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Author Jalabert, D.; Pelloux-Gervais, D.; Béché, A.; Hartmann, J.M.; Gergaud, P.; Rouvière, J.L.; Canut, B.
Title Depth strain profile with sub-nm resolution in a thin silicon film using medium energy ion scattering Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Physica Status Solidi A-Applications And Materials Science Abbreviated Journal Phys Status Solidi A
Volume 209 Issue 2 Pages 265-267
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The depth strain profile in silicon from the Si (001) substrate to the surface of a 2 nm thick Si/12 nm thick SiGe/bulk Si heterostructure has been determined by medium energy ion scattering (MEIS). It shows with sub-nanometer resolution and high strain sensitivity that the thin Si cap presents residual compressive strain caused by Ge diffusion coming from the fully strained SiGe layer underneath. The strain state of the SiGe buffer have been checked by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nano-beam electron diffraction (NBED) measurements.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000303382700005 Publication Date 2011-11-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1862-6300; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.775 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.775; 2012 IF: 1.469
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:136430 Serial 4497
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Author Savchenko, D.V.; Serdan, A.A.; Morozov, V.A.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Ionov, S.G.
Title Improvement of the oxidation stability and the mechanical properties of flexible graphite foil by boron oxide impregnation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication New carbon materials Abbreviated Journal
Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 12-18
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Flexible graphite foil produced by rolling expanded graphite impregnated with boron oxide was analyzed by laser mass spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetry. It was shown that the modification of the graphite foil by boron oxide increases the onset temperature of oxidation by ∼ 150 °C. Impregnation of less than 2 mass% boron oxide also increased the tensile strength of the materials. The observed improvement was attributed to the blocking of active sites by boron oxide, which is probably chemically bonded to the edges of graphene sheets in expanded graphite particles.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000304742100002 Publication Date 2012-03-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1872-5805; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 5 Open Access
Notes Iap Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:96958 Serial 1569
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Author Afanasov, I.M.; Lebedev, O.I.; Kolozhvary, B.A.; Smirnov, A.V.,; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Nickel/carbon composite materials based on expanded graphite Type A1 Journal article
Year 2011 Publication New carbon materials Abbreviated Journal
Volume 26 Issue 5 Pages 335-340
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Monolithic nickel/carbon (Ni/C) composites were prepared from coal tar pitch-impregnated compressed expanded graphite pre-decorated with NiO particles (EGNiO) by pyrolysis at 550 °C and subsequent steam activation at 800 °C. The microstructural arrangement of the Ni-comprising nanoparticles in the composites was investigated using transmission electron microscopy. The specific surface area and porosity of the composites were analyzed by nitrogen adsorption. The catalytic activity of the composites was compared with the material obtained by the conventional H2 treatment of EGNiO using hydrocracking of 2,2,3-trimethylpentane as a model reaction.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000296926500003 Publication Date 2011-11-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1872-5805; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 7 Open Access
Notes Iap Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:93633 Serial 2340
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Author Afanasov, I.M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Mateev, A.T.
Title Production and structure of exfoliated graphite/coke composites modified by ZrO2 nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2010 Publication New carbon materials Abbreviated Journal
Volume 25 Issue 4 Pages 255-260
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Exfoliated graphite/coke composites modified by ZrO2 nanoparticles were produced using two different techniques and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In the first, low-density exfoliated graphite/coke blocks were dipped repeatedly and alternately in ZrO(NO3)2 and NH4OH solutions and subsequently heat treated at 1200°C in nitrogen to deposit thin layers of ZrO2 nanoparticles on the free surfaces of the carbon matrix. In the second, a mixture of expandable graphite, phenol-formaldehyde resin powder, and ZrOC2O4-modified fibrous cellulose in a sealed container was submitted to thermal shock at 900 °C followed by heat treatment at 1 200 °C in nitrogen to obtain the modified composites. The ZrO2 nanoparticles formed in the second technique were incorporated into the composites in three length scales: 6-30 nm-isolated nanoparticles and small blobs, 200-1000 nm-lengthy dendrite-like structures, and thin layer adhering to the surface of the 1-40 μm long cellulose carbon fibers.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000281534800003 Publication Date 2010-09-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1872-5805; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Iap-Vi Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:84438 Serial 2721
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Author Peirs, J.; Verleysen, P.; Tirry, W.; Rabet, L.; Schryvers, D.; Degrieck, J.
Title Dynamic shear localization in Ti6Al4V Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2011 Publication Procedia Engineering T2 – 11th International Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Materials, (ICM), 2011, Como, ITALY (ICM11) Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 1-6
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The alloy Ti6Al4V is known to be prone to the formation of adiabatic shear bands when dynamically loaded in shear. This causes a catastrophic decrease of the load carrying capacity and is usually followed by fracture. Although, the main mechanism is recognized to be the competition between strain hardening and thermal softening, a detailed understanding of the role of microstructural plasticity mechanisms and macroscopic loading conditions does not exist yet. To study strain localization and shear fracture, different high strain rate shear tests have been carried out: compression of hat-shaped specimens, torsion of thin walled tubular specimens and in-plane shear tests. The value of the three techniques in studying shear localization is evaluated. Post-mortem analysis of the fracture surface and the materials' microstructure is performed with optical and electron microscopy. In all cases a ductile fracture is observed. SEM and TEM techniques are used to study the local microstructure and composition in the shear band and as such the driving mechanism for the ASB formation. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of ICM11
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000300451302060 Publication Date 2011-06-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume 10 Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1877-7058; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 4 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:113069 Serial 767
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Author Voorhaar, L.; Diaz, M.M.; Leroux, F.; Rogers, S.; Abakumov, A.M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Van Assche, G.; Van Mele, B.; Hoogenboom, R.
Title Supramolecular thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomer materials with self-healing ability based on oligomeric charged triblock copolymers Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication NPG Asia materials Abbreviated Journal Npg Asia Mater
Volume 9 Issue Pages e385
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Supramolecular polymeric materials constitute a unique class of materials held together by non-covalent interactions. These dynamic supramolecular interactions can provide unique properties such as a strong decrease in viscosity upon relatively mild heating, as well as self-healing ability. In this study we demonstrate the unique mechanical properties of phase-separated electrostatic supramolecular materials based on mixing of low molar mass, oligomeric, ABA-triblock copolyacrylates with oppositely charged outer blocks. In case of well-chosen mixtures and block lengths, the charged blocks are phase separated from the uncharged matrix in a hexagonally packed nanomorphology as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Thermal and mechanical analysis of the material shows that the charged sections have a T-g closely beyond room temperature, whereas the material shows an elastic response at temperatures far above this T-g ascribed to the electrostatic supramolecular interactions. A broad set of materials having systematic variations in triblock copolymer structures was used to provide insights in the mechanical properties and and self-healing ability in correlation with the nanomorphology of the materials.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000402065300005 Publication Date 2017-05-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1884-4049; 1884-4057 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.157 Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; This research was conducted in the framework of the SIM-SHE/NAPROM project and SIM is gratefully acknowledged for the financial support. ; Approved Most recent IF: 9.157
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:144263 Serial 4691
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Author Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Numerical study of the size-dependent melting mechanisms of nickel nanoclusters Type A1 Journal article
Year 2009 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 113 Issue 7 Pages 2771-2776
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the size-dependent melting mechanism of nickel nanoclusters of various sizes. The melting process was monitored by the caloric curve, the overall cluster Lindemann index, and the atomic Lindemann index. Size-dependent melting temperatures were determined, and the correct linear dependence on inverse diameter was recovered. We found that the melting mechanism gradually changes from dynamic coexistence melting to surface melting with increasing cluster size. These findings are of importance in better understanding carbon nanotube growth by catalytic chemical vapor deposition as the phase state of the catalyst nanoparticle codetermines the growth mechanism.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 0000-00-00
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2009 IF: 4.224
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:76495 Serial 2410
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Author Tarasov, A.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Meledina, M.; Trusov, G.; Goodilin, E.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Dobrovolsky, Y.
Title One-Step Microheterogeneous Formation of Rutile@Anatase Core–Shell Nanostructured Microspheres Discovered by Precise Phase Mapping Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 4443-4450
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanostructured core−shell microspheres with a rough rutile core and a thin anatase shell are synthesized via a one-step heterogeneous templated hydrolysis process of TiCl4 vapor on the aerosol water−air interface. The rutile-in-anatase core−shell structure has been evidenced by different electron microscopy techniques, including electron energy-loss spectroscopy and 3D electron tomography. A new mechanism for the formation of a crystalline rutile core inside the anatase shell is proposed based on a statistical evaluation of a large number of electron microscopy data. We found that the control over the TiCl4 vapor pressure, the ratio between TiCl4 and H2O aerosol, and the reaction conditions plays a crucial role in the formation of the core−shell morphology and increases the yield of nanostructured microspheres.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000395616200038 Publication Date 2017-03-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 4 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Z.-Y.H., M. M., and G.V.T. acknowledge support from the the EC Framework 7 program ESTEEM2 (Reference 312483). Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:141720 Serial 4472
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Author Khalilov, U.; Yusupov, M.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Selective Plasma Oxidation of Ultrasmall Si Nanowires Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 472-477
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Device performance of Si|SiOx core-shell based nanowires critically depends on the exact control over the oxide thickness. Low-temperature plasma oxidation is a highly promising alternative to thermal oxidation allowing for improved control over the oxidation process, in particular for ultrasmall Si nanowires. We here elucidate the room temperature plasma oxidation mechanisms of ultrasmall Si nanowires using hybrid molecular dynamics / force-bias Monte Carlo simulations. We demonstrate how the oxidation and concurrent water formation mechanisms are a function of the oxidizing plasma species and we demonstrate how the resulting core-shell oxide thickness can be controlled through these species. A new mechanism of water formation is discussed in detail. The results provide a detailed atomic level explanation of the oxidation process of highly curved Si surfaces. These results point out a route toward plasma-based formation of ultrathin core-shell Si|SiOx nanowires at room temperature.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000368562200057 Publication Date 2015-12-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes U.K. and M.Y. gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Grants 12M1315N and 1200216N. 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. We thank Prof. A. C. T. van Duin for sharing the ReaxFF code. Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number c:irua:130677 Serial 4002
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Author Alyörük, M.M.; Aierken, Y.; Çakır, D.; Peeters, F.M.; Sevik, C.
Title Promising Piezoelectric Performance of Single Layer Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides and Dioxides Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 119 Issue 119 Pages 23231-23237
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Piezoelectricity is a unique material property that allows one to convert mechanical energy into electrical one or vice versa. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) and transition metal dioxides (TMDO) are expected to have great potential for piezoelectric device applications due to their noncentrosymmetric and two-dimensional crystal structure. A detailed theoretical investigation of the piezoelectric stress (e 11 ) and piezoelectric strain (d 11 ) coefficients of single layer TMDCs and TMDOs with chemical formula MX 2 (where M= Cr, Mo, W, Ti, Zr, Hf, Sn and X = O, S, Se, Te) is presented by using first-principles calculations based on density func- tional theory. We predict that not only the Mo- and W-based members of this family but also the other materials with M= Cr, Ti, Zr and Sn exhibit highly promising piezoelectric properties. CrTe 2 has the largest e 11 and d 11 coefficients among the group VI elements (i.e., Cr, Mo, and W). In addition, the relaxed-ion e 11 and d 11 coefficients of SnS 2 are almost the same as those of CrTe 2 . Furthermore, TiO 2 and ZrO 2 pose comparable or even larger e 11 coefficients as compared to Mo- and W-based TMDCs and TMDOs. Our calculations reveal that TMDC and TMDO structures are strong candidates for future atomically thin piezoelectric applications such as transducers, sensors, and energy harvesting devices due to their piezoelectric coefficients that are comparable (even larger) to currently used bulk piezoelectric materials.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000362702100054 Publication Date 2015-09-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 134 Open Access
Notes M.M.A and C.S. acknowledges the support from Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK- 113F333). C.S. acknowledges support from Anadolu University (BAP-1407F335, -1505F200), and Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA-GEBIP). Computational resources were provided by TUBITAK ULAKBIM, High Performance and Grid Computing Center (TR-Grid e-Infrastructure), and HPC infrastructure of the University of Antwerp (CalcUA) a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center (VSC), which is funded by the Hercules foundation. Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2015 IF: 4.772
Call Number c:irua:129418 Serial 4035
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Author Serrano-Montes, A.B.; Langer, J.; Henriksen-Lacey, M.; Jimenez de Aberasturi, D.; Solís, D.M.; Taboada, J.M.; Obelleiro, F.; Sentosun, K.; Bals, S.; Bekdemir, A.; Stellacci, F.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.
Title Gold Nanostar-Coated Polystyrene Beads as Multifunctional Nanoprobes for SERS Bioimaging Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 20860-20868
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Hybrid colloidal nanocomposites comprising polystyrene beads and plasmonic gold nanostars are reported as multifunctional optical nanoprobes. Such self-assembled structures are excellent Raman enhancers for bio-applications as they feature plasmon modes in the near infrared “first biological transparency window”. In this proof of concept study, we used 4- mercaptobenzoic acid as a Raman-active molecule to optimize the density of gold nanostars on polystyrene beads, improving SERS performance and thereby allowing in vitro cell culture imaging. Interestingly, intermediate gold nanostar loadings were found to yield higher SERS response, which was confirmed by electromagnetic modeling. These engineered hybrid nanostructures notably improve the possibilities of using gold nanostars as SERS tags. Additionally, when fluorescently labeled polystyrene bead are used as colloidal carriers, the composite particles can be applied as promising tools for multimodal bioimaging.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000384034600045 Publication Date 2016-05-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 64 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Funding is acknowledged from the European Commission (Grant #310445-2 SAVVY), the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant #267867 Plasmaquo, and ERC Starting Grant #335078 Colouratom) and the Spanish MINECO (Project MAT2013-46101-R). We thank IKERLAT Polymers for the non-fluorescent PS beads and Prof. Juan Mareque, Prof. Soledad Penades and Dr. Sergio Moya (CIC biomagune) for borrowing various cell lines. D.M.S., J.M.T, and F.O. acknowledge funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Spanish MINECO (Projects MAT2014-58201-C2-1-R, MAT2014- 58201-C2-2-R), from the ERDF and the Galician Regional Government under agreement for funding the Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (AtlantTIC), and from the ERDF and the Extremadura Regional Government (Junta de Extremadura) under Project IB13185. (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number c:irua:133952 Serial 4082
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Author Huygh, S.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C.
Title How Oxygen Vacancies Activate CO2 Dissociation on TiO2 Anatase (001) Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 21659-21669
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The adsorption, dissociation, and diffusion of CO2 on the anatase (001) surface was studied using DFT by means of the generalized gradient approximation using the Perdew−Burcke−Ernzerhof (PBE)-functional and applying corrections for long-range dispersion interactions. Different stable adsorption configurations were identified for the fully oxidized surface. The most stable adsorption configuration is the monodentated carbonate-like structure. Small energy barriers were identified for the conversion of a physisorbed to a chemisorbed configuration.

CO2 dissociation is found to be unfeasible on the stoichiometric surface. The introduction of oxygen vacancy defects gives rise to new highly stable adsorption configurations with a stronger activation of the C−O bonds. This leads to the possibility of exothermic dissociation of CO2 with barriers up to 22.2 kcal/mol,

corresponding to chemical lifetimes of less than 4 s at 300 K. These reactions cause a CO molecule to be formed, which will easily desorb, and the reduced surface to become oxidized. It is clear that oxygen vacancy defects play a key role in the catalytic activity of an anatase (001) surface. Oxygen vacancies play an important role in the dissociation of CO2 on the anatase (001) surface, and will play a significant role in complex problems, such as the catalytic conversion of CO2 to value-added chemicals.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000384626800055 Publication Date 2016-09-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 49 Open Access
Notes Stijn Huygh is funded as an aspirant of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, project number 11C0115N). This work was carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI), and the UAntwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:136164 Serial 4291
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Influence of the Material Dielectric Constant on Plasma Generation inside Catalyst Pores Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 25923-25934
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various environmental applications, but the crucial question is whether plasma can be created inside catalyst pores and under which conditions. In practice, various catalytic support materials are used, with various dielectric constants. We investigate here the influence of the dielectric constant on the plasma properties inside catalyst pores and in the sheath in front of the pores, for various pore sizes. The calculations are performed by a two-dimensional fluid model for an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in helium. The electron impact ionization rate, electron temperature, electron and ion density, as well as the potential distribution and surface charge density, are analyzed for a better understanding of the discharge behavior inside catalyst pores. The results indicate that, in a 100 μm pore, the electron impact ionization in the pore, which is characteristic for the plasma generation inside the pore, is greatly enhanced for dielectric constants below 300. Smaller pore sizes only yield enhanced ionization for smaller dielectric constants, i.e., up to εr = 200, 150, and 50 for pore sizes of 50, 30, and 10 μm. Thus, the most common catalyst supports, i.e., Al2O3 and SiO2, which have dielectric constants around εr = 8−11 and 4.2, respectively, should allow more easily that microdischarges can be formed inside catalyst pores, even for smaller pore sizes. On the other hand, ferroelectric materials with dielectric constants above 300 never seem to yield plasma enhancement inside catalyst pores, not even for 100 μm pore sizes. Furthermore, it is clear that the dielectric constant of the material has a large effect on the extent of plasma enhancement inside the catalyst pores, especially in the range between εr = 4 and εr = 200. The obtained results are explained in detail based on the surface charge density at the pore walls,

and the potential distribution and electron temperature inside and above the pores. The results obtained with this model are

important for plasma catalysis, as the production plasma species in catalyst pores might affect the catalyst properties, and thus

improve the applications of plasma catalysis.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000388429100029 Publication Date 2016-11-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 34 Open Access
Notes This work was supported by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) (Grant G.0217.14N), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 11405019), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant 2015T80244). This work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI), and the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:138602 Serial 4319
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Author De Bie, C.; van Dijk, J.; Bogaerts, A.
Title CO2Hydrogenation in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Revealed Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 25210-25224
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The hydrogenation of carbon dioxide in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma is studied with a one-dimensional fluid model. The spatially averaged densities of the most important end products formed in the CO2/H2 mixture are determined as a function of the initial gas mixing ratio. CO and H2O are found to be present at the highest densities and to a lower content also CH4, C2H6, CH2O, CH3OH, O2, and some other higher hydrocarbons and oxygenates. The main underlying reaction

pathways for the conversion of the inlet gases and the formation of CO, CH4, CH2O, and CH3OH are pointed out for various gas mixing ratios. The CO2 conversion and the production of value added products is found to be quite low, also in comparison to a CO2/CH4 mixture, and this can be explained by the model.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000387737900007 Publication Date 2016-11-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 16 Open Access
Notes Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:140082 c:irua:139167 Serial 4414
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Author Verlackt, C.C.W.; Van Boxem, W.; Dewaele, D.; Lemière, F.; Sobott, F.; Benedikt, J.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Mechanisms of Peptide Oxidation by Hydroxyl Radicals: Insight at the Molecular Scale Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 5787-5799
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to provide atomic scale insight in the initial interaction between hydroxyl radicals (OH) and peptide systems in solution. These OH radicals are representative reactive oxygen species produced by cold atmospheric plasmas. The use of plasma for biomedical applications is gaining increasing interest, but the fundamental mechanisms behind the plasma modifications still remain largely elusive. This study helps to gain more insight in the underlying mechanisms of plasma medicine but is also more generally applicable to peptide oxidation, of interest for other applications. Combining both reactive and nonreactive MD simulations, we are able to elucidate the reactivity of the amino acids inside the peptide systems and their effect on their structure up to 1 μs. Additionally, experiments were performed, treating the simulated peptides with a plasma jet. The computational results presented here correlate well with the obtained experimental data and highlight the importance of the chemical environment for the reactivity of the individual amino acids, so that specific amino acids are attacked in higher numbers than expected. Furthermore, the long time scale simulations suggest that a single oxidation has an effect on the 3D conformation due to an increase in hydrophilicity and intra- and intermolecular interactions.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000396969900037 Publication Date 2017-03-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G012413N ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:142202 Serial 4537
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Author Mernissi Cherigui, E.A.; Sentosun, K.; Bouckenooge, P.; Vanrompay, H.; Bals, S.; Terryn, H.; Ustarroz, J.
Title A Comprehensive Study of the Electrodeposition of Nickel Nanostructures from Deep Eutectic Solvents: Self-Limiting Growth by Electrolysis of Residual Water Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 9337-9347
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The electrodeposition of nickel nanostructures on glassy carbon was investigated in 1:2 choline chloride – urea (1:2 ChCl-U) deep eutectic solvent (DES). By combining electrochemical techniques with ex-situ FE-SEM, XPS, HAADF-STEM and EDX, the electrochemical processes occurring during nickel deposition were better understood. Special attention was given to the interaction between the solvent and the growing nickel nanoparticles. The application of a suffciently negative potential results into the electrocatlytic hydrolisis of residual water in the DES, which leads to the formation of a mixed layer of Ni/Ni(OH)2(ads). In addition, hydrogen bonds between hydroxide species and the DES components could be formed, quenching the growth of the nickel clusters favouring their aggregation. Due to these processes, a highly dense distribution of nickel nanostructures can be obtained within a wide potential range. Understanding the role of residual water and the interactions at the interface during metal electrodeposition from DESs is essential to produce supported nanostructures in a controllable way for a broad range of applications and technologies.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000400881100027 Publication Date 2017-04-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 66 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes E.A. Mernissi Cherigui acknowledges funding from the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek in Flanders (FWO, research project G019014N). S. Bals acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOMS 335078). H.V. gratefully acknowledges financial support by the Flemish Fund for Scientifi c Research (FWO Vlaanderen). Finally, J. Ustarroz acknowledges funding from the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek in Flanders (FWO, postdoctoral grant 12I7816N). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:142208UA @ admin @ c:irua:142208 Serial 4551
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Author Berthelot, A.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Modeling of CO2Splitting in a Microwave Plasma: How to Improve the Conversion and Energy Efficiency Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 8236-8251
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Microwave plasmas are one of the most promising techniques for CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals and fuels since they are very energy efficient. Nevertheless, experiments show that this high energy efficiency is only reached at low pressures and significantly drops toward atmospheric pressure, which is a clear limitation for industrial applications. In this paper, we use a zerodimensional reaction kinetics model to simulate a CO2 microwave plasma in a pressure range from 50 mbar to 1 bar, in order to evaluate the reasons for this decrease in energy efficiency at atmospheric pressure. The code includes a detailed description of the vibrational kinetics of CO2, CO, and O2 as well as the energy exchanges between them because the vibrational kinetics is known to be crucial for energy efficient CO2 splitting. First, we use a self-consistent gas temperature calculation in order to assess the key performance indicators for CO2 splitting, i.e., the CO2 conversion and corresponding energy efficiency. Our results indicate that lower pressures and higher power densities lead to more vibrational excitation, which is beneficial for the conversion. We also demonstrate the key role of the gas temperature. The model predicts the highest conversion and energy efficiencies at pressures around 300 mbar, which is in agreement with experiments from the literature. We also show the beneficial aspect of fast gas cooling in the afterglow at high pressure. In a second step, we study in more detail the effects of pressure, gas temperature, and power density on the vibrational distribution function and on the dissociation and recombination mechanisms of CO2, which define the CO2 splitting efficiency. This study allows us to identify the limiting factors of CO2 conversion and to propose potential solutions to improve the process.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000400039300002 Publication Date 2017-04-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 47 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ c:irua:142809 Serial 4567
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Author Benetti, G.; Caddeo, C.; Melis, C.; Ferrini, G.; Giannetti, C.; Winckelmans, N.; Bals, S.; J Van Bael, M.; Cavaliere, E.; Gavioli, L.; Banfi, F.
Title Bottom-Up Mechanical Nanometrology of Granular Ag Nanoparticles Thin Films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 22434-22441
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Ultrathin metal nanoparticles coatings, synthesized by gas-phase deposition, are emerging as go-to materials in a variety of fields ranging from pathogens control, sensing to energy storage. Predicting their morphology and mechanical properties beyond a trial-and-error approach is a crucial issue limiting their exploitation in real-life applications. The morphology and mechanical properties of Ag nanoparticles ultrathin films, synthesized by supersonic cluster beam deposition, are here assessed adopting a bottom-up, multi-technique approach. A virtual film model is proposed merging high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, supersonic cluster beam dynamics and molecular dynamics simulations. The model is validated against mechanical nanometrology measurements and is readily extendable to metals other than Ag. The virtual film is shown to be a flexible and reliable predictive tool to access morphology-dependent properties such as mesoscale gas-dynamics and elasticity of ultrathin films synthesized by gas-phase deposition.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000413131700072 Publication Date 2017-09-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 30 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; All authors thank Prof. Dr. Luciano Colombo for enlightening discussions. C.C. and F.B. acknowledge financial support from the MIUR Futuro in ricerca 2013 Grant in the frame of the ULTRANANO Project (Project No. RBFR13NEA4). F.B., G.F., and C.G. acknowledge support from Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore through D.2.2 and D.3.1 grants. F.B. acknowledges financial support from Fondazione E.U.L.O. The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Union through the seventh Framework Program (FP7) under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (Reference No. 312483 ESTEEM2). ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:145828UA @ admin @ c:irua:145828 Serial 4706
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Author Trenchev, G.; Kolev, S.; Wang, W.; Ramakers, M.; Bogaerts, A.
Title CO2Conversion in a Gliding Arc Plasmatron: Multidimensional Modeling for Improved Efficiency Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 44 Pages 24470-24479
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The gliding arc plasmatron (GAP) is a highly efficient atmospheric plasma source, which is very promising for CO2 conversion applications. To understand its operation principles and to improve its application, we present here comprehensive modeling results, obtained by means of computational fluid dynamics simulations and plasma modeling. Because of the complexity of the CO2 plasma, a full 3D plasma model would be computationally impractical. Therefore, we combine a 3D turbulent gas flow model with a 2D plasma and gas heating model in order to calculate the plasma parameters and CO2 conversion characteristics. In addition, a complete 3D gas flow and plasma model with simplified argon chemistry is used to evaluate the gliding arc evolution in space and time. The calculated values are compared with experimental data from literature as much as possible in order to validate the model. The insights obtained in this study are very helpful for improving the application of CO2 conversion, as they allow us to identify the limiting factors in the performance, based on which solutions can be provided on how to further improve the capabilities of CO2 conversion in the GAP.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000415140400014 Publication Date 2017-11-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, 657304 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 11U5316N G038316N ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:147193 Serial 4765
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Author Kus, M.; Altantzis, T.; Vercauteren, S.; Caretti, I.; Leenaerts, O.; Batenburg, K.J.; Mertens, M.; Meynen, V.; Partoens, B.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Bals, S.; Cool, P.
Title Mechanistic Insight into the Photocatalytic Working of Fluorinated Anatase {001} Nanosheets Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 121 Pages 26275-26286
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
Abstract Anatase nanosheets with exposed {001} facets

have gained increasing interest for photocatalytic applications. To

fully understand the structure-to-activity relation, combined

experimental and computational methods have been exploited.

Anatase nanosheets were prepared under hydrothermal conditions

in the presence of fluorine ions. High resolution scanning

transmission electron microscopy was used to fully characterize

the synthesized material, confirming the TiO2 nanosheet

morphology. Moreover, the surface structure and composition

of a single nanosheet could be determined by annular bright-field

scanning transmission electron microscopy (ABF-STEM) and

STEM electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS). The photocatalytic activity was tested for the decomposition of organic

dyes rhodamine 6G and methyl orange and compared to a reference TiO2 anatase sample. The anatase nanosheets with exposed

{001} facets revealed a significantly lower photocatalytic activity compared to the reference. In order to understand the

mechanism for the catalytic performance, and to investigate the role of the presence of F−, light-induced electron paramagnetic

resonance (EPR) experiments were performed. The EPR results are in agreement with TEM, proving the presence of Ti3+

species close to the surface of the sample and allowing the analysis of the photoinduced formation of paramagnetic species.

Further, ab initio calculations of the anisotropic effective mass of electrons and electron holes in anatase show a very high effective

mass of electrons in the [001] direction, having a negative impact on the mobility of electrons toward the {001} surface and thus

the photocatalysis. Finally, motivated by the experimental results that indicate the presence of fluorine atoms at the surface, we

performed ab initio calculations to determine the position of the band edges in anatase slabs with different terminations of the

{001} surface. The presence of fluorine atoms near the surface is shown to strongly shift down the band edges, which indicates

another reason why it can be expected that the prepared samples with a large amount of {001} surface, but with fluorine atoms

near the surface, show only a low photocatalytic activity.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000417228500017 Publication Date 2017-11-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 20 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge the University of Antwerp for financial support in the frame of a GOA project. S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Grant No. 335078 COLOURATOM. S.V.D. and V.M. acknowledge funding from the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (G.0687.13). T.A. acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147240UA @ admin @ c:irua:147240 Serial 4771
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Author Heijkers, S.; Bogaerts, A.
Title CO2Conversion in a Gliding Arc Plasmatron: Elucidating the Chemistry through Kinetic Modeling Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 121 Issue 41 Pages 22644-22655
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract By means of chemical kinetics modeling, it is possible to elucidate the main dissociation mechanisms of CO2 in a gliding arc plasmatron (GAP). We obtain good agreement between the calculated and experimental conversions and energy efficiencies, indicating that the model can indeed be used to study the underlying mechanisms. The calculations predict that vibration-induced dissociation is the main dissociation mechanism of CO2, but it occurs mainly from the lowest vibrational levels because of fast thermalization of the vibrational distribution. Based on these findings, we propose ideas for improving the performance of the GAP, but testing of these ideas in the simulations reveals that they do not always lead to significant enhancement, because of other side effects, thus illustrating the complexity of the process. Nevertheless, the model allows more insight into the underlying mechanisms to be obtained and limitations to be identified.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000413617900007 Publication Date 2017-10-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 6 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, IAP/7 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0383.16N ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:147436 Serial 4801
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Author Winckelmans, N.; Altantzis, T.; Grzelczak, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S.
Title Multimode Electron Tomography as a Tool to Characterize the Internal Structure and Morphology of Gold Nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 122 Issue 122 Pages 13522-13528
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Three dimensional (3D) characterization of structural defects in nanoparticles by transmission electron microscopy is far from straightforward. We propose the use of a dose-efficient approach, so-called multimode tomography, during which tilt series of low and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy projection images are acquired simultaneously. In this manner, not only reliable information can be obtained concerning the shape of the nanoparticles, but also the twin planes can be clearly visualized in 3D. As an example, we demonstrate the application of this approach to identify the position of the seeds with respect to the twinning planes in anisotropic gold nanoparticles synthesized using a seed mediated growth approach.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000437811500036 Publication Date 2018-01-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 23 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes S.B. and N.W. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Grant No. 335078 COLOURATOM. S.B. and T.A. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0369.15N and G.0218.14N) and a postdoctoral research grant to T.A. L.M.L.-M. and M.G. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant MAT2013-46101-R). L.M.L.-M. and S.B. acknowledge funding from the European Commission (grant EUSMI 731019). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:148164UA @ admin @ c:irua:148164 Serial 4807
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Author Yang, Z.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Tendeloo, G.V.; Pileni, M.-P.
Title Do Binary Supracrystals Enhance the Crystal Stability? Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 122 Issue 122 Pages 13515-13521
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We study the oxygen thermal stability of two binary

systems. The larger particles are magnetic amorphous Co (7.2 nm) or

Fe3O4 (7.5 nm) nanocrystals, whereas the smaller ones (3.7 nm) are

Au nanocrystals. The nanocrystal ordering as well as the choice of the

magnetic nanoparticles very much influence the stability of the binary

system. A perfect crystalline structure is obtained with the Fe3O4/Au

binary supracrystals. For the Co/Au binary system, oxidation of Co

results in the chemical transformation from Co to CoO, where the size

of the amorphous Co nanoparticles increases from 7.2 to 9.8 nm in

diameter. During the volume expansion of the Co nanoparticles, Au

nanoparticles within the binary assemblies coalesce and are at the

origin of the instability of the binary nanoparticle supracrystals. On the

other hand, for the Fe3O4/Au binary system, the oxidation of Fe3O4 to

γ-Fe2O3 does not lead to a size change of the nanoparticles, which

maintains the stability of the binary nanoparticle supracrystals. A similar behavior is observed for an AlB2-type Co−Ag binary

system: The crystalline structure is maintained, whereas in disordered assemblies, coalescence of Ag nanocrystals is observed.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000437811500035 Publication Date 2018-01-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The research leading to these results has been supported by an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council under Grant 267129. The authors appreciate financial support by the European Union under the Framework 7 program under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (Reference No. 262348 ESMI). S.B. acknowledges funding from ERC Starting Grant COLOURATOMS (335078). T.A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149388UA @ admin @ c:irua:149388 Serial 4812
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Author Wang, W.; Snoeckx, R.; Zhang, X.; Cha, M.S.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Modeling Plasma-based CO2and CH4Conversion in Mixtures with N2, O2, and H2O: The Bigger Plasma Chemistry Picture Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 122 Issue 16 Pages 8704-8723
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Because of the unique properties of plasma technology, its use in gas conversion applications is gaining significant interest around the globe. Plasma-based CO2 and CH4 conversion has become a major research area. Many investigations have already been performed regarding the single-component gases, that is, CO2 splitting and CH4 reforming, as well as for two-component mixtures, that is, dry reforming of methane

(CO2/CH4), partial oxidation of methane (CH4/O2), artificial photosynthesis (CO2/H2O), CO2 hydrogenation (CO2/H2), and even first steps toward the influence of N2 impurities have been taken, that is, CO2/N2 and CH4/N2. In this Feature Article we briefly discuss the advances made in literature for these different steps from a plasma chemistry modeling point of view. Subsequently, we present a comprehensive plasma chemistry set, combining the knowledge gathered in this field so far and supported with extensive experimental data. This set can be used for chemical kinetics plasma modeling for all possible combinations of CO2, CH4, N2, O2, and H2O to investigate the bigger picture of the underlying plasmachemical pathways for these mixtures in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma. This is extremely valuable

for the optimization of existing plasma-based CO2 conversion and CH4 reforming processes as well as for investigating the influence of N2, O2, and H2O on these processes and even to support plasma-based multireforming processes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000431151200002 Publication Date 2018-04-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 28 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, IAP/7 ; King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, 657304 ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0217.14N G.0383.16N G.0254.14N ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:150969 Serial 4922
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Author Bal, K.M.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Overcoming Old Scaling Relations and Establishing New Correlations in Catalytic Surface Chemistry: Combined Effect of Charging and Doping Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 123 Issue 10 Pages 6141-6147
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Optimization of catalytic materials for a given application is greatly constrained by linear scaling relations. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to reversibly modulate the chemisorption of molecules on nanomaterials by charging (i.e., injection or removal of electrons) and hence reversibly and selectively modify catalytic activity beyond structure−activity correlations. The fundamental physical relation between the properties of the material, the charging process, and the chemisorption energy, however, remains unclear, and a systematic exploration and optimization of charge-switchable sorbent materials is not yet possible. Using hybrid DFT calculations of CO2 chemisorption on hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets with several types of defects and dopants, we here reveal the existence of fundamental correlations between the electron affinity of a material and charge-induced chemisorption, show how defect engineering can be used to modulate the strength and efficiency of the adsorption process, and demonstrate that excess electrons stabilize many topological defects. We then show how these insights could be exploited in the development of new electrocatalytic materials and the synthesis of doped nanomaterials. Moreover, we demonstrate that calculated chemical properties of charged materials are highly sensitive to the employed computational methodology because of the self-interaction error, which underlines the theoretical challenge posed by such systems.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000461537400035 Publication Date 2019-03-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 5 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 21.02.2020
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 11V8915N ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @UA @ admin @ c:irua:158117 Serial 5160
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Author Heijkers, S.; Martini, L.M.; Dilecce, G.; Tosi, P.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Nanosecond Pulsed Discharge for CO2Conversion: Kinetic Modeling To Elucidate the Chemistry and Improve the Performance Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 123 Issue 19 Pages 12104-12116
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We study the mechanisms of CO2 conversion in a nanosecond repetitively pulsed (NRP) discharge, by means of a chemical kinetics model. The calculated conversions and energy efficiencies are in reasonable agreement with experimental results over a wide range of specific energy input values, and the same applies to the evolution of gas temperature and CO2 conversion as a function of time in the afterglow, indicating that our model provides a realistic picture of the underlying mechanisms in the NRP discharge and can be used to identify its limitations and thus to suggest further improvements. Our model predicts that vibrational excitation is very important in the NRP discharge, explaining why this type of plasma yields energy-efficient CO2 conversion. A significant part of the CO2 dissociation occurs by electronic excitation from the lower vibrational levels toward repulsive electronic states, thus resulting in dissociation. However, vibration−translation (VT) relaxation (depopulating the higher vibrational levels) and CO + O recombination (CO + O + M → CO2 + M), as well as mixing of the converted gas with fresh gas entering the plasma in between the pulses, are limiting factors for the conversion and energy efficiency. Our model predicts that extra cooling, slowing down the rate of VT relaxation and of the above recombination reaction, thus enhancing the contribution of the highest vibrational levels to the overall CO2 dissociation, can further improve the performance of the NRP discharge for energy-efficient CO2 conversion.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000468368800009 Publication Date 2019-05-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 4 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 26.04.2020
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0383.16N ; The authors acknowledge financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders (FWO; Grant no. G.0383.16N). Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @UA @ admin @ c:irua:159976 Serial 5174
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Author Vermeiren, V.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Improving the Energy Efficiency of CO2Conversion in Nonequilibrium Plasmas through Pulsing Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 123 Issue 29 Pages 17650-17665
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Nonequilibrium plasmas offer a pathway for energy-efficient CO2 conversion through vibrationally induced dissociation. However, the efficiency of this pathway is limited by a rise in gas temperature, which increases vibrational−translational (VT) relaxation and quenches the vibrational levels. Therefore, we investigate here the effect of plasma pulsing on the VT nonequilibrium and on the CO2 conversion by means of a zerodimensional chemical kinetics model, with self-consistent gas temperature calculation. Specifically, we show that higher energy efficiencies can be reached by correctly tuning the plasma pulse and interpulse times. The ideal plasma pulse time corresponds to the time needed to reach the highest vibrational temperature. In addition, the highest energy efficiencies are obtained with long interpulse times, that is, ≥0.1 s, in which the gas temperature can entirely drop to room temperature. Furthermore, additional cooling of the reactor walls can give higher energy efficiencies at shorter interpulse times of 1 ms. Finally, our model shows that plasma pulsing can significantly improve the energy efficiency at low reduced electric fields (50 and 100 Td, typical for microwave and gliding arc plasmas) and intermediate ionization degrees (5 × 10−7 and 10−6).
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000477785000003 Publication Date 2019-07-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0383.16N ; This research was supported by the FWO project (grant G.0383.16N). The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI), and the UAntwerpen. We also like to thank N. Britun (ChIPS) for the interesting discussions. Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:161621 Serial 5289
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Salzmann, B.B.V.; Wit, J. de; Li, C.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Bals, S.; Meijerink, A.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.
Title Two-Dimensional CdSe-PbSe Heterostructures and PbSe Nanoplatelets: Formation, Atomic Structure, and Optical Properties Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 126 Issue 3 Pages 1513-1522
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000744909200001 Publication Date 2022-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.7 Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes H. Meeldijk is kindly acknowledged for helping with electron microscopy at Utrecht University. T. Prins is kindly acknowledged for useful discussions. B.B.V.S. and D.V. acknowledge the Dutch NWO for financial support via the TOP-ECHO Grant No. 715.016.002. D.V. acknowledges financial support from the European ERC Council, ERC Advanced Grant 692691 “First Step”. J.W. and A.M. acknowledge financial support from the project CHEMIE.PGT.2019.004 of TKI/ Topsector Chemie, which is partly financed by the Dutch NWO. S.B, C.L., and D.A.E. acknowledge financial support from the European ERC Council, ERC Consolidator Grant realnano No. 815128. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant No. 731019 (EUSMI). sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 3.7
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:185454 Serial 6953
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Author Kavak, S.; Kadu, A.A.; Claes, N.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Batenburg, K.J.; Bals, S.
Title Quantitative 3D Investigation of Nanoparticle Assemblies by Volumetric Segmentation of Electron Tomography Data Sets Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal
Volume 127 Issue 20 Pages 9725-9734
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Morphological characterization of nanoparticle assemblies and hybrid nanomaterials is critical in determining their structure-property relationships as well as in the development of structures with desired properties. Electron tomography has become a widely utilized technique for the three-dimensional characterization of nanoparticle assemblies. However, the extraction of quantitative morphological parameters from the reconstructed volume can be a complex and labor-intensive task. In this study, we aim to overcome this challenge by automating the volumetric segmentation process applied to three-dimensional reconstructions of nanoparticle assemblies. The key to enabling automated characterization is to assess the performance of different volumetric segmentation methods in accurately extracting predefined quantitative descriptors for morphological characterization. In our methodology, we compare the quantitative descriptors obtained through manual segmentation with those obtained through automated segmentation methods, to evaluate their accuracy and effectiveness. To show generality, our study focuses on the characterization of assemblies of CdSe/CdS quantum dots, gold nanospheres and CdSe/CdS encapsulated in polymeric micelles, and silica-coated gold nanorods decorated with both CdSe/CdS or PbS quantum dots. We use two unsupervised segmentation algorithms: the watershed transform and the spherical Hough transform. Our results demonstrate that the choice of automated segmentation method is crucial for accurately extracting the predefined quantitative descriptors. Specifically, the spherical Hough transform exhibits superior performance in accurately extracting quantitative descriptors, such as particle size and interparticle distance, thereby allowing for an objective, efficient, and reliable volumetric segmentation of complex nanoparticle assemblies.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000991752700001 Publication Date 2023-05-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.7 Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1181122N ; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, 861950 ; H2020 European Research Council, 815128 ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.7; 2023 IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:196971 Serial 8793
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Author Sevik, C.; Çakir, D.; Gulseren, O.; Peeters, F.M.
Title Peculiar piezoelectric properties of soft two-dimensional materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 13948-13953
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Group II-VI semiconductor honeycomb monolayers have a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure and therefore are expected to be important for nano piezoelectric device applications. This motivated us to perform first principles calculations based on density functional theory to unveil the piezoelectric properties (i.e., piezoelectric stress (e(11)) and piezoelectric strain (d(11)) coefficients) of these monolayer materials with chemical formula MX (where M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zr, Cd and X = S, Se, Te). We found that these two-dimensional materials have peculiar piezoelectric properties with d(11) coefficients 1 order of magnitude larger than those of commercially utilized bulk materials. A clear trend in their piezoelectric properties emerges, which
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos 000379457000010 Publication Date 2016-06-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN (up) 1932-7447; 1932-7455 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 39 Open Access
Notes ; This work was supported by the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vl), the Methusalem foundation of the Flemish government and the Bilateral program FWO-TUBITAK between Flanders and Turkey. We acknowledge the support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK-115F024). Computational resources were provided by TUBITAK ULAKBIM, High Performance and Grid Computing Center (TR-Grid e-Infrastructure), and HPC infrastructure of the University of Antwerp (Cal-cUA) a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center (VSC), which is funded by the Hercules foundation. C.S. acknowledges the support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK-113F333) and the support from Anadolu University (BAP-1407F335, -1505F200), and the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA-GEBIP). ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:134948 Serial 4222
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