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	Author	Parrilla, M.; Sena-Torralba, A.; Steijlen, A.; Morais, S.; Maquieira, Á.; De Wael, K.
	Title	A 3D-printed hollow microneedle-based electrochemical sensing device for in situ plant health monitoring			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Biosensors and bioelectronics	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	251	Issue		Pages	116131-116139
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
	Abstract	Plant health monitoring is devised as a new concept to elucidate in situ physiological processes. The need for increased food production to nourish the growing global population is inconsistent with the dramatic impact of climate change, which hinders crop health and exacerbates plant stress. In this context, wearable sensors play a crucial role in assessing plant stress. Herein, we present a low-cost 3D-printed hollow microneedle array (HMA) patch as a sampling device coupled with biosensors based on screen-printing technology, leading to affordable analysis of biomarkers in the plant fluid of a leaf. First, a refinement of the 3D-printing method showed a tip diameter of 25.9 ± 3.7 μm with a side hole diameter on the microneedle of 228.2 ± 18.6 μm using an affordable 3D printer (<500 EUR). Notably, the HMA patch withstanded the forces exerted by thumb pressing (i.e. 20-40 N). Subsequently, the holes of the HMA enabled the fluid extraction tested in vitro and in vivo in plant leaves (i.e. 13.5 ± 1.1 μL). A paper-based sampling strategy adapted to the HMA allowed the collection of plant fluid. Finally, integrating the sampling device onto biosensors facilitated the in situ electrochemical analysis of plant health biomarkers (i.e. H2O2, glucose, and pH) and the electrochemical profiling of plants in five plant species. Overall, this electrochemical platform advances precise and versatile sensors for plant health monitoring. The wearable device can potentially improve precision farming practices, addressing the critical need for sustainable and resilient agriculture in changing environmental conditions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001198047000001	Publication Date	2024-02-13
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0956-5663	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	12.6	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 12.6; 2024 IF: 7.78
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203204			Serial	8998
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Mychinko, M.
	Title	Advanced Electron Tomography to Investigate the Growth and Stability of Complex Metal Nanoparticles = Geavanceerde Elektronentomografie om de Groei en Stabiliteit van Complexe Metallische Nanodeeltjes te Onderzoeken			Type	Doctoral thesis
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	227 p.
	Keywords	Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	During the past decades, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted great attention in materials science due to their specific optical properties based on surface plasmon resonances. Because of these phenomena, plasmonic NPs (or nanoplasmonics) are very promising for application in biosensing, photocatalysts, medicine, data storage, solar energy conversion, etc. Currently, colloidal synthesis techniques enable scientists to routinely produce mono and bimetallic NPs of various shapes, sizes, composition, and elemental distribution, with superior properties for plasmonic applications. Two primary directions for further advancing nanoplasmonic-based technologies include synthesizing novel morphologies, such as highly asymmetric chiral NPs, and gaining deeper insights into the factors affecting the stability of produced nanoplasmonics. With the increasing complexity of nanoplasmonics morphologies and higher stability requirements, there is a pressing need for thorough investigations into their 3D structures and their evolution under different conditions, with high resolution. Electron tomography (ET) emerges as an ideal tool to retrieve shape and element-sensitive information about individual nanoparticles in 3D, achieving resolutions down to the atomic level. Moreover, ET techniques can be combined with in situ holders, enabling detailed studies of processes mimicking real applications of nanoplasmonic-based devices. The first part of this thesis will focus on detailed studies of chiral Au NPs, promising for spectroscopy techniques based on the differential absorption of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light. Specifically, I will discuss the primary strategies for wet-colloidal growth of the various types of intrinsically chiral Au NPs. Advanced ET methods will be demonstrated as powerful tools for characterizing the final helical morphologies of the produced Au NPs and for studying the chiral growth mechanisms by examining intermediate structures obtained during chiral growth. The second part will focus on the heat-induced stability of various Au@Ag core-shell NPs. Operating in real conditions, such as elevated temperatures, may cause particle reshaping and redistribution of metals between the core and shell, gradually altering nanoplasmonics properties. Hence, a thorough understanding of the influence of size, shape, and defects on these processes is crucial for further developments. Recently developed techniques, combining fast ET with in-situ heating holders, have allowed me to evaluate the influence of various parameters (size, shape, defect structure) on heat-induced elemental redistribution in Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles qualitatively and quantitatively. Additionally, I will discuss the prospects of high-resolution ET for visualizing the diffusion of individual atoms within complex nanostructures.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202976			Serial	9001
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Khalilov, U.; Uljayev, U.; Mehmonov, K.; Nematollahi, P.; Yusupov, M.; Neyts, E.C.; Neyts, E.C.
	Title	Can endohedral transition metals enhance hydrogen storage in carbon nanotubes?			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	International journal of hydrogen energy	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	55	Issue		Pages	640-610
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Modelling and Simulation in Chemistry (MOSAIC); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
	Abstract	The safe and efficient use of hydrogen energy, which is in high demand worldwide today, requires efficient hydrogen storage. Despite significant advances in hydrogen storage using carbon-based nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), efforts to substantially increase the storage capacity remain less effective. In this work, we demonstrate the effect of endohedral transition metal atoms on the hydrogen storage capacity of CNTs using reactive molecular dynamics simulations. We find that an increase in the volume fraction of endohedral nickel atoms leads to an increase in the concentration of physisorbed hydrogen molecules around single-walled CNTs (SWNTs) by approximately 1.6 times compared to pure SWNTs. The obtained results provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of how endohedral transition metal atoms enhance the hydrogen storage ability of SWNTs under nearly ambient conditions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001142427400001	Publication Date	2023-11-24
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0360-3199	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	7.2	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 7.2; 2024 IF: 3.582
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202315			Serial	9006
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	Author	Hassani, N.; Yagmurcukardes, M.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M.
	Title	Chlorinated phosphorene for energy application			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Computational materials science	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	231	Issue		Pages	112625-112628
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
	Abstract	The influence of decoration with impurities and the composition dependent band gap in 2D materials has been the subject of debate for a long time. Here, by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, we systematically disclose physical properties of chlorinated phosphorene having the stoichiometry of PmCln. By analyzing the adsorption energy, charge density, migration energy barrier, structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of chlorinated phosphorene, we found that (I) the Cl-P bonds are strong with binding energy Eb =-1.61 eV, decreases with increasing n. (II) Cl atoms on phosphorene have anionic feature, (III) the migration path of Cl on phosphorene is anisotropic with an energy barrier of 0.38 eV, (IV) the phonon band dispersion reveal that chlorinated phosphorenes are stable when r <= 0.25 where r = m/n, (V) chlorinated phosphorenes is found to be a photonic crystal in the frequency range of 280 cm-1 to 325 cm-1, (VI) electronic band structure of chlorinated phosphorenes exhibits quasi-flat bands emerging around the Fermi level with widths in the range of 22 meV to 580 meV, and (VII) Cl adsorption causes a semiconducting to metallic/semi-metallic transition which makes it suitable for application as an electroactive material. To elucidate this application, we investigated the change in binding energy (Eb), specific capacity, and open-circuit voltage as a function of the density of adsorbed Cl. The theoretical storage capacity of the chlorinated phosphorene is found to be 168.19 mA h g-1with a large average voltage (similar to 2.08 V) which is ideal number as a cathode in chloride-ion batteries.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001110003400001	Publication Date	2023-11-04
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0927-0256	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	3.3	Times cited	2	Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 3.3; 2024 IF: 2.292
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202125			Serial	9008
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Schram, J.
	Title	Electrochemical sensing strategies for multiple illicit drugs			Type	Doctoral thesis
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	290 p.
	Keywords	Doctoral thesis; Pharmacology. Therapy; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
	Abstract	Today, illicit drugs are omnipresent in society. Clandestine markets are growing faster than ever before, record amounts of cocaine are seized in seaports and airports, while the associated violence is spiralling out of control. In addition, drug monitoring centres worldwide are warning for the increasing complexity of the drug markets, as the traditionally popular drugs are joined by countless new synthetic variants, while medical drugs are also increasingly being abused. In order to provide services confronted with illicit drug samples (police, customs, forensic scientists, first responders, …) with important information on the identity of an unknown sample, suitable analytical tests are required. While these exist for laboratory environments, on-site applicable tests are important to accelerate the decision-making process. Electrochemical sensors have all the advantages required for such on-site tests: they are fast, portable, easy-to-use and reliable. Furthermore, they are not influenced by colours, which are frequently added to drug samples to deceive the existing tests. Previous work has mainly focussed on the detection of a single drug per analysis. However, many drugs could be encountered due to the diversity of the drug markets. Therefore, this project developed electrochemical strategies for the detection of multiple drugs simultaneously. First, the electrochemical behaviour of the individual drugs was studied in different measuring conditions (assessing the influence of pH, concentration and temperature). Then, all findings and strategies were combined to detect multiple targets simultaneously. An electrochemical sensor was developed for the four most popular drugs at music festivals: cocaine, MDMA, amphetamine and ketamine. This sensor generates a so-called ‘superfingerprint’ of the sample, which is then automatically interpreted by a developed algorithm in order to produce a straightforward output. Finally, a pill analysis sensor was developed in the context of drug checking services, where a consumer can anonymously have a sample chemically analysed to obtain information on the composition, dose and potentially harmful additives. The sensor achieved an outstanding accuracy in identifying the main component and provided the option to quantify, as well as an indication on the presence of other substances in the sample. The project’s findings demonstrate the potential for electrochemistry in illicit drug detection and provide a basis for the development of new sensors, targeting other drug combinations.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203199			Serial	9029
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Alvarado-Alvarado, A.A.; Smets, W.; Irga, P.; Denys, S.
	Title	Engineering green wall botanical biofiltration to abate indoor volatile organic compounds : a review on mechanisms, phyllosphere bioaugmentation, and modeling			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Journal of hazardous materials	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	465	Issue		Pages	133491-16
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Indoor air pollution affects the global population, especially in developed countries where people spend around 90% of their time indoors. The recent pandemic exacerbated the exposure by relying on indoor spaces and a teleworking lifestyle. VOCs are a group of indoor air pollutants with harmful effects on human health at low concentrations. It is widespread that plants can remove indoor VOCs. To this day, research has combined principles of phytoremediation, biofiltration, and bioremediation into a holistic and sustainable technology called botanical biofiltration. Overall, it is sustained that its main advantage is the capacity to break down and biodegrade pollutants using low energy input. This differs from traditional systems that transfer VOCs to another phase. Furthermore, it offers additional benefits like decreased indoor air health costs, enhanced work productivity, and well-being. However, many disparities exist within the field regarding the role of plants, substrate, and phyllosphere bacteria. Yet their role has been theorized; its stability is poorly known for an engineering approach. Previous research has not addressed the bioaugmentation of the phyllosphere to increase the performance, which could boost the system. Moreover, most experiments have studied passive potted plant systems at a lab scale using small chambers, making it difficult to extrapolate findings into tangible parameters to engineer the technology. Active systems are believed to be more efficient yet require more maintenance and knowledge expertise; besides, the impact of the active flow on the long term is not fully understood. Besides, modeling the system has been oversimplified, limiting the understanding and optimization. This review sheds light on the field’s gains and gaps, like concepts, experiments, and modeling. We believe that embracing a multidisciplinary approach encompassing experiments, multiphysics modeling, microbial community analysis, and coworking with the indoor air sector will enable the optimization of the technology and facilitate its adoption.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-01-11
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0304-3894	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor	13.6	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 13.6; 2024 IF: 6.065
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202311			Serial	9030
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	Author	Rabani, I.; Tahir, M.S.; Nisar, S.; Parrilla, M.; Truong, H.B.; Kim, M.; Seo, Y.-S.
	Title	Fabrication of larger surface area of ZIF8@ZIF67 reverse core-shell nanostructures for energy storage applications			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Electrochimica acta	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	475	Issue		Pages	143532-11
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
	Abstract	The construction of uniform nanostructure with larger surface area electrodes is a huge challenge for the highvalue added energy storage application. Herein, we demonstrates ZIF67@ZIF8 (core-shell) and ZIF8@ZIF67 (reverse core-shell) nanostructures using a low-cost wet chemical route and used them as supercapacitors. Pristine ZIF-67 and ZIF-8 was used as reference electrodes. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between the ZIF8 and ZIF67, the ZIF8@ZIF67 exhibited the outstanding electrochemical consequences owing to its larger surface area with uniform hexagonal morphology. As optimized ZIF8@ZIF67 nanostructure displayed the highcapacity of 1521 F/g at 1 A/g of current density in a three-electrode assembly in 1 M KOH electrolyte compared with other as-fabricated electrodes. In addition, the ZIF8@ZIF67 nanostructure employed into the symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) with 1 M KOH electrolyte in two-electrode setup and it exhibited still superior output including capacity (249.8 F/g at 1 A/g), remarkable repeatability (87 % over 10,000 GCD cycles) along with high energy and power density (61.2 Wh/kg & 1260 W/kg). The present study uncovers the relationship between the larger surface area and electrocatalyst performance, supporting an effective approach to prepare favorable materials for enhanced capacity, extended lifespan, and energy density.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001134022100001	Publication Date	2023-12-01
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0013-4686	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	6.6	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 6.6; 2024 IF: 4.798
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202082			Serial	9036
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	Author	Van Daele, S.; Hintjens, L.; Hoekx, S.; Bohlen, B.; Neukermans, S.; Daems, N.; Hereijgers, J.; Breugelmans, T.
	Title	How flue gas impurities affect the electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to CO and formate			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Applied catalysis : B : environmental	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	341	Issue		Pages	123345-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT); Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	The electrochemical CO2 reduction offers a promising solution to convert waste CO2 into valuable products like CO and formate. However, CO2 capture and purification remains an energy intensive process and therefore the direct usage of industrially available waste CO2 streams containing SO2, NO and O2 impurities becomes more interesting. This work demonstrates an efficient (Faradaic efficiency > 90 %) and stable performance over 20 h with 200 ppm SO2 or NO in the feed gas stream. However, the addition of 1 % O2 to the CO2 feed causes a significant drop in Faradaic efficiency to C-products due to the competitive oxygen reduction reaction. A potential mitigation strategy is to operate at higher total current density to firstly reduce most O2 and achieve sufficient product output from CO2 reduction. These results aid in understanding the impact of flue gas impurities during CO2 electrolysis which is crucial for potentially bypassing the CO2 purification step.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001102999000001	Publication Date	2023-10-01
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0926-3373	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	22.1	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 22.1; 2024 IF: 9.446
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:199490			Serial	9044
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	Author	Rezaei, M.; Ghasemitarei, M.; Razzokov, J.; Yusupov, M.; Ghorbanalilu, M.; Ejtehadi, M.R.
	Title	In silico study of the impact of oxidation on pyruvate transmission across the hVDAC1 protein channel			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Archives of biochemistry and biophysics	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	751	Issue		Pages	109835-109837
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
	Abstract	The overexpression of voltage dependent anion channels (VDACs), particularly VDAC1, in cancer cells compared to normal cells, plays a crucial role in cancer cell metabolism, apoptosis regulation, and energy homeostasis. In this study, we used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the effect of a low level of VDAC1 oxidation (induced e.g., by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)) on the pyruvate (Pyr) uptake by VDAC1. Inhibiting Pyr uptake through VDAC1 can suppress cancer cell proliferation. Our primary target was to study the translocation of Pyr across the native and oxidized forms of hVDAC1, the human VDAC1. Specifically, we employed MD simulations to analyze the hVDAC1 structure by modifying certain cysteine residues to cysteic acids and methionine residues to methionine sulfoxides, which allowed us to investigate the effect of oxidation. Our results showed that the free energy barrier for Pyr translocation through the native and oxidized channel was approximately 4.3 +/- 0.7 kJ mol-1 and 10.8 +/- 1.8 kJ mol-1, respectively. An increase in barrier results in a decrease in rate of Pyr permeation through the oxidized channel. Thus, our results indicate that low levels of CAP oxidation reduce Pyr translocation, resulting in decreased cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, low levels of oxidation are likely sufficient to treat cancer cells given the inhibition of Pyr uptake.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001127850500001	Publication Date	2023-11-23
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0003-9861; 1096-0384	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	3.9	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 3.9; 2024 IF: 3.165
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202185			Serial	9046
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	Author	Gao, C.; Hofer, C.; Pennycook, T.J.
	Title	On central focusing for contrast optimization in direct electron ptychography of thick samples			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Ultramicroscopy	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	256	Issue		Pages	113879-7
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	Ptychography provides high dose efficiency images that can reveal light elements next to heavy atoms. However, despite ptychography having an otherwise single signed contrast transfer function, contrast reversals can occur when the projected potential becomes strong for both direct and iterative inversion ptychography methods. It has recently been shown that these reversals can often be counteracted in direct ptychography methods by adapting the focus. Here we provide an explanation of why the best contrast is often found with the probe focused to the middle of the sample. The phase contribution due to defocus at each sample slice above and below the central plane in this configuration effectively cancels out, which can prevent contrast reversals when dynamical scattering effects are not overly strong. In addition we show that the convergence angle can be an important consideration for removal of contrast reversals in relatively thin samples.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001112166400001	Publication Date	2023-11-03
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0304-3991	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	2.2	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 2.2; 2024 IF: 2.843
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202029			Serial	9066
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	Author	Kashiwar, A.; Arseenko, M.; Simar, A.; Idrissi, H.
	Title	On the role of microstructural defects on precipitation, damage, and healing behavior in a novel Al-0.5Mg2Si alloy			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Materials & design	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	239	Issue		Pages	112765-112769
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	A recently developed healable Al-Mg2Si designed by the programmed damage and repair (PDR) strategy is studied considering the role microstructural defects play on precipitation, damage, and healing. The alloy incorporates sacrificial Mg2Si particles that precipitate after friction stir processing (FSP). They act as damage localization sites and are healable based on the solid-state diffusion of Al-matrix. A combination of different transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging techniques enabled the visualization and quantification of various crystallographic defects and the spatial distribution of Mg2Si precipitates. Intragrain nucleation is found to be the dominant mechanism for precipitation during FSP whereas grain boundaries and subgrain boundaries mainly lead to coarsening of the precipitates. The statistical and spatial analyses of the damaged particles have shown particle fracture as the dominant damage mechanism which is strongly dependent on the size and aspect ratio of the particles whereas the damage was not found to depend on the location of the precipitates within the matrix. The damaged particles are associated with dislocations accumulated around them. The interplay of these dislocations is directly visualized during healing based on in situ TEM heating which revealed recovery in the matrix as an operative mechanism during the diffusion healing of the PDR alloy.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001194110200001	Publication Date	2024-02-17
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0264-1275; 1873-4197	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	8.4	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 8.4; 2024 IF: 4.364
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203298			Serial	9068
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	Author	Peeters, H.; Raes, A.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Plasmonic photocatalytic coatings with self-cleaning, antibacterial, air and water purifying properties tested according to ISO standards			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Journal of photochemistry and photobiology: A: chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	451	Issue		Pages	115529-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology
	Abstract	ISO 10678:2010, ISO 22197–1 and 2, ISO 27447:2019 and ISO 27448:2009 for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes (methylene blue), air pollution (NOx and acetaldehyde), bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) and solid organic fouling (oleic acid) are performed on plasmon-embedded TiO2 thin films on Borofloat® glass, as well as the commercially available titania-based self-cleaning glass PilkingtonActivTM. These standardised protocols measure the performance for the four main applications of photocatalytic materials: water purification, air purification, antibacterial and self-cleaning activity, respectively. The standards are performed exactly as prescribed to measure the activity under UV irradiation, and also in a slightly adapted manner to measure the performance under simulated solar light or visible light. Performing experiments according to ISO standards, enables an objective comparison amongst samples tested here, as well as with results from literature. This is a major asset compared to the myriad of customised setups used in laboratories worldwide that hinder a fair comparison. We point at the importance of meticulously following the ISO instructions, as we have noticed that multiple published studies adopting the ISO standards too often deviate from these protocols, thereby nullifying the added value of standardized testing. Following the ISO tests to the letter, we have demonstrated the superior performance of a previously developed plasmonic titania coating with fully embedded gold-silver nanoparticles towards all four application areas. Furthermore, our empirical data strongly support the need for a nuanced understanding of standardized testing, to ensure accurate assessment of photocatalytic materials. An examination of the ISO standards used in this work reveals notable drawbacks, including concerns about the reliability of the methylene blue degradation protocol, the issues of HNO3 accumulation in the NOx removal test, and limitations in assessing antibacterial activity and water contact angles.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001188107100001	Publication Date	2024-02-15
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1010-6030	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	4.3	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.3; 2024 IF: 2.625
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203203			Serial	9075
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	Author	Minja, A.C.; Ag, K.R.; Raes, A.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W.
	Title	Recent progress in developing non-noble metal-based photocathodes for solar green hydrogen production			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	43	Issue		Pages	101000
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology
	Abstract	Photocathodes play a vital role in photoelectrocatalytic water splitting by acting as catalysts for reducing protons to hydrogen gas when exposed to light. Recent advancements in photocathodes have focused on addressing the limitations of noble metal-based materials. These noble metal-based photocathodes rely on expensive and scarce metals such as platinum and gold as cocatalysts or ohmic back contacts, respectively, rendering the final system less sustainable and costly when applied at scale. This mini-review summarizes the important recent progress in the development of non-noble metal-based photocathodes and their performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction during photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. These advancements bring non-noble metal-based photocathodes closer to their noble metal-based counterparts in terms of performance, thereby paving the way forward toward industrial-scale photoelectrolyzers or PEC cells for green hydrogen production.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001166826200001	Publication Date	2024-01-20
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2211-3398	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	6.6	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 6.6; 2024 IF: 3.403
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202625			Serial	9080
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	Author	Derks, K.; Youchaeva, M.; Van der Snickt, G.; Van der Stighelen, K.; Janssens, K.
	Title	Reconstructing Sweerts : practical insights into the historical dark halo technique based on paint reconstructions			Type	P1 Proceeding
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	259-271 T2 - Alla maniera : technical art history
	Keywords	P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Art; Antwerp Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS)
	Abstract
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	978-90-429-5216-4	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:203062			Serial	9082
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	Author	Van Tendeloo, M.; Baptista, M.C.; Van Winckel, T.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
	Title	Recurrent multi-stressor floc treatments with sulphide and free ammonia enabled mainstream partial nitritation/anammox			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	The science of the total environment	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	912	Issue		Pages	169449-12
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
	Abstract	Selective suppression of nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB) over aerobic and anoxic ammonium-oxidising bacteria (AerAOB and AnAOB) remains a major challenge for mainstream partial nitritation/anammox implementation, a resource-efficient nitrogen removal pathway. A unique multi-stressor floc treatment was therefore designed and validated for the first time under lab-scale conditions while staying true to full-scale design principles. Two hybrid (suspended + biofilm growth) reactors were operated continuously at 20.2 ± 0.6 °C. Recurrent multi-stressor floc treatments were applied, consisting of a sulphide-spiked deoxygenated starvation followed by a free ammonia shock. A good microbial activity balance with high AnAOB (71 ± 21 mg N L−1 d−1) and low NOB (4 ± 17 % of AerAOB) activity was achieved by combining multiple operational strategies: recurrent multi-stressor floc treatments, hybrid sludge (flocs & biofilm), short floc age control, intermittent aeration, and residual ammonium control. The multi-stressor treatment was shown to be the most important control tool and should be continuously applied to maintain this balance. Excessive NOB growth on the biofilm was avoided despite only treating the flocs to safeguard the AnAOB activity on the biofilm. Additionally, no signs of NOB adaptation were observed over 142 days. Elevated effluent ammonium concentrations (25 ± 6 mg N L−1) limited the TN removal efficiency to 39 ± 9 %, complicating a future full-scale implementation. Operating at higher sludge concentrations or reducing the volumetric loading rate could overcome this issue. The obtained results ease the implementation of mainstream PN/A by providing and additional control tool to steer the microbial activity with the multi-stressor treatment, thus advancing the concept of energy neutrality in sewage treatment plants.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2023-12-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0048-9697; 1879-1026	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor	9.8	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 9.8; 2024 IF: 4.9
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202286			Serial	9083
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	Author	Broos, W.; Wittner, N.; Dries, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Gunde-Cimerman, N.; Cornet, I.
	Title	Rhodotorula kratochvilovae outperforms Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum in the valorisation of lignocellulosic wastewater to microbial oil			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Process biochemistry (1991)	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	137	Issue		Pages	229-238
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)
	Abstract	Rhodotorula kratochvilovae has shown to be a promising species for microbial oil production from lignin-derived compounds. Yet, information on R. kratochvilovae’s detoxification and microbial oil production is scarce. This study investigated the growth and microbial oil production on the phenolic-containing effluent from poplar steam explosion and its detoxification with five R. kratochvilovae strains (EXF11626, EXF9590, EXF7516, EXF3697, EXF3471) and compared them with Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum. The R. kratochvilovae strains reached a maximum growth rate up to four times higher than C. oleaginosum. Furthermore, all R. kratochvilovae strains generally degraded phenolics more rapidly and to a larger extent than C. oleaginosum. However, the diluted substrate limited the lipid production by all strains as the maximum lipid content and titre were 10.5% CDW and 0.40 g/L, respectively. Therefore, future work should focus on increasing lipid production by using advanced fermentation strategies and stimulating the enzyme excretion by the yeasts for complex substrate breakdown.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-01-13
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1359-5113	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor	4.4	Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.4; 2024 IF: 2.497
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202365			Serial	9087
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	Author	Van Echelpoel, R.; De Wael, K.
	Title	Voltammetric drug testing makes sense at the border			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Nature Reviews Chemistry	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-2
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
	Abstract	The European BorderSens project leverages voltammetric sensors, developed with end-users' input, to rapidly and accurately detect illicit drugs. By embracing practicalities and validation, this technology has the potential to combat the illicit drug problem.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001142000900001	Publication Date	2024-01-12
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2397-3358	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access	Not_Open_Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:202646			Serial	9112
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	Author	Gao, Y.-J.; Jin, H.; Esteban, D.A.; Weng, B.; Saha, R.A.; Yang, M.-Q.; Bals, S.; Steele, J.A.; Huang, H.; Roeffaers, M.B.J.
	Title	3D-cavity-confined CsPbBr₃ quantum dots for visible-light-driven photocatalytic C(sp³)-H bond activation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Carbon Energy	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	e559
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	Metal halide perovskite (MHP) quantum dots (QDs) offer immense potential for several areas of photonics research due to their easy and low-cost fabrication and excellent optoelectronic properties. However, practical applications of MHP QDs are limited by their poor stability and, in particular, their tendency to aggregate. Here, we develop a two-step double-solvent strategy to grow and confine CsPbBr3 QDs within the three-dimensional (3D) cavities of a mesoporous SBA-16 silica scaffold (CsPbBr3@SBA-16). Strong confinement and separation of the MHP QDs lead to a relatively uniform size distribution, narrow luminescence, and good ambient stability over 2 months. In addition, the CsPbBr3@SBA-16 presents a high activity and stability for visible-light-driven photocatalytic toluene C(sp(3))-H bond activation to produce benzaldehyde with similar to 730 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) yield rate and near-unity selectivity. Similarly, the structural stability of CsPbBr3@SBA-16 QDs is superior to that of both pure CsPbBr3 QDs and those confined in MCM-41 with 1D channels.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001223583600001	Publication Date	2024-05-16
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2637-9368	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:206000			Serial	9133
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	Author	Yang, C.-Q.; Yin, Z.-W.; Li, W.; Cui, W.-J.; Zhou, X.-G.; Wang, L.-D.; Zhi, R.; Xu, Y.-Y.; Tao, Z.-W.; Sang, X.; Cheng, Y.-B.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Su, B.-L.
	Title	Atomically deciphering the phase segregation in mixed halide perovskite			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Advanced functional materials	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	Mixed-halide perovskites show promising applications in tandem solar cells owing to their adjustable bandgap. One major obstacle to their commercialization is halide phase segregation, which results in large open-circuit voltage deficiency and J-V hysteresis. However, the ambiguous interplay between structural origin and phase segregation often results in aimless and unspecific optimization strategies for the device's performance and stability. An atomic scale is directly figured out the abundant Ruddlesden-Popper anti-phase boundaries (RP-APBs) within a CsPbIBr2 polycrystalline film and revealed that phase segregation predominantly occurs at RP-APB-enriched interfaces due to the defect-mediated lattice strain. By compensating their structural lead halide, such RP-APBs are eliminated, and the decreasing of strain can be observed, resulting in the suppression of halide phase segregation. The present work provides the deciphering to precisely regulate the perovskite atomic structure for achieving photo-stable mixed halide wide-bandgap perovskites of high-efficiency tandem solar cell commercial applications. The phase segregation in mixed halide perovskite film predominantly occurs at Ruddlesden-Popper anti-phase boundaries (RP-APBs)-enriched interfaces due to the defect-mediated lattice strain. The RP-APBs defects can be eliminated by compensating for their structural lead halide deficiency, resulting in the suppression of halide phase segregation. image
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001200673300001	Publication Date	2024-04-12
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1616-301x	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	19	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 19; 2024 IF: 12.124
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205509			Serial	9134
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	Author	Lelouche, S.N.K.; Lemir, I.; Biglione, C.; Craig, T.; Bals, S.; Horcajada, P.
	Title	AuNP/MIL-88B-NH₂ nanocomposite for the valorization of nitroarene by green catalytic hydrogenation			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Chemistry: a European journal	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-10
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	The efficiency of a catalytic process is assessed based on conversion, yield, and time effectiveness. However, these parameters are insufficient for evaluating environmentally sustainable research. As the world is urged to shift towards green catalysis, additional factors such as reaction media, raw material availability, sustainability, waste minimization and catalyst biosafety, need to be considered to accurately determine the efficacy and sustainability of the process. By combining the high porosity and versatility of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and the activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), efficient, cyclable and biosafe composite catalysts can be achieved. Thus, a composite based on AuNPs and the nanometric flexible porous iron(III) aminoterephthalate MIL-88B-NH2 was successfully synthesized and fully characterized. This nanocomposite was tested as catalyst in the reduction of nitroarenes, which were identified as anthropogenic water pollutants, reaching cyclable high conversion rates at short times for different nitroarenes. Both synthesis and catalytic reactions were performed using green conditions, and even further tested in a time-optimizing one-pot synthesis and catalysis experiment. The sustainability and environmental impact of the catalytic conditions were assessed by green metrics. Thus, this study provides an easily implementable synthesis, and efficient catalysis, while minimizing the environmental and health impact of the process.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001204094600001	Publication Date	2024-03-22
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0947-6539	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	4.3	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.3; 2024 IF: 5.317
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205426			Serial	9135
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	Author	Osorio-Tejada, J.; Escriba-Gelonch, M.; Vertongen, R.; Bogaerts, A.; Hessel, V.
	Title	CO₂ conversion to CO via plasma and electrolysis : a techno-economic and energy cost analysis			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Energy & environmental science	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
	Abstract	Electrification and carbon capture technologies are essential for achieving net-zero emissions in the chemical sector. A crucial strategy involves converting captured CO2 into CO, a valuable chemical feedstock. This study evaluates the feasibility of two innovative methods: plasma activation and electrolysis, using clean electricity and captured CO2. Specifically, it compares a gliding arc plasma reactor with an embedded novel carbon bed system to a modern zero-gap type low-temperature electrolyser. The plasma method stood out with an energy cost of 19.5 GJ per tonne CO, marking a 43% reduction compared to electrolysis and conventional methods. CO production costs for plasma- and electrolysis-based plants were $671 and $962 per tonne, respectively. However, due to high uncertainty regarding electrolyser costs, the CO production costs in electrolysis-based plants may actually range from $570 to $1392 per tonne. The carbon bed system in the plasma method was a key factor in facilitating additional CO generation from O-2 and enhancing CO2 conversion, contributing to its cost-effectiveness. Challenges for electrolysis included high costs of equipment and low current densities. Addressing these limitations could significantly decrease production costs, but challenges arise from the mutual relationship between intrinsic parameters, such as CO2 conversion, CO2 input flow, or energy cost. In a future scenario with affordable feedstocks and equipment, costs could drop below $500 per tonne for both methods. While this may be more challenging for electrolysis due to complexity and expensive catalysts, plasma-based CO production appears more viable and competitive.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001218045900001	Publication Date	2024-05-06
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1754-5692; 1754-5706	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	32.5	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 32.5; 2024 IF: 29.518
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205986			Serial	9138
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	Author	Ahmadi Eshtehardi, H.
	Title	Combined computational-experimental study on plasma and plasma catalysis for N2 fixation			Type	Doctoral thesis
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	160 p.
	Keywords	Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
	Abstract	Humanity feels the urge of shifting to a sustainable society more than at any other time in its history. Electrification of chemical industry plays a key role in this transition. The possibility of producing fertilizers from air using renewable electricity, and simultaneously, no greenhouse gas emission, resulted in an increasing interest toward plasma technology as a solution for electrification of a part of the chemical industry in the past few years. Additionally, the activation of nitrogen molecules by vibrational and electronic excitation reactions in plasma can lead to an energy-efficient process. Last but not least, the modularity (fast on/off characteristic) of plasma technology makes it capable of using intermittent renewable electricity on site for the production of fertilizers using air. All these advantages offered by plasma technology make it a potential solution for the on-site production of fertilizers in small and decentralized plants using air and renewable electricity, which leads to a considerable reduction in fertilizer production and transportation costs. However, industrialization of plasma-based NF suffers from several challenges, including challenges of plasma catalysis for the selective production of desired species, the high energy cost of plasma-based NF compared to current industrial processes, and the design and development of scaled up and energy-efficient plasma reactors for industrial purposes. In the framework of this thesis we have tried to add to the state-of-the-art (SOTA) in plasma-based NOx production and deal with its limitations using a combination of experimental and modelling work.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-06-14
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205246			Serial	9139
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Yao, W.; Hui, C.; Wang, L.; Wang, J.; Gielis, J.; Shi, P.
	Title	Comparison of the performance of two polar equations in describing the geometries of elliptical fruits			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Botany letters	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Antwerp engineering, PhotoElectroChemistry & Sensing (A-PECS)
	Abstract	In nature, the two-dimensional (2D) profiles of fruits from many plants often resemble ellipses. However, it remains unclear whether these profiles strictly adhere to the ellipse equation, as many natural shapes resembling ellipses are actually better described as superellipses. The superellipse equation, which includes an additional parameter n compared to the ellipse equation, can generate a broader range of shapes, with the ellipse being just a special case of the superellipse. To investigate whether the 2D profiles of fruits are better described by ellipses or superellipses, we collected a total of 751 mature and undamaged fruits from 31 naturally growing plants of Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud. Our analysis revealed that most adjusted root-mean-square errors (> 92% of the 751 fruits) for fitting the superellipse equation to the fruit profiles were consistently less than 0.0165. Furthermore, there were 638 of the 751 fruits (ca. 85%) with the 95% confidence intervals of the estimated parameter n in the superellipse equation not including 2. These findings suggest that the profiles of C. melo var. agrestis fruits align more closely with the superellipse equation than with the ellipse equation. This study provides evidence for the existence of the superellipse in fruit profiles, which has significant implications for studying fruit geometries and estimating fruit volumes using the solid of revolution formula. Furthermore, this discovery may contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving the evolution of fruit shapes.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001219634500001	Publication Date	2024-05-08
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2381-8107; 2381-8115	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	1.5	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 1.5; 2024 IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205955			Serial	9140
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	Author	Khan, S.U.; Matshitse, R.; Borah, R.; Nemakal, M.; Moiseeva, E.O.; Dubinina, T.V.; Nyokong, T.; Verbruggen, S.W.; De Wael, K.
	Title	Coupling of phthalocyanines with plasmonic gold nanoparticles by click chemistry for an enhanced singlet oxygen based photoelectrochemical sensing			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	ChemElectroChem	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-11
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab); Antwerp engineering, PhotoElectroChemistry & Sensing (A-PECS)
	Abstract	Coupling photosensitizers (PSs) with plasmonic nanoparticles increases the photocatalytic activity of PSs as the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of plasmonic nanoparticles leads to extreme concentration of light in their vicinity known as the near-field enhancement effect. To realize this in a colloidal phase, efficient conjugation of the PS molecules with the plasmonic nanoparticle surface is critical. In this work, we demonstrate the coupling of phthalocyanine (Pc) molecules with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the colloidal phase via click chemistry. This conjugated Pc-AuNPs colloidal system is shown to enhance the photocatalytic singlet oxygen (1O2) production over non-conjugated Pcs and hence improve the photoelectrochemical detection of phenols. The plasmonic enhancement of the 1O2 generation by Pcs was clearly elucidated by complementary experimental and computational classical electromagnetic models. The dependence of plasmonic enhancement on the spectral position of the excitation laser wavelength and the absorbance of the Pc molecules with respect to the wavelength specific near-field enhancement is clearly demonstrated. A high similar to 8 times enhancement is obtained with green laser (532 nm) at the LSPR due to the maximum near-field enhancement at the resonance wavelength. Zinc phthalocyanine is covalently linked to plasmonic AuNPs via click chemistry to investigate the synergistic effect that boosts the overall activity toward the detection of HQ under visible light illumination. The 1O2 quantum yield of ZnPc improved significantly after conjugating with AuNPs, resulting in enhanced photoelectrochemical activity. image
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001214481000001	Publication Date	2024-05-02
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2196-0216	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	4	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4; 2024 IF: 4.136
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205962			Serial	9142
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	Author	Cioni, M.; Delle Piane, M.; Polino, D.; Rapetti, D.; Crippa, M.; Arslan Irmak, E.; Pavan, G.M.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
	Title	Data for Sampling Real‐Time Atomic Dynamics in Metal Nanoparticles by Combining Experiments, Simulations, and Machine Learning			Type	Dataset
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages
	Keywords	Dataset; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	Even at low temperatures, metal nanoparticles (NPs) possess atomic dynamics that are key for their properties but challenging to elucidate. Recent experimental advances allow obtaining atomic‐resolution snapshots of the NPs in realistic regimes, but data acquisition limitations hinder the experimental reconstruction of the atomic dynamics present within them. Molecular simulations have the advantage that these allow directly tracking the motion of atoms over time. However, these typically start from ideal/perfect NP structures and, suffering from sampling limits, provide results that are often dependent on the initial/putative structure and remain purely indicative. Here, by combining state‐of‐the‐art experimental and computational approaches, how it is possible to tackle the limitations of both approaches and resolve the atomistic dynamics present in metal NPs in realistic conditions is demonstrated. Annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy enables the acquisition of ten high‐resolution images of an Au NP at intervals of 0.6 s. These are used to reconstruct atomistic 3D models of the real NP used to run ten independent molecular dynamics simulations. Machine learning analyses of the simulation trajectories allows resolving the real‐time atomic dynamics present within the NP. This provides a robust combined experimental/computational approach to characterize the structural dynamics of metal NPs in realistic conditions.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205843			Serial	9143
Permanent link to this record



	Author	Morad, V.; Stelmakh, A.; Svyrydenko, M.; Feld, L.G.; Boehme, S.C.; Aebli, M.; Affolter, J.; Kaul, C.J.; Schrenker, N.J.; Bals, S.; Sahin, Y.; Dirin, D.N.; Cherniukh, I.; Raino, G.; Baumketner, A.; Kovalenko, M.V.
	Title	Designer phospholipid capping ligands for soft metal halide nanocrystals			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Nature	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	626	Issue		Pages	542-548
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	The success of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in science and optoelectronics is inextricable from their surfaces. The functionalization of lead halide perovskite NCs1-5 poses a formidable challenge because of their structural lability, unlike the well-established covalent ligand capping of conventional semiconductor NCs6,7. We posited that the vast and facile molecular engineering of phospholipids as zwitterionic surfactants can deliver highly customized surface chemistries for metal halide NCs. Molecular dynamics simulations implied that ligand-NC surface affinity is primarily governed by the structure of the zwitterionic head group, particularly by the geometric fitness of the anionic and cationic moieties into the surface lattice sites, as corroborated by the nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy data. Lattice-matched primary-ammonium phospholipids enhance the structural and colloidal integrity of hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites (FAPbBr3 and MAPbBr3 (FA, formamidinium; MA, methylammonium)) and lead-free metal halide NCs. The molecular structure of the organic ligand tail governs the long-term colloidal stability and compatibility with solvents of diverse polarity, from hydrocarbons to acetone and alcohols. These NCs exhibit photoluminescence quantum yield of more than 96% in solution and solids and minimal photoluminescence intermittency at the single particle level with an average ON fraction as high as 94%, as well as bright and high-purity (about 95%) single-photon emission. Phospholipids enhance the structural and colloidal integrity of hybrid organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites and lead-free metal halide nanocrystals, which then exhibit enhanced robustness and optical properties.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001176943100001	Publication Date	2023-12-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0028-0836; 1476-4687	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	64.8	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 64.8; 2024 IF: 40.137
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:204796			Serial	9144
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	Author	De Luca, F.; Abate, S.; Bogaerts, A.; Centi, G.
	Title	Electrified CO2 conversion : integrating experimental, computational, and process simulation methods for sustainable chemical synthesis			Type	Doctoral thesis
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	xv, 152 p.
	Keywords	Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
	Abstract	Nowadays, the burning of fossil fuels, particularly petroleum, natural gas, and coal, meets the rising need for power and fuels for automobiles and industries. This has given rise to ecological and climate challenges. This thesis explores these issues from three distinct perspectives: (i) experimental, (ii) computational, and (iii) process simulation, with a focus on studying CO2 as an alternative and economically viable raw material. Firstly, the experimental study is focused on the synthesis, characterization, and testing of novel catalysts for electroreduction of CO2 and oxalic acid, an intermediate product of CO2. Electrocatalysts based on Cu supported by citrus (orange and lemon) peel biomass are prepared. These catalysts exhibit activity in the electrochemical reduction of CO2, emphasizing the effectiveness of biomasses, particularly orange peels, as environmentally friendly precursors for sustainable and efficient electrocatalysts. In addition, graphitic carbon nitrides/TiO2 nanotubes (g-C3N4/TiNT) composites are prepared for the electrocatalytic reduction of oxalic acid to glycolic acid, revealing superior electrocatalytic properties compared to pristine TiNT. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy were performed for all the prepared electrocatalysts. Delving into the reduction of CO2 on Cu catalysts, a computational study about the synthesis of methanol on Cu(111) surface is performed by using the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package. A systematic study is carried out to define the activation energies of the elementary reactions by using mGGA DF. Consequently, it is shown that the rate-controlling step is CH3O* hydrogenation and the formate pathway on Cu(111) proceeds through the HCOOH* intermediate. Finally, the process simulation, performed by using the software Aspen Plus 11 from AspenTech Inc., is based on the comparison of a catalytic (oxidation of ethylene glycol) and an electrocatalytic process (CO2 electroreduction chain) to synthesize glycolic acid. An economic analysis of the operational and investment costs reveals that the catalytic process is more cost-effective due to the current instability of electrocatalysts and proton exchange membranes, resulting in increased maintenance costs and, consequently, higher prices for the product.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205262			Serial	9147
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	Author	Wu, X.; Ding, J.; Cui, W.; Lin, W.; Xue, Z.; Yang, Z.; Liu, J.; Nie, X.; Zhu, W.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Sang, X.
	Title	Enhanced electrical properties of Bi_2-xSb_xTe₃ nanoflake thin films through interface engineering			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Energy & environment materials	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	e12755-8
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	The structure-property relationship at interfaces is difficult to probe for thermoelectric materials with a complex interfacial microstructure. Designing thermoelectric materials with a simple, structurally-uniform interface provides a facile way to understand how these interfaces influence the transport properties. Here, we synthesized Bi2-xSbxTe3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4) nanoflakes using a hydrothermal method, and prepared Bi2-xSbxTe3 thin films with predominantly (0001) interfaces by stacking the nanoflakes through spin coating. The influence of the annealing temperature and Sb content on the (0001) interface structure was systematically investigated at atomic scale using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Annealing and Sb doping facilitate atom diffusion and migration between adjacent nanoflakes along the (0001) interface. As such it enhances interfacial connectivity and improves the electrical transport properties. Interfac reactions create new interfaces that increase the scattering and the Seebeck coefficient. Due to the simultaneous optimization of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, the maximum power factor of the Bi1.8Sb0.2Te3 nanoflake films reaches 1.72 mW m(-1) K-2, which is 43% higher than that of a pure Bi2Te3 thin film.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001204495900001	Publication Date	2024-04-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205438			Serial	9148
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	Author	Vlasov, E.
	Title	Exploiting secondary electrons in transmission electron microscopy for 3D characterization of nanoparticle morphologies			Type	Doctoral thesis
	Year	2024	Publication		Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	x, 118 p.
	Keywords	Doctoral thesis; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
	Abstract	Electron tomography (ET) is an indispensable tool for determining the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanomaterials in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). ET enables 3D characterization of a variety of nanomaterials across different fields, including life sciences, chemistry, solid-state physics, and materials science down to atomic resolution. However, the acquisition of a conventional tilt series for ET is a time-consuming process and thus cannot capture fast transformations of materials in realistic conditions. Moreover, only a limited number of nanoparticles (NPs) can be investigated, hampering a general understanding of the average properties of the material. Therefore, alternative characterization techniques that allow for high-resolution characterization of the surface structure without the need to acquire a full tilt series in ET are required which would enable a more time-efficient investigation with better statistical value. In the first part of this work, an alternative technique for the characterization of the morphology of NPs to improve the throughput and temporal resolution of ET is presented. The proposed technique exploits surface-sensitive secondary electron (SE) imaging in STEM employed using a modification of electron beam-induced current (EBIC) setup. The time- and dose efficiency of SEEBIC are tested in comparison with ET and superior spatial resolution is shown compared to conventional scanning electron microscopy. Finally, contrast artefacts arising in SEEBIC images are described, and their origin is discussed. The second part of my thesis focuses on real applications of the proposed technique and introduces a high-throughput methodology that combines images acquired by SEEBIC with quantitative image analysis to retrieve information about the helicity of gold nanorods. It shows that SEEBIC imaging overcomes the limitation of ET providing a general understanding of the connection between structure and chiroptical properties.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos		Publication Date	2024-06-17
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN		ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record
	Impact Factor		Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:204905			Serial	9149
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	Author	Ozdemir, I.; Arkin, H.; Milošević, M.V.; V. Barth, J.; Aktuerk, E.
	Title	Exploring the adsorption mechanisms of neurotransmitter and amino acid on Ti3C2-MXene monolayer : insights from DFT calculations			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2024	Publication	Surfaces and interfaces	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume	46	Issue		Pages	104169-9
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
	Abstract	In this study, we conducted a systematic density functional theory (DFT) investigation of the interaction between Ti3C2-MXene monolayer and biological molecules dopamine (DA) and serine (Ser) as neurotransmitter and amino acid, respectively. Our calculations show good agreement with previous literature findings for the optimized Ti3C2 monolayer. We found that DA and Ser molecules bind to the Ti3C2 surface with adsorption energies of -2.244 eV and -3.960 eV, respectively. The adsorption of Ser resulted in the dissociation of one H atom. Electronic density of states analyses revealed little changes in the electronic properties of the Ti3C2-MXene monolayer upon adsorption of the biomolecules. We further investigated the interaction of DA and Ser with Ti3C2 monolayers featuring surface -termination with OH functional group, and Ti -vacancy. Our calculations indicate that the adsorption energies significantly decrease in the presence of surface termination, with adsorption energies of -0.097 eV and -0.330 eV for DA and Ser, respectively. Adsorption energies on the Ti -vacancy surface, on the other hand, are calculated to be -3.584 eV and -3.856 eV for DA and Ser, respectively. Our results provide insights into the adsorption behavior of biological molecules on Ti3C2-MXene, demonstrating the potential of this material for biosensing and other biomedical applications. These findings highlight the importance of surface modifications in the development of functional materials and devices based on Ti3C2-MXene, and pave the way for future investigations into the use of 2D materials for biomedical applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	001206950300001	Publication Date	2024-03-08
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2468-0230	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	6.2	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 6.2; 2024 IF: NA
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:205977			Serial	9150
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