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Author Tschulkow, M.; Compernolle, T.; Van den Bosch, S.; Van Aelst, J.; Storms, I.; Van Dael, M.; Van den Bossche, G.; Sels, B.; Van Passel, S.
  Title Integrated techno-economic assessment of a biorefinery process: The high-end valorization of the lignocellulosic fraction in wood streams Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2020 Publication Journal Of Cleaner Production Abbreviated Journal J Clean Prod
  Volume 266 Issue Pages 122022
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
  Abstract A new lignin-first biorefinery with a reductive catalytic fractionation process, which targets the valorization of the lignin and the carbohydrate fraction into higher value end-products, is currently being designed. To identify the various R&D drivers for projects with a low technology readiness level (TRL), we developed an integrated techno-economic assessment (TEA) that directly integrates the results of lab studies with economic costs and benefits. Furthermore, different linkages are made to upstream wood availability and downstream demand to understand its fit into existing wood value chains. By making the relations across the wood value chain explicit within the integrated TEA, we find that the scale of the plant, the feedstock-specific output quantities, and output prices highly determine the economic feasibility. Furthermore, this detailed analysis reveals the importance of assessing different types of feedstock. If only virgin wood is available as feedstock, minimum capacity levels between 190 and 234 kilotons per year are needed for the investment to be profitable. Waste wood proves to be the most profitable feedstock with an NPV of M€ 59 and an IRR of 26%. Using only waste wood as feedstock makes the investment profitable at a lower capacity level of 80 kilotons per year and economic shocks can be absorbed. Based on these results we show that an integrated and detailed TEA is indispensable to define future development paths for early-stage, innovative technologies.
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  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000573461000008 Publication Date 2020-05-07
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0959-6526 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 11.1 Times cited Open Access
  Notes (up) This project has received funding from the Research FoundationFlanders (FWO)-SBO BIOWOOD project. Tine Compernolle thanksthe (FWO) for funding her postdoctoral mandate with Grantnumber 12M7417N. G. V.d.B. acknowledges funding from FISCH-ICON project MAIA. J.V.A. and S.V.d.B acknowledge Flanders Inno-vation&Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) for their innovation mandate. Approved Most recent IF: 11.1; 2020 IF: 5.715
  Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:170069 Serial 6383
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Li, K.; Liu, J.-L.; Li, X.-S.; Lian, H.-Y.; Zhu, X.; Bogaerts, A.; Zhu, A.-M.
  Title Novel power-to-syngas concept for plasma catalytic reforming coupled with water electrolysis Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J
  Volume 353 Issue Pages 297-304
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
  Abstract We propose a novel Power to Synthesis Gas (P2SG) approach, composed of two high-efficiency and renewable electricity-driven units, i.e., plasma catalytic reforming (PCR) and water electrolysis (WE), to produce high quality syngas from CH4, CO2 and H2O. As WE technology is already commercial, we mainly focus on the PCR unit, consisting of gliding arc plasma and Ni-based catalyst, for oxidative dry reforming of methane. An energy efficiency of 78.9% and energy cost of 1.0 kWh/Nm3 at a CH4 conversion of 99% and a CO2 conversion of 79% are obtained. Considering an energy efficiency of 80% for WE, the P2SG system yields an overall energy efficiency of 79.3% and energy cost of 1.8 kWh/Nm3. High-quality syngas is produced without the need for posttreatment units, featuring the ideal stoichiometric number of 2, with concentration of 94.6 vol%, and a desired CO2 fraction of 1.9 vol% for methanol synthesis. The PCR unit has the advantage of fast response to adapting to fluctuation of renewable electricity, avoiding local hot spots in the catalyst bed and coking, in contrast to conventional catalytic processes. Moreover, pure O2 from the WE unit is directly utilized by the PCR unit for oxidative dry reforming of methane, and thus, no air separation unit, like in conventional processes, is required. This work demonstrates the viability of the P2SG approach for large-scale energy storage of renewable electricity via electricity-to-fuel conversion.
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  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000441527900029 Publication Date 2018-07-20
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11705019, 11475041), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (DUT16QY49, DUT16LK16) and the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO; grant G.0383.16N). Approved Most recent IF: 6.216
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:153059 Serial 5049
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Author Psilodimitrakopoulos, S.; Orekhov, A.; Mouchliadis, L.; Jannis, D.; Maragkakis, G.M.; Kourmoulakis, G.; Gauquelin, N.; Kioseoglou, G.; Verbeeck, J.; Stratakis, E.
  Title Optical versus electron diffraction imaging of Twist-angle in 2D transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication npj 2D Materials and Applications Abbreviated Journal
  Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 77
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials can be vertically stacked with van der Waals bonds, which enable interlayer coupling. In the particular case of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) bilayers, the relative direction between the two monolayers, coined as twist-angle, modifies the crystal symmetry and creates a superlattice with exciting properties. Here, we demonstrate an all-optical method for pixel-by-pixel mapping of the twist-angle with a resolution of 0.55(degrees), via polarization-resolved second harmonic generation (P-SHG) microscopy and we compare it with four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D STEM). It is found that the twist-angle imaging of WS2 bilayers, using the P-SHG technique is in excellent agreement with that obtained using electron diffraction. The main advantages of the optical approach are that the characterization is performed on the same substrate that the device is created on and that it is three orders of magnitude faster than the 4D STEM. We envisage that the optical P-SHG imaging could become the gold standard for the quality examination of TMD superlattice-based devices.
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  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000694849200001 Publication Date 2021-09-09
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2397-7132 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor Times cited 4 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research has been co-financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call European R & T Cooperation-Grant Act of Hellenic Institutions that have successfully participated in Joint Calls for Proposals of European Networks ERA NETS (National project code: GRAPH-EYE T8 Epsilon Rho Alpha 2-00009 and European code: 26632, FLAGERA). L.M., G.Ko. and G.Ki. acknowledge funding by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) under the “First Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to support Faculty members and Researchers and the procurement of high-cost research equipment grant” (Project No: HFRI-FM17-3034). GKi, S.P. and G.M.M. acknowledge funding from a research co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund-ESF) through the Operational Programme “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020” in the context of the project “Crystal quality control of two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures via imaging of their non-linear optical properties” (MIS 5050340)“. J.V acknowledges funding from FWO G093417N ('Compressed sensing enabling low dose imaging in transmission electron microscopy') from the Flanders Research Fund, EU. J.V. and N.G. acknowledge funding from the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme within a contract for Integrating Activities for Advanced Communities No 823717-ESTEEM3. J.V. N.G. and A.O. acknowledge funding through a GOA project ”Solarpaint" of the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: NA
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181610 Serial 6877
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Author Pardoen, T.; Colla, M.-S.; Idrissi, H.; Amin-Ahmadi, B.; Wang, B.; Schryvers, D.; Bhaskar, U.K.; Raskin, J.-P.
  Title A versatile lab-on-chip test platform to characterize elementary deformation mechanisms and electromechanical couplings in nanoscopic objects Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Comptes rendus : physique Abbreviated Journal Cr Phys
  Volume 17 Issue 17 Pages 485-495
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract A nanomechanical on-chip test platform has recently been developed to deform under a variety of loading conditions freestanding thin films, ribbons and nanowires involving submicron dimensions. The lab-on-chip involves thousands of elementary test structures from which the elastic modulus, strength, strain hardening, fracture, creep properties can be extracted. The technique is amenable to in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations to unravel the fundamental underlying deformation and fracture mechanisms that often lead to size-dependent effects in small-scale samples. The method allows addressing electrical and magnetic couplings as well in order to evaluate the impact of large mechanical stress levels on different solid-state physics phenomena. We had the chance to present this technique in details to Jacques Friedel in 2012 who, unsurprisingly, made a series of critical and very relevant suggestions. In the spirit of his legacy, the paper will address both mechanics of materials related phenomena and couplings with solids state physics issues.
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  Language Wos 000373524300020 Publication Date 2015-12-01
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1631-0705 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 2.048 Times cited 7 Open Access
  Notes (up) This research has been performed with the financial support of the “Politique scientifique fédérale” under the framework of the interuniversity attraction poles program, IAP7/21, as well as with the support of the “Communauté française de Belgique” under the program “Actions de recherche concertées” ARC 05/10-330 and ARC Convention No. 11/16-037. The support of the “Fonds belge pour la recherche dans l'industrie et l'agriculture (FRIA)” for M.-S. Colla is also gratefully acknowledged as are the FWO research projects G012012N “Understanding nanocrystalline mechanical behavior from structural investigations” for B. Amin-Ahmadi. Approved Most recent IF: 2.048
  Call Number c:irua:129995 Serial 4014
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Author Geuchies, J.J.; van Overbeek, C.; Evers, W.H.; Goris, B.; de Backer, A.; Gantapara, A.P.; Rabouw, F.T.; Hilhorst, J.; Peters, J.L.; Konovalov, O.; Petukhov, A.V.; Dijkstra, M.; Siebbeles, L.D.A.; van Aert, S.; Bals, S.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.
  Title In situ study of the formation mechanism of two-dimensional superlattices from PbSe nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Nature materials Abbreviated Journal Nat Mater
  Volume 15 Issue 15 Pages 1248-1254
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Oriented attachment of PbSe nanocubes can result in the formation of two-dimensional (2D) superstructures with long-range nanoscale and atomic order. This questions the applicability of classic models in which the superlattice grows by first forming a nucleus, followed by sequential irreversible attachment of nanocrystals, as one misaligned attachment would disrupt the 2D order beyond repair. Here, we demonstrate the formation mechanism of 2D PbSe superstructures with square geometry by using in situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering (small angle and wide angle), ex situ electron microscopy, and Monte Carlo simulations. We observed nanocrystal adsorption at the liquid/gas interface, followed by the formation of a hexagonal nanocrystal monolayer. The hexagonal geometry transforms gradually through a pseudo-hexagonal phase into a phase with square order, driven by attractive interactions between the {100} planes perpendicular to the liquid substrate, which maximize facet-to-facet overlap. The nanocrystals then attach atomically via a necking process, resulting in 2D square superlattices.
  Address Condensed Matter and Interfaces, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language English Wos 000389104400011 Publication Date 2016-09-05
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1476-1122 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 39.737 Times cited 182 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research is part of the programme ‘Designing Dirac Carriers in semiconductor honeycomb superlattices (DDC13),’ which is supported by the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), which is part of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). J.J.G. acknowledges funding from the Debye and ESRF Graduate Programs. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (G.036915 G.037413 and funding of postdoctoral grants to B.G. and A.d.B). S.B. acknowledges the European Research Council, ERC grant No 335078—Colouratom. The authors gratefully acknowledge I. Swart and M. van Huis for fruitful discussions. We acknowledge funding from NWO-CW TOPPUNT ‘Superficial Superstructures’. The X-ray scattering measurements were performed at the ID10 beamline at ESRF under proposal numbers SC-4125 and SC-3786. The authors thank G. L. Destri and F. Zontone for their support during the experiments.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 39.737
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:136165 Serial 4289
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Author Vervloessem, E.; Gromov, M.; De Geyter, N.; Bogaerts, A.; Gorbanev, Y.; Nikiforov, A.
  Title NH3and HNOxFormation and Loss in Nitrogen Fixation from Air with Water Vapor by Nonequilibrium Plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Abbreviated Journal
  Volume 11 Issue 10 Pages 4289-4298
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
  Abstract The current global energy crisis indicated that increasing our

insight into nonfossil fuel nitrogen fixation pathways for synthetic fertilizer

production is more crucial than ever. Nonequilibrium plasma is a good candidate

because it can use N2 or air as a N source and water directly as a H source, instead

of H2 or fossil fuel (CH4). In this work, we investigate NH3 gas phase formation

pathways from humid N2 and especially humid air up to 2.4 mol % H2O (100%

relative humidity at 20 °C) by optical emission spectroscopy and Fouriertransform

infrared spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the nitrogen fixation

capacity is increased when water vapor is added, as this enables HNO2 and NH3

production in both N2 and air. However, we identified a significant loss

mechanism for NH3 and HNO2 that occurs in systems where these species are

synthesized simultaneously; i.e., downstream from the plasma, HNO2 reacts with NH3 to form NH4NO2, which rapidly decomposes

into N2 and H2O. We also discuss approaches to prevent this loss mechanism, as it reduces the effective nitrogen fixation when not

properly addressed and therefore should be considered in future works aimed at optimizing plasma-based N2 fixation. In-line removal

of HNO2 or direct solvation in liquid are two proposed strategies to suppress this loss mechanism. Indeed, using liquid H2O is

beneficial for accumulation of the N2 fixation products. Finally, in humid air, we also produce NH4NO3, from the reaction of HNO3

with NH3, which is of direct interest for fertilizer application.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000953337700001 Publication Date 2023-03-13
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2168-0485 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 8.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research is supported by the Excellence of Science FWOFNRS project (NITROPLASM, FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant No. 810182 − SCOPE ERC Synergy project), and the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) Flanders Bioeconomy project (grant No. G0G2322N), funded by the European Union-NextGenerationEU. Approved Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 5.951
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:195878 Serial 7254
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Author Ulu Okudur, F.; D'Haen, J.; Vranken, T.; De Sloovere, D.; Verheijen, M.; Karakulina, O.M.; Abakumov, A.M.; Hadermann, J.; Van Bael, M.K.; Hardy, A.
  Title Ti surface doping of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4−δpositive electrodes for lithium ion batteries Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication RSC advances Abbreviated Journal Rsc Adv
  Volume 8 Issue 13 Pages 7287-7300
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract The particle surface of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4−δ (LNMO), a Li-ion battery cathode material, has been modified by Ti cation doping through a hydrolysis–condensation reaction followed by annealing in oxygen. The effect of different annealing temperatures (500–850 °C) on the Ti distribution and electrochemical performance of the surface modified LNMO was investigated. Ti cations diffuse from the preformed amorphous ‘TiOx’ layer into the LNMO surface during annealing at 500 °C. This results in a 2–4 nm thick Ti-rich spinel surface having lower Mn and Ni content compared to the core of the LNMO particles, which was observed with scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with compositional EDX mapping. An increase in the annealing temperature promotes the formation of a Ti bulk doped LiNi(0.5−w)Mn(1.5+w)−tTitO4 phase and Ti-rich LiNi0.5Mn1.5−yTiyO4 segregates above 750 °C. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry indicates increasing Ni–Mn ordering with annealing temperature, for both bare and surface modified LNMO. Ti surface modified LNMO annealed at 500 °C shows a superior cyclic stability, coulombic efficiency and rate performance compared to bare LNMO annealed at 500 °C when cycled at 3.4–4.9 V vs. Li/Li+. The improvements are probably due to suppressed Ni and Mn dissolution with Ti surface doping.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000425508900064 Publication Date 2018-02-13
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2046-2069 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 3.108 Times cited 9 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen, grant number G040116N). This project receives the support of the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund ERDF, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Province of Limburg (project 936). Greet Cuyvers and Gilles Bonneux (UHasselt) are acknowledged for the ICP-AES sample preparation and measurements. Vera Meynen and Karen Leyssens (Antwerp University, Belgium) are acknowledged for the BET measurements. Special thanks to Bart Ruttens (UHasselt) for XRD measurements and discussions on the refinements. Approved Most recent IF: 3.108
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149513 Serial 4905
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Ghasemitarei, M.; Ghorbi, T.; Yusupov, M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, T.; Shali, P.; Bogaerts, A.
  Title Effects of Nitro-Oxidative Stress on Biomolecules: Part 1—Non-Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulations Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Biomolecules Abbreviated Journal Biomolecules
  Volume 13 Issue 9 Pages 1371
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; plasma medicine; reactive oxygen and; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;
  Abstract Plasma medicine, or the biomedical application of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), is an expanding field within plasma research. CAP has demonstrated remarkable versatility in diverse biological applications, including cancer treatment, wound healing, microorganism inactivation, and skin disease therapy. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the effects of CAP remain incompletely understood. The therapeutic effects of CAP are largely attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which play a crucial role in the biological responses induced by CAP. Specifically, RONS produced during CAP treatment have the ability to chemically modify cell membranes and membrane proteins, causing nitro-oxidative stress, thereby leading to changes in membrane permeability and disruption of cellular processes. To gain atomic-level insights into these interactions, non-reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have emerged as a valuable tool. These simulations facilitate the examination of larger-scale system dynamics, including protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions. In this comprehensive review, we focus on the applications of non-reactive MD simulations in studying the effects of CAP on cellular components and interactions at the atomic level, providing a detailed overview of the potential of CAP in medicine. We also review the results of other MD studies that are not related to plasma medicine but explore the effects of nitro-oxidative stress on cellular components and are therefore important for a broader understanding of the underlying processes.
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  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 001071356400001 Publication Date 2023-09-11
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2218-273X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
  Notes (up) This research received no external funding. Approved Most recent IF: NA
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:200380 Serial 8958
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Author Cunha, D.M.; Gauquelin, N.; Xia, R.; Verbeeck, J.; Huijben, M.
  Title Self-assembled epitaxial cathode-electrolyte nanocomposites for 3D microbatteries Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter
  Volume 14 Issue 37 Pages 42208-42214
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract The downscaling of electronic devices requires rechargeable microbatteries with enhanced energy and power densities. Here, we evaluate self-assembled vertically aligned nano-composite (VAN) thin films as a platform to create high-performance three-dimensional (3D) microelectrodes. This study focuses on controlling the VAN formation to enable interface engineering between the LiMn2O4 cathode and the (Li,La)TiO3 solid electrolyte. Electrochemical analysis in a half cell against lithium metal showed the absence of sharp redox peaks due to the confinement in the electrode pillars at the nanoscale. The (100)-oriented VAN thin films showed better rate capability and stability during extensive cycling due to the better alignment to the Li-diffusion channels. However, an enhanced pseudocapacitive contribution was observed for the increased total surface area within the (110)-oriented VAN thin films. These results demonstrate for the first time the electrochemical behavior of cathode-electrolyte VANs for lithium-ion 3D microbatteries while pointing out the importance of control over the vertical interfaces.
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  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000852647100001 Publication Date 2022-09-06
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 9.5 Times cited 4 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was carried out with the support from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) under VIDI grant no. 13456. Approved Most recent IF: 9.5
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190619 Serial 7206
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Author Boschker, H.; Huijben, M.; Vailinois, A.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Aert, S.; Luysberg, M.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Houwman, E.P.; Koster, G.; Blank, D.H.A.; Rijnders, G.
  Title Optimized fabrication of high-quality La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films considering all essential characteristics Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2011 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
  Volume 44 Issue 20 Pages 205001-205001,9
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract In this paper, an overview of the fabrication and properties of high-quality La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin films is given. A high-quality LSMO film combines a smooth surface morphology with a large magnetization and a small residual resistivity, while avoiding precipitates and surface segregation. In the literature, typically only a few of these issues are adressed. We therefore present a thorough characterization of our films, which were grown by pulsed laser deposition. The films were characterized with reflection high energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction, magnetization and transport measurements, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The films have a saturation magnetization of 4.0 µB/Mn, a Curie temperature of 350 K and a residual resistivity of 60 µΩ cm. These results indicate that high-quality films, combining both large magnetization and small residual resistivity, were realized. A comparison between different samples presented in the literature shows that focussing on a single property is insufficient for the optimization of the deposition process. For high-quality films, all properties have to be adressed. For LSMO devices, the thin-film quality is crucial for the device performance. Therefore, this research is important for the application of LSMO in devices.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication London Editor
  Language Wos 000290150900001 Publication Date 2011-04-29
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 99 Open Access
  Notes (up) This research was financially supported by the Dutch Science Foundation, by NanoNed, a nanotechnology program of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, and by the NanOxide program of the European Science Foundation. This work is supported in part by the Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515. Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2011 IF: 2.544
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:89557UA @ admin @ c:irua:89557 Serial 2491
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Author Kurttepeli, M.; Deng, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Guzzinati, G.; Cott, D.J.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Detavernier, C.; Bals, S.
  Title Synthesis and characterization of photoreactive TiO2carbon nanosheet composites Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
  Volume 118 Issue 36 Pages 21031-21037
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
  Abstract We report the atomic layer deposition of titanium dioxide on carbon nanosheet templates and investigate the effects of postdeposition annealing in a helium environment using different characterization techniques. The crystallization of the titanium dioxide coating upon annealing is observed using in situ X-ray diffraction. The (micro)structural characterization of the films is carried out by scanning electron microscopy and advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques. Our study shows that the annealing of the atomic layer deposition processed and carbon nanosheets templated titanium dioxide layers in helium environment resulting in the formation of a porous, nanocrystalline and photocatalytically active titanium dioxide-carbon nanosheet composite film. Such composites are suitable for photocatalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells applications.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
  Language Wos 000341619500034 Publication Date 2014-08-23
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1932-7447;1932-7455; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 9 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was funded by the Flemish research foundation FWO-Vlaanderen, by the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. 239865) and by the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA-01G01513). G.G, M.K., J.V., S.B., and G.V.T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Starting Grant No. 278510 VORTEX and No. 335078 COLOURATOMS. ECASJO;; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2014 IF: 4.772
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:119085 Serial 3416
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Author Abduvokhidov, D.; Yusupov, M.; Shahzad, A.; Attri, P.; Shiratani, M.; Oliveira, M.C.; Razzokov, J.
  Title Unraveling the Transport Properties of RONS across Nitro-Oxidized Membranes Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Biomolecules Abbreviated Journal Biomolecules
  Volume 13 Issue 7 Pages 1043
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;
  Abstract The potential of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in biomedical applications has received significant interest, due to its ability to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Upon exposure to living cells, CAP triggers alterations in various cellular components, such as the cell membrane. However, the permeation of RONS across nitrated and oxidized membranes remains understudied. To address this gap, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations, to investigate the permeation capabilities of RONS across modified cell membranes. This computational study investigated the translocation processes of less hydrophilic and hydrophilic RONS across the phospholipid bilayer (PLB), with various degrees of oxidation and nitration, and elucidated the impact of RONS on PLB permeability. The simulation results showed that less hydrophilic species, i.e., NO, NO2, N2O4, and O3, have a higher penetration ability through nitro-oxidized PLB compared to hydrophilic RONS, i.e., HNO3, s-cis-HONO, s-trans-HONO, H2O2, HO2, and OH. In particular, nitro-oxidation of PLB, induced by, e.g., cold atmospheric plasma, has minimal impact on the penetration of free energy barriers of less hydrophilic species, while it lowers these barriers for hydrophilic RONS, thereby enhancing their translocation across nitro-oxidized PLB. This research contributes to a better understanding of the translocation abilities of RONS in the field of plasma biomedical applications and highlights the need for further analysis of their role in intracellular signaling pathways.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 001035160000001 Publication Date 2023-06-27
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2218-273X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
  Notes (up) This research was funded by the Innovative Development Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, grant number FZ-2020092817. Approved Most recent IF: NA
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:198154 Serial 8803
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Author Van Loenhout, J.; Peeters, M.; Bogaerts, A.; Smits, E.; Deben, C.
  Title Oxidative Stress-Inducing Anticancer Therapies: Taking a Closer Look at Their Immunomodulating Effects Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Antioxidants Abbreviated Journal Antioxidants
  Volume 9 Issue 12 Pages 1188
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Pharmacology. Therapy; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Center for Oncological Research (CORE)
  Abstract Cancer cells are characterized by higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to normal cells as a result of an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. However, cancer cells maintain their redox balance due to their high antioxidant capacity. Recently, a high level of oxidative stress is considered a novel target for anticancer therapy. This can be induced by increasing exogenous ROS and/or inhibiting the endogenous protective antioxidant system. Additionally, the immune system has been shown to be a significant ally in the fight against cancer. Since ROS levels are important to modulate the antitumor immune response, it is essential to consider the effects of oxidative stress-inducing treatments on this response. In this review, we provide an overview of the mechanistic cellular responses of cancer cells towards exogenous and endogenous ROS-inducing treatments, as well as the indirect and direct antitumoral immune effects, which can be both immunostimulatory and/or immunosuppressive. For future perspectives, there is a clear need for comprehensive investigations of different oxidative stress-inducing treatment strategies and their specific immunomodulating effects, since the effects cannot be generalized over different treatment modalities. It is essential to elucidate all these underlying immune effects to make oxidative stress-inducing treatments effective anticancer therapy.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000602288600001 Publication Date 2020-11-27
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2076-3921 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 7 Times cited Open Access
  Notes (up) This research was funded by the Olivia Hendrickx Research Fund (21OCL06) and the University of Antwerp (FFB160231). Approved Most recent IF: 7; 2020 IF: NA
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:173865 Serial 6441
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Author Filez, M.; Feng, J.-Y.; Minjauw, M.M.; Solano, E.; Poonkottil, N.; Van Daele, M.; Ramachandran, R.K.; Li, C.; Bals, S.; Poelman, H.; Detavernier, C.; Dendooven, J.; Filez, M.; Minjauw, M.; Solano, E.; Poonkottil, N.; Li, C.; Bals, S.; Dendooven, J.
  Title Shuffling atomic layer deposition gas sequences to modulate bimetallic thin films and nanoparticle properties Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal
  Volume Issue Pages
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) typically employs metal precursors and co-reactant pulses to deposit thin films in a layer-by-layer fashion. While conventional ABAB-type ALD sequences implement only two functionalities, namely, a metal source and ligand exchange agent, additional functionalities have emerged, including etching and reduction agents. Herein, we construct gas-phase sequences-coined as ALD+-with complex-ities reaching beyond the classic ABAB-type ALD by freely combining multiple functionalities within irregular pulse schemes, e.g., ABCADC. The possibilities of such combinations are explored as a smart strategy to tailor bimetallic thin films and nanoparticle (NP) properties. By doing so, we demonstrate that bimetallic thin films can be tailored with target thickness and through the full compositional range, while the morphology can be flexibly modulated from thin films to NPs by shuI 1ing the pulse sequence. These complex pulse schemes are expected to be broadly applicable but are here explored for Pd-Ru bimetallic thin films and NPs.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000823205700001 Publication Date 2022-06-29
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
  Impact Factor Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was funded by the Research Foundation, Flanders (FWO) , and the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA 01G01019) . M.F. and M.M.M. acknowledge the FWO for a postdoctoral research fellowship (1280621N) . N.P. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skiodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 765378. For the GISAXS measurements, the author s received funding from the European Community's Transnational Access Program CALIPSOplus. E.S. acknowledges the Spanish project RTI2018-093996-B-C32 MICINN/FEDER funds. Air Liquide is acknowledged for supporting this research. The authors acknowledge SOLEIL for the provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and would like to thank Dr. Alessandro Coati for assistance in using beamline SiXS. The GIWAXS experiments were performed at NCD-SWEET beamline at ALBA Synchrotron with the collaboration of ALBA staff . Approved no
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189541 Serial 8928
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Kutukov, P.; Rumyantseva, M.; Krivetskiy, V.; Filatova, D.; Batuk, M.; Hadermann, J.; Khmelevsky, N.; Aksenenko, A.; Gaskov, A.
  Title Influence of Mono- and Bimetallic PtOx, PdOx, PtPdOx Clusters on CO Sensing by SnO2 Based Gas Sensors Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2018 Publication Nanomaterials Abbreviated Journal Nanomaterials-Basel
  Volume 8 Issue 11 Pages 917
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;
  Abstract To obtain a nanocrystalline SnO2 matrix and mono- and bimetallic nanocomposites SnO2/Pd, SnO2/Pt, and SnO2/PtPd, a flame spray pyrolysis with subsequent impregnation was used. The materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), a single-point BET method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping. The electronic state of the metals in mono- and bimetallic clusters was determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The active surface sites were investigated using the Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermo-programmed reduction with hydrogen (TPR-H-2) methods. The sensor response of blank SnO2 and nanocomposites had a carbon monoxide (CO) level of 6.7 ppm and was determined in the temperature range 60-300 degrees C in dry (Relative Humidity (RH) = 0%) and humid (RH = 20%) air. The sensor properties of the mono- and bimetallic nanocomposites were analyzed on the basis of information on the electronic state, the distribution of modifiers in SnO2 matrix, and active surface centers. For SnO2/PtPd, the combined effect of the modifiers on the electrophysical properties of SnO2 explained the inversion of sensor response from n- to p-types observed in dry conditions.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000451316100052 Publication Date 2018-11-07
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2079-4991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 3.553 Times cited 7 Open Access Not_Open_Access
  Notes (up) This research was funded by the Russian Ministry of Education and Sciences (Agreement No. 14.613.21.0075, RFMEFI61317X0075). Approved Most recent IF: 3.553
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:155767 Serial 5139
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Author Batuk, D.; Batuk, M.; Morozov, V.A.; Meert, K.W.; Smet, P.F.; Poelman, D.; Abakumov, A.M.; Hadermann, J.
  Title Effect of cation vacancies on the crystal structure and luminescent properties of Ca(0.85-1.5x)Gd(x)Eu(0.1)_(0.05+0.5x)WO(4) (0<x<0.567) scheelite-based red phosphors Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Journal of alloys and compounds Abbreviated Journal J Alloy Compd
  Volume 706 Issue 706 Pages 358-369
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract The Ca0.85-1.5xGdxEu0.1_0.05-0.5xWO4 (0 < x < 0.567) series of cation-deficient scheelites is investigated to unveil the influence of the cation vacancies on the crystal structure and luminescent properties. The concentration of the vacancies is varied by the heterovalent substitution of Gd3+ for Ca2+, keeping the concentration of the Eu3+ luminescent centers constant in all compounds of the series. The crystal structure of the materials is studied using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. At low vacancy concentration (x = 0.1, 0.2), cations and cation vacancies are randomly distributed in the structure, and the materials preserve the I41/a symmetry of the parent scheelite structure [x = 0.1: a = 5.25151(1) Å, c = 11.39479(2) Å; x = 0.2: a = 5.25042(1) Å, c = 11.41335(2) Å]. At higher concentration, the cation-vacancy ordering gives rise to incommensurately modulated structures. The x = 0.3 structure has a (3 + 2)D tetragonal symmetry [superspace group I41/a(a,b,0)00(-b,a,0)00, a = 5.24700(1) Å, c = 11.45514(3) Å, q1 = 0.51637(14)a* + 0.80761(13)b*, q2 = -0.80761a* + 0.51637b*]. At x = 0.4, the scheelite basic cell undergoes a monoclinic distortion with the formation of the (3 + 1)D structure [superspace group I2/b(a,b,0)00, a = 5.23757(1) Å, b = 5.25035(1) Å, c = 11.45750(2) Å, g = 90.5120(2) o, q = 0.54206(8)a* + 0.79330(8)b*]. In both structures, the antiphase Ca and (Gd,Eu) occupancy modulations indicate that the ordering between the A cations and vacancies also induces partial Ca/(Gd,Eu) cation ordering. Further increase of the Gd3þ content up to x = 0.567 leads to the formation of a monoclinic phase (space group C2/c) with the Eu2/3WO4-type structure. Despite the difference in the cation-vacancy ordering patterns, all materials in the series demonstrate very similar quantum efficiency and luminescence decay lifetimes. However, the difference in the local coordination environment of the A cation species noticeably affects the line width and the multiplet splitting of the 4f6-4f6 transitions.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000397997300045 Publication Date 2017-02-16
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0925-8388 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 3.133 Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by FWO (Flanders Research Foundation, project G039211N). V.A.M. is grateful for financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant 15-03-07741).We are grateful to the ESRF for granting the beamtime at the ID22 beamline and to Andy Fitch for the support during the experiment. Approved Most recent IF: 3.133
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:142367 Serial 4581
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Author Morozov, V.A.; Batuk, D.; Batuk, M.; Basovich, O.M.; Khaikina, E.G.; Deyneko, D.V.; Lazoryak, B.I.; Leonidov, I.I.; Abakumov, A.M.; Hadermann, J.
  Title Luminescence Property Upgrading via the Structure and Cation Changing in AgxEu(2–x)/3WO4and AgxGd(2–x)/3–0.3Eu0.3WO4 Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
  Volume 29 Issue 20 Pages 8811-8823
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract The creation and ordering of A-cation vacancies and the effect of cation substitutions in the scheelite-type framework are investigated as a factor for controlling the scheelite-type structure and luminescence properties. AgxEu3+(2−x)/3□(1−2x)/3WO4 and AgxGd(2−x)/3−0.3Eu3+0.3□(1−2x)/3WO4 (x = 0.5−0) scheelite-type phases were synthesized by a solid state method, and their structures were investigated using a combination of transmission electron microscopy techniques and powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy also revealed the (3 + 1)D incommensurately modulated character of AgxEu3+(2−x)/3□(1−2x)/3WO4 (x = 0.286, 0.2) phases. The crystal structures of the scheelite-based AgxEu3+(2−x)/3□(1−2x)/3WO4 (x = 0.5, 0.286, 0.2) red phosphors have been refined from high resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data. The luminescence properties of all phases under near-ultraviolet (n-UV) light have been investigated. The excitation spectra of AgxEu3+(2−x)/3□(1−2x)/3WO4 (x = 0.5, 0.286,0.2) phosphors show the strongest absorption at 395 nm, which matches well with the commercially available n-UV-emitting GaN-based LED chip. The excitation spectra of the Eu2/3□1/3WO4 and Gd0.367Eu0.30□1/3WO4 phases exhibit the highest contribution of the charge transfer band at 250 nm and thus the most efficient energy transfer mechanism between the host and the luminescent ion as compared to direct excitation. The emission spectra of all samples indicate an intense red emission due to the 5D0 → 7F2 transition of Eu3+. Concentration dependence of the 5D0 → 7F2 emission for AgxEu(2−x)/3□(1−2x)/3WO4 samples differs from the same dependence for the earlier studied NaxEu3+(2−x)/3□(1−2x)/3MoO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) phases. The intensity of the 5D0 → 7F2 emission is reduced almost 7 times with decreasing x from 0.5 to 0, but it practically does not change in the range from x = 0.286 to x = 0.200. The emission spectra of Gd-containing samples show a completely different trend as compared to only Eu-containing samples. The Eu3+ emission under excitation of Eu3+(5L6) level (λex = 395 nm) increases more than 2.5 times with the increasing Gd3+ concentration from 0.2 (x = 0.5) to 0.3 (x = 0.2) in the AgxGd(2−x)/3−0.3Eu3+0.3□(1−2x)/3WO4, after which it remains almost constant for higher Gd3+ concentrations.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000413884900028 Publication Date 2017-10-24
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0897-4756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 7 Open Access Not_Open_Access
  Notes (up) This research was supported by FWO (project G039211N), Flanders Research Foundation. V.A.M. is grateful for financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant 15-03-07741). E.G.K. and O.M.B. are grateful for financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grants 13-03-01020 and 16-03-00510). D.V.D. is grateful for financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant 16-33-00197) and the Foundation of the President of the Russian Federation (Grant MK-7926.2016.5.). We are grateful to the ESRF for granting the beamtime. Experimental support of Andy Fitch at the ID31 beamline of ESRF is kindly acknowledged. Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147241 Serial 4768
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Parastaev, A.; Muravev, V.; Osta, E.H.; Kimpel, T.F.; Simons, J.F.M.; van Hoof, A.J.F.; Uslamin, E.; Zhang, L.; Struijs, J.J.C.; Burueva, D.B.; Pokochueva, E.V.; Kovtunov, K.V.; Koptyug, I.V.; Villar-Garcia, I.J.; Escudero, C.; Altantzis, T.; Liu, P.; Béché, A.; Bals, S.; Kosinov, N.; Hensen, E.J.M.
  Title Breaking structure sensitivity in CO2 hydrogenation by tuning metal–oxide interfaces in supported cobalt nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Nature Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Nat Catal
  Volume 5 Issue 11 Pages 1051-1060
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
  Abstract A high dispersion of the active metal phase of transition metals on oxide supports is important when designing efficient heterogeneous catalysts. Besides nanoparticles, clusters and even single metal atoms can be attractive for a wide range of reactions. However, many industrially relevant catalytic transformations suffer from structure sensitivity, where reducing the size of the metal particles below a certain size substantially lowers catalytic performance. A case in point is the low activity of small cobalt nanoparticles in the hydrogenation of CO and CO2. Here we show how engineering of catalytic sites at the metal–oxide interface in cerium oxide–zirconium dioxide (ceria–zirconia)-supported cobalt can overcome this structure sensitivity. Few-atom cobalt clusters dispersed on 3 nm cobalt(II)-oxide particles stabilized by ceria–zirconia yielded a highly active CO2 methanation catalyst with a specific activity higher than that of larger particles under the same conditions.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000884939300006 Publication Date 2022-11-17
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2520-1158 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 37.8 Times cited 32 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the Applied and Engineering Sciences division of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research through the Alliander (now Qirion) Perspective program on Plasma Conversion of CO2. We acknowledge Diamond Light Source for time on beamline B18 under proposal SP20715-1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3. S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128 REALNANO) and T.A. acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). A.B. received funding from the European Union under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3. The authors acknowledge funding through the Hercules grant (FWO, University of Antwerp) I003218N “Infrastructure for imaging nanoscale processes in gas/vapour or liquid environments”. I.V.K., D.B.B., and E.V.P. acknowledge the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education (contract 075-15-2021-580) for financial support of parahydrogen-based studies. Experiments using synchrotron radiation XPS were performed at the CIRCE beamline at ALBA Synchrotron with the collaboration of ALBA staff. F. Oropeza Palacio and Rim C.J. van de Poll are acknowledged for the help with RPES measurements.; esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved Most recent IF: 37.8
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:192068 Serial 7230
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Author Montero-Sistiaga, M.L.; Pourbabak, S.; Van Humbeeck, J.; Schryvers, D.; Vanmeensel, K.
  Title Microstructure and mechanical properties of Hastelloy X produced by HP-SLM (high power selective laser melting) Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Materials & design Abbreviated Journal Mater Design
  Volume 165 Issue Pages 107598
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract In order to increase the production rate during selective laser melting (SLM), a high power laser with a large beam diameter is used to build fully dense Hastelloy X parts. Compared to SLM with a low power and small diameter beam, the productivity was increased from 6 mm3/s to 16 mm3/s, i.e. 2.6 times faster. Besides the productivity benefit, the influence of the use of a high power laser on the rapid solidification microstructure and concomitant material properties is highlighted. The current paper compares the microstructure and tensile properties of Hastelloy X built with low and high power lasers. The use of a high power laser results in wider and shallower melt pools inducing an enhanced morphological and crystallographic texture along the building direction (BD). In addition, the increased heat input results in coarser sub-grains or high density dislocation walls for samples processed with a high power laser. Additionally, the influence of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) as a post-processing technique was evaluated. After HIP, the tensile fracture strain increased as compared to the strain in the as-built state and helped in obtaining competitive mechanical properties as compared to conventionally processed Hastelloy X parts.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000458259300020 Publication Date 2019-01-09
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0264-1275 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 4.364 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the ENGIE Research and Technology Division. The authors acknowledge ENGIE Research and Technology Division for the use of the SLM280HL machine. S.P. likes to thank the Flemish Science Foundation FWO for financial support under Project G.0366.15N. Approved Most recent IF: 4.364
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:157469 Serial 5176
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Author Mercer, Er.; Van Alphen, S.; van Deursen, Cf.a.m.; Righart, Tw.h.; Bongers, Wa.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A.; van de Sanden, Mc.m.; Peeters, Fj.j.
  Title Post-plasma quenching to improve conversion and energy efficiency in a CO2 microwave plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Fuel Abbreviated Journal
  Volume 334 Issue Pages 126734
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
  Abstract Transforming CO2 into value-added chemicals is crucial to realizing a carbon–neutral economy, and plasma-based conversion, a Power-2-X technology, offers a promising route to realizing an efficient and scalable process. This paper investigates the effects of post-plasma placement of a converging–diverging nozzle in a vortex-stabilized 2.45 GHz CO2 microwave plasma reactor to increase energy efficiency and conversion. The CDN leads to a 21 % relative increase in energy efficiency (31 %) and CO2 conversion (13 %) at high flow rates and near-atmospheric conditions. The most significant performance improvement was seen at low flow rates and sub-atmospheric pressure (300 mbar), where energy efficiency was 23 % and conversion was 28 %, a 71 % relative increase over conditions without the CDN. Using CFD simulations, we found that the CDN produces a change in the flow geometry, leading to a confined temperature profile at the height of the plasma, and forced extraction of CO to the post-CDN region.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000891307400008 Publication Date 2022-11-26
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0016-2361 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 7.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project) and the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023). The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA of the Universiteit Antwerpen, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government. In addition, this work has been carried out as part of the Plasma Power to Gas research program with reference 15325, which is by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and Alliander N.V. Approved Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.601
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:192784 Serial 7235
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Author Van Alphen, S.; Slaets, J.; Ceulemans, S.; Aghaei, M.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A.
  Title Effect of N2 on CO2-CH4 conversion in a gliding arc plasmatron: Can this major component in industrial emissions improve the energy efficiency? Type A1 Journal Article;Plasma-based CO2-CH4 conversion
  Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Co2 Utilization Abbreviated Journal J Co2 Util
  Volume 54 Issue Pages 101767
  Keywords A1 Journal Article;Plasma-based CO2-CH4 conversion; Effect of N2; Plasma chemistry; Computational modelling; Gliding arc plasmatron; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;
  Abstract Plasma-based CO2 and CH4 conversion is gaining increasing interest, and a great portion of research is dedicated to adapting the process to actual industrial conditions. In an industrial context, the process needs to be able to process N2 admixtures, since most industrial gas emissions contain significant amounts of N2, and gas separations are financially costly. In this paper we therefore investigate the effect of N2 on the CO2 and CH4 conversion in a gliding arc plasmatron reactor. The addition of 20 % N2 reduces the energy cost of the conversion process by 21 % compared to a pure CO2/CH4 mixture, from 2.9 down to 2.2 eV/molec (or from 11.5 to 8.7 kJ/L), yielding a CO2 and CH4 (absolute) conversion of 28.6 and 35.9 % and an energy efficiency of 58 %. These results are among the best reported in literature for plasma-based DRM, demonstrating the benefits of N2 present in the mix. Compared to DRM results in different plasma reactor types, a low energy cost was achieved. To understand the underlying mechanisms of N2 addition, we developed a combination of four different computational models, which reveal that the beneficial effect of N2 addition is attributed to (i) a rise in the electron density (increasing the plasma conductivity, and therefore reducing the plasma power needed to sustain the plasma, which reduces the energy cost), as well as (ii) a rise in the gas temperature, which accelerates the CO2 and CH4 conversion reactions.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000715057300005 Publication Date 2021-10-28
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2212-9820 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 4.292 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innova­ tion programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project), the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023), and through long-term structural fund­ing (Methusalem). 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. Approved Most recent IF: 4.292
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:184044 Serial 6827
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Eshtehardi, H.A.; Van ‘t Veer, K.; Delplancke, M.-P.; Reniers, F.; Bogaerts, A.
  Title Postplasma Catalytic Model for NO Production: Revealing the Underlying Mechanisms to Improve the Process Efficiency Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Abbreviated Journal
  Volume 11 Issue 5 Pages 1720-1733
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
  Abstract Plasma catalysis is emerging for plasma-assisted gas conversion

processes. However, the underlying mechanisms of plasma catalysis are poorly

understood. In this work, we present a 1D heterogeneous catalysis model with axial

dispersion (i.e., accounting for back-mixing and molecular diffusion of fluid elements in

the process stream in the axial direction), for plasma-catalytic NO production from

N2/O2 mixtures. We investigate the concentration and reaction rates of each species

formed as a function of time and position across the catalyst, in order to determine the

underlying mechanisms. To obtain insights into how the performance of the process

can be further improved, we also study how changes in the postplasma gas flow

composition entering the catalyst bed and in the operation conditions of the catalytic

stage affect the performance of NO production.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000926412800001 Publication Date 2023-02-06
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2168-0485 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
  Impact Factor 8.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023) and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 810182 − SCOPE ERC Synergy project). 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. Approved Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 5.951
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:195377 Serial 7257
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Van Alphen, S.; Ahmadi Eshtehardi, H.; O'Modhrain, C.; Bogaerts, J.; Van Poyer, H.; Creel, J.; Delplancke, M.-P.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A.
  Title Effusion nozzle for energy-efficient NOx production in a rotating gliding arc plasma reactor Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J
  Volume 443 Issue Pages 136529
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
  Abstract Plasma-based NOx production is of interest for sustainable N2 fixation, but more research is needed to improve its performance. One of the current limitations is recombination of NO back into N2 and O2 molecules immediately after the plasma reactor. Therefore, we developed a novel so-called “effusion nozzle”, to improve the perfor­mance of a rotating gliding arc plasma reactor for NOx production, but the same principle can also be applied to other plasma types. Experiments in a wide range of applied power, gas flow rates and N2/O2 ratios demonstrate an enhancement in NOx concentration by about 8%, and a reduction in energy cost by 22.5%. In absolute terms, we obtain NOx concentrations up to 5.9%, at an energy cost down to 2.1 MJ/mol, which are the best values reported to date in literature. In addition, we developed four complementary models to describe the gas flow, plasma temperature and plasma chemistry, aiming to reveal why the effusion nozzle yields better performance. Our simulations reveal that the effusion nozzle acts as very efficient heat sink, causing a fast drop in gas tem­perature when the gas molecules leave the plasma, hence limiting the recombination of NO back into N2 and O2. This yields an overall higher NOx concentration than without the effusion nozzle. This immediate quenching right at the end of the plasma makes our effusion nozzle superior to more conventional cooling options, like water cooling In addition, this higher NOx concentration can be obtained at a slightly lower power, because the effusion nozzle allows for the ignition and sustainment of the plasma at somewhat lower power. Hence, this also explains the lower energy cost. Overall, our experimental results and detailed modeling analysis will be useful to improve plasma-based NOx production in other plasma reactors as well.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000800010600003 Publication Date 0000-00-00
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project), and through long-term structural funding (Methusalem). 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. Approved Most recent IF: 15.1
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:188283 Serial 7057
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Author Ramachandran, R.K.; Filez, M.; Solano, E.; Poelman, H.; Minjauw, M.M.; Van Daele, M.; Feng, J.-Y.; La Porta, A.; Altantzis, T.; Fonda, E.; Coati, A.; Garreau, Y.; Bals, S.; Marin, G.B.; Detavernier, C.; Dendooven, J.
  Title Chemical and Structural Configuration of Pt Doped Metal Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
  Volume 31 Issue 31 Pages 9673-9683
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
  Abstract Pt doped semiconducting metal oxides and Pt metal clusters embedded in an oxide matrix are of interest for applications such as catalysis and gas sensing, energy storage and memory devices. Accurate tuning of the dopant level is crucial for adjusting the properties of these materials. Here, a novel atomic layer deposition (ALD) based method for doping Pt into In2O3 in specific, and metals in metal oxides in general, is demonstrated. This approach combines alternating exposures of Pt and In2O3 ALD processes in a single ‘supercycle’, followed by supercycle repetition leading to multilayered nanocomposites. The atomic level control of ALD and its conformal nature make the method suitable for accurate dopant control even on high surface area supports. Oxidation state, local structural environment and crystalline phase of the embedded Pt dopants were obtained by means of X-ray characterization methods and high angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). In addition, this approach allows characterization of the nucleation stages of metal ALD processes, by stacking those states multiple times in an oxide matrix. Regardless of experimental conditions, a few Pt ALD cycles leads to the formation of oxidized Pt species due to their highly dispersed nature, as proven by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and highresolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (HR-STEM/EDXS) show that Pt is evenly distributed in the In2O3 metal oxide matrix without the formation of clusters. For a larger number of Pt ALD

cycles, typ. > 10, the oxidation state gradually evolves towards fully metallic, and metallic Pt clusters are obtained within the In2O3 metal oxide matrix. This work reveals how tuning of the ALD supercycle approach for Pt doping allows controlled engineering of the Pt compositional and structural configuration within a metal oxide matrix.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000502418000010 Publication Date 2019-11-11
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0897-4756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 6 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen), the Flemish Government (Long term structural funding – Methusalem funding and Medium scale research infrastructure funding-Hercules funding), the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA 01G01513) and the CALIPSO Trans National Access Program funded by the European Commission in supplying financing of travel costs. We are grateful to the SIXS and SAMBA-SOLEIL staff for smoothly running the beamline facilities. J.D. and R.K.R. are postdoctoral fellows of the FWO. Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:164056 Serial 5380
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Author Albrechts, M.; Tsonev, I.; Bogaerts, A.
  Title Investigation of O atom kinetics in O2plasma and its afterglow Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Plasma Sources Science and Technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.
  Volume 33 Issue 4 Pages 045017
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; oxygen plasma, pseudo-1D plug-flow kinetic model, O atoms, low-pressure validation, atmospheric pressure microwave torch; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;
  Abstract We have developed a comprehensive kinetic model to study the O atom kinetics in an O<sub>2</sub>plasma and its afterglow. By adopting a pseudo-1D plug-flow formalism within the kinetic model, our aim is to assess how far the O atoms travel in the plasma afterglow, evaluating its potential as a source of O atoms for post-plasma gas conversion applications. Since we could not find experimental data for pure O<sub>2</sub>plasma at atmospheric pressure, we first validated our model at low pressure (1–10 Torr) where very good experimental data are available. Good agreement between our model and experiments was achieved for the reduced electric field, gas temperature and the densities of the dominant neutral species, i.e. O<sub>2</sub>(a), O<sub>2</sub>(b) and O. Subsequently, we confirmed that the chemistry set is consistent with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations at atmospheric pressure. Finally, we investigated the O atom densities in the O<sub>2</sub>plasma and its afterglow, for which we considered a microwave O<sub>2</sub>plasma torch, operating at a pressure between 0.1 and 1 atm, for a flow rate of 20 slm and an specific energy input of 1656 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup>. Our results show that for both pressure conditions, a high dissociation degree of ca. 92% is reached within the discharge. However, the O atoms travel much further in the plasma afterglow for<italic>p</italic>= 0.1 atm (9.7 cm) than for<italic>p</italic>= 1 atm (1.4 cm), attributed to the longer lifetime (3.8 ms at 0.1 atm vs 1.8 ms at 1 atm) resulting from slower three-body recombination kinetics, as well as a higher volumetric flow rate.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 001209453500001 Publication Date 2024-04-01
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0963-0252 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
  Impact Factor 3.8 Times cited Open Access
  Notes (up) This research was supported by the Horizon Europe Framework Program ‘Research and Innovation Actions’ (RIA), Project CANMILK (Grant No. 101069491). Approved Most recent IF: 3.8; 2024 IF: 3.302
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:205920 Serial 9125
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Author Ben Hafsia, A.; Hendrickx, M.; Batuk, M.; Khitouni, M.; Hadermann, J.; Greneche, J.-M.; Rammeh, N.
  Title Crystal structure study of manganese and titanium substituted BaLaFe2O6-δ Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Journal of solid state chemistry Abbreviated Journal J Solid State Chem
  Volume 251 Issue 251 Pages 186-193
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Barium lanthanum ferrite and four Mn/Ti substituted materials were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The crystal structure of the materials was studied by a combination of X-ray powder diffraction, electron diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy and 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry. BaLaFe2O6-δ has a cubic perovskite structure and Ba0.7La1.3FeMnO6-δ is distorted perovskite with the R-3c symmetry, both from electron diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction. However, according to transmission electron microscopy, the crystals of BaLaFeTiO6-δ, BaLaFeTi0.5Mn0.5O6-δ, and BaLaFe0.5Ti0.5MnO6-δ consist of nanodomains with different symmetries (Pm3m next to R-3c due to octahedral tilts), whereas the bulk X-ray powder diffraction patterns for these compounds correspond to the simple cubic structure. 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry confirms that all materials contain high spin state Fe3+ ions which are strongly influenced by the chemical disorder

resulting from various cationic environments.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000402581200024 Publication Date 2017-04-20
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 0022-4596 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 2.299 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
  Notes (up) This study has been supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and by the University of Antwerp BOF Grant 33024 funding scheme. Approved Most recent IF: 2.299
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:143988 Serial 4582
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Author Mannaerts, D.; Faes, E.; Cos, P.; Briedé, J.J.; Gyselaers, W.; Cornette, J.; Gorbanev, Y.; Bogaerts, A.; Spaanderman, M.; Van Craenenbroeck, E.; Jacquemyn, Y.; Torrens, C.
  Title Oxidative stress in healthy pregnancy and preeclampsia is linked to chronic inflammation, iron status and vascular function Type University Hospital Antwerp
  Year 2018 Publication PLoS ONE Abbreviated Journal Plos One
  Volume 13 Issue 9 Pages e0202919
  Keywords University Hospital Antwerp; A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Antwerp Surgical Training, Anatomy and Research Centre (ASTARC); Translational Pathophysiological Research (TPR)
  Abstract Background

During normal pregnancy, placental oxidative stress (OS) is present during all three trimesters and is necessary to obtain normal cell function. However, if OS reaches a certain level, pregnancy complications might arise. In preeclampsia (PE), a dangerous pregnancy specific hypertensive disorder, OS induced in the ischemic placenta causes a systemic inflammatory response and activates maternal endothelial cells. In this study, we aimed to quantify superoxide concentrations (as a measure of systemic OS) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and correlate them to markers of systemic inflammation, iron status and vascular function.

Methods

Fifty-nine women with a healthy pregnancy (HP), 10 non-pregnant controls (NP) and 28 PE patients (32±3.3weeks) were included. During HP, blood samples for superoxide, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), mean platelet volume (MPV) and iron status were taken at 10, 25 and 39 weeks. Vascular measurements for arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV), augmentation index (AIx), augmentation Pressure (AP)) and microvascular endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index (RHI)) were performed at 35 weeks. In PE, all measurements were performed at diagnosis. CMH (1-hydroxy-3-methoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine) was used as spin probe for EPR, since the formed CM radical

corresponds to the amount of superoxide.

Results

Superoxide concentration remains stable during pregnancy (p = 0.92), but is significantly higher compared to the NP controls (p<0.0001). At 25 weeks, there is a significant positive correlation between superoxide and ferritin concentration. (p = 0.04) In PE, superoxide, systemic inflammation and iron status are much higher compared to HP (all p<0.001). During HP, superoxide concentrations correlate significantly with arterial stiffness (all p<0.04), while in PE superoxide is significantly correlated to microvascular endothelial function (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

During HP there is an increased but stable oxidative environment, which is correlated to ferritin concentration. If superoxide levels increase, there is an augmentation in arterial stiffness. In PE pregnancies, systemic inflammation and superoxide concentrations are higher and result in a deterioration of endothelial function. Together, these findings support the hypothesis that vascular function is directly linked to the amount of OS and that measurement of OS in combination with vascular function tests might be used in the prediction of PE.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000444355500010 Publication Date 2018-09-11
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 2.806 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This study is part of a PhD-thesis which is supported by the University of Antwerp and the Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Antwerp University Hospital. The University of Antwerp provides the earnings for the principal investigator (DM) who is responsible for the design of the study, data collection and interpretation and writing of the manuscript. The Antwerp University Hospital supports the financial part of data collection. EMVC is supported by the fund for scientific research-Flanders (FWO) as senior clinical investigator. Approved Most recent IF: 2.806
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:153802c:irua:153644 Serial 5048
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Author Schnepf, M.J.; Mayer, M.; Kuttner, C.; Tebbe, M.; Wolf, D.; Dulle, M.; Altantzis, T.; Formanek, P.; Förster, S.; Bals, S.; König, T.A.F.; Fery, A.
  Title Nanorattles with tailored electric field enhancement Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
  Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 9376-9385
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Nanorattles are metallic core–shell particles with core and shell separated by a dielectric spacer. These

nanorattles have been identified as a promising class of nanoparticles, due to their extraordinary high

electric-field enhancement inside the cavity. Limiting factors are reproducibility and loss of axial symmetry

owing to the movable metal core; movement of the core results in fluctuation of the nanocavity dimensions

and commensurate variations in enhancement factor. We present a novel synthetic approach for

the robust fixation of the central gold rod within a well-defined box, which results in an axisymmetric

nanorattle. We determine the structure of the resulting axisymmetric nanorattles by advanced transmission

electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Optical absorption and scattering

cross-sections obtained from UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy quantitatively agree with finite-difference

time-domain (FDTD) simulations based on the structural model derived from SAXS. The predictions of

high and homogenous field enhancement are evidenced by scanning TEM electron energy loss spectroscopy

(STEM-EELS) measurement on single-particle level. Thus, comprehensive understanding of

structural and optical properties is achieved for this class of nanoparticles, paving the way for photonic

applications where a defined and robust unit cell is crucial.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000405387100015 Publication Date 2017-06-22
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 69 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This study was funded by the European Research Council under grant Template-assisted assembly of METAmaterials using MECHanical instabilities (METAMECH) ERC-2012-StG 306686. This work was also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the Cluster of Excellence ‘Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden’ (cfaed). M. T. wants to acknowledge funding by the Elite Network of Bavaria, the Bavarian Ministry of State according to the Bavarian elite promotion act (BayEFG), as well as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a Feodor-Lynen Research Fellowship. S. B. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOM 335078) and T. A. acknowledges funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through a postdoctoral grant. We thank Ken Harris from the National Research Council Canada for valuable discussion of the manuscript. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:144797UA @ admin @ c:irua:144797 Serial 4631
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Author Ghidelli, M.; Idrissi, H.; Gravier, S.; Blandin, J.-J.; Raskin, J.-P.; Schryvers, D.; Pardoen, T.
  Title Homogeneous flow and size dependent mechanical behavior in highly ductile Zr 65 Ni 35 metallic glass films Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Acta materialia Abbreviated Journal Acta Mater
  Volume 131 Issue 131 Pages 246-259
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Motivated by recent studies demonstrating a high strength – high ductility potential of nano-scale metallic glass samples, the mechanical response of freestanding Zr65Ni35 film with sub-micron thickness has been investigated by combining advanced on-chip tensile testing and electron microscopy. Large deformation up to 15% is found for specimen thicknesses below 500 nm with variations depending on specimen size and frame compliance. The deformation is homogenous until fracture, with no evidence of shear banding. The yield stress is doubled when decreasing the specimen cross-section, reaching ~3 GPa for small cross-sections. The fracture strain variation is related to both the stability of the test device and to the specimen size. The study concludes on clear disconnect between the mechanisms controlling the onset of plasticity and the fracture process.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000402343400023 Publication Date 2017-03-31
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1359-6454 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 5.301 Times cited 42 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This work has been funded by the Belgian Science Policy through the IAP 7/21 project. We acknowledge IDS-FunMat for the PhD financial support.We thank the Renatech network and the PTA (Plateforme Technologique Amont) in Grenoble (France) for TFMG deposition facilities. The WINFAB infrastructure at the UCL and the help of R. Vayrette and M. Coulombier for the on-chip tests. H. Idrissi is currently mandated by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FSR-FNRS). Approved Most recent IF: 5.301
  Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:142642 Serial 4562
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Author Reguera, J.; Jiménez de Aberasturi, D.; Naomi Winckelmans, N.; Langer, J.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.
  Title Synthesis of Janus plasmonic-magnetic, star-sphere nanoparticles, and their application in SERS detection Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Faraday discussions Abbreviated Journal Faraday Discuss
  Volume 191 Issue 191 Pages 47-59
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
  Abstract Multicomponent nanoparticles are of particular interest due to a unique combination of properties at the nanoscale, which make them suitable for a wide variety of applications. Among them, Janus nanoparticles, presenting two distinct surface regions, can lead to specific interactions with interfaces, biomolecules, membranes etc. We report the synthesis of Janus nanoparticles comprising iron oxide nanospheres and gold nanostars, through two consecutive seed-mediated-growth steps. Electron tomography combining HAADF-STEM and EDX mapping has been performed to evaluate the spatial distribution of the two components of the nanoparticle, showing their clear separation in a Janus morphology. Additionally, SERS measurements assisted by magnetic separation were carried out to assess the application of combined plasmonic and magnetic properties for sensing.
  Address
  Corporate Author Thesis
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor
  Language Wos 000385257300003 Publication Date 2016-03-02
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition
  ISSN 1359-6640 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
  Impact Factor 3.588 Times cited 53 Open Access OpenAccess
  Notes (up) This work has been funded by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant #267867, Plasmaquo). N.W. and S.B. acknowledge funding by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078, Colouratom).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 3.588
  Call Number c:irua:132891 Serial 4060
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