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Author Cavaliere, E.; Benetti, G.; Van Bael, M.; Winckelmans, N.; Bals, S.; Gavioli, L.
Title Exploring the Optical and Morphological Properties of Ag and Ag/TiO2 Nanocomposites Grown by Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Nanomaterials Abbreviated Journal Nanomaterials-Basel
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 442
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanocomposite systems and nanoparticle (NP) films are crucial for many applications and research fields. The structure-properties correlation raises complex questions due to the collective structure of these systems, often granular and porous, a crucial factor impacting their effectiveness and performance. In this framework, we investigate the optical and morphological properties of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) films and of Ag NPs/TiO₂ porous matrix films, one-step grown by supersonic cluster beam deposition. Morphology and structure of the Ag NPs film and of the Ag/TiO₂ (Ag/Ti 50-50) nanocomposite are related to the optical properties of the film employing spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). We employ a simple Bruggeman effective medium approximation model, corrected by finite size effects of the nano-objects in the film structure to gather information on the structure and morphology of the nanocomposites, in particular porosity and average NPs size for the Ag/TiO₂ NP film. Our results suggest that SE is a simple, quick and effective method to measure porosity of nanoscale films and systems, where standard methods for measuring pore sizes might not be applicable.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000419186800037 Publication Date 2017-12-13
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 19 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors thank Gabriele Ferrini for fruitful discussions on the spectroscopic ellipsometry model and Francesco Rossella from NEST for the optical profilometry data. The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Union through the 7th Framework Program (FP7) under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (Reference No. 312483 ESTEEM2). Luca Gavioli, Emanuele Cavaliere and Giulio Benetti acknowledge support from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore through D.1.1 and D.3.1 grants. Approved Most recent IF: 3.553
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147862UA @ admin @ c:irua:147862 Serial 4802
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Author Asapu, R.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Claes, N.; Blommaerts, N.; Minjauw, M.; Ahmad, T.; Dendooven, J.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Denys, S.; Detavernier, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title Plasmonic Near-Field Localization of Silver Core–Shell Nanoparticle Assemblies via Wet Chemistry Nanogap Engineering Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 41577-41585
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Silver nanoparticles are widely used in the field of plasmonics because of their unique optical properties. The wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance gives rise to a strongly enhanced electromagnetic field, especially at so-called hot spots located in the nanogap in-between metal nanoparticle assemblies. Therefore, the interparticle distance is a decisive factor in plasmonic applications, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this study, the aim is to engineer this interparticle distance for silver nanospheres using a convenient wet-chemical approach and to predict and quantify the corresponding enhancement factor using both theoretical and experimental tools. This was done by building a tunable ultrathin polymer shell around the nanoparticles using the layer-by-layer method, in which the polymer shell acts as the separating interparticle spacer layer. Comparison of different theoretical approaches and corroborating the results with SERS analytical experiments using silver and silver−polymer core−shell nanoparticle clusters as SERS substrates was also done. Herewith, an approach is provided to estimate the extent of plasmonic near-field enhancement both theoretically as well as experimentally.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000417005900057 Publication Date 2017-11-29
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 7.504 Times cited 29 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes financial support through a research fellowship. C.D. wishes to thank the Hercules foundation for the financial support (SPINAL). P.C. and R.-G.C. acknowledge financial support by FWO Vlaanderen (project no. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078-COLOURATOM). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.504
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147243 Serial 4804
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Author Winckelmans, N.; Altantzis, T.; Grzelczak, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S.
Title Multimode Electron Tomography as a Tool to Characterize the Internal Structure and Morphology of Gold Nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 122 Issue 122 Pages 13522-13528
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Three dimensional (3D) characterization of structural defects in nanoparticles by transmission electron microscopy is far from straightforward. We propose the use of a dose-efficient approach, so-called multimode tomography, during which tilt series of low and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy projection images are acquired simultaneously. In this manner, not only reliable information can be obtained concerning the shape of the nanoparticles, but also the twin planes can be clearly visualized in 3D. As an example, we demonstrate the application of this approach to identify the position of the seeds with respect to the twinning planes in anisotropic gold nanoparticles synthesized using a seed mediated growth approach.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000437811500036 Publication Date 2018-01-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 23 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes S.B. and N.W. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Grant No. 335078 COLOURATOM. S.B. and T.A. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0369.15N and G.0218.14N) and a postdoctoral research grant to T.A. L.M.L.-M. and M.G. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant MAT2013-46101-R). L.M.L.-M. and S.B. acknowledge funding from the European Commission (grant EUSMI 731019). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:148164UA @ admin @ c:irua:148164 Serial 4807
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Author Yang, Z.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Tendeloo, G.V.; Pileni, M.-P.
Title Do Binary Supracrystals Enhance the Crystal Stability? Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 122 Issue 122 Pages 13515-13521
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We study the oxygen thermal stability of two binary

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

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

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

magnetic nanoparticles very much influence the stability of the binary

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

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

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

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

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

nanoparticles within the binary assemblies coalesce and are at the

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

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

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

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

system: The crystalline structure is maintained, whereas in disordered assemblies, coalescence of Ag nanocrystals is observed.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000437811500035 Publication Date 2018-01-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The research leading to these results has been supported by an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council under Grant 267129. The authors appreciate financial support by the European Union under the Framework 7 program under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (Reference No. 262348 ESMI). S.B. acknowledges funding from ERC Starting Grant COLOURATOMS (335078). T.A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149388UA @ admin @ c:irua:149388 Serial 4812
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Author Kertik, A.; Wee, L.H.; Pfannmöller, M.; Bals, S.; Martens, J.A.; Vankelecom, I.F.J.
Title Highly selective gas separation membrane using in situ amorphised metal-organic frameworks Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Energy & environmental science Abbreviated Journal Energ Environ Sci
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 2342-2351
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) separation in the petrochemical industry via cryogenic distillation is energy intensive and environmentally unfriendly. Alternatively, polymer membrane-based separations are of significant interest owing to low production cost, low-energy consumption and ease of upscaling. However, the implementation of commercial polymeric membranes is limited by their permeability and selectivity trade-off and the insufficient thermal and chemical stability. Herein, a novel type of amorphous mixed matrix membrane (MMM) able to separate CO2/CH4 mixtures with the highest selectivities ever reported for MOF based MMMs is presented. The MMM consists of an amorphised metal-organic framework (MOF) dispersed in an oxidatively cross-linked matrix achieved by fine tuning of the thermal treatment temperature in air up to 350 degrees C which drastically boosts the separation properties of the MMM. Thanks to the protection of the surrounding polymer, full oxidation of this MOF (i.e. ZIF-8) is prevented, and amorphisation of the MOF is realized instead, thus in situ creating a molecular sieve network. In addition, the treatment also improves the filler-polymer adhesion and induces an oxidative cross-linking of the polyimide matrix, resulting in MMMs with increased stability or plasticization resistance at high pressure up to 40 bar, marking a new milestone as new molecular sieve MOF MMMs for challenging natural gas purification applications. A new field for the use of amorphised MOFs and a variety of separation opportunities for such MMMs are thus opened.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000414774500007 Publication Date 2017-08-09
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; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 29.518 Times cited 122 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; A.K. acknowledges financial support from the Erasmus-Mundus Doctorate in Membrane Engineering (EUDIME) Programme. L.H.W. thanks the FWO-Vlaanderen for a postdoctoral research fellowship (12M1415N). M. P. acknowledges financial support by the FP7 European project SUNFLOWER (FP7 #287594). S. B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS). J. A. M. gratefully acknowledges financial supports from the Flemish Government for long-term Methusalem funding. J. A. M. and I. F. J. V. acknowledge the Belgian Government for IAP-PAI networking. A. K. would also like to thank Frank Mathijs for the mechanical tests, Roy Bernstein for the XPS analysis and Lien Telen and Bart Goderis for the DSC measurements. We thank Verder Scientific Benelux for providing the service of ZIF-8 ball milling. ; ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 29.518
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:147399UA @ admin @ c:irua:147399 Serial 4879
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Author Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Claes, N.; Solís, D.M.; Taboada, J.M.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Grzelczak, M.
Title Reversible Clustering of Gold Nanoparticles under Confinement Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Angewandte Chemie: international edition in English Abbreviated Journal Angew Chem Int Edit
Volume 57 Issue 57 Pages 3183-3186
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A limiting factor of solvent-induced nanoparticle self-assembly is the need for constant sample dilution in assembly/disassembly cycles. Changes in the nanoparticle concentration alter the kinetics of the subsequent assembly process, limiting optical signal recovery. Herein, we show that upon confining hydrophobic nanoparticles in permeable silica nanocapsules, the number of nanoparticles participating in cyclic aggregation remains constant despite bulk changes in solution, leading to highly reproducible plasmon band shifts at different solvent compositions.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000426759900031 Publication Date 2018-02-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1433-7851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 11.994 Times cited 53 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes L.M.L.-M. and M.G. acknowledge funding from the Spanish MINECO (Grant #MAT2013-46101R). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOM). D.M.S., and J.M.T, acknowledge funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Spanish MINECO (Projects TEC2017-85376-C2-1-R, TEC2017-85376-C2-2-R), and from the ERDF and the Galician Regional Government under agreement for funding the Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (AtlantTIC). (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 11.994
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:149558UA @ admin @ c:irua:149558 Serial 4911
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Author Xia, C.; Winckelmans, N.; Prins, P.T.; Bals, S.; Gerritsen, H.C.; de Mello Donegá, C.
Title Near-Infrared-Emitting CuInS2/ZnS Dot-in-Rod Colloidal Heteronanorods by Seeded Growth Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Journal of the American Chemical Society Abbreviated Journal J Am Chem Soc
Volume 140 Issue 140 Pages 5755-5763
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Synthesis protocols for anisotropic CuInX2 (X = S, Se, Te)-based heteronanocrystals (HNCs) are scarce due to the difficulty in balancing the reactivities of multiple precursors and the high solid-state diffusion rates of the cations involved in the CuInX2 lattice. In this work, we report a multistep seeded growth synthesis protocol that yields colloidal wurtzite CuInS2/ZnS dot core/rod shell HNCs with photoluminescence in the NIR (∼800 nm). The wurtzite CuInS2 NCs used as seeds are obtained by topotactic partial Cu+ for In3+ cation exchange in template Cu2–xS NCs. The seed NCs are injected in a hot solution of zinc oleate and hexadecylamine in octadecene, 20 s after the injection of sulfur in octadecene. This results in heteroepitaxial growth of wurtzite ZnS primarily on the Sulfur-terminated polar facet of the CuInS2 seed NCs, the other facets being overcoated only by a thin (∼1 monolayer) shell. The fast (∼21 nm/min) asymmetric axial growth of the nanorod proceeds by addition of [ZnS] monomer units, so that the polarity of the terminal (002) facet is preserved throughout the growth. The delayed injection of the CuInS2 seed NCs is crucial to allow the concentration of [ZnS] monomers to build up, thereby maximizing the anisotropic heteroepitaxial growth rates while minimizing the rates of competing processes (etching, cation exchange, alloying). Nevertheless, a mild etching still occurred, likely prior to the onset of heteroepitaxial overgrowth, shrinking the core size from 5.5 to ∼4 nm. The insights provided by this work open up new possibilities in designing multifunctional Cu-chalcogenide based colloidal heteronanocrystals.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000431600000016 Publication Date 2018-03-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0002-7863 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.858 Times cited 43 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Chenghui Xia acknowledges China Scholarship Council (CSC) for financial support (NO. 201406330055). S.B and N.W. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (Starting Grant No. COLOURATOMS 335078). C.d.M.D. acknowledge financial support from the division of Chemical Sciences (CW) of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) under Grant Number ECHO.712.014.001. The authors thank Xiaobin Xie and Da Wang for some TEM measurements, Donglong Fu for XRD measurements, Christina H. M. van Oversteeg for ICP-OES measurements, and Chun-Che Lin for suggestions regarding the synthesis. ECAS_Sara (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 13.858
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:150362UA @ admin @ c:irua:150362 Serial 4917
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Author Kumar, J.; Eraña, H.; López-Martínez, E.; Claes, N.; Martín, V.F.; Solís, D.M.; Bals, S.; Cortajarena, A.L.; Castilla, J.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.
Title Detection of amyloid fibrils in Parkinson’s disease using plasmonic chirality Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal P Natl Acad Sci Usa
Volume 115 Issue 115 Pages 3225-3230
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Amyloid fibrils, which are closely associated with various neurodegenerative

diseases, are the final products in many protein aggregation pathways. The identification of fibrils at low concentration is, therefore, pivotal in disease diagnosis and development of therapeutic strategies. We report a methodology for the specific identification of amyloid fibrils using chiroptical effects in plasmonic nanoparticles. The formation of amyloid fibrils based on α-synuclein was probed using gold nanorods, which showed no

apparent interaction with monomeric proteins but effective adsorption onto fibril structures via noncovalent interactions. The amyloid structure drives a helical nanorod arrangement, resulting in intense optical activity at the surface plasmon resonance wavelengths. This sensing technique was successfully applied to human brain homogenates of patients affected by Parkinson’s disease,

wherein protein fibrils related to the disease were identified through chiral signals from Au nanorods in the visible and near IR, whereas healthy brain samples did not exhibit any meaningful optical activity. The technique was additionally extended to the specific detection of infectious amyloids formed by prion proteins, thereby confirming the wide potential of the technique. The intense chiral response driven by strong dipolar coupling in helical Au nanorod arrangements allowed us to detect amyloid fibrils down to nanomolar concentrations.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000428382400032 Publication Date 2018-03-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.661 Times cited 187 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes We thank Prof. Dr. J.-P. Timmermans and the Antwerp Centre of Advanced Microscopy for providing access to the Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTWIN TEM. We also thank the Basque Biobank (Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research, BIOEF) for providing us with Parkinson’s disease-affected brain samples. J.K. acknowledges financial support from the European Commission under Marie Sklodowska-Curie Program H2020- MSCA-IF-2015708321. S.B. and A.L.C. acknowledge European Research Council Grants 335078 COLOURATOM and 648071 ProNANO. S.B. and L.M.L.-M. acknowledge funding from European Commission Grant EUSMI 731019. A.L.C., J.C., and L.M.L.-M. acknowledge funding from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) Grants MAT2013-46101- R, AGL2015-65046-C2-1-R, and BIO2016-77367-C2-1-R. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:restricted); saraecas; ECASSara; Approved Most recent IF: 9.661
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:150355UA @ admin @ c:irua:150355 Serial 4918
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Author Ben Dkhil, S.; Pfannmöller, M.; Schroeder, R.R.; Alkarsifi, R.; Gaceur, M.; Koentges, W.; Heidari, H.; Bals, S.; Margeat, O.; Ackermann, J.; Videlot-Ackermann, C.
Title Interplay of interfacial layers and blend composition to reduce thermal degradation of polymer solar cells at high temperature Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 3874-3884
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The thermal stability of printed polymer solar cells at elevated temperatures needs to be improved to achieve high-throughput fabrication including annealing steps as well as long-term stability. During device processing, thermal annealing impacts both the organic photoactive layer, and the two interfacial layers make detailed studies of degradation mechanism delicate. A recently identified thermally stable poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'-dithiopherie-2,6-diyl] [3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl) carbonyl] thieno [3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] : [6,6]-phenyl- C-71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7:PC70BM) blend as photoactive layer in combination with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate as hole extraction layer is used here to focus on the impact of electron extraction layer (EEL) on the thermal stability of solar cells. Solar cells processed with densely packed ZnO nanoparticle layers still show 92% of the initial efficiency after constant annealing during 1 day at 140 degrees C, whereas partially covering ZnO layers as well as an evaporated calcium layer leads to performance losses of up to 30%. This demonstrates that the nature and morphology of EELs highly influence the thermal stability of the device. We extend our study to thermally unstable PTB7:[6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) blends to highlight the impact of ZnO on the device degradation during annealing. Importantly, only 12% loss in photocurrent density is observed after annealing at 140 degrees C during 1 day when using closely packed ZnO. This is in stark contrast to literature and addressed here to the use of a stable double-sided confinement during thermal annealing. The underlying mechanism of the inhibition of photocurrent losses is revealed by electron microscopy imaging and spatially resolved spectroscopy. We found that the double-sided confinement suppresses extensive fullerene diffusion during the annealing step, but with still an increase in size and distance of the enriched donor and acceptor domains inside the photoactive layer by an average factor of 5. The later result in combination with comparably small photocurrent density losses indicates the existence of an efficient transport of minority charge carriers inside the donor and acceptor enriched phases in PTB7:PC60BM blends.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000424728800082 Publication Date 2018-01-12
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 7.504 Times cited 9 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; We acknowledge the financial support by the French Fond Unique Interministeriel (FUI) under the project “SFUMATO” (grant number: F1110019V/201308815) as well as by the European Commission under the Project “SUNFLOWER” (FP7-ICT-2011-7-contract number: 287594). M.P. and R.R.S. acknowledge support by the HeiKA (Heidelberg Karlsruhe Research Partnership) FunTech-3D materials science program. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.504
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:149309UA @ admin @ c:irua:149309 Serial 4939
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Author Claes, N.; Asapu, R.; Blommaerts, N.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.
Title Characterization of silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles using electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 9186-9191
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles show interesting optical properties, making them widely applicable in the field of plasmonics. The uniformity, thickness and homogeneity of the polymer shell will affect the properties of the system which makes a thorough structural characterization of these core–shell silver-polymer nanoparticles of great importance. However, visualizing the shell and the particle simultaneously is far from straightforward due to the sensitivity of the polymer shell towards the electron beam. In this study, we use different 2D and 3D electron microscopy techniques to investigate different structural aspects of the polymer coating.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000437007700028 Publication Date 2018-04-16
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 11 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes N. C. and S. B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the FWO through project funding (G038116N). R. A. and S. L. acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for financial support. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:151290UA @ admin @ c:irua:151290 Serial 4959
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Author Cremers, V.; Rampelberg, G.; Barhoum, A.; Walters, P.; Claes, N.; Oliveira, T.M. de; Assche, G.V.; Bals, S.; Dendooven, J.; Detavernier, C.
Title Oxidation barrier of Cu and Fe powder by Atomic Layer Deposition Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Surface and coatings technology Abbreviated Journal Surf Coat Tech
Volume 349 Issue 349 Pages 1032-1041
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a vapor based technique which allows to deposit uniform, conformal films with a thickness control at the atomic scale. In this research, Al 2 O 3 coatings were deposited on micrometer-sized Fe and Cu powder (particles) using the thermal trimethylaluminum (TMA)/ water (H 2 O) process in a rotary pump-type ALD reactor. Rotation of the powder during deposition was required to obtain a pinhole-free ALD coating. The protective nature of the coating was evaluated by quantifying its effectiveness in protecting the metal particles during oxidative annealing treatments. The Al 2 O 3 coated powders were annealed in ambient air while in-situ thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and in-situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) data were acquired. The thermal stability of a series of Cu and Fe powder with different Al 2 O 3 thicknesses were determined with TGA. In both samples a clear shift in oxidation temperature is visible. For Cu and Fe powder coated with 25 nm Al 2 O 3 , we observed an increase of the oxidation temperature with 300-400°C. For the Cu powder a thin film of only 8 nm is required to obtain an initial increase in oxidation temperature of 200°C. In contrast, for Fe powder a thicker coating of 25 nm is required. In both cases, the oxidation temperature increases with increasing thickness of the Al 2 O 3 coating. These results illustrate that the Al 2 O 3 thin film, deposited by the thermal ALD process (TMA/H 2 O) can be an efficient and pinhole-free barrier layer for micrometer-sized powder particles, provided that the powder is properly agitated during the process to ensure sufficient vapour-solid interaction.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000441492600108 Publication Date 2018-06-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0257-8972 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.589 Times cited 10 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the Strategic Initiative Materials in Flanders (SIM, SBO-FUNC project) and the Special Research Fund BOF of Ghent University (GOA 01G01513). J. D. acknowledges the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) for a postdoctoral fellowship. N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant 335078-COLOURATOMS). The authors acknowledge S. Goeteyn for the assistance in preliminary depositions. (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 2.589
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152174UA @ admin @ c:irua:152174 Serial 4994
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Author van den Bos, K.H.W.; Altantzis, T.; De Backer, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title Recent breakthroughs in scanning transmission electron microscopy of small species Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Advances in Physics: X Abbreviated Journal Advances in Physics: X
Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 1480420
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Over the last decade, scanning transmission electron microscopy has become one of the most powerful tools to characterise nanomaterials at the atomic scale. Often, the ultimate goal is to retrieve the three-dimensional structure, which is very challenging since small species are typically sensitive to electron irradiation. Nevertheless, measuring individual atomic positions is crucial to understand the relation between the structure and physicochemical properties of these (nano)materials. In this review, we highlight the latest approaches that are available to reveal the 3D atomic structure of small species. Finally, we will provide an outlook and will describe future challenges where the limits of electron microscopy will be pushed even further.
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Language Wos 000441619500001 Publication Date 2018-08-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2374-6149 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) under Grant G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, and G.0267.18N, by personal FWO Grants to K. H. W. van den Bos, T. Altantzis, and A. De Backer, and the European Research Council under Grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S. Bals. The authors would like to thank the colleagues who have contributed to this work over the years, including A. M. Abakumov, K. J. Batenburg, E. Countiño-Gonzalez, C. de Mello Donega, R. Erni, J. J. Geuchies, B. Goris, J. Hofkens, L. Jones, P. Lievens, L. M. Liz-Marzán, I. Lobato, G. T. Martinez, P. D. Nellist, B. Partoens, M. B. J. Roeffaers, M.D. Rossell, B. Schoeters, M. J. Van Bael, W. van der Stam, M. van Huis, G. Van Tendeloo, D. Vanmaekelbergh, and N. Winckelmans. (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152820UA @ admin @ c:irua:152820 Serial 5007
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Author Amini, M.N.; Altantzis, T.; Lobato, I.; Grzelczak, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Van Aert, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Partoens, B.; Bals, S.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Understanding the Effect of Iodide Ions on the Morphology of Gold Nanorods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Particle and particle systems characterization Abbreviated Journal Part Part Syst Char
Volume 35 Issue 35 Pages 1800051
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The presence of iodide ions during the growth of gold nanorods strongly affects the shape of the final products, which is proposed to be due to selective iodide adsorption on certain crystallographic facets. Therefore, a detailed structural and morphological characterization of the starting rods is crucial toward understanding this effect. Electron tomography is used to determine the crystallographic indices of the lateral facets of gold nanorods, as well as those present at the tips. Based on this information, density functional theory calculations are used to determine the surface and interface energies of the observed facets and provide insight into the relationship between the amount of iodide ions in the growth solution and the final morphology of anisotropic gold nanoparticles.
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Language Wos 000441893400002 Publication Date 2018-06-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0934-0866 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.474 Times cited 6 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S.B.). T.A., S.V.A. S.B. and E.C.N., acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium), through project funding (G.0218.14N and G.0369.15N) and a postdoctoral grant to T.A. L.M.L.-M. and M.G. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant MAT2013-46101-R). Mozhgan N. Amini and Thomas Altantzis contributed equally to this work. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 4.474
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152998UA @ admin @ c:irua:152998 Serial 5010
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Author Peters, J.L.; Altantzis, T.; Lobato, I.; Jazi, M.A.; van Overbeek, C.; Bals, S.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.; Sinai, S.B.
Title Mono- and Multilayer Silicene-Type Honeycomb Lattices by Oriented Attachment of PbSe Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Analysis of the Disorder Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
Volume 30 Issue 30 Pages 4831-4837
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanocrystal (NC) solids are commonly prepared from nonpolar organic NC suspensions. In many cases, the capping on the NC surface is preserved and forms a barrier between the NCs. More recently, superstructures with crystalline connections between the NCs, implying the removal of the capping, have been reported, too. Here, we present large-scale uniform superstructures of attached PbSe NCs with a silicene-type honeycomb geometry, resulting from solvent evaporation under nearly reversible conditions. We also prepared multilayered silicene honeycomb structures by using larger amounts of PbSe NCs. We show that the two-dimensional silicene superstructures can be seen as a crystallographic slice from a 3-D simple cubic structure. We describe the disorder in the silicene lattices in terms of the nanocrystals position and their atomic alignment. The silicene honeycomb sheets are large enough to be used in transistors and optoelectronic devices.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000440105500042 Publication Date 2018-07-24
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 33 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission (Grant EUSMI 731019). S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (Grant 335078 COLOURATOM). T.A. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by means of the Grant Agreement No. 731019 EUSMI. (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:152997UA @ admin @ c:irua:152997 Serial 5011
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Author Zhang, Y.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Understanding CeO2-Based Nanostructures through Advanced Electron Microscopy in 2D and 3D Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Particle and particle systems characterization Abbreviated Journal Part Part Syst Char
Volume 36 Issue 36 Pages 1800287
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Engineering morphology and size of CeO2-based nanostructures on a (sub)nanometer scale will greatly influence their performance; this is because of their high oxygen storage capacity and unique redox properties, which allow faster switching of the oxidation state between Ce4+ and Ce3+. Although tremendous research has been carried out on the shapecontrolled synthesis of CeO2, the characterization of these nanostructures at the atomic scale remains a major challenge and the origin of debate. The rapid developments of aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (AC-TEM) have pushed the resolution below 1 Å, both in TEM and in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode. At present, not only morphology and structure, but also composition and electronic structure can be analyzed at an atomic scale, even in 3D. This review summarizes recent significant achievements using TEM/ STEM and associated spectroscopic techniques to study CeO2-based nanostructures and related catalytic phenomena. Recent results have shed light on the understanding of the different mechanisms. The potential and limitations, including future needs of various techniques, are discussed with recommendations to facilitate further developments of new and highly efficient CeO2-based nanostructures.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000455414600012 Publication Date 2018-10-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0934-0866 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.474 Times cited 22 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Y.Z. acknowledges financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska- Curie grant agreement no. 665501 through a FWO [PEGASUS]2 Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship (12U4917N). S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council, ERC grant no. 335078-Colouratom. ; ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 4.474
Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:156391 Serial 5151
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Author Altantzis, T.; Lobato, I.; De Backer, A.; Béché, A.; Zhang, Y.; Basak, S.; Porcu, M.; Xu, Q.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title Three-Dimensional Quantification of the Facet Evolution of Pt Nanoparticles in a Variable Gaseous Environment Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Nano letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 19 Issue 19 Pages 477-481
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Pt nanoparticles play an essential role in a wide variety of catalytic reactions. The activity of the particles strongly depends on their three-dimensional (3D) structure and exposed facets, as well as on the reactive environment. High-resolution electron microscopy has often been used to characterize nanoparticle catalysts but unfortunately most observations so far have been either performed in vacuum and/or using conventional (2D) in situ microscopy. The latter however does not provide direct 3D morphological information. We have implemented a quantitative methodology to measure variations of the 3D atomic structure of nanoparticles under the flow of a selected gas. We were thereby able to quantify refaceting of Pt nanoparticles with atomic resolution during various oxidation−reduction cycles. In a H2 environment, a more faceted surface morphology of the particles was observed with {100} and {111} planes being dominant. On the other hand, in O2 the percentage of {100} and {111} facets decreased and a significant increase of higher order facets was found, resulting in a more rounded morphology. This methodology opens up new opportunities toward in situ characterization of catalytic nanoparticles because for the first time it enables one to directly measure 3D morphology variations at the atomic scale in a specific gaseous reaction environment.
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Language Wos 000455561300061 Publication Date 2019-01-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 82 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (Grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S.B. and Grant 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A.). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI 731019 to S.B., L.M.L.-M., and Q.X. and MUMMERING 765604 to S.B. and Q.X.). The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0368.15N, G.0369.15N, and G.0267.18N), postdoctoral grants to T.A. and A.D.B, and an FWO [PEGASUS]2 Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellowship to Y.Z. (12U4917N). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grant MAT2017-86659-R). We gratefully acknowledge the support of NVIDIA Corporation with the donation of the Titan X Pascal GPU used for this research. ecas_sara Realnano 815128; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:156390 Serial 5150
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Author Brodu, A.; Ballottin, M.V.; Buhot, J.; van Harten, E.J.; Dupont, D.; La Porta, A.; Prins, P.T.; Tessier, M.D.; Versteegh, M.A.M.; Zwiller, V.; Bals, S.; Hens, Z.; Rabouw, F.T.; Christianen, P.C.M.; de Donega, C.M.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.
Title Exciton Fine Structure and Lattice Dynamics in InP/ZnSe Core/Shell Quantum Dots Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication ACS Photonics Abbreviated Journal Acs Photonics
Volume 5 Issue 5 Pages 3353-3362
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Nanocrystalline InP quantum dots (QDs) hold promise for heavy-metal-free optoelectronic applications due to their bright and size tunable emission in the visible range. Photochemical stability and high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield are obtained by a diversity of epitaxial shells around the InP core. To understand and optimize the emission line shapes, the exciton fine structure of InP core/shell QD systems needs be investigated. Here, we study the exciton fine structure of InP/ZnSe core/shell QDs with core diameters ranging from 2.9 to 3.6 nm (PL peak from 2.3 to 1.95 eV at 4 K). PL decay measurements as a function of temperature in the 10 mK to 300 K range show that the lowest exciton fine structure state is a dark state, from which radiative recombination is assisted by coupling to confined acoustic phonons with energies ranging from 4 to 7 meV, depending on the core diameter. Circularly polarized fluorescence line-narrowing (FLN) spectroscopy at 4 K under high magnetic fields (up to 30 T) demonstrates that radiative recombination from the dark F = +/- 2 state involves acoustic and optical phonons, from both the InP core and the ZnSe shell. Our data indicate that the highest intensity FLN peak is an acoustic phonon replica rather than a zero-phonon line, implying that the energy separation observed between the F = +/- 1 state and the highest intensity peak in the FLN spectra (6 to 16 meV, depending on the InP core size) is larger than the splitting between the dark and bright fine structure exciton states.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000442185900049 Publication Date 2018-07-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2330-4022 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.756 Times cited 40 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; We acknowledge the support of the HFML-RU/FOM, member of the European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL). D.V. and Z.H. acknowledge support by the European Commission via the Marie-Sklodowska Curie action Phonsi (H2020-MSCA-ITN-642656) and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Compass (H2020 MSCA-RISE-691185). Z.H. acknowledges the Research Foundation Flanders (project 17006602) and Ghent University (GOA no. 01G01513). Z.H. and S.B. acknowledge SIM vzw (SBO-QDOCCO). F.T.R. acknowledges financial support from The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research NWO (Gravitation program Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion and VENI grant number 722.017.002). This work was also supported by the Dutch NWO-Physics Program DDC13, ERC Advanced Grant 692691 “First step”, and ERC Starting Grant 335078 “COLOURATOM”. ; ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 6.756
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:153753UA @ admin @ c:irua:153753 Serial 5100
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Author Zhou, Y.; Che, F.; Liu, M.; Zou, C.; Liang, Z.; De Luna, P.; Yuan, H.; Li, J.; Wang, Z.; Xie, H.; Li, H.; Chen, P.; Bladt, E.; Quintero-Bermudez, R.; Sham, T.-K.; Bals, S.; Hofkens, J.; Sinton, D.; Chen, G.; Sargent, E.H.
Title Dopant-induced electron localization drives CO2 reduction to C2 hydrocarbons Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Nature chemistry Abbreviated Journal Nat Chem
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 974-980
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The electrochemical reduction of CO2 to multi-carbon products has attracted much attention because it provides an avenue to the synthesis of value-added carbon-based fuels and feedstocks using renewable electricity. Unfortunately, the efficiency of CO2 conversion to C-2 products remains below that necessary for its implementation at scale. Modifying the local electronic structure of copper with positive valence sites has been predicted to boost conversion to C-2 products. Here, we use boron to tune the ratio of Cu delta+ to Cu-0 active sites and improve both stability and C-2-product generation. Simulations show that the ability to tune the average oxidation state of copper enables control over CO adsorption and dimerization, and makes it possible to implement a preference for the electrosynthesis of C-2 products. We report experimentally a C-2 Faradaic efficiency of 79 +/- 2% on boron-doped copper catalysts and further show that boron doping leads to catalysts that are stable for in excess of similar to 40 hours while electrochemically reducing CO2 to multi-carbon hydrocarbons.
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Language Wos 000442395200013 Publication Date 2018-07-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1755-4330; 1755-4349 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 25.87 Times cited 700 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; This work was supported financially by funding from TOTAL S.A., the Ontario Research Fund: Research Excellence Program, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the CIFAR Bio-Inspired Solar Energy programme, a University of Toronto Connaught grant, the Ministry of Science, Natural Science Foundation of China (21471040, 21271055 and 21501035), the Innovation-Driven Plan in Central South University project (2017CX003), a project from State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy in Central South University, the Thousand Youth Talents Plan of China and Hundred Youth Talents Program of Hunan and the China Scholarship Council programme. This work benefited from the soft X-ray microcharacterization beamline at CLS, sector 20BM at the APS and the Ontario Centre for the Characterisation of Advanced Materials at the University of Toronto. H.Y. acknowledges financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO postdoctoral fellowship). C.Z. acknowledges support from the International Academic Exchange Fund for Joint PhD Students from Tianjin University. P.D.L. acknowledges financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council in the form of the Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral award. S.B. and E.B. acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS). The authors thank B. Zhang, N. Wang, C. T. Dinh, T. Zhuang, J. Li and Y. Zhao for fruitful discussions, as well as Y. Hu and Q. Xiao from CLS, and Z. Finfrock and M. Ward from APS for their help during the course of study. Computations were performed on the SOSCIP Consortium's Blue Gene/Q computing platform. SOSCIP is funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario, the Province of Ontario, IBM Canada, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Mitacs and 15 Ontario academic member institutions. ; ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 25.87
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:153693UA @ admin @ c:irua:153693 Serial 5091
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Author Feld, A.; Weimer, A.; Kornowski, A.; Winckelmans, N.; Merkl, J.-P.; Kloust, H.; Zierold, R.; Schmidtke, C.; Schotten, T.; Riedner, M.; Bals, S.; Weller, P.D., Horst
Title Chemistry of Shape-Controlled Iron Oxide Nanocrystal Formation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 152-162
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Herein we demonstrate that meticulous and in-depth analysis of the reaction mechanisms of nanoparticle formation is rewarded by full control of size, shape and crystal structure of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals during synthesis. Starting from two iron sources – iron(II)- and iron(III) carbonate -a strict separation of oleate formation from the generation of reactive pyrolysis products and concomitant nucleation of iron oxide nanoparticles was achieved. This protocol enabled us to analyze each step of nanoparticle formation independently in depth. Progress of the entire reaction was monitored via matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and gas chromatography (GC) gaining insight into the formation of various iron oleate species prior to nucleation. Interestingly, due to the intrinsic strongly reductive pyrolysis conditions of the oleate intermediates and redox process in early stages of the synthesis, pristine iron oxide nuclei were composed exclusively from wustite, irrespective of the oxidation state of the iron source. Controlling the reaction conditions provided a very broad range of size- and shape defined monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles. Curiously, after nucleation star shaped nanocrystals were obtained, which underwent metamorphism towards cubic shaped particles. EELS tomography revealed ex post oxidation of the primary wustite nanocrystal providing a full 3D image of Fe2+ and Fe3+ distribution within. Overall, we developed a highly flexible synthesis, yielding multigram amounts of well-defined iron oxide nanocrystals of different sizes and morphologies.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000456749900017 Publication Date 2018-12-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 54 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Projektnummer 192346071 – SFB 986 and the excellence cluster ‘The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging – Structure, Dynamics and Control of Matter at the Atomic Scale’ (by grant EXC 1074) S.B. and N.W. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through Project fundings G038116N. Dr. Volker Sauerland for his support in calibrating the MALDI-TOF spectra. Almut Bark for measuring XRD (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:155716UA @ admin @ c:irua:155716 Serial 5073
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Author Lak, A.; Cassani, M.; Mai, B.T.; Winckelmans, N.; Cabrera, D.; Sadrollahi, E.; Marras, S.; Remmer, H.; Fiorito, S.; Cremades-Jimeno, L.; Litterst, F.J.; Ludwig, F.; Manna, L.; Teran, F.J.; Bals, S.; Pellegrino, T.
Title Fe2+Deficiencies, FeO Subdomains, and Structural Defects Favor Magnetic Hyperthermia Performance of Iron Oxide Nanocubes into Intracellular Environment Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Nano letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 18 Issue 18 Pages 6856-6866
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Herein, by studying a stepwise phase transformation of 23 nm FeO-Fe3O4 core-shell nanocubes into Fe3O4, we identify a composition at which the magnetic heating performance of the nanocubes is not affected by the medium viscosity and aggregation. Structural and magnetic characterizations reveal the transformation of the FeO-Fe3O4 nanocubes from having stoichiometric phase compositions into Fe2+ deficient Fe3O4 phases. The resultant nanocubes contain tiny compressed and randomly distributed FeO sub-domains as well as structural defects. This phase transformation causes a tenfold increase in the magnetic losses of the nanocubes, which remains exceptionally insensitive to the medium viscosity as well as aggregation unlike similarly sized single-phase magnetite nanocubes. We observe that the dominant relaxation mechanism switches from Néel in fresh core-shell nanocubes to Brownian in partially oxidized nanocubes and once again to Néel in completely treated nanocubes. The Fe2+ deficiencies and structural defects appear to reduce the magnetic energy barrier and anisotropy field, thereby driving the overall relaxation into Néel process. The magnetic losses of the particles remain unchanged through a progressive internalization/association to ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, the particles induce a significant cell death after being exposed to hyperthermia treatment. Here, we present the largest heating performance that has been reported to date for 23 nm iron oxide nanoparticles under cellular and intracellular conditions. Our findings clearly demonstrate the positive impacts of the Fe2+ deficiencies and structural defects in the Fe3O4 structure on the heating performance under cellular and intracellular conditions.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000451102100028 Publication Date 2018-11-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 51 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work is partially funded by the European Research Council (starting grant ICARO, Contract No. 678109 and COLOURATOM-335078), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MAT2016-81955-REDT, SEV-2016-0686, MAT2017-85617-R) Comunidad de Madrid (NANOFRONTMAG-CM, S2013/MIT-2850), the European COST Action TD1402 (RADIOMAG), and Ramon y Cajal subprogram (RYC-2011-09617). Financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG Priority Program 1681 (LU800/4-3). S.B. and N.W. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through Project funding G038116N. A.L. acknowledges the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for the Postdoctoral Research Fellow funding. Mr Emilio J. Artés from the Advanced Instrumentation Unit (iMdea Nanociencia) is acknowledged for his technical assistance. L. M acknowledges the predoctoral fellowship funded from Comunidad de Madrid (PEJD-2017-PRE/IND-4189). Authors thank Tiziano Catelani and Doriana Debellis for the preparation of TEM cell samples (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:155439UA @ admin @ c:irua:155439 Serial 5072
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Author Vanrompay, H.; Bladt, E.; Albrecht, W.; Béché, A.; Zakhozheva, M.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Bals, S.
Title 3D characterization of heat-induced morphological changes of Au nanostars by fast in situ electron tomography Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 22792-22801
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A thorough understanding of the thermal stability and potential reshaping of anisotropic gold nanostars is required for various potential applications. Combination of a tomographic heating holder with fast tilt series acquisition has been used to monitor temperature-induced morphological changes of Au nanostars. The outcome of our 3D investigations can be used as an input for boundary element method simulations, enabling us to investigate the influence of reshaping on the nanostars’ plasmonic properties. Our work leads to a better understanding of the mechanism behind thermal reshaping. In addition, the approach presented here is generic and can hence be applied to a wide variety of nanoparticles made of different materials and with arbitrary morphology.
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Language Wos 000453248100010 Publication Date 2018-11-28
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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 55 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes H.V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 1S32617N). E.B. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020. The authors acknowledge funding from European Commission Grant (EUSMI 731019 to S.B., L.M.L.-M. and M.Z. and MUMMERING 765604 to S.B. and M.Z.). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078- COLOURATOMS).; Ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:155718UA @ admin @ c:irua:155718 Serial 5071
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Author Guzzinati, G.; Altantzis, T.; Batuk, M.; De Backer, A.; Lumbeeck, G.; Samaee, V.; Batuk, D.; Idrissi, H.; Hadermann, J.; Van Aert, S.; Schryvers, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S.
Title Recent Advances in Transmission Electron Microscopy for Materials Science at the EMAT Lab of the University of Antwerp Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Materials Abbreviated Journal Materials
Volume 11 Issue 11 Pages 1304
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The rapid progress in materials science that enables the design of materials down to the nanoscale also demands characterization techniques able to analyze the materials down to the same scale, such as transmission electron microscopy. As Belgium’s foremost electron microscopy group, among the largest in the world, EMAT is continuously contributing to the development of TEM techniques, such as high-resolution imaging, diffraction, electron tomography, and spectroscopies, with an emphasis on quantification and reproducibility, as well as employing TEM methodology at the highest level to solve real-world materials science problems. The lab’s recent contributions are presented here together with specific case studies in order to highlight the usefulness of TEM to the advancement of materials science.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000444112800041 Publication Date 2018-07-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1996-1944 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.654 Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, G.0120.12N, G.0365.15N, G.0934.17N, S.0100.18N AUHA13009 ; European Research Council, COLOURATOM 335078 ; Universiteit Antwerpen, GOA Solarpaint ; G. Guzzinati, T. Altantzis and A. De Backer have been supported by postdoctoral fellowship grants from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Funding was also received from the European Research Council (starting grant no. COLOURATOM 335078), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 770887), the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, G.0120.12N, G.0365.15N, G.0934.17N, S.0100.18N, G.0401.16N) and from the University of Antwerp through GOA project Solarpaint. Funding for the TopSPIN precession system under grant AUHA13009, as well as for the Qu-Ant-EM microscope, is acknowledged from the HERCULES Foundation. H. Idrissi is mandated by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS). (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 2.654
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:153737UA @ admin @ c:irua:153737 Serial 5064
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Author Serrano-Sevillano, J.; Reynaud, M.; Saracibar, A.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; van Tendeloo, G.; Casas-Cabanas, M.
Title Enhanced electrochemical performance of Li-rich cathode materials through microstructural control Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication Physical chemistry, chemical physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Chem Chem Phys
Volume 20 Issue 20 Pages 23112-23122
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The microstructural complexity of Li-rich cathode materials has so far hampered understanding the critical link between size, morphology and structural defects with both capacity and voltage fadings that this family of materials exhibits. Li2MnO3 is used here as a model material to extract reliable structure–property

relationships that can be further exploited for the development of high-performing and long-lasting Li-rich oxides. A series of samples with microstructural variability have been prepared and thoroughly characterized using the FAULTS software, which allows quantification of planar defects and extraction of

average crystallite sizes. Together with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and density functional theory (DFT) results, the successful application of FAULTS analysis to Li2MnO3 has allowed rationalizing the synthesis conditions and identifying the individual impact of concurrent microstructural features on

both voltage and capacity fadings, a necessary step for the development of high-capacity Li-ion cathode materials with enhanced cycle life.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000445220500071 Publication Date 2018-08-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1463-9076 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.123 Times cited 36 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de la Economı´a y de la Competitividad through the project IONSTORE (MINECO ref. ENE2016-81020-R). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement 312483 – ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3). JSS and AS are grateful for computing time provided by the Spanish i2Basque Centers. MR acknowledges the Spanish State for its financial support through her post-doctoral grant Juan de la Cierva – Formacio´n (MINECO ref. FJCI-2014-19990) and her international mobility grant Jose´ Castillejos (MECD ref. CAS15/00354). S. B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078 Colouratom) and T. A. a postdoctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 4.123
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:154782UA @ admin @ c:irua:154782 Serial 5062
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Author Scarabelli, L.; Schumacher, M.; Jimenez de Aberasturi, D.; Merkl, J.‐P.; Henriksen‐Lacey, M.; Milagres de Oliveira, T.; Janschel, M.; Schmidtke, C.; Bals, S.; Weller, H.; Liz‐Marzán, L.M.
Title Encapsulation of Noble Metal Nanoparticles through Seeded Emulsion Polymerization as Highly Stable Plasmonic Systems Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Advanced functional materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Funct Mater
Volume 29 Issue 29 Pages 1809071
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The implementation of plasmonic nanoparticles in vivo remains hindered by important limitations such as biocompatibility, solubility in biological fluids, and physiological stability. A general and versatile protocol is presented, based on seeded emulsion polymerization, for the controlled encapsulation of gold and silver nanoparticles. This procedure enables the encapsulation of single nanoparticles as well as nanoparticle clusters inside a protecting polymer shell. Specifically, the efficient coating of nanoparticles of both metals is demonstrated, with final dimensions ranging between 50 and 200 nm, i.e., sizes of interest for bio-applications. Such hybrid nanocomposites display extraordinary stability in high ionic strength and oxidizing environments, along with high cellular uptake, and low cytotoxicity. Overall, the prepared nanostructures are promising candidates for plasmonic applications under biologically relevant conditions.
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Publisher Place of Publication (down) Editor
Language Wos 000467109100024 Publication Date 2019-02-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1616-301X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.124 Times cited 19 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes L.S. and M.S. contributed equally to this work. This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO (Grant MAT2017-86659-R), by the German Research Foundation (DFG, Grant LA 2901/1-1) and by the European Research Council (Grant 335078 COLOURATOM to S.B). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI 731019 to S.B., L.M.L.-M). L.S. acknowledges funding from the American-Italian Cancer Foundation through a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship. D.J.d.A. thanks MINECO for a Juan de la Cierva fellowship (IJCI-2015-24264). J.P.M. was financed by Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V. (VCI). The authors thank Dr. Artur Feld, Dr. Andreas Kornowski and Stefan Werner (Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Hamburg) for their support. Approved Most recent IF: 12.124
Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:160710 Serial 5190
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Author Vanrompay, H.; Béché, A.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S.
Title Experimental Evaluation of Undersampling Schemes for Electron Tomography of Nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Particle and particle systems characterization Abbreviated Journal Part Part Syst Char
Volume 36 Issue 36 Pages 1900096
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract One of the emerging challenges in the field of 3D characterization of nanoparticles by electron tomography is to avoid degradation and deformation of the samples during the acquisition of a tilt series. In order to reduce the required electron dose, various undersampling approaches have been proposed. These methods include lowering the number of 2D projection images, reducing the probe current during the acquisition, and scanning a smaller number of pixels in the 2D images. A comparison is made between these approaches based on tilt series acquired for a gold nanoparticle.
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Language Wos 000477679400014 Publication Date 2019-05-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0934-0866 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.474 Times cited 12 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes H.V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO Grant No. 1S32617N). A.B. and J.V. acknowledge FWO project 6093417N “Compressed sensing enabling low dose imaging in STEM.” The authors thank G. González-Rubio, A. Sánchez-Iglesias, and L.M. Liz-Marzán for provision of the samples. Approved Most recent IF: 4.474
Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:159986 Serial 5175
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Author Asapu, R.; Claes, N.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Minjauw, M.; Detavernier, C.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title Electron Transfer and Near-Field Mechanisms in Plasmonic Gold-Nanoparticle-Modified TiO2Photocatalytic Systems Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS applied nano materials Abbreviated Journal ACS Appl. Nano Mater.
Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages 4067-4074
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The major mechanism responsible for plasmonic enhancement of titanium dioxide photocatalysis using gold nanoparticles is still under contention. This work introduces an experimental strategy to disentangle the significance of the charge transfer and near-field mechanisms in plasmonic photocatalysis. By controlling the thickness and conductive nature of a nanoparticle shell that acts as a spacer layer separating the plasmonic metal core from the TiO2 surface, field enhancement or charge transfer effects can be selectively repressed or evoked. Layer-by-layer and in situ polymerization methods are used to synthesize gold core–polymer shell nanoparticles with shell thickness control up to the sub-nanometer level. Detailed optical and electrical characterization supported by near-field simulation models corroborate the trends in photocatalytic activity of the different systems. This approach mainly points at an important contribution of the enhanced near field.
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Language Wos 000477917700006 Publication Date 2019-05-31
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2574-0970 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 32 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). P.C. and R-G.C. acknowledge financial support from FWO (Project No. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant No. 335078-COLOURATOM). Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number EMAT @ emat @UA @ admin @ c:irua:160579 Serial 5184
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Author Akkerman, Q.A.; Bladt, E.; Petralanda, U.; Dang, Z.; Sartori, E.; Baranov, D.; Abdelhady, A.L.; Infante, I.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.
Title Fully inorganic Ruddlesden-Popper double CI-I and triple CI-Br-I lead halide perovskite nanocrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
Volume 31 Issue 31 Pages 2182-2190
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The vast majority of lead halide perovskite (LHP) nanocrystals (NCs) are currently based on either a single halide composition (CsPbCl3, CsPbBr3, and CsPbI3) or an alloyed mixture of bromide with either Cl- or I- [i.e., CsPb(Br:Cl)(3) or CsPb(Br:I)(3)]. In this work, we present the synthesis as well as a detailed optical and structural study of two halide alloying cases that have not previously been reported for LHP NCs: Cs2PbI2Cl2 NCs and triple halide CsPb(Cl:Br:I)(3) NCs. In the case of Cs2PbI2Cl2, we observe for the first time NCs with a fully inorganic Ruddlesden-Popper phase (RPP) crystal structure. Unlike the well-explored organic-inorganic RPP, here, the RPP formation is triggered by the size difference between the halide ions. These NCs exhibit a strong excitonic absorption, albeit with a weak photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). In the case of the triple halide CsPb(Cl:Br:I)(3) composition, the NCs comprise a CsPbBr2Cl perovskite crystal lattice with only a small amount of incorporated iodide, which segregates at RPP planes' interfaces within the CsPb(Cl:Br:I)(3) NCs. Supported by density functional theory calculations and postsynthetic surface treatments to enhance the PLQY, we show that the combination of iodide segregation and defective RPP interfaces are most likely linked to the strong PL quenching observed in these nanostructures. In summary, this work demonstrates the limits of halide alloying in LHP NCs because a mixture that contains halide ions of very different sizes leads to the formation of defective RPP interfaces and a severe quenching of LHP NC's optical properties.
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Language Wos 000462950400038 Publication Date 2019-03-04
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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 58 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; Q.A.A. and L.M. acknowledge funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement no. 614897 (ERC Consolidator Grant “TRANS-NANO”). The work of D.B. was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 794560. E.B. and S.B. acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (G.038116N, G.03691, and funding of a postdoctoral grant to E.B.). I.I. acknowledges The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research (NWO) for financial support through the Innovational Research Incentive (Vidi) Scheme (grant no. 723.013.002). The computational work was carried out on the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of the SURF Cooperative. ; Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159414 Serial 5250
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Author Mourdikoudis, S.; Montes-Garcia, V.; Rodal-Cedeira, S.; Winckelmans, N.; Perez-Juste, I.; Wu, H.; Bals, S.; Perez-Juste, J.; Pastoriza-Santos, I.
Title Highly porous palladium nanodendrites : wet-chemical synthesis, electron tomography and catalytic activity Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication Journal of the Chemical Society : Dalton transactions Abbreviated Journal
Volume 48 Issue 48 Pages 3758-3767
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A simple procedure to obtain highly porous hydrophilic palladium nanodendrites in one-step is described. The synthetic strategy is based on the thermal reduction of a Pd precursor in the presence of a positively charged polyelectrolyte such as polyethylenimine (PEI). Advanced electron microscopy techniques combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry and BET analysis demonstrate the polycrystalline nature of the nanodendrites as well as their high porosity and active surface area, facilitating a better understanding of their unique morphology. Besides, catalytic studies performed using Raman scattering and UV-Vis spectroscopies revealed that the nanodendrites exhibit a superior performance as recyclable catalysts towards hydrogenation reaction compared to other noble metal nanoparticles.
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Language Wos 000461088700027 Publication Date 2019-02-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0300-9246; 1477-9226; 1472-7773 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 23 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO, Spain) under the Grant MAT2016-77809-R, Xunta de Galicia (GRC ED431C 2016-048 and Centro Singular de Investigacion de Galicia (ED431G/02)) and Fundacion Ramon Areces (SERSforSafety). S. M. acknowledges funding from the General Secretariat for Research and Technology in Greece (Project PE4 (1546)). S. B. and N. W. acknowledge financial support by the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). We thank the EPSRC CNIE Research Facility (EPSRC Award, EP/K038656/1) at the University College London for the collection of the BET data. Authors thank J. Millos for the XRD measurements. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:158530 Serial 5251
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Author Queralto, A.; Graf, D.; Frohnhoven, R.; Fischer, T.; Vanrompay, H.; Bals, S.; Bartasyte, A.; Mathur, S.
Title LaFeO3 nanofibers for high detection of sulfur-containing gases Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering Abbreviated Journal Acs Sustain Chem Eng
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 6023-6032
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Lanthanum ferrite nanofibers were electrospun from a chemical sol and calcined at 600 degrees C to obtain singlephase LaFeO3 (LFO) perovskite. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with 3D tomographic analysis confirmed an interwoven network of hollow and porous (surface) LFO nanofibers. Owing to their high surface area and p-type behavior, the nanofiber meshes showed high chemoselectivity toward reducing toxic gases (SO2, H2S) that could be reproducibly detected at very low concentrations (<1 ppm), well below the threshold values for occupational safety and health. An increased sensitivity was observed in the temperature range of 150-300 degrees C with maximum sensor response at 250 degrees C. The surface reaction at the heterogeneous solid (LFO)/gas (SO2) interface that confirmed the formation of La-2(SO4)(3) was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the LFO fibers showed a high selectivity in the detection of oxidizing and reducing gases. Whereas superior detection of NH3 and H2S was measured, little response was observed for CO and NO2. Finally, the integration of nanowire meshes in commercial sensor platforms was successfully demonstrated.
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Language Wos 000461978200047 Publication Date 2019-02-21
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ISSN 2168-0485 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.951 Times cited 41 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; The authors kindly acknowledge the ERA.Net RUS Plus project FONSENS funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the grant no. 01DJ16017. A.Q. highly appreciates the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (grant no. AVH 1184642) and the BMBF for his postdoctoral fellowship. A.Q., D.G., R.F., T.F., and S.M. also kindly acknowledge the financial support of the University of Cologne. H.V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 1S32617N). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). We also express our gratitude to Prof. Dr. J. Hadermann from the Electron Microscopy for Materials Science group at the University of Antwerp for her assistance. A.B. is grateful for the EUR EIPHI program (grant no. ANR-17-EURE-0002). ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.951
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:158535 Serial 5263
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Author Albrecht, W.; Bladt, E.; Vanrompay, H.; Smith, J.D.; Skrabalak, S.E.; Bals, S.
Title Thermal Stability of Gold/Palladium Octopods Studied in Situ in 3D: Understanding Design Rules for Thermally Stable Metal Nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 6522-6530
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Multifunctional metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as anisotropic multimetallic NPs are crucial for boosting nanomaterial based applications. Advanced synthetic protocols exist to make a large variety of such nanostructures. However, a major limiting factor for the usability of them in real life applications is their stability. Here, we show that Au/Pd octopods, 8-branched nanocrystals with Oh symmetry, with only a low amount of Pd exhibited a high thermal stability and maintained strong plasmon resonances up to 600 ◦C. Furthermore, we study the influence of the composition, morphology and environment on the thermal stability and define key parameters for the design of thermally stable multifunctional NPs.
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Language Wos 000473248300038 Publication Date 2019-06-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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ISSN 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 46 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes W. A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020. H. V. acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant 1S32617N). E. B. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). J. D. S. and S.E.S acknowledge funding from the US National Science Foundation (award number: CHE-1602476). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI E180600101 to S. B. and S. E. S.) and European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS). Realnano 815128; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:161356 Serial 5285
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