ZnSe NCs provides a very sensitive tool to tailor the nature and localization regime of the electron and hole wave functions and the optoelectronic properties of colloidal ZnSeCdSe NCs.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000330016900051 Publication Date 2013-08-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 153 Open Access
Notes 262348 Esmi; 246791 Countatoms Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2013 IF: 12.033
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:110038 Serial 3469
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Author Goris, B.; Turner, S.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Three-dimensional valency mapping in ceria nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 8 Issue 10 Pages 10878-10884
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Using electron tomography combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), we are able to map the valency of the Ce ions in CeO2-x nanocrystals in three dimensions. Our results show a clear facet-dependent reduction shell at the surface of ceria nanoparticles; {111} surface facets show a low surface reduction, whereas at {001} surface facets, the cerium ions are more likely to be reduced over a larger surface shell. Our generic tomographic technique allows a full 3D data cube to be reconstructed, containing an EELS spectrum in each voxel. This possibility enables a three-dimensional investigation of a plethora of material-specific physical properties such as valency, chemical composition, oxygen coordination, or bond lengths, triggering the synthesis of nanomaterials with improved properties.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000343952600126 Publication Date 2014-10-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 85 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes 335078 Colouratom; 246791 Countatoms; Fwo; 312483 Esteem2; esteem2jra4; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2014 IF: 12.881
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:121219 Serial 3656
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Author van der Stam, W.; Bladt, E.; Rabouw, F.T.; Bals, S.; de Mello Donega, C.
Title Near-Infrared Emitting CuInSe/CuInS Dot Core/Rod Shell Heteronanorods by Sequential Cation Exchange Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 11430-11438
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The direct synthesis of heteronanocrystals (HNCs) combining different ternary semiconductors is challenging and has not yet been successful. Here, we report a sequential topotactic cation exchange (CE) pathway that yields CuInSe2/CuInS2 dot core/rod shell nanorods with near-infrared luminescence. In our approach, the Cu+ extraction rate is coupled to the In3+ incorporation rate by the use of a stoichiometric trioctylphosphine-InCl3 complex, which fulfills the roles of both In-source and Cu-extracting agent. In this way, Cu+ ions can be extracted by trioctylphosphine ligands only when the In-P bond is broken. This results in readily available In3+ ions at the same surface site from which the Cu+ is extracted, making the process a direct place exchange reaction and shifting the overall energy balance in favor of the CE. Consequently, controlled cation exchange can occur even in large and anisotropic heterostructured nanocrystals with preservation of the size, shape, and heterostructuring of the template NCs into the product NCs. The cation exchange is self-limited, stopping when the ternary core/shell CuInSe2/CuInS2 composition is reached. The method is very versatile, successfully yielding a variety of luminescent CuInX2 (X = S, Se, and Te) quantum dots, nanorods, and HNCs, by using Cd-chalcogenide NCs and HNCs as templates. The approach reported here thus opens up routes toward materials with unprecedented properties, which would otherwise remain inaccessible.
Address Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University , P.O. Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000365464800094 Publication Date 2015-10-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 88 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors thank Gang Wang for XRD measurements and Eline Hutter for providing CdSe/CdS NRs. W.v.d.S. and C.d.M.D. acknowledge financial support from the division of Chemical Sciences (CW) of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) under grant number ECHO.712.012.001. This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078 Colouratom). E.B. gratefully acknowledges financial support by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2015 IF: 12.881
Call Number c:irua:129184 Serial 3948
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Author Altantzis, T.; Coutino-Gonzalez, E.; Baekelant, W.; Martinez, G.T.; Abakumov, A.M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Bals, S.; Hofkens, J.
Title Direct Observation of Luminescent Silver Clusters Confined in Faujasite Zeolites Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 7604-7611
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract One of the ultimate goals in the study of metal clusters is the correlation between the atomic-scale organization and their physicochemical properties. However, direct observation of the atomic organization of such minuscule metal clusters is heavily hindered by radiation damage imposed by the different characterization techniques. We present direct evidence of the structural arrangement, at an atomic level, of luminescent silver species stabilized in faujasite (FAU) zeolites using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Two different silver clusters were identified in Ag-FAU zeolites, a trinuclear silver species associated with green emission and a tetranuclear silver species related to yellow emission. By combining direct imaging with complementary information obtained from X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld analysis, we were able to elucidate the main differences at an atomic scale between luminescent (heat-treated) and nonluminescent (cation-exchanged) Ag-FAU zeolites. It is expected that such insights will trigger the directed synthesis of functional metal nanocluster-zeolite composites with tailored luminescent properties.
Address RIES, Hokkaido University , N20W10, Kita-Ward Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000381959100043 Publication Date 2016-07-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 57 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Belgian Federal government (Belspo through the IAP-VI/27 and IAP-VII/05 programs), the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement no. 310651 SACS and no. 312483-ESTEEM2), the Flemish government in the form of long-term structural funding “Methusalem” grant METH/15/04 CASAS2, the Hercules foundation (HER/11/14), the “Strategisch Initiatief Materialen” SoPPoM program, and the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) grants G.0349.12 and G.0B39.15. S.B. acknowledges funding from ERC Starting Grant COLOURATOMS (335078). The authors thank Prof. S. Van Aert for helpful discussions, Dr. T. De Baerdemaeker for XRD measurements, Mr. B. Dieu for the preparation of graphical material, and UOP Antwerp for the kind donation of zeolite samples.; esteem2jra4; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number c:irua:134576 c:irua:134576 Serial 4102
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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.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000411918200062 Publication Date 2017-09-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 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 Feld, A.; Weimer, A.; Kornowski, A.; Winckelmans, N.; Merkl, J.-P.; Kloust, H.; Zierold, R.; Schmidtke, C.; Schotten, T.; Riedner, M.; Bals, S.; Weller, P.D., Horst
Title Chemistry of Shape-Controlled Iron Oxide Nanocrystal Formation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 152-162
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Herein we demonstrate that meticulous and in-depth analysis of the reaction mechanisms of nanoparticle formation is rewarded by full control of size, shape and crystal structure of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals during synthesis. Starting from two iron sources – iron(II)- and iron(III) carbonate -a strict separation of oleate formation from the generation of reactive pyrolysis products and concomitant nucleation of iron oxide nanoparticles was achieved. This protocol enabled us to analyze each step of nanoparticle formation independently in depth. Progress of the entire reaction was monitored via matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and gas chromatography (GC) gaining insight into the formation of various iron oleate species prior to nucleation. Interestingly, due to the intrinsic strongly reductive pyrolysis conditions of the oleate intermediates and redox process in early stages of the synthesis, pristine iron oxide nuclei were composed exclusively from wustite, irrespective of the oxidation state of the iron source. Controlling the reaction conditions provided a very broad range of size- and shape defined monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles. Curiously, after nucleation star shaped nanocrystals were obtained, which underwent metamorphism towards cubic shaped particles. EELS tomography revealed ex post oxidation of the primary wustite nanocrystal providing a full 3D image of Fe2+ and Fe3+ distribution within. Overall, we developed a highly flexible synthesis, yielding multigram amounts of well-defined iron oxide nanocrystals of different sizes and morphologies.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000456749900017 Publication Date 2018-12-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 54 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Projektnummer 192346071 – SFB 986 and the excellence cluster ‘The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging – Structure, Dynamics and Control of Matter at the Atomic Scale’ (by grant EXC 1074) S.B. and N.W. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through Project fundings G038116N. Dr. Volker Sauerland for his support in calibrating the MALDI-TOF spectra. Almut Bark for measuring XRD (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:155716UA @ admin @ c:irua:155716 Serial 5073
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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.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
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 (down) 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 Albrecht, W.; Bladt, E.; Vanrompay, H.; Smith, J.D.; Skrabalak, S.E.; Bals, S.
Title Thermal Stability of Gold/Palladium Octopods Studied in Situ in 3D: Understanding Design Rules for Thermally Stable Metal Nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 6522-6530
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Multifunctional metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as anisotropic multimetallic NPs are crucial for boosting nanomaterial based applications. Advanced synthetic protocols exist to make a large variety of such nanostructures. However, a major limiting factor for the usability of them in real life applications is their stability. Here, we show that Au/Pd octopods, 8-branched nanocrystals with Oh symmetry, with only a low amount of Pd exhibited a high thermal stability and maintained strong plasmon resonances up to 600 ◦C. Furthermore, we study the influence of the composition, morphology and environment on the thermal stability and define key parameters for the design of thermally stable multifunctional NPs.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000473248300038 Publication Date 2019-06-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 46 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes W. A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020. H. V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 1S32617N). E. B. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). J. D. S. and S.E.S acknowledge funding from the US National Science Foundation (award number: CHE-1602476). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI E180600101 to S. B. and S. E. S.) and European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). Realnano 815128; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:161356 Serial 5285
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Author Skorikov, A.; Albrecht, W.; Bladt, E.; Xie, X.; van der Hoeven, J.E.S.; van Blaaderen, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title Quantitative 3D Characterization of Elemental Diffusion Dynamics in Individual Ag@Au Nanoparticles with Different Shapes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 13421-13429
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Anisotropic bimetallic nanoparticles are promising candidates for plasmonic and catalytic applications. Their catalytic performance and plasmonic properties are closely linked to the distribution of the two metals, which can change during applications in which the particles are exposed to heat. Due to this fact, correlating the thermal stability of complex heterogeneous nanoparticles to their microstructural properties is of high interest for the practical applications of such materials. Here, we employ quantitative electron tomography in high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADFSTEM) mode to measure the 3D elemental diffusion dynamics in individual anisotropic Au−Ag nanoparticles upon heating in situ. This approach allows us to study the elemental redistribution in complex, asymmetric nanoparticles on a single particle level, which has been inaccessible to other techniques so far. In this work, we apply the proposed method to compare the alloying dynamics of Au−Ag nanoparticles with different shapes and compositions and find that the shape of the nanoparticle does not exhibit a significant effect on the alloying speed whereas the composition does. Finally, comparing the experimental results to diffusion simulations allows us to estimate the diffusion coefficients of the metals for individual nanoparticles.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000500650000115 Publication Date 2019-10-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 29 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This project has received funding from the European Commission (grant 731019, EUSMI) and European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grants 815128, REALNANO; 770887, PICOMETRICS; 648991, 3MC; and ERC Advanced Grant 291667, HierarSACol). This project has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 823717, ESTEEM3. W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 797153, SOPMEN). E.B. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant 12T2719N from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). X.X. acknowledges financial support from the EU H2020-MSCAITN-2015 project 676045, MULTIMAT. The authors also acknowledge financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grants G038116N, G026718N, and G036915N).; sygma; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:164061 Serial 5379
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Author Hinterding, S.O.M.; Berends, A.C.; Kurttepeli, M.; Moret, M.-E.; Meeldijk, J.D.; Bals, S.; van der Stam, W.; de Donega, C.M.
Title Tailoring Cu+ for Ga3+ cation exchange in Cu2-xS and CuInS2 nanocrystals by controlling the Ga precursor chemistry Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 12880-12893
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanoscale cation exchange (CE) has resulted in colloidal nanomaterials that are unattainable by direct synthesis methods. Aliovalent CE is complex and synthetically challenging because the exchange of an unequal number of host and guest cations is required to maintain charge balance. An approach to control aliovalent CE reactions is the use of a single reactant to both supply the guest cation and extract the host cation. Here, we study the application of GaCl3-L complexes [L = trioctylphosphine (TOP), triphenylphosphite (TPP), diphenylphosphine (DPP)] as reactants in the exchange of Cu+ for Ga3+ in Cu2-xS nanocrystals. We find that noncomplexed GaCl3 etches the nanocrystals by S2- extraction, whereas GaCl3-TOP is unreactive. Successful exchange of Cu+ for Ga3+ is only possible when GaCl3 is complexed with either TPP or DPP. This is attributed to the pivotal role of the Cu2-xS-GaCl3-L activated complex that forms at the surface of the nanocrystal at the onset of the CE reaction, which must be such that simultaneous Ga3+ insertion and Cu+ extraction can occur. This requisite is only met if GaCl3 is bound to a phosphine ligand, with a moderate bond strength, to allow facile dissociation of the complex at the nanocrystal surface. The general validity of this mechanism is demonstrated by using GaCl3-DPP to convert CuInS2 into (Cu,Ga,In)S-2 nanocrystals, which increases the photoluminescence quantum yield 10 -fold, while blue -shifting the photoluminescence into the NIR biological window. This highlights the general applicability of the mechanistic insights provided by our work.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000500650000061 Publication Date 2019-10-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 27 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; S.O.M.H., W.v.d.S., A.C.B., and C.d.M.D. acknowledge financial support from the division of Chemical Sciences (CW) of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) under Grant Nos. ECHO.712.012.0001 and ECHO.712.014.001. S.B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128-REALNANO). S.O.M.H. is supported by The Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), an NWO Gravitation Programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the government of The Netherlands. DFT calculations were carried out on the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of SURF Cooperative. This work was sponsored by NWO Physical Sciences for the use of supercomputer facilities. The authors thank Jessi van der Hoeven for EDS and TEM measurements. ; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165149 Serial 6324
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Author Rodal-Cedeira, S.; Vázquez-Arias, A.; Bodelon, G.; Skorikov, A.; Núñez-Sanchez, S.; La Porta, A.; Polavarapu, L.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Perez-Juste, J.; Pastoriza-Santos, I.
Title An Expanded Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Tags Library by Combinatorial Encapsulation of Reporter Molecules in Metal Nanoshells Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Acs Nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Raman-encoded gold nanoparticles have been widely employed as photostable multifunctional probes for sensing, bioimaging, multiplex diagnostics, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-guided tumor therapy. We report a strategy toward obtaining a particularly large library of Au nanocapsules encoded with Raman codes defined by the combination of different thiol-free Raman reporters, encapsulated at defined molar ratios. The fabrication of SERS tags with tailored size and pre-defined codes is based on the in situ incorporation of Raman reporter molecules inside Au nanocapsules during their formation via Galvanic replacement coupled to seeded growth on Ag NPs. The hole-free closed shell structure of the nanocapsules is confirmed by electron tomography. The unusually wide encoding possibilities of the obtained SERS tags are investigated by means of either wavenumber-based encoding or Raman frequency combined with signal intensity, leading to an outstanding performance as exemplified by 26 and 54 different codes, respectively. We additionally demonstrate that encoded nanocapsules can be readily bioconjugated with antibodies for applications such as SERS-based targeted cell imaging and phenotyping.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000595533800019 Publication Date 2020-09-01
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 17.1 Times cited 14 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes L.M.L.-M. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC-AdG-4DbioSERS-787510) and the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. MDM-2017-0720 and PID2019-108954RB-I00). I.P.-S. and J.P.-J. acknowledge financial support from the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. MAT2016-77809-R)) and Ramon Areces Foundation (Grant No. SERSforSAFETY). G.B. acknowledges financial support from CINBIO (Grant number ED431G 2019/07 Xunta de Galicia). S.B. and A.S. acknowledge financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant G038116N). This project received funding as well from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 731019 (EUSMI). S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128 REALNANO). We thank Carlos Fernández-Lodeiro and Daniel García-Lojo for their helpful contribution to the SEM characterization and SERS analysis and Veronica Montes-García for her fruitful contribution in the PCA analysis.; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 17.1; 2020 IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:172492 Serial 6403
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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
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Language Wos 000586793400016 Publication Date 2020-08-19
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ISSN (down) 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 Busatto, S.; Ruiter, M. de; Jastrzebski, J.T.B.H.; Albrecht, W.; Pinchetti, V.; Brovelli, S.; Bals, S.; Moret, M.-E.; de Mello Donega, C.
Title Luminescent Colloidal InSb Quantum Dots from In Situ Generated Single-Source Precursor Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Acs Nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 14 Issue 10 Pages 13146-13160
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Despite recent advances, the synthesis of colloidal InSb quantum dots (QDs) remains underdeveloped, mostly due to the lack of suitable precursors. In this work, we use Lewis acid–base interactions between Sb(III) and In(III) species formed at room temperature in situ from commercially available compounds (viz., InCl3, Sb[NMe2]3 and a primary alkylamine) to obtain InSb adduct complexes. These complexes are successfully used as precursors for the synthesis of colloidal InSb QDs ranging from 2.8 to 18.2 nm in diameter by fast coreduction at sufficiently high temperatures (≥230 °C). Our findings allow us to propose a formation mechanism for the QDs synthesized in our work, which is based on a nonclassical nucleation event, followed by aggregative growth. This yields ensembles with multimodal size distributions, which can be fractionated in subensembles with relatively narrow polydispersity by postsynthetic size fractionation. InSb QDs with diameters below 7.0 nm have the zinc blende crystal structure, while ensembles of larger QDs (≥10 nm) consist of a mixture of wurtzite and zinc blende QDs. The QDs exhibit photoluminescence with small Stokes shifts and short radiative lifetimes, implying that the emission is due to band-edge recombination and that the direct nature of the bandgap of bulk InSb is preserved in InSb QDs. Finally, we constructed a sizing curve correlating the peak position of the lowest energy absorption transition with the QD diameters, which shows that the band gap of colloidal InSb QDs increases with size reduction following a 1/d dependence.
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Corporate Author Thesis
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Language Wos 000586793400068 Publication Date 2020-10-27
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ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 17.1 Times cited 21 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes S.B. and C.d.M.D. acknowledge financial support from the division of Chemical Sciences (CW) of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) under Grant No. TOP.715.016.001. W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) under the EU?s Horizon 2020 program (Grant No. 797153, SOPMEN). This project has received funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI E180900184) and European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128 REALNANO).; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 17.1; 2020 IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:173862 Serial 6438
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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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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000634569100101 Publication Date 2021-02-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN (down) 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 Walters, A.A.; Santacana-Font, G.; Li, J.; Routabi, N.; Qin, Y.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Tzu-Wen Wang, J.; Al-Jamal, K.T.
Title Nanoparticle-MediatedIn SituMolecular Reprogramming of Immune Checkpoint Interactions for Cancer Immunotherapy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Acs Nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 15 Issue 11 Pages 17549-17564
Keywords A1 Journal article; Pharmacology. Therapy; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade involves targeting immune

regulatory molecules with antibodies. Preclinically, complex multiantibody

regimes of both inhibitory and stimulatory targets are a promising

candidate for the next generation of immunotherapy. However, in this

setting, the antibody platform may be limited due to excessive toxicity

caused by off target effects as a result of systemic administration. RNA

can be used as an alternate to antibodies as it can both downregulate

immunosuppressive checkpoints (siRNA) or induce expression of

immunostimulatory checkpoints (mRNA). In this study, we demonstrate

that the combination of both siRNA and mRNA in a single

formulation can simultaneously knockdown and induce expression of

immune checkpoint targets, thereby reprogramming the tumor

microenvironment from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory

phenotype. To achieve this, RNA constructs were synthesized and

formulated into stable nucleic acid lipid nanoparticles (SNALPs); the SNALPs produced were 140−150 nm in size with >80%

loading efficiency. SNALPs could transfect macrophages and B16F10 cells in vitro resulting in 75% knockdown of inhibitory

checkpoint (PDL1) expression and simultaneously express high levels of stimulatory checkpoint (OX40L) with minimal

toxicity. Intratumoral treatment with the proposed formulation resulted in statistically reduced tumor growth, a greater

density of CD4+ and CD8+ infiltrates in the tumor, and immune activation within tumor-draining lymph nodes. These data

suggest that a single RNA-based formulation can successfully reprogram multiple immune checkpoint interactions on a

cellular level. Such a candidate may be able to replace future immune checkpoint therapeutic regimes composed of both

stimulatory- and inhibitory-receptor-targeting antibodies.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000747115200039 Publication Date 2021-11-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes A.A.W. is the grateful recipient of a Maplethorpe Fellowship. K.A.J. acknowledges funding from the British Council (Newton Fund, 337313), Wellcome Trust (WT103913), and the Cancer Research UK King’s Health Partners Centre at King’s College London. Financial support is acknowledged from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme, by means of Grant Agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI). Images were drawn on BioRender.com. Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183950 Serial 6829
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Author Choukroun, D.; Pacquets, L.; Li, C.; Hoekx, S.; Arnouts, S.; Baert, K.; Hauffman, T.; Bals, S.; Breugelmans, T.
Title Mapping composition–selectivity relationships of supported sub-10 nm Cu–Ag nanocrystals for high-rate CO₂ electroreduction Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Acs Nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 15 Issue 9 Pages 14858-14872
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract Colloidal Cu–Ag nanocrystals measuring less than 10 nm across are promising candidates for integration in hybrid CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) interfaces, especially in the context of tandem catalysis and selective multicarbon (C2–C3) product formation. In this work, we vary the synthetic-ligand/copper molar ratio from 0.1 to 1.0 and the silver/copper atomic ratio from 0 to 0.7 and study the variations in the nanocrystals’ size distribution, morphology and reactivity at rates of ≥100 mA cm–2 in a gas-fed recycle electrolyzer operating under neutral to mildly basic conditions (0.1–1.0 M KHCO3). High-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy are used in order to characterize the morphology of sub-10 nm Cu–Ag nanodimers and core–shells and to elucidate trends in Ag coverage and surface composition. It is shown that Cu–Ag nanocrystals can be densely dispersed onto a carbon black support without the need for immediate ligand removal or binder addition, which considerably facilitates their application. Although CO2RR product distribution remains an intricate function of time, (kinetic) overpotential and processing conditions, we nevertheless conclude that the ratio of oxygenates to hydrocarbons (which depends primarily on the initial dispersion of the nanocrystals and their composition) rises 3-fold at moderate Ag atom % relative to Cu NCs-based electrodes. Finally, the merits of this particular Cu–Ag/C system and the recycling reactor employed are utilized to obtain maximum C2–C3 partial current densities of 92–140 mA cm–2 at −1.15 VRHE and liquid product concentrations in excess of 0.05 wt % in 1 M KHCO3 after short electrolysis periods.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000703553600082 Publication Date 2021-08-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 25 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes D.C. acknowledges Thomas Kenis for configuring the analytical instrumentation (HPLC/GC-FID/ICP-MS), Hannelore Andries for assistance with ICP-MS measurements, and Dr. Saeid Pourbabak and Dr. Tine Derez for assistance with Cu sputtering. L.P. was supported by Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO 1S56920N). S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator grant number 815128 REALNANO. S.B. and T.B. acknowledge financial support from the university research fund (BOF-GOA-PS ID no. 33928).; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:180305 Serial 6844
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Author Dey, A.; Ye, J.; De, A.; Debroye, E.; Ha, S.K.; Bladt, E.; Kshirsagar, A.S.; Wang, Z.; Yin, J.; Wang, Y.; Quan, L.N.; Yan, F.; Gao, M.; Li, X.; Shamsi, J.; Debnath, T.; Cao, M.; Scheel, M.A.; Kumar, S.; Steele, J.A.; Gerhard, M.; Chouhan, L.; Xu, K.; Wu, X.-gang; Li, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Dutta, A.; Han, C.; Vincon, I.; Rogach, A.L.; Nag, A.; Samanta, A.; Korgel, B.A.; Shih, C.-J.; Gamelin, D.R.; Son, D.H.; Zeng, H.; Zhong, H.; Sun, H.; Demir, H.V.; Scheblykin, I.G.; Mora-Sero, I.; Stolarczyk, J.K.; Zhang, J.Z.; Feldmann, J.; Hofkens, J.; Luther, J.M.; Perez-Prieto, J.; Li, L.; Manna, L.; Bodnarchuk, M., I; Kovalenko, M., V; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Pradhan, N.; Mohammed, O.F.; Bakr, O.M.; Yang, P.; Muller-Buschbaum, P.; Kamat, P., V; Bao, Q.; Zhang, Q.; Krahne, R.; Galian, R.E.; Stranks, S.D.; Bals, S.; Biju, V.; Tisdale, W.A.; Yan, Y.; Hoye, R.L.Z.; Polavarapu, L.
Title State of the art and prospects for Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Acs Nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 15 Issue 7 Pages 10775-10981
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Metal-halide perovskites have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising materials of the 21st century, with many exciting properties and great potential for a broad range of applications, from photovoltaics to optoelectronics and photocatalysis. The ease with which metal-halide perovskites can be synthesized in the form of brightly luminescent colloidal nanocrystals, as well as their tunable and intriguing optical and electronic properties, has attracted researchers from different disciplines of science and technology. In the last few years, there has been a significant progress in the shape-controlled synthesis of perovskite nanocrystals and understanding of their properties and applications. In this comprehensive review, researchers having expertise in different fields (chemistry, physics, and device engineering) of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have joined together to provide a state of the art overview and future prospects of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystal research.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000679406500006 Publication Date 2021-06-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 538 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes E.D. and J.H. acknowledge financial support from the Research FoundationFlanders (FWO Grant Nos. S002019N, G.0B39.15, G.0B49.15, G.0962.13, G098319N, and ZW15_09-GOH6316), the Research Foundation Flanders postdoctoral fellowships to J.A.S. and E.D. (FWO Grant Nos. 12Y7218N and 12O3719N, respectively), Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:180553 Serial 6846
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Author Choo, P.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Jung, I.; Chang, W.J.; Weiss, E.A.; Bals, S.; Odom, T.W.
Title Investigating Reaction Intermediates during the Seedless Growth of Gold Nanostars Using Electron Tomography Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 16 Issue 3 Pages 4408-4414
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Good’s buffers can act both as nucleating and shape- directing agents during the synthesis of anisotropic gold nanostars (AuNS). Although different Good’s buffers can produce AuNS shapes with branches that are oriented along specific crystallographic directions, the mechanism is not fully understood. This paper reports how an analysis of the intermediate structures during AuNS synthesis from HEPES, EPPS, and MOPS Good’s buffers can provide insight into the formation of seedless AuNS. Electron tomography of AuNS structures quenched at early times (minutes) was used to characterize the morphology of the incipient seeds, and later times were used to construct the growth maps. Through this approach, we identified how the crystallinity and shape of the first structures synthesized with different Good’s buffers determine the final AuNS morphologies.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000780214300084 Publication Date 2022-03-22
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ISSN (down) 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 17.1 Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under award NSF CHE-1808502 (P.C. and I.J.). This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University’s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the SHyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), the IIN, and Northwestern’s MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139). D.A E. and S.B. 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 Grant Agreement No. 731019 EUSMI).; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 17.1
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:187930 Serial 7055
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