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Author Chen, X.; Li, L.; Peeters, F.M.; Sanyal, B.
Title Two-dimensional oxygen functionalized honeycomb and zigzag dumbbell silicene with robust Dirac cones Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication New Journal Of Physics Abbreviated Journal New J Phys
Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 023007
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Dumbbell-like structures are recently found to be energetically favored in group IV two-dimensional (2D) materials, exhibiting rich physics and many interesting properties. In this paper, using first-principles calculations, we have investigated the oxidized form of the hexagonal honeycomb (ODB-h) and zigzag dumbbell silicene (ODB-z). We confirm that both oxidization processes are energetically favorable, and their phonon spectra further demonstrate the dynamic stability. Contrary to the pristine dumbbell silicene structures (PDB-h and PDB-z silicene), these oxidized products ODB-h and ODB-z silicene are both semimetals with Dirac cones at the Fermi level. The Dirac cones of ODB-h and ODB-z silicene are at the K point and between Y and Gamma points respectively, possessing high Fermi velocities of 3.1 x 10(5) m s(-1) (ODB-h) and 2.9-3.4 x 10(5) m s(-1) (ODB-z). The origin of the Dirac cones is further explained by tight-binding models. The semimetallic properties of ODB-h and ODB-z are sensitive to compression due to the self-absorption effect, but quite robust against the tensile strain. These outstanding properties make oxidized dumbbell silicene a promising material for quantum computing and high-speed electronic devices.
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Language Wos 000616114900001 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1367-2630 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.786 Times cited 1 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.786
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176575 Serial 6741
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Author Verlinden, B.; Van Hoecke, K.; Aerts, A.; Daems, N.; Dobney, A.; Janssens, K.; Cardinaels, T.
Title Quantification of boron in cells for evaluation of drug agents used in boron neutron capture therapy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry Abbreviated Journal J Anal Atom Spectrom
Volume 36 Issue 3 Pages 598-606
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an extensively studied radiotherapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. BNCT is based on irradiation of malignant tumour cells with neutrons after uptake of a B-10 containing molecule. Alpha particles, locally produced by neutron irradiation kill the cancer cells. Important for ongoing research regarding cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of a large variety of B-10 containing molecules is the accurate determination of boron concentrations in cell cultures. In this work, the sample preparation for quantitative inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis on cell cultures was optimized. By making use of acid digestion combined with UV digestion, low detection limits (0.4 mu g L-1) and full recoveries of boron could be achieved while measurements were free of spectral and non-spectral interferences. Finally, cell-associated boron in the form of 4-borono-l-phenylalanine (l-BPA) in vascular endothelial cell cultures could be determined with ICP-MS as (1.26 +/- 0.10) x 10(9) boron atoms per cell. The developed method can prove its importance for further BNCT research and elemental analysis of cell cultures.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000629283400009 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0267-9477 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.379 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.379
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177656 Serial 8435
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Author Imran, M.; Peng, L.; Pianetti, A.; Pinchetti, V.; Ramade, J.; Zito, J.; Di Stasio, F.; Buha, J.; Toso, S.; Song, J.; Infante, I.; Bals, S.; Brovelli, S.; Manna, L.
Title Halide perovskite-lead chalcohalide nanocrystal heterostructures Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of The American Chemical Society Abbreviated Journal J Am Chem Soc
Volume 143 Issue 3 Pages 1435-1446
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We report the synthesis of colloidal CsPbX3-Pb4S3Br2 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystal heterostructures, providing an example of a sharp and atomically resolved epitaxial interface between a metal halide perovskite and a non-perovskite lattice. The CsPbBr3-Pb4S3Br2 nanocrystals are prepared by a two-step direct synthesis using preformed subnanometer CsPbBr3 clusters. Density functional theory calculations indicate the creation of a quasi-type II alignment at the heterointerface as well as the formation of localized trap states, promoting ultrafast separation of photogenerated excitons and carrier trapping, as confirmed by spectroscopic experiments. Postsynthesis reaction with either Cl- or I- ions delivers the corresponding CsPbCI3-Pb4S3Br2 and CsPbI3-Pb4S3Br2 heterostructures, thus enabling anion exchange only in the perovskite domain. An increased structural rigidity is conferred to the perovskite lattice when it is interfaced with the chalcohalide lattice. This is attested by the improved stability of the metastable gamma phase (or “black” phase) of CsPbI3 in the CsPbI3-Pb4S3Br2 heterostructure.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000614064400024 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-15
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 54 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was performed on the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of SURF Cooperative. L.P. and J.S. are thankful for the support by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC0910600) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61775145). F.D.S. and S.B. acknowledge support by the European Research Council via the ERC-StG “NANOLED” (851794) and the ERC-Cog “REALNANO” (815128). The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme through Grant Agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI). S.B., A.P., and V.P. gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) through grant “Dipartimenti di Eccellenza2017 Materials For Energy”.; sygma Approved Most recent IF: 13.858
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176584 Serial 6726
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Author Sanchis-Gual, R.; Susic, I.; Torres-Cavanillas, R.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Bals, S.; Mallah, T.; Coronado-Puchau, M.; Coronado, E.
Title The design of magneto-plasmonic nanostructures formed by magnetic Prussian Blue-type nanocrystals decorated with Au nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Chemical Communications Abbreviated Journal Chem Commun
Volume 57 Issue 15 Pages 1903-1906
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We have developed a general protocol for the preparation of hybrid nanostructures formed by nanoparticles (NPs) of molecule-based magnets based on Prussian Blue Analogues (PBAs) decorated with plasmonic Au NPs of different shapes. By adjusting the pH, Au NPs can be attached preferentially along the edges of the PBA or randomly on the surface. The protocol allows tuning the plasmonic properties of the hybrids in the whole visible spectrum.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000620719300011 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1359-7345 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.319 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes European Commission, COST Action MOLSPIN CA15128 ERC Advanced Grant Mol-2D 788222 ERC Consolidator Grant REALNANO 815128 Grant Agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI) ; Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, No. 14.W03.31.0001 ; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Maria de Maeztu CEX2019-000919-M Project MAT2017-89993-R ; Generalitat Valenciana, PROMETEO/2017/066 iDiFEDER/2018/061 ; sygma; Approved Most recent IF: 6.319
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:176542 Serial 6702
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Author Bahrami, F.; Hammad, M.; Fivel, M.; Huet, B.; D'Haese, C.; Ding, L.; Nysten, B.; Idrissi, H.; Raskin, J.P.; Pardoen, T.
Title Single layer graphene controlled surface and bulk indentation plasticity in copper Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication International Journal Of Plasticity Abbreviated Journal Int J Plasticity
Volume 138 Issue Pages 102936
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The impact of graphene reinforcement on the mechanical properties of metals has been a subject of intense investigation over the last decade in surface applications to mitigate the impact of tribological loadings or for strengthening purposes when dispersed into a bulk material. Here, the effect on the plastic indentation response of a single graphene layer grown on copper is analyzed for two configurations: one with graphene at the surface, the other with graphene sandwiched under a 100 nm thick copper cap layer. Nanoindentation under both displacement and load control conditions show both earlier and shorter pop-in excursions compared to systems without graphene. Atomic force microscopy reveals much smoother pile-ups with no slip traces in the presence of a surface graphene layer. The configuration with the intercalated graphene layer appears as an ideal elementary system to address bulk hardening mechanisms by indentation testing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) cross-sections below indents show more diffuse and homogeneous dislocation activity in the presence of graphene. 3D dislocation dynamics simulations allow unraveling of the origin of these 3D complex phenomena and prove that the collective dislocation mechanisms are dominantly controlled by the strong back stress caused by the graphene barrier. These results provide a quantitative understanding of the impact of graphene on dislocation mechanisms for both surface and bulk applications, but with an impact that is not as large as anticipated from other studies or general literature claims.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000623869800001 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0749-6419 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.702 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.702
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176729 Serial 6735
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Author Izadi, M.E.; Bal, K.M.; Maghari, A.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Reaction mechanisms of C(3PJ) and C+(2PJ) with benzene in the interstellar medium from quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulations Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Chem Chem Phys
Volume 23 Issue 7 Pages 4205-4216
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract While spectroscopic data on small hydrocarbons in interstellar media in combination with crossed molecular beam (CMB) experiments have provided a wealth of information on astrochemically relevant species, much of the underlying mechanistic pathways of their formation remain elusive. Therefore, in this work, the chemical reaction mechanisms of C(<sup>3</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>and C<sup>+</sup>(<sup>2</sup>P) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>systems using the quantum mechanical molecular dynamics (QMMD) technique at the PBE0-D3(BJ) level of theory is investigated, mimicking a CMB experiment. Both the dynamics of the reactions as well as the electronic structure for the purpose of the reaction network are evaluated. The method is validated for the first reaction by comparison to the available experimental data. The reaction scheme for the C(<sup>3</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>system covers the literature data,<italic>e.g.</italic>the major products are the 1,2-didehydrocycloheptatrienyl radical (C<sub>7</sub>H<sub>5</sub>) and benzocyclopropenyl radical (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>–CH), and it reveals the existence of less common pathways for the first time. The chemistry of the C<sup>+</sup>(<sup>2</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>system is found to be much richer, and we have found that this is because of more exothermic reactions in this system in comparison to those in the C(<sup>3</sup>P<sub>J</sub>) + C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>6</sub>system. Moreover, using the QMMD simulation, a number of reaction paths have been revealed that produce three distinct classes of reaction products with different ring sizes. All in all, at all the collision energies and orientations, the major product is the heptagon molecular ion for the ionic system. It is also revealed that the collision orientation has a dominant effect on the reaction products in both systems, while the collision energy mostly affects the charged system. These simulations both prove the applicability of this approach to simulate crossed molecular beams, and provide fundamental information on reactions relevant for the interstellar medium.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000621595300016 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-18
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 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 12ZI420N ; Ministry of Science Research and Technology; Universiteit Antwerpen; The financial support from the Iran Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and PLASMANT Research Group University of Antwerp is highly acknowledged by the authors. K.M.B. was funded as a junior postdoctoral fellow of the FWO (Research Foundation – Flanders), Grant 12ZI420N. 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 FWO and the Flemish Government. Approved Most recent IF: 4.123
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:176672 Serial 6742
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Author Daems, E.; Moro, G.; Berghmans, H.; Moretto, L.M.; Dewilde, S.; Angelini, A.; Sobott, F.; De Wael, K.
Title Native mass spectrometry for the design and selection of protein bioreceptors for perfluorinated compounds Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Analyst Abbreviated Journal Analyst
Volume 146 Issue 6 Pages 2065-2073
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract Biosensing platforms are answering the increasing demand for analytical tools for environmental monitoring of small molecules, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). By transferring toxicological findings in bioreceptor design we can develop innovative pathways for biosensor design. Indeed, toxicological studies provide fundamental information about PFAS-biomolecule complexes that can help evaluate the applicability of the latter as bioreceptors. The toolbox of native mass spectrometry (MS) can support this evaluation, as shown by the two case studies reported in this work. The analysis of model proteins’ (i.e. albumin, haemoglobin, cytochrome c and neuroglobin) interactions with well-known PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), demonstrated the potential of this native MS screening approach. In the first case study, untreated albumin and delipidated albumin were compared in the presence and absence of PFOA confirming that the delipidation step increases albumin affinity for PFOA without affecting protein stability. In the second case study, the applicability of our methodology to identify potential bioreceptors for PFOS/PFOA was extended to other proteins. Structurally related haemoglobin and neuroglobin revealed a 1 : 1 complex, whereas no binding was observed for cytochrome c. These studies have value as a proof-of-concept for a general application of native MS to identify bioreceptors for toxic compounds.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000631575100031 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0003-2654; 1364-5528 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 3.885 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.885
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177074 Serial 8294
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Author Felipe Montiel, N.; Parrilla, M.; Beltrán, V.; Nuyts, G.; Van Durme, F.; De Wael, K.
Title The opportunity of 6-monoacetylmorphine to selectively detect heroin at preanodized screen printed electrodes Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Talanta Abbreviated Journal Talanta
Volume Issue Pages 122005
Keywords A1 Journal Article; Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation (AXES) ;
Abstract The illicit consumption of heroin is an increasing concern in our society. For this reason, rapid analytical methods to seize heroin samples in the field are of paramount importance to hinder drug trafficking, and thus prevent the availability of heroin in the drug market. The present work reports on the enriched electrochemical fingerprint of heroin, allowing its selective detection in street samples, based on the use of electrochemical pretreated screen printed electrodes (p-SPE). The voltammetric identification is built on two oxidation peaks of both heroin and its degradation product 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), generated in alkaline conditions. Interestingly, an anodic pretreatment of the screen printed electrodes (SPE) shifts the peak potential of paracetamol (the most encountered cutting agent in heroin seizures), allowing the detection of 6-MAM peak, overlapping with the paracetamol signal in the case of untreated SPE. Subsequently, the characterization of the p-SPE with scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is provided to demonstrate local changes on the surface of the electrode. From an analytical perspective, p-SPE provide higher sensitivity (0.019 μA μM-1), excellent reproducibility (6-MAM, RSD = 2.85%, and heroin RSD = 0.91%, n = 5) and lower limits of detection (LOD) (5.2 μM) in comparison to untreated SPE. The proposed protocol which integrates a tailor-made script is interrogated against common cutting agents, and finally, validated with the screening of 14 street samples, also analyzed by standard methods. Besides, a comparison with portable spectroscopic techniques on the confiscated samples shows the better performance of the electrochemical strategy. Overall, this sensing approach offers promising results for the rapid on-site profiling of suspicious heroin samples, also in the presence of paracetamol.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000656959000033 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0039-9140 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.162 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No 833787, BorderSens. The authors acknowledge financial support from the University of Antwerp (IOF). Approved Most recent IF: 4.162
Call Number AXES @ axes @c:irua:174844 Serial 6663
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Author Tiwari, S.; Van de Put, M.L.; Sorée, B.; Vandenberghe, W.G.
Title Critical behavior of the ferromagnets CrI₃, CrBr₃, and CrGeTe₃ and the antiferromagnet FeCl₂ : a detailed first-principles study Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Physical Review B Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 103 Issue 1 Pages 014432
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract We calculate the Curie temperature of layered ferromagnets, chromium tri-iodide (CrI3), chromium tri-bromide (CrBr3), chromium germanium tri-telluride (CrGeTe3), and the Ned temperature of a layered antiferromagnet iron di-chloride (FeCl2), using first-principles density functional theory calculations and Monte Carlo simulations. We develop a computational method to model the magnetic interactions in layered magnetic materials and calculate their critical temperature. We provide a unified method to obtain the magnetic exchange parameters (J) for an effective Heisenberg Hamiltonian from first principles, taking into account both the magnetic ansiotropy as well as the out-of-plane interactions. We obtain the magnetic phase change behavior, in particular the critical temperature, from the susceptibility and the specific-heat, calculated using the three-dimensional Monte Carlo (METROPOLIS) algorithm. The calculated Curie temperatures for ferromagnetic materials (CrI3, CrBr3, and CrGeTe3), match well with experimental values. We show that the interlayer interaction in bulk CrI3 with R (3) over bar stacking is significantly stronger than the C2/m stacking, in line with experimental observations. We show that the strong interlayer interaction in R (3) over bar CrI3 results in a competition between the in-plane and the out-of-plane magnetic easy axes. Finally, we calculate the Ned temperature of FeCl2 to be 47 +/- 8 K and show that the magnetic phase transition in FeCl2 occurs in two steps with a high-temperature intralayer ferromagnetic phase transition and a low-temperature interlayer antiferromagnetic phase transition.
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Language Wos 000609012000002 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2469-9969; 2469-9950 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; The project or effort depicted was or is sponsored by the Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency Grant No. HDTRA1-18-1-0018. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the federal government, and no official endorsement should be inferred. This work was supported by imec's Industrial Affiliation Program. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.836
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176081 Serial 6686
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Author Chen, B.; Gauquelin, N.; Green, R.J.; Lee, J.H.; Piamonteze, C.; Spreitzer, M.; Jannis, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Bibes, M.; Huijben, M.; Rijnders, G.; Koster, G.
Title Spatially controlled octahedral rotations and metal-insulator transitions in nickelate superlattices Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 1295-1302
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The properties of correlated oxides can be manipulated by forming short-period superlattices since the layer thicknesses are comparable with the typical length scales of the involved correlations and interface effects. Herein, we studied the metal-insulator transitions (MITs) in tetragonal NdNiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices by controlling the NdNiO3 layer thickness, n in the unit cell, spanning the length scale of the interfacial octahedral coupling. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals a crossover from a modulated octahedral superstructure at n = 8 to a uniform nontilt pattern at n = 4, accompanied by a drastically weakened insulating ground state. Upon further reducing n the predominant dimensionality effect continuously raises the MIT temperature, while leaving the antiferromagnetic transition temperature unaltered down to n = 2. Remarkably, the MIT can be enhanced by imposing a sufficiently large strain even with strongly suppressed octahedral rotations. Our results demonstrate the relevance for the control of oxide functionalities at reduced dimensions.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000619638600014 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-20
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 19 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work is supported by the international M-ERA.NET project SIOX (project 4288). J.V. and N.G. acknowledge funding through the GOA project “Solarpaint” of the University of Antwerp. The microscope used in this work was partly funded by the Hercules Fund from the Flemish Government. D.J. acknowledges funding from FWO Project G093417N from the Flemish fund for scientific research. M.S. acknowledges funding from Slovenian Research Agency (Grants J2-9237 and P2-0091). R.J.G. acknowledges funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Part of the research described in this paper was performed at the Canadian Light Source, a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, which is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), NSERC, the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Saskatchewan, and the University of Saskatchewan. This work received support from the ERC CoG MINT (No. 615759) and from a PHC Van Gogh grant. M.B. thanks the French Academy of Science and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences for supporting his stays in The Netherlands. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 823717 -ESTEEM3. Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176753 Serial 6736
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Author Castanheiro, A.; Wuyts, K.; Hofman, J.; Nuyts, G.; De Wael, K.; Samson, R.
Title Morphological and elemental characterization of leaf-deposited particulate matter from different source types : a microscopic investigation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Environmental Science And Pollution Research Abbreviated Journal Environ Sci Pollut R
Volume 28 Issue 20 Pages 25716-25732
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract Particulate matter (PM) deposition on urban green enables the collection of particulate pollution from a diversity of contexts, and insight into the physico-chemical profiles of PM is key for identifying main polluting sources. This study reports on the morphological and elemental characterization of PM2-10 deposited on ivy leaves from five different environments (forest, rural, roadside, train, industry) in the region of Antwerp, Belgium. Ca. 40,000 leaf-deposited particles were thoroughly investigated by particle-based analysis using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and their physico-chemical characteristics were explored for PM source apportionment purposes. The size distribution of all deposited particles was biased towards small-sized PM, with 32% of the particles smaller than 2.5 mu m (PM2.5) and median diameters of 2.80-3.09 mu m. The source type influenced both the particles' size and morphology (aspect ratio and shape), with roadside particles being overall the smallest in size and the most spherical. While forest and rural elemental profiles were associated with natural PM, the industry particles revealed the highest anthropogenic metal input. PM2-10 profiles for roadside and train sites were rather comparable and only distinguishable when evaluating the fine (2-2.5 mu m) and coarse (2.5-10 mu m) PM fractions separately, which enabled the identification of a larger contribution of combustion-derived particles (small, circular, Fe-enriched) at the roadside compared to the train. Random forest prediction model classified the source type correctly for 61-85% of the leaf-deposited PM. The still modest classification accuracy denotes the influence of regional background PM and demands for additional fingerprinting techniques to facilitate source apportionment. Nonetheless, the obtained results demonstrate the utility of leaf particle-based analysis to fingerprint and pinpoint source-specific PM, particularly when considering both the composition and size of leaf-deposited particles.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000609067300006 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0944-1344; 1614-7499 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.741 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.741
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176082 Serial 8282
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Author Geerts, L.; Geerts-Claes, H.; Skorikov, A.; Vermeersch, J.; Vanbutsele, G.; Galvita, V.; Constales, D.; Chandran, C.V.; Radhakrishnan, S.; Seo, J.W.; Breynaert, E.; Bals, S.; Sree, S.P.; Martens, J.A.
Title Spherical core–shell alumina support particles for model platinum catalysts Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 13 Issue 7 Pages 4221-4232
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract γ- and δ-alumina are popular catalyst support materials. Using a hydrothermal synthesis method starting from aluminum nitrate and urea in diluted solution, spherical core–shell particles with a uniform particle size of about 1 μm were synthesized. Upon calcination at 1000 °C, the particles adopted a core–shell structure with a γ-alumina core and δ-alumina shell as evidenced by 2D and 3D electron microscopy and<sup>27</sup>Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The spherical alumina particles were loaded with Pt nanoparticles with an average size below 1 nm using the strong electrostatic adsorption method. Electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed a homogeneous platinum dispersion over the alumina surface. These platinum loaded alumina spheres were used as a model catalyst for bifunctional catalysis. Physical mixtures of Pt/alumina spheres and spherical zeolite particles are equivalent to catalysts with platinum deposited on the zeolite itself facilitating the investigation of the catalyst components individually. The spherical alumina particles are very convenient supports for obtaining a homogeneous distribution of highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles. Obtaining such a small Pt particle size is challenging on other support materials such as zeolites. The here reported and well-characterized Pt/alumina spheres can be combined with any zeolite and used as a bifunctional model catalyst. This is an interesting strategy for the examination of the acid catalytic function without the interference of the supported platinum metal on the investigated acid material.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000621767000026 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-21
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 3 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G0A5417N G038116N ; Vlaamse regering, Methusalem ; Hercules Foundation, AKUL/13/19 ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:176021 Serial 6679
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Author Wang, J.; Van Pottelberge, R.; Jacobs, A.; Van Duppen, B.; Peeters, F.M.
Title Confinement and edge effects on atomic collapse in graphene nanoribbons Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Physical Review B Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 103 Issue 3 Pages 035426
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Atomic collapse in graphene nanoribbons behaves in a fundamentally different way as compared to monolayer graphene due to the presence of multiple energy bands and the effect of edges. For armchair nanoribbons we find that bound states gradually transform into atomic collapse states with increasing impurity charge. This is very different in zigzag nanoribbons where multiple quasi-one-dimensional bound states are found that originates from the zero-energy zigzag edge states. They are a consequence of the flat band and the electron distribution of these bound states exhibits two peaks. The lowest-energy edge state transforms from a bound state into an atomic collapse resonance and shows a distinct relocalization from the edge to the impurity position with increasing impurity charge.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000610779200008 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2469-9969; 2469-9950 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 8 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.836
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176585 Serial 6719
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Author Liang, Y.-S.; Xue, C.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Wang, Y.-N.
Title Investigation of active species in low-pressure capacitively coupled N-2/Ar plasmas Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Physics Of Plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas
Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 013510
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract In this paper, a self-consistent fluid model is developed focusing on the plasma parameters in capacitively coupled 20% N 2-80% Ar discharges. Measurements of ion density are performed with the help of a floating double probe, and the emission intensities from Ar(4p) and N 2 ( B ) transitions are detected by an optical emission spectroscopy to estimate their relative densities. The consistency between the numerical and experimental results confirms the reliability of the simulation. Then the plasma characteristics, specifically the reaction mechanisms of active species, are analyzed under various voltages. The increasing voltage leads to a monotonous increase in species density, whereas a less homogeneous radial distribution is observed at a higher voltage. Due to the high concentration of Ar gas, Ar + becomes the main ion, followed by the N 2 +</mml:msubsup> ion. Besides the electron impact ionization of neutrals, the charge transfer processes of Ar +/ N 2 and N 2 +</mml:msubsup>/Ar are found to have an impact on the ionic species. The results indicate that adopting the lower charge transfer reaction rate coefficients weakens the Ar + ion density and yields a higher N 2 +</mml:msubsup> ion density. However, the effect on the species spatial distributions and other species densities is limited. As for the excited-state species, the electron impact excitation of background gases remains overwhelming in the formation of Ar(4p), N 2 ( B ), and N 2 ( a ' ), whereas the <mml:msub> N 2 ( A ) molecules are mainly formed by the decay of <mml:msub> N 2 ( B ). In addition, the dissociation of <mml:msub> N 2 collided by excited-state Ar atoms dominates the N generation, which are mostly depleted to produce N + ions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000629931300002 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1070-664x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177669 Serial 6767
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Author Herzog, M.J.; Gauquelin, N.; Esken, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Janek, J.
Title Facile dry coating method of high-nickel cathode material by nanostructured fumed alumina (Al2O3) improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Energy technology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 4 Pages 2100028
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Surface coating is a crucial method to mitigate the aging problem of high-Ni cathode active materials (CAMs). By avoiding the direct contact of the CAM and the electrolyte, side reactions are hindered. Commonly used techniques like wet or ALD coating are time consuming and costly. Therefore, a more cost-effective coating technique is desirable. Herein, a facile and fast dry powder coating process for CAMs with nanostructured fumed metal oxides are reported. As the model case, the coating of high-Ni NMC (LiNi0.7Mn0.15Co0.15O2) by nanostructured fumed Al2O3 is investigated. A high coverage of the CAM surface with an almost continuous coating layer is achieved, still showing some porosity. Electrochemical evaluation shows a significant increase in capacity retention, cycle life and rate performance of the coated NMC material. The coating layer protects the surface of the CAM successfully and prevents side reactions, resulting in reduced solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation and charge transfer impedance during cycling. A mechanism on how the coating layer enhances the cycling performance is hypothesized. The stable coating layer effectively prevents crack formation and particle disintegration of the NMC. In depth analysis indicates partial formation of LixAl2O3/LiAlO2 in the coating layer during cycling, enhancing lithium ion diffusivity and thus, also the rate performance.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000621000700001 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2194-4296; 2194-4288 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 25 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors would like to thank Erik Peldszus and Steve Rienecker for the support with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The Qu-Ant-EM microscope and the direct electron detector were partly funded by the Hercules fund from the Flemish Government. N.G. and J.V. acknowledge funding from GOA project “Solarpaint” of the University of Antwerp. Funding from the Flemish Research Fund (FWO) project G0F1320N is acknowledged.; Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176670 Serial 6724
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Author Thomassen, G.; Huysveld, S.; Boone, L.; Vilain, C.; Geysen, D.; Huysman, K.; Cools, B.; Dewulf, J.
Title The environmental impact of household's water use: A case study in Flanders assessing various water sources, production methods and consumption patterns Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Science Of The Total Environment Abbreviated Journal Sci Total Environ
Volume 770 Issue Pages 145398
Keywords A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
Abstract Responsible water use and sustainable consumption and production are high on the agenda of multiple stakeholders. Different water supply sources are available, including tap water, bottled water, domestically harvested rainwater and domestically abstracted groundwater. The extent to which each of these water supply sources is used, differs over consumption patterns in various housing types, being detached houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses and apartments. To identify the environmental impact of a household's water use and potential environmental impact reduction strategies, a holistic assessment is required. In this paper, the environmental impact of a household's water use in Flanders (Belgium) was assessed including four different water supply sources and four different consumption patterns by means of a life cycle assessment. The outcomes of this study reveal a large difference between the environmental impact of bottled water use, having a global warming impact of 259 kg CO2-eq.·m−3, compared to the other three supply sources. Tap water supply had the lowest global warming impact (0.17 kg CO2-eq.·m−3) and resource footprint (6.51 MJex·m−3) of all water supply sources. The most efficient strategy to reduce the environmental impact of household's water use is to shift the water consumption from bottled to tap water consumption. This would induce a reduction in global warming impact of the water use of an inhabitant in Flanders by on average 80%, saving 0.1 kg CO2-eq.·day−1 in case of groundwater-based tap water. These results provide insights into sustainable water use for multiple consumption patterns and can be used to better frame the environmental benefits of tap water use.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date (up) 2021-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0048-9697 ISBN Additional Links
Impact Factor 4.9 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Approved Most recent IF: 4.9
Call Number ENM @ enm @ Serial 6681
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Author Fuoco, T.; Cuartero, M.; Parrilla, M.; García-Guzmán, J.J.; Crespo, G.A.; Finne-Wistrand, A.
Title Capturing the real-time hydrolytic degradation of a library of biomedical polymers by combining traditional assessment and electrochemical sensors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Biomacromolecules Abbreviated Journal Biomacromolecules
Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 949-960
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract We have developed an innovative methodology to overcome the lack of techniques for real-time assessment of degradable biomedical polymers at physiological conditions. The methodology was established by combining polymer characterization techniques with electrochemical sensors. The in vitro hydrolytic degradation of a series of aliphatic polyesters was evaluated by following the molar mass decrease and the mass loss at different incubation times while tracing pH and l-lactate released into the incubation media with customized miniaturized electrochemical sensors. The combination of different analytical approaches provided new insights into the mechanistic and kinetics aspects of the degradation of these biomedical materials. Although molar mass had to reach threshold values for soluble oligomers to be formed and specimens’ resorption to occur, the pH variation and l-lactate concentration were direct evidence of the resorption of the polymers and indicative of the extent of chain scission. Linear models were found for pH and released l-lactate as a function of mass loss for the l-lactide-based copolymers. The methodology should enable the sequential screening of degradable polymers at physiological conditions and has potential to be used for preclinical material’s evaluation aiming at reducing animal tests.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date (up) 2021-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1525-7797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 5.246 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.246
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175296 Serial 7575
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Author Marinov, D.; de Marneffe, J.-F.; Smets, Q.; Arutchelvan, G.; Bal, K.M.; Voronina, E.; Rakhimova, T.; Mankelevich, Y.; El Kazzi, S.; Nalin Mehta, A.; Wyndaele, P.-J.; Heyne, M.H.; Zhang, J.; With, P.C.; Banerjee, S.; Neyts, E.C.; Asselberghs, I.; Lin, D.; De Gendt, S.
Title Reactive plasma cleaning and restoration of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication npj 2D Materials and Applications Abbreviated Journal npj 2D Mater Appl
Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 17
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The cleaning of two-dimensional (2D) materials is an essential step in the fabrication of future devices, leveraging their unique physical, optical, and chemical properties. Part of these emerging 2D materials are transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). So far there is limited understanding of the cleaning of “monolayer” TMD materials. In this study, we report on the use of downstream H<sub>2</sub>plasma to clean the surface of monolayer WS<sub>2</sub>grown by MOCVD. We demonstrate that high-temperature processing is essential, allowing to maximize the removal rate of polymers and to mitigate damage caused to the WS<sub>2</sub>in the form of sulfur vacancies. We show that low temperature in situ carbonyl sulfide (OCS) soak is an efficient way to resulfurize the material, besides high-temperature H<sub>2</sub>S annealing. The cleaning processes and mechanisms elucidated in this work are tested on back-gated field-effect transistors, confirming that transport properties of WS<sub>2</sub>devices can be maintained by the combination of H<sub>2</sub>plasma cleaning and OCS restoration. The low-damage plasma cleaning based on H<sub>2</sub>and OCS is very reproducible, fast (completed in a few minutes) and uses a 300 mm industrial plasma etch system qualified for standard semiconductor pilot production. This process is, therefore, expected to enable the industrial scale-up of 2D-based devices, co-integrated with silicon technology.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000613258900001 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-28
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 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Daniil Marinov has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 752164. Ekaterina Voronina, Yuri Mankelevitch, and Tatyana Rakhimova are thankful to the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) for financial support (Grant No. 16-12-10361). This study was carried out using the equipment of the shared research facilities of high-performance computing resources at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the computational resources and services of the HPC core facility CalcUA of the University of Antwerp, and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government. Patrick With gratefully acknowledges imec’s CTO office for financial support during his stay at imec. The authors thank Mr. Surajit Sutar (imec) for his help during sample electrical characterization, and Patrick Verdonck for lab processing. Jean-François de Marneffe thank Prof. Simone Napolitano from the Free University of Brussels for useful discussions on irreversibly adsorbed polymer layers, and Cédric Huyghebaert (imec) for his continuous support in the framework of the Graphene FET Flagship core project. All authors acknowledge the support of imec’s pilot line and materials characterization and analysis (MCA) group, namely Jonathan Ludwig, Stefanie Sergeant, Thomas Nuytten, Olivier Richard, and Thierry Conard. Finally, Daniil Marinov thank Mikhail Krishtab (imec/KU Leuven) for his help in selecting the optimal plasma etch system for this work. Part of this project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 649953. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175871 Serial 6671
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Author Jardali, F.; Van Alphen, S.; Creel, J.; Ahmadi Eshtehardi, H.; Axelsson, M.; Ingels, R.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A.
Title NOxproduction in a rotating gliding arc plasma: potential avenue for sustainable nitrogen fixation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Green Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Green Chem
Volume 23 Issue 4 Pages 1748-1757
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The fast growing world population demands food to survive, and nitrogen-based fertilizers are essential to ensure sufficient food production. Today, fertilizers are mainly produced from non-sustainable fossil fuels<italic>via</italic>the Haber–Bosch process, leading to serious environmental problems. We propose here a novel rotating gliding arc plasma, operating in air, for direct NO<sub>x</sub>production, which can yield high nitrogen content organic fertilizers without pollution associated with ammonia emission. We explored the efficiency of NO<sub>x</sub>production in a wide range of feed gas ratios, and for two arc modes: rotating and steady. When the arc is in steady mode, record-value NO<sub>x</sub>concentrations up to 5.5% are achieved which are 1.7 times higher than the maximum concentration obtained by the rotating arc mode, and with an energy consumption of 2.5 MJ mol<sup>−1</sup>(or<italic>ca.</italic>50 kW h kN<sup>−1</sup>);<italic>i.e.</italic>the lowest value so far achieved by atmospheric pressure plasma reactors. Computer modelling, using a combination of five different complementary approaches, provides a comprehensive picture of NO<sub>x</sub>formation in both arc modes; in particular, the higher NO<sub>x</sub>production in the steady arc mode is due to the combined thermal and vibrationally-promoted Zeldovich mechanisms.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000629630600021 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1463-9262 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.125 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, GoF9618n 30505023 ; H2020 European Research Council, 810182 ; This research was supported by a Bilateral Project with N2 Applied, the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023) and by 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. We also thank J.-L. Liu for the RGA design, L. Van ‘t dack and K. Leyssens for MS calibration and practical support, and K. Van ‘t Veer for the fruitful discussions on plasma kinetic modelling and for calculating the electron energy losses. Approved Most recent IF: 9.125
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:176022 Serial 6678
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Author Zhao, H.; Li, C.-F.; Yong, X.; Kumar, P.; Palma, B.; Hu, Z.-Y.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Siahrostami, S.; Larter, S.; Zheng, D.; Wang, S.; Chen, Z.; Kibria, M.G.; Hu, J.
Title Coproduction of hydrogen and lactic acid from glucose photocatalysis on band-engineered Zn1-xCdxS homojunction Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication iScience Abbreviated Journal
Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 102109
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Photocatalytic transformation of biomass into value-added chemicals coupled with co-production of hydrogen provides an explicit route to trap sunlight into the chemical bonds. Here, we demonstrate a rational design of Zn1-xCdxS solidsolution homojunction photocatalyst with a pseudo-periodic cubic zinc blende (ZB) and hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) structure for efficient glucose conversion to simultaneously produce hydrogen and lactic acid. The optimized Zn0.6Cd0.4S catalyst consists of a twinning superlattice, has a tuned bandgap, and displays excellent efficiency with respect to hydrogen generation (690 +/- 27.6 mu mol.h(-1).g(cat).(-1)), glucose conversion (similar to 90%), and lactic acid selectivity (similar to 87%) without any co-catalyst under visible light irradiation. The periodic WZ/ZB phase in twinning superlattice facilitates better charge separation, while superoxide radical (center dot O-2(-)) and photogenerated holes drive the glucose transformation and water oxidation reactions, respectively. This work demonstrates that rational photocatalyst design could realize an efficient and concomitant production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals from glucose photocatalysis.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000621266700080 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2589-0042 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176744 Serial 6720
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Author Payne, L.M.; Masia, F.; Zilli, A.; Albrecht, W.; Borri, P.; Langbein, W.
Title Quantitative morphometric analysis of single gold nanoparticles by optical extinction microscopy: Material permittivity and surface damping effects Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Chemical Physics Abbreviated Journal J Chem Phys
Volume 154 Issue 4 Pages 044702
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000630495600001 Publication Date (up) 2021-01-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0021-9606 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.965 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the Welsh Government Life Sciences Bridging Fund (Grant No. LSBF/R6-005), the UK EPSRC (Grant Nos. EP/I005072/1 and EP/M028313/1), and the European Commission (Grant No. EUSMI E191000350). P.B. acknowledges the Royal Society for her Wolfson research merit award (Grant No. WM140077). F.M. acknowledges the Ser Cymru II programme (Case ID 80762-CU-148) which is part-funded by Cardiff University and the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) under the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (Grant No. 797153, SOPMEN) and Sara Bals for supporting the STEM measurements. The brightfield TEM was performed by Thomas Davies at Cardiff University. We acknowledge Iestyn Pope for technical support of the optical equipment. Approved Most recent IF: 2.965
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:177566 Serial 6748
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Author Lin, A.; Razzokov, J.; Verswyvel, H.; Privat-Maldonado, A.; De Backer, J.; Yusupov, M.; Cardenas De La Hoz, E.; Ponsaerts, P.; Smits, E.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Oxidation of Innate Immune Checkpoint CD47 on Cancer Cells with Non-Thermal Plasma Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Cancers Abbreviated Journal Cancers
Volume 13 Issue 3 Pages 579
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Laboratory for Experimental Hematology (LEH); Center for Oncological Research (CORE)
Abstract Non-thermal plasma (NTP) therapy has been emerging as a promising cancer treatment strategy, and recently, its ability to locally induce immunogenic cancer cell death is being unraveled. We hypothesized that the chemical species produced by NTP reduce immunosuppressive surface proteins and checkpoints that are overexpressed on cancerous cells. Here, 3D in vitro tumor models, an in vivo mouse model, and molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effect of NTP on CD47, a key innate immune checkpoint. CD47 is immediately modulated after NTP treatment and simulations reveal the potential oxidized salt-bridges responsible for conformational changes. Umbrella sampling simulations of CD47 with its receptor, signal-regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα), demonstrate that the induced-conformational changes reduce its binding affinity. Taken together, this work provides new insight into fundamental, chemical NTP-cancer cell interaction mechanisms and a previously overlooked advantage of present NTP cancer therapy: reducing immunosuppressive signals on the surface of cancer cells.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000614960600001 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2072-6694 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes We thank Erik Fransen (University of Antwerp; Antwerp, Belgium) for his help and guidance on the statistical analysis. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:176455 Serial 6709
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Author Yi, Y.; Wang, X.; Jafarzadeh, A.; Wang, L.; Liu, P.; He, B.; Yan, J.; Zhang, R.; Zhang, H.; Liu, X.; Guo, H.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Plasma-Catalytic Ammonia Reforming of Methane over Cu-Based Catalysts for the Production of HCN and H2at Reduced Temperature Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Acs Catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal
Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 1765-1773
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Industrial production of HCN from NH3 and CH4 not only uses precious Pt or Pt−Rh catalysts but also requires extremely high temperatures (∼1600 K). From an energetic, operational, and safety perspective, a drastic decrease in temperature is highly desirable. Here, we report ammonia reforming of methane for the production of HCN and H2 at 673 K by the combination of CH4/NH3 plasma and a supported Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst. 30% CH4 conversion has been achieved with 79% HCN selectivity. Catalyst characterization and plasma diagnostics reveal that the excellent reaction performance is attributed to metallic Cu active sites. In addition, we propose a possible reaction pathway, viz. E-R reactions with N, NH, NH2, and CH radicals produced in the plasma, for the production of HCN, based on density functional theory calculations. Importantly, the Cu/silicalite-1 catalyst costs less than 5% of the commercial Pt mesh catalyst.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000618540300057 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Universiteit Antwerpen, 32249 ; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2015M580220 2016T90217 ; PetroChina Innovation Foundation, 2018D-5007-0501 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 21503032 ; We acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [21503032], the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant numbers 2015M580220 and 2016T90217, 2016], the PetroChina Innovation Foundation [2018D-5007-0501], and the TOP research project of the Research Fund of the University of Antwerp [grant ID 32249]. Approved Most recent IF: 10.614
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175880 Serial 6675
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Author Yin, L.; Juneja, R.; Lindsay, L.; Pandey, T.; Parker, D.S.
Title Semihard iron-based permanent-magnet materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Physical Review Applied Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev Appl
Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 024012
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Permanent magnets generally require a favorable, but difficult-to-achieve combination of high magnetization, Curie point, and magnetic anisotropy. Thus there have been few, if any, viable permanent magnets developed since the 1982 discovery of Nd2Fe14B [M. Sagawa, S. Fujimura, H. Yamamoto, Y. Matsuura, and S. Hirosawa, J. Appl. Phys. 57, 4094 (1985)]. Here we point out, both by direct first-principles calculations on the iron carbides and silicides Fe5C2, Fe5SiC, and Fe7C3 as well as a discussion of recent experimental findings, that there are numerous rare-earth-free iron-rich potential permanent-magnet materials with sufficient intrinsic magnetic properties to reasonably achieve room-temperature energy products of 20-25 MG Oe. This is substantially better than the performance of the best available rare-earth-free magnets based on ferrite, as well as shape-anisotropy-employing alnico. These magnets could plausibly fill, at low cost, the present performance “gap” [J. M. D. Coey, Scr. Mater. 67, 524 (2012)] between the best rare-earth-free magnets and rare-earth magnets such as Nd2Fe14B and Sm-Co.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000614707800002 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2331-7019 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.808 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.808
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176624 Serial 6734
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Author Bafekry, A.; Gogova, D.; M. Fadlallah, M.; V. Chuong, N.; Ghergherehchi, M.; Faraji, M.; Feghhi, S.A.H.; Oskoeian, M.
Title Electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional heterostructures and heterojunctions between doped-graphene and C- and N-containing materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Chem Chem Phys
Volume 23 Issue 8 Pages 4865-4873
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract The electronic and optical properties of vertical heterostructures (HTSs) and lateral heterojunctions (HTJs) between (B,N)-codoped graphene (dop@Gr) and graphene (Gr), C3N, BC3 and h-BN monolayers are investigated using van der Waals density functional theory calculations. We have found that all the considered HTSs are energetically and thermally feasible at room temperature, and therefore they can be synthesized experimentally. The dop@Gr/Gr, BC3/dop@Gr and BN/dop@Gr HTSs are semiconductors with direct bandgaps of 0.1 eV, 80 meV and 1.23 eV, respectively, while the C3N/dop@Gr is a metal because of the strong interaction between dop@Gr and C3N layers. On the other hand, the dop@Gr-Gr and BN-dop@Gr HTJs are semiconductors, whereas the C3N-dop@Gr and BC3-dop@Gr HTJs are metals. The proposed HTSs can enhance the absorption of light in the whole wavelength range as compared to Gr and BN monolayers. The applied electric field or pressure strain changes the bandgaps of the HTSs and HTJs, indicating that these HTSs are highly promising for application in nanoscale multifunctional devices.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000625306100038 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1463-9076; 1463-9084 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.123 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.123
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177659 Serial 6986
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Alloul, A.; Spanoghe, J.; Machado, D.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Unlocking the genomic potential of aerobes and phototrophs for the production of nutritious and palatable microbial food without arable land or fossil fuels Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication Microbial biotechnology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 6-12
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The increasing world population and living standards urgently necessitate the transition towards a sustainable food system. One solution is microbial protein, i.e. using microbial biomass as alternative protein source for human nutrition, particularly based on renewable electron and carbon sources that do not require arable land. Upcoming green electrification and carbon capture initiatives enable this, yielding new routes to H2, CO2 and CO2-derived compounds like methane, methanol, formic- and acetic acid. Aerobic hydrogenotrophs, methylotrophs, acetotrophs and microalgae are the usual suspects for nutritious and palatable biomass production on these compounds. Interestingly, these compounds are largely un(der)explored for purple non-sulfur bacteria, even though these microbes may be suitable for growing aerobically and phototrophically on these substrates. Currently, selecting the best strains, metabolisms and cultivation conditions for nutritious and palatable microbial food mainly starts from empirical growth experiments, and mostly does not stretch beyond bulk protein. We propose a more target-driven and efficient approach starting from the genome-embedded potential to tuning towards, for instance, essential amino- and fatty acids, vitamins, taste,... Genome-scale metabolic models combined with flux balance analysis will facilitate this, narrowing down experimental variations and enabling to get the most out of the 'best' combinations of strain and electron and carbon sources.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000613868600001 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-7915 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.7
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176174 Serial 7225
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Author Ysebaert, T.; Koch, K.; Samson, R.; Denys, S.
Title Green walls for mitigating urban particulate matter pollution : a review Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Urban Forestry & Urban Greening Abbreviated Journal Urban For Urban Gree
Volume 59 Issue Pages 127014
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Art; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) is a well-known health issue in urban environments. Urban green infrastructure offers opportunities as a nature-based solution to urban PM pollution. Green walls have advantages over other types of urban green infrastructure, since they can be applied to the enormous available wall area in cities and since they do not interfere with the prevailing ventilation resulting in elevated PM levels. However, this has raised questions about the effectiveness of GW in removing PM and this could explain the limited applicability of green walls to tackle PM pollution. Nevertheless, it is suggested that green walls have a significant unexploited potential and this review article aims to address current knowledge gaps and to propose future research requirements for the implementation of green walls to mitigate urban PM pollution. An in-depth analysis is given of the mechanisms behind PM deposition and the influence of vegetation properties on this process, as well as the practices followed to model PM dispersion and deposition. It was suggested that particle deposition on green walls depends on the green wall species, pollution level, and the residence time of PM in a street (canyon). Rainfall plays an important role in the PM pathway, although it is not a necessary requirement to sustain PM deposition on plant leaves. There are still some discrepancies in the literature about the ideal plant characteristics for PM deposition in terms of the macro- and microstructures that require further investigation, especially in comparison with tree and shrub species. In addition, extensively validated models are required to accurately calculate the impact of green walls on air flow and the PM concentration on site.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000632597600001 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1618-8667 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.113 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.113
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175581 Serial 8011
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Author Maso, L.; Trande, M.; Liberi, S.; Moro, G.; Daems, E.; Linciano, S.; Sobott, F.; Covaceuszach, S.; Cassetta, A.; Fasolato, S.; Moretto, L.M.; De Wael, K.; Cendron, L.; Angelini, A.
Title Unveiling the binding mode of perfluorooctanoic acid to human serum albumin Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Protein Science Abbreviated Journal Protein Sci
Volume 30 Issue 4 Pages 830-841
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a toxic compound that is absorbed and distributed throughout the body by noncovalent binding to serum proteins such as human serum albumin (hSA). Though the interaction between PFOA and hSA has been already assessed using various analytical techniques, a high resolution and detailed analysis of the binding mode is still lacking. We report here the crystal structure of hSA in complex with PFOA and a medium-chain saturated fatty acid (FA). A total of eight distinct binding sites, four occupied by PFOAs and four by FAs, have been identified. In solution binding studies confirmed the 4:1 PFOA-hSA stoichiometry and revealed the presence of one high and three low affinity binding sites. Competition experiments with known hSA-binding drugs allowed locating the high affinity binding site in sub-domain IIIA. The elucidation of the molecular basis of the interaction between PFOA and hSA might provide not only a better assessment of the absorption and elimination mechanisms of these compounds in vivo but also have implications for the development of novel molecular receptors for diagnostic and biotechnological applications.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000625392600001 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0961-8368 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.523 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.523
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176725 Serial 8714
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Author Do, M.T.; Gauquelin, N.; Nguyen, M.D.; Blom, F.; Verbeeck, J.; Koster, G.; Houwman, E.P.; Rijnders, G.
Title Interface degradation and field screening mechanism behind bipolar-cycling fatigue in ferroelectric capacitors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Apl Materials Abbreviated Journal Apl Mater
Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 021113
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Polarization fatigue, i.e., the loss of polarization of ferroelectric capacitors upon field cycling, has been widely discussed as an interface related effect. However, mechanism(s) behind the development of fatigue have not been fully identified. Here, we study the fatigue mechanisms in Pt/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/SrRuO3 (Pt/PZT/SRO) capacitors in which all layers are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition without breaking the vacuum. With scanning transmission electron microscopy, we observed that in the fatigued capacitor, the Pt/PZT interface becomes structurally degraded, forming a 5 nm-10 nm thick non-ferroelectric layer of crystalline ZrO2 and diffused Pt grains. We then found that the fatigued capacitors can regain the full initial polarization switching if the externally applied field is increased to at least 10 times the switching field of the pristine capacitor. These findings suggest that polarization fatigue is driven by a two-step mechanism. First, the transient depolarization field that repeatedly appears during the domain switching under field cycling causes decomposition of the metal/ferroelectric interface, resulting in a non-ferroelectric degraded layer. Second, this interfacial non-ferroelectric layer screens the external applied field causing an increase in the coercive field beyond the usually applied maximum field and consequently suppresses the polarization switching in the cycled capacitor. Our work clearly confirms the key role of the electrode/ferroelectric interface in the endurance of ferroelectric-based devices.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000630052100006 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2166-532x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.335 Times cited 5 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek through Grant No. F62.3.15559. The Qu-Ant-EM microscope and the direct electron detector were partly funded by the Hercules fund from the Flemish Government. N.G. and J.V. acknowledge funding from the GOA project “Solarpaint” of the University of Antwerp. This work has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant No. 823717-ESTEEM3. We acknowledge D. Chezganov for his useful insights. Approved Most recent IF: 4.335
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177663 Serial 6783
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Author Van Schoubroeck, S.; Thomassen, G.; Van Passel, S.; Malina, R.; Springael, J.; Lizin, S.; Venditti, R.A.; Yao, Y.; Van Dael, M.
Title An integrated techno-sustainability assessment (TSA) framework for emerging technologies Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Green Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Green Chem
Volume 23 Issue 4 Pages 1700-1715
Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract A better understanding of the drivers of the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of emerging (biobased) technologies and products in early development phases can help decision-makers to identify sustainability hurdles and opportunities. Furthermore, it guides additional research and development efforts and investment decisions, that will, ultimately, lead to more sustainable products and technologies entering a market. To this end, this study developed a novel techno-sustainability assessment (TSA) framework with a demonstration on a biobased chemical application. The integrated TSA compares the potential sustainability performance of different (technology) scenarios and helps to make better-informed decisions by evaluating and trading-off sustainability impacts in one holistic framework. The TSA combines methods for comprehensive indicator selection and integration of technological and country-specific data with environmental, economic, and social data. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is used to address data uncertainty and to enable scenario comparison if indicators are expressed in different units. A hierarchical, stochastic outranking approach is followed that compares different weighting schemes and preference structures to check for the robustness of the results. The integrated TSA framework is demonstrated on an application for which the sustainability of a production and harvesting plant of microalgae-based food colorants is assessed. For a set of scenarios that vary with regard to the algae feedstock, production technology, and location, the sustainability performance is quantified and compared, and the underlying reasons for this performance are explored.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000629630600018 Publication Date (up) 2021-02-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1463-9262; 1463-9270 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.125 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.125
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175716 Serial 6931
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