Records |
Author |
Mulder, J.T.T.; Jenkinson, K.; Toso, S.; Prato, M.; Evers, W.H.H.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Houtepen, A.J.J. |
Title |
Nucleation and growth of bipyramidal Yb:LiYF₄ nanocrystals : growing up in a hot environment |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Chemistry of materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
35 |
Issue |
14 |
Pages |
5311-5321 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Lanthanide-doped LiYF4 (Ln:YLF) is commonlyused fora broad variety of optical applications, such as lasing, photon upconversionand optical refrigeration. When synthesized as nanocrystals (NCs),this material is also of interest for biological applications andfundamental physical studies. Until now, it was unclear how Ln:YLFNCs grow from their ionic precursors into tetragonal NCs with a well-defined,bipyramidal shape and uniform dopant distribution. Here, we studythe nucleation and growth of ytterbium-doped LiYF4 (Yb:YLF),as a template for general Ln:YLF NC syntheses. We show that the formationof bipyramidal Yb:YLF NCs is a multistep process starting with theformation of amorphous Yb:YLF spheres. Over time, these spheres growvia Ostwald ripening and crystallize, resulting in bipyramidal Yb:YLFNCs. We further show that prolonged heating of the NCs results inthe degradation of the NCs, observed by the presence of large LiFcubes and small, irregular Yb:YLF NCs. Due to the similarity in chemicalnature of all lanthanide ions our work sheds light on the formationstages of Ln:YLF NCs in general. |
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Wos |
001021474500001 |
Publication Date |
2023-07-03 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0897-4756; 1520-5002 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
Impact Factor |
8.6 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 766900 (Testing the large-scale limit of quantum mechanics). The authors thank Niranjan Saikumar for proof reading the manuscript. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197787 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8907 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Panzic, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangalam, J.; Rath, T.; Radovanovic-Peric, F.; Gaboardi, M.; De Coen, B.; Bals, S.; Schrenker, N. |
Title |
In-situ structural degradation study of quadruple-cation perovskite solar cells with nanostructured charge transfer layer |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Ceramics international |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
49 |
Issue |
14b |
Pages |
24475-24486 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
We investigated the structural stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in n-i-p configuration comprising a rubidium-caesium-methylammonium-formamidinium (Rb-Cs-MA-FA) lead iodide/bromide perovskite absorber, interfaced with nanostructured ZnO-nanorod (NR) or mesostructured (MS) TiO2 electron transfer layers (ETL). An in-situ setup was established comprising synchrotron grazing incidence diffraction (GID) and Raman spectroscopy as a function of temperature under ambient and isothermal conditions; measurements of current-voltage (IV) characteristics and electron microscopic investigations were conducted discretely.The aging of the solar cells was performed at ambient conditions or at elevated temperatures directly in the in -situ measurement setup. The diffraction depth profiling results point to different degradation rates for different ETLs; moreover, electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, as well as energy dispersive spectroscopy clarified surface conditions in terms of the extent of the degradation. Scanning transmission electron microscopy of lamellas, derived by dual beam microscopy, revealed that the origin of the degradation lay in the ETL/ absorber interface. For the case of the nanostructured zincite, the perovskite absorber contained many voids, leading to the conclusion that the investigated quadruple perovskite absorber showed limited compatibility with ZnO NR ETL due to a higher number of defects. Morphological defects promoted the absorber degradation and nullified the advantages initially achieved by nanostructuring. The exchange of the ZnO NR ETL with MS TiO2 improved the stability parameters of the absorber layer. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
001021057200001 |
Publication Date |
2022-12-25 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0272-8842; 1873-3956 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
Impact Factor |
5.2 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This work has been funded by the projects PZS-2019-02-1555 PV-WALL in Research Cooperability Program of the Croatian Science Foundation funded by the European Union from the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources 2014-2020 (perovskite solar cells) , UIP-2019-04-2367 SLIPPERY SLOPE of the Croatian Science Foundation (nanostructured titania and zincite constituents) , KK.01.2.1.02.0316 “ The development of the technical solution for energy saving using VIS -transparent or semi-transparent and IR-reflective thin-films” by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (characterisation of thin-films) , 20190571 and 20190516 at Elettra Synchrotron, ICM-2019-13220 in Ernst Mach program of the OeAD-GmbH, and E210900588 in the EUSMI program. The group of prof Gregor Trimmel of the ICTM, NAWI Graz, the beam- line scientists of the MCX beamline of the Elettra synchrotron, and FIB- STEM researchers of the Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, are gratefully acknowledged for collaboration and instrument access. The financial sustenance of the University of Zagreb is gratefully acknowledged. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 5.2; 2023 IF: 2.986 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197806 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8885 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Mangnus, M.J.J.; de Wit, J.W.; Vonk, S.J.W.; Geuchies, J.J.; Albrecht, W.; Bals, S.; Houtepen, A.J.; Rabouw, F.T. |
Title |
High-throughput characterization of single-quantum-dot emission spectra and spectral diffusion by multiparticle spectroscopy |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
ACS Photonics |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
10 |
Issue |
8 |
Pages |
2688-2698 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
In recent years, quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as bright,color-tunablelight sources for various applications such as light-emitting devices,lasing, and bioimaging. One important next step to advance their applicabilityis to reduce particle-to-particle variations of the emission propertiesas well as fluctuations of a single QD's emission spectrum,also known as spectral diffusion (SD). Characterizing SD is typicallyinefficient as it requires time-consuming measurements at the single-particlelevel. Here, however, we demonstrate multiparticle spectroscopy (MPS)as a high-throughput method to acquire statistically relevant informationabout both fluctuations at the single-particle level and variationsat the level of a synthesis batch. In MPS, we simultaneously measureemission spectra of many (20-100) QDs with a high time resolution.We obtain statistics on single-particle emission line broadening fora batch of traditional CdSe-based core-shell QDs and a batchof the less toxic InP-based core-shell QDs. The CdSe-basedQDs show significantly narrower homogeneous line widths, less SD,and less inhomogeneous broadening than the InP-based QDs. The timescales of SD are longer in the InP-based QDs than in the CdSe-basedQDs. Based on the distributions and correlations in single-particleproperties, we discuss the possible origins of line-width broadeningof the two types of QDs. Our experiments pave the way to large-scale,high-throughput characterization of single-QD emission propertiesand will ultimately contribute to facilitating rational design offuture QD structures. |
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Place of Publication |
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Language |
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Wos |
001009443500001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-18 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2330-4022 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
7 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This work was supported by The Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), an NWO Gravitation Programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the government of The Netherlands. The electron microscopy experiments at EMAT were supported by the European Commission (EUSMI grant E210100474). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 7; 2023 IF: 6.756 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197337 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8879 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Yang, S.; An, H.; Arnouts, S.; Wang, H.; Yu, X.; de Ruiter, J.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; Weckhuysen, B.M.; van der Stam, W. |
Title |
Halide-guided active site exposure in bismuth electrocatalysts for selective CO₂ conversion into formic acid |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Nature Catalysis |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
6 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
796-806 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
Abstract |
It remains a challenge to identify the active sites of bismuth catalysts in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. Here we show through in situ characterization that the activation of bismuth oxyhalide electrocatalysts to metallic bismuth is guided by the halides. In situ X-ray diffraction results show that bromide promotes the selective exposure of planar bismuth surfaces, whereas chloride and iodide result in more disordered active sites. Furthermore, we find that bromide-activated bismuth catalysts outperform the chloride and iodide counterparts, achieving high current density (>100 mA cm(-2)) and formic acid selectivity (>90%), suggesting that planar bismuth surfaces are more active for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. In addition, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that the reconstruction proceeds rapidly in chloride-activated bismuth and gradually when bromide is present, facilitating the formation of ordered planar surfaces. These findings show the pivotal role of halogens on selective facet exposure in activated bismuth-based electrocatalysts during the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
001050367400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-17 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2520-1158 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
37.8 |
Times cited |
13 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
B.M.W. acknowledges support from the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project 'Joint Centre for Chemergy Research' as well as from the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), an NWO gravitation programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the government of the Netherlands. S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128 REALNANO). S.A. and T.A. acknowledge funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). We also thank J. Wijten, J. Janssens and T. Prins (all from the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University) for helpful technical support. S. Deelen (Faculty of Science, Utrecht University) and L. Wu (Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University) are acknowledged for the design of the in situ XRD cell. We also acknowledge B. Detlefs, P. Glatzel and V. Paidi (ESRF) for the support during the HERFD-XANES measurements on the ID26 beamline of the ESRF. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 37.8; 2023 IF: NA |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199190 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8877 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Chen, Q.; Skorikov, A.; van der Hoeven, J.E.S.; van Blaaderen, A.; Albrecht, W.; Perez-Garza, H.H.; Bals, S. |
Title |
Estimation of temperature homogeneity in MEMS-based heating nanochips via quantitative HAADF-STEM tomography |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Particle and particle systems characterization |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
41 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
1-8 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Sample holders for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have recently become popular for investigating the behavior of nanomaterials under in situ or environmental conditions. The accuracy and reproducibility of these in situ holders are essential to ensure the reliability of experimental results. In addition, the uniformity of an applied temperature trigger across the MEMS chip is a crucial parameter. In this work, it is measured the temperature homogeneity of MEMS-based heating sample supports by locally analyzing the dynamics of heat-induced alloying of Au@Ag nanoparticles located in different regions of the support through quantitative fast high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM tomography. These results demonstrate the superior temperature homogeneity of a microheater design based on a heating element shaped as a circular spiral with a width decreasing outwards compared to a double spiral-shaped designed microheater. The proposed approach to measure the local temperature homogeneity based on the thermal properties of bimetallic nanoparticles will support the future development of MEMS-based heating supports with improved thermal properties and in situ studies where high precision in the temperature at a certain position is required. This schematic delineates an approach to quantifying potential localized temperature deviation within a nanochip. Employing two comparable nanoparticles as thermal probes in discrete nanochip regions, the alloying kinetics of these nanoparticles are monitorable using in situ quantitative high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) tomography, thus enabling the precise estimation of local temperature deviations.image |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
001060394600001 |
Publication Date |
2023-09-08 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0934-0866 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
Impact Factor |
2.7 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
Notes |
This project was funded from the European Commission and The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network MUMMERING (Grant Agreement no. 765604) |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 2.7; 2023 IF: 4.474 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199219 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8863 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Beckwee, E.J.; Watson, G.; Houlleberghs, M.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Bals, S.; Van Der Voort, P.; Breynaert, E.; Martens, J.; Baron, G.V.; Denayer, J.F.M. |
Title |
Enabling hydrate-based methane storage under mild operating conditions by periodic mesoporous organosilica nanotubes |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Heliyon |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
9 |
Issue |
7 |
Pages |
e17662-14 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Biomethane is a renewable natural gas substitute produced from biogas. Storage of this sustainable energy vector in confined clathrate hydrates, encapsulated in the pores of a host material, is a highly promising avenue to improve storage capacity and energy efficiency. Herein, a new type of periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) nanotubes, referred to as hollow ring PMO (HR-PMO), capable of promoting methane clathrate hydrate formation under mild working conditions (273 K, 3.5 MPa) and at high water loading (5.1 g water/g HR-PMO) is reported. Gravimetric uptake measurements reveal a steep single-stepped isotherm and a noticeably high methane storage capacity (0.55 g methane/g HR-PMO; 0.11 g methane/g water at 3.5 MPa). The large working capacity throughout consecutive pressure-induced clathrate hydrate formationdissociation cycles demonstrates the material's excellent recyclability (97% preservation of capacity). Supported by ex situ cryo-electron tomography and x-ray diffraction, HR-PMO nanotubes are hypothesized to promote clathrate hydrate nucleation and growth by distribution and confinement of water in the mesopores of their outer wall, along the central channels of the nanotubes and on the external nanotube surface. These findings showcase the potential for application of organosilica materials with hierarchical and interconnected pore systems for pressure-based storage of biomethane in confined clathrate hydrates. |
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Language |
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Wos |
001056264100001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-28 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2405-8440 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
4 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
E.J.B., G.W. and M.H. contributed equally to this work. M.H. acknowledges FWO for an FWO-SB fellowship. All authors acknowledge VLAIO for Moonshot funding (ARCLATH, n ? HBC.2019.0110, ARCLATH2, n ? HBC.2021.0254) . J.A.M. acknowledges the Flemish Government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem) and department EWI for infrastructure investment via the Hermes Fund (AH.2016.134) . NMRCoRe acknowledges the Flemish government, department EWI for financial support as International Research Infrastructure (I001321N: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Platform for Molecular Water Research) . J.A.M. acknowledges the European Research Council (ERC) for an Advanced Research Grant under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 834134 (WATUSO) . S.B acknowledges financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grant G.0381.16N) . This project also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 731019 (EUSMI) and No 815128 (REALNANO) . |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199249 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8862 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Vega-Paredes, M.; Aymerich-Armengol, R.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Marti-Sanchez, S.; Bals, S.; Scheu, C.; Manjon, A.G. |
Title |
Electrochemical stability of rhodium-platinum core-shell nanoparticles : an identical location scanning transmission electron microscopy study |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
ACS nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
17 |
Issue |
17 |
Pages |
16943-16951 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Rhodium-platinum core-shell nanoparticleson a carbonsupport (Rh@Pt/C NPs) are promising candidates as anode catalystsfor polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. However, their electrochemicalstability needs to be further explored for successful applicationin commercial fuel cells. Here we employ identical location scanningtransmission electron microscopy to track the morphological and compositionalchanges of Rh@Pt/C NPs during potential cycling (10 000 cycles,0.06-0.8 V-RHE, 0.5 H2SO4)down to the atomic level, which are then used for understanding thecurrent evolution occurring during the potential cycles. Our resultsreveal a high stability of the Rh@Pt/C system and point toward particledetachment from the carbon support as the main degradation mechanism. |
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Place of Publication |
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Wos |
001051495900001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-21 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
17.1 |
Times cited |
2 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
The authors would like to thank C. Bodirsky for providing the samples, N. Rivas Rivas for his corrections on the manuscript, and D. Chatain for providing her expertise on the equilibrium shape of nanoparticles. Special thanks to B. Breitbach for performing the XRD experiments. A.G.M. acknowledges the Grant RYC2021-033479- I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and, as appropriate, by European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 17.1; 2023 IF: 13.942 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199253 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8859 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Zhang, Y.; van Schayck, J.P.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Claes, N.; Noteborn, W.E.M.; Lu, P.-H.; Duimel, H.; Dunin-Borkowski, R.E.; Bals, S.; Peters, P.J.; Ravelli, R.B.G. |
Title |
Charging of vitreous samples in cryogenic electron microscopy mitigated by graphene |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
ACS nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
17 |
Issue |
16 |
Pages |
15836-15846 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Cryogenic electronmicroscopy can provide high-resolution reconstructionsof macromolecules embedded in a thin layer of ice from which atomicmodels can be built de novo. However, the interactionbetween the ionizing electron beam and the sample results in beam-inducedmotion and image distortion, which limit the attainable resolutions.Sample charging is one contributing factor of beam-induced motionsand image distortions, which is normally alleviated by including partof the supporting conducting film within the beam-exposed region.However, routine data collection schemes avoid strategies wherebythe beam is not in contact with the supporting film, whose rationaleis not fully understood. Here we characterize electrostatic chargingof vitreous samples, both in imaging and in diffraction mode. We mitigatesample charging by depositing a single layer of conductive grapheneon top of regular EM grids. We obtained high-resolution single-particleanalysis (SPA) reconstructions at 2 & ANGS; when the electron beamonly irradiates the middle of the hole on graphene-coated grids, usingdata collection schemes that previously failed to produce sub 3 & ANGS;reconstructions without the graphene layer. We also observe that theSPA data obtained with the graphene-coated grids exhibit a higher b factor and reduced particle movement compared to dataobtained without the graphene layer. This mitigation of charging couldhave broad implications for various EM techniques, including SPA andcryotomography, and for the study of radiation damage and the developmentof future sample carriers. Furthermore, it may facilitate the explorationof more dose-efficient, scanning transmission EM based SPA techniques. |
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Wos |
001041649900001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-02 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
Impact Factor |
17.1 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
We thank H. Nguyen for editing the manuscript. We warmly thank the M4i Microscopy CORE Lab team of FHML Maastricht University (MU) for their support and collaboration and Eve Timlin and Ye Gao (MU) for providing protein samples. Members of the Amsterdam Scientific Instruments team are acknowledged for their Timepix detector support. This work benefited from access to The Netherlands Centre for Electron Nanoscopy (NeCEN) with assistance from Ludovic Renault and Meindert Lamers. The authors acknowledge financial support of the Netherlands Electron Microscopy Infrastructure (NEMI), project number 184.034.014 of the National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Infrastructure of the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the PPP Allowance made available by Health-Holland, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, to stimulate public-private partnerships, project 4DEM, number LSHM21029, and the LINK program from the Province of Limburg, The Netherlands, as well as financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by grant no. 815128 (REALNANO). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 17.1; 2023 IF: 13.942 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198376 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8840 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Ren, P.; Zhang, T.; Jain, N.; Ching, H.Y.V.; Jaworski, A.; Barcaro, G.; Monti, S.; Silvestre-Albero, J.; Celorrio, V.; Chouhan, L.; Rokicinska, A.; Debroye, E.; Kustrowski, P.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.; Das, S. |
Title |
An atomically dispersed Mn-photocatalyst for generating hydrogen peroxide from seawater via the Water Oxidation Reaction (WOR) |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of the American Chemical Society |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
145 |
Issue |
30 |
Pages |
16584-16596 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Organic synthesis (ORSY); Theory and Spectroscopy of Molecules and Materials (TSM²) |
Abstract |
In this work, we have fabricatedan aryl amino-substitutedgraphiticcarbon nitride (g-C3N4) catalyst with atomicallydispersed Mn capable of generating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) directly from seawater. This new catalyst exhibitedexcellent reactivity, obtaining up to 2230 & mu;M H2O2 in 7 h from alkaline water and up to 1800 & mu;Mfrom seawater under identical conditions. More importantly, the catalystwas quickly recovered for subsequent reuse without appreciable lossin performance. Interestingly, unlike the usual two-electron oxygenreduction reaction pathway, the generation of H2O2 was through a less common two-electron water oxidation reaction(WOR) process in which both the direct and indirect WOR processesoccurred; namely, photoinduced h(+) directly oxidized H2O to H2O2 via a one-step 2e(-) WOR, and photoinduced h(+) first oxidized a hydroxide (OH-) ion to generate a hydroxy radical ((OH)-O-& BULL;), and H2O2 was formed indirectly by thecombination of two (OH)-O-& BULL;. We have characterized thematerial, at the catalytic sites, at the atomic level using electronparamagnetic resonance, X-ray absorption near edge structure, extendedX-ray absorption fine structure, high-resolution transmission electronmicroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magic-angle spinningsolid-state NMR spectroscopy, and multiscale molecular modeling, combiningclassical reactive molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemistrycalculations. |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001034983300001 |
Publication Date |
2023-07-24 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
ISSN |
0002-7863 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
15 |
Times cited |
21 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
Notes |
S.D. thanks the IOF grant and Francqui start up grant from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, for the financial support. P.R. thanks CSC and T.Z. thanks FWO for their financial assistance to finish this work. E.D. would like to thank the KU Leuven Research Fund for financial support through STG/21/010. J.S.A. acknowledges financial support from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and EU NextGeneration/PRTR (Project PCI2020-111968/3D-Photocat) and Diamond Synchrotron (rapid access proposal SP32609). This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 770887-PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant 815128-REALNANO to S.B.). S.B. and S.V.A. acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium, project G.0346.21 N). We also thank Mr. Jian Zhu and Mr. Shahid Ullah Khan from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, for helpful discussions. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 15; 2023 IF: 13.858 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198426 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8831 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Arenas Esteban, D.; Pacquets, L.; Choukroun, D.; Hoekx, S.; Kadu, A.A.; Schalck, J.; Daems, N.; Breugelmans, T.; Bals, S. |
Title |
3D characterization of the structural transformation undergone by Cu@Ag core-shell nanoparticles following CO₂ reduction reaction |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Chemistry of materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
35 |
Issue |
17 |
Pages |
6682-6691 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
Abstract |
The increasing use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) is significantly advancing the field of electrocatalysis. In particular, Cu/Ag bimetallic interfaces are widely used to enhance the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO(2)RR) toward CO and, more recently, C-2 products. However, drastic changes in the product distribution and performance when Cu@Ag core-shell configurations are used can often be observed under electrochemical reaction conditions, especially during the first few minutes of the reaction. Possible structural changes that generate these observations remain underexplored; therefore, the structure-property relationship is hardly understood. In this study, we use electron tomography to investigate the structural transformation mechanism of Cu@Ag core-shells NPs during the critical first minutes of the eCO(2)RR. In this manner, we found that the crystallinity of the Cu seed determines whether the formation of a complete and homogeneous Ag shell is possible. Moreover, by tracking the particles' transformations, we conclude that modifications of the Cu-Ag interface and Cu2O enrichment at the surface of the NPs are key factors contributing to the product generation changes. These insights provide a better understanding of how bimetallic core-shell NPs transform under electrochemical conditions. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001061530700001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-31 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
|
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
0897-4756; 1520-5002 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
8.6 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
L.P. was supported through a PhD fellowship for strategicbasic research (1S56920N) of the Research Foundation – Flanders(FWO). S.H. was supported through a PhD fellowship for strategic basicresearch (1S42623N) of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).S.B., D.A.E., and A.A.K. acknowledge financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant Number 815128 REALNANO. This research was financed by the researchcouncil of the University of Antwerp (BOF-GOA 33928). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199187 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8825 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Sa, J.; Hu, N.; Heyvaert, W.; Van Gordon, K.; Li, H.; Wang, L.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Ni, W. |
Title |
Spontaneous Chirality Evolved at the Au–Ag Interface in Plasmonic Nanorods |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Chemistry of materials |
Abbreviated Journal |
Chem. Mater. |
Volume |
|
Issue |
|
Pages |
|
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Chiral ligands are considered a required ingredient during the synthesis of dissymmetric plasmonic metal nanocrystals. The mechanism behind the generation of chiral structures involves the formation of high Miller index chiral facets, induced by the adsorption of such chiral ligands. We found however that, chirality can also evolve spontaneously, without the involvement of any chiral ligands, during the co-deposition of Au and Ag on Au nanorods. When using a specific Au/Ag ratio, phase segregation of the two metals leads to an interface within the obtained AuAg shell, which can be exposed by removing the Ag component via oxidative etching. Although a close-to-racemic mixture of chiral Au nanorods with right and left handedness is found in solution, electron tomography analysis evidences left- and righthanded helicities, both at the Au-Ag interface and at the exposed surface of Au NRs after Ag etching. The helicity profile of the NRs indicates dominating inclination angles in a range from 30° to 60°. Single-particle optical characterization also reveals random handedness in the plasmonic response of individual nanorods. We hypothesize that, the origin of chirality is related with symmetry breaking during the co-deposition of Au and Ag, through an initial perturbation in a small region on the Au-Ag interface that eventually leads to chiral segregation throughout the nanocrystal. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001052093300001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-21 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
0897-4756 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
Impact Factor |
8.6 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 22074102). LMLM acknowledges funding from 26 MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” (Grant PID2020- 117779RB-I00). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717 – ESTEEM3.; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n, PID2020-117779RB-I00 ; H2020 Research Infrastructures, 823717 ; European Social Fund, PID2020-117779RB-I00 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 22074102 ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.6; 2023 IF: 9.466 |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:198151 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8810 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Arteaga Cardona, F.; Jain, N.; Popescu, R.; Busko, D.; Madirov, E.; Arús, B.A.; Gerthsen, D.; De Backer, A.; Bals, S.; Bruns, O.T.; Chmyrov, A.; Van Aert, S.; Richards, B.S.; Hudry, D. |
Title |
Preventing cation intermixing enables 50% quantum yield in sub-15 nm short-wave infrared-emitting rare-earth based core-shell nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Nature communications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nat Commun |
Volume |
14 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
4462 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Short-wave infrared (SWIR) fluorescence could become the new gold standard in optical imaging for biomedical applications due to important advantages such as lack of autofluorescence, weak photon absorption by blood and tissues, and reduced photon scattering coefficient. Therefore, contrary to the visible and NIR regions, tissues become translucent in the SWIR region. Nevertheless, the lack of bright and biocompatible probes is a key challenge that must be overcome to unlock the full potential of SWIR fluorescence. Although rare-earth-based core-shell nanocrystals appeared as promising SWIR probes, they suffer from limited photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The lack of control over the atomic scale organization of such complex materials is one of the main barriers limiting their optical performance. Here, the growth of either homogeneous (α-NaYF<sub>4</sub>) or heterogeneous (CaF<sub>2</sub>) shell domains on optically-active α-NaYF<sub>4</sub>:Yb:Er (with and without Ce<sup>3+</sup>co-doping) core nanocrystals is reported. The atomic scale organization can be controlled by preventing cation intermixing only in heterogeneous core-shell nanocrystals with a dramatic impact on the PLQY. The latter reached 50% at 60 mW/cm<sup>2</sup>; one of the highest reported PLQY values for sub-15 nm nanocrystals. The most efficient nanocrystals were utilized for in vivo imaging above 1450 nm. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001037058500022 |
Publication Date |
2023-07-25 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
ISSN |
2041-1723 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
16.6 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
D.H. would like to thank Dominique Ectors (Bruker AXS GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany) for assistance and discussion on the PXRD data and TOPAS evaluations. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Helmholtz Association via: i) the Professorial Recruitment Initiative Funding (B.S.R.); ii) the Research Field Energy – Program Materials and Technologies for the Energy Transition – Topic 1 Photovoltaics (F.A.C., D.B., E.M., B.S.R., D.H.). This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 innovation programme under grant agreement 823717. This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 770887-PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant 815128-REALNANO to S.B.). The authors acknowledge financial support from the ResearchFoundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0346.21 N to S.V.A. and S.B.) and a postdoctoral grant (A.D.B.). The authors (B.A.A., O.T.B. and A.C.) acknowledge funding from the Helmholtz Zentrum München, the DFG-Emmy Noether program (BR 5355/2-1) and from the CZI Deep Tissue Imaging (DTI-0000000248). The authors (O.T.B. and D.H.) would like to thank the Helmholtz Imaging (ZT-I-PF-4-038-BENIGN). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.6; 2023 IF: 12.124 |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:198158 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8808 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Kelly, S.; Mercer, E.; De Meyer, R.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Bals, S.; Bogaerts, A. |
Title |
Microwave plasma-based dry reforming of methane: Reaction performance and carbon formation |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of CO2 utilization |
Abbreviated Journal |
Journal of CO2 Utilization |
Volume |
75 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
102564 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT) |
Abstract |
e investigate atmospheric pressure microwave (MW) plasma (2.45 GHz) conversion in CO2 and CH4 mixtures (i.e., dry reforming of methane, DRM) focusing on reaction performance and carbon formation. Promising energy costs of ~2.8–3.0 eV/molecule or ~11.1–11.9 kJ/L are amongst the best performance to date considering the current state-of-the-art for plasma-based DRM for all types of plasma. The conversion is in the range of ~46–49% and ~55–67% for CO2 and CH4, respectively, producing primarily syngas (i.e., H2 and CO) with H2/CO ratios of ~0.6–1 at CH4 fractions ranging from 30% to 45%. Water is the largest byproduct with levels ranging ~7–14% in the exhaust. Carbon particles visibly impact the plasma at higher CH4 fractions (> 30%), where they become heated and incandescent. Particle luminosity increases with increasing CH4 fractions, with the plasma becoming unstable near a 1:1 mixture (i.e., > 45% CH4). Electron microscopy of the carbon material reveals an agglomerated morphology of pure carbon nanoparticles. The mean particle size is determined as ~20 nm, free of any metal contamination, consistent with the electrode-less MW design. |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001065310000001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-10 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
ISSN |
2212-9820 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
7.7 |
Times cited |
6 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
We acknowledge financial support by a European Space Agency (ESA) Open Science Innovation Platform study (contract no. 4000137001/21/NL/GLC/ov), the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship ‘‘PENFIX’’ within Horizon 2020 (grant no. 838181), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant no. 810182; SCOPE ERC Synergy project), the Excellence of Science FWOFNRS PLASyntH2 project (FWO grant no. G0I1822N and EOS no. 4000751) and the Methusalem project of the University of Antwerp |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 7.7; 2023 IF: 4.292 |
Call Number |
PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:198155 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8807 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Muravev, V.; Parastaev, A.; van den Bosch, Y.; Ligt, B.; Claes, N.; Bals, S.; Kosinov, N.; Hensen, E.J.M. |
Title |
Size of cerium dioxide support nanocrystals dictates reactivity of highly dispersed palladium catalysts |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
380 |
Issue |
6650 |
Pages |
1174-1179 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
The catalytic performance of heterogeneous catalysts can be tuned by modulation of the size and structure of supported transition metals, which are typically regarded as the active sites. In single-atom metal catalysts, the support itself can strongly affect the catalytic properties. Here, we demonstrate that the size of cerium dioxide (CeO2) support governs the reactivity of atomically dispersed palladium (Pd) in carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation. Catalysts with small CeO2 nanocrystals (~4 nanometers) exhibit unusually high activity in a CO-rich reaction feed, whereas catalysts with medium-size CeO2 (~8 nanometers) are preferred for lean conditions. Detailed spectroscopic investigations reveal support size–dependent redox properties of the Pd-CeO2 interface. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001010846100008 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-16 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
0036-8075 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
56.9 |
Times cited |
22 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
We thank the staff of the MAX IV Laboratory for time on beamline SPECIES under proposals 20200412 and 20190983; E. Kokkonen and A. Klyushin for assistance with NAP-XPS and RPES experiments conducted at SPECIES; staff of the MAX IV Laboratory for time on beamline BALDER under proposal 20200378; K. Klementiev for assistance with XAS measurements; J. Drnec at the ESRF for providing assistance in using beamline ID31; and V. Perez-Dieste and I. Villar Garcia at the CIRCE beamline at ALBA Synchrotron for help with acquiring preliminary RPES data obtained under proposal 2020024219. The synchrotron-based XRD measurements were performed on beamline ID31 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France. Funding: This work was supported by the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), a NWO Gravitation program funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Government of the Netherlands (V.M. and E.J.M.H.); the European Research Council (ERC consolidator grant 815128 REALNANO to S.B. and N.C.); and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant 823717–ESTEEM to S.B. and N.C). Research conducted at MAX IV, a Swedish national user facility, is supported by the Swedish Research council under contract 2018-07152, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems under contract 2018-04969, and Formas under contract 2019-02496 (VM). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 56.9; 2023 IF: 37.205 |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197199 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8801 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Carrasco, S.; Orcajo, G.; Martínez, F.; Imaz, I.; Kavak, S.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Maspoch, D.; Bals, S.; Calleja, G.; Horcajada, P. |
Title |
Hf/porphyrin-based metal-organic framework PCN-224 for CO2 cycloaddition with epoxides |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Materials Today Advances |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
19 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
100390 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Herein, we describe for the first time the synthesis of the highly porous Hf-tetracarboxylate porphyrin-based metal-organic framework (MOF) (Hf)PCN-224(M) (M = H2, Co2+). (Hf)PCN-224(H2) was easily and efficiently prepared following a simple microwave-assisted procedure with good yields (56–67%; space-time yields: 1100–1270 kg m−3·day−1), high crystallinity and phase purity by using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and benzoic acid as modulators in less than 30 min. By simply introducing a preliminary step (10 min), 5,10,15,20-(tetra-4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin linker (TCPP) was quantitatively metalated with Co2+ without additional purification and/or time consuming protection/deprotection steps to further obtain (Hf)PCN-224(Co). (Hf)PCN-224(Co) was then tested as catalyst in CO2 cycloaddition reaction with different epoxides to yield cyclic carbonates, showing the best catalytic performance described to date compared to other PCNs, under mild conditions (1 bar CO2, room temperature, 18–24 h). Twelve epoxides were tested, obtaining from moderate to excellent conversions (35–96%). Moreover, this reaction was gram scaled-up (x50) without significant loss of yield to cyclic carbonates. (Hf)PCN-224(Co) maintained its integrity and crystallinity even after 8 consecutive runs, and poisoning was efficiently reverted by a simple thermal treatment (175 °C, 6 h), fully recovering the initial catalytic activity. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001025764000001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-19 |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
|
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
2590-0498 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
10 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
S.C. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA-COFUND) grant agreement No 754382 (GOT Energy Talent). S.C. and P.H. acknowledge “Comunidad de Madrid” and European Regional Development Fund-FEDER 2014-2020-OE REACT-UE 1 for their financial support to VIRMOF-CM project associated to R&D projects in response to COVID-19. The authors acknowledge H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 HeatNMof (ref. 860942), the M-ERA-NET C-MOF-cell (grant PCI2020-111998 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR) project, and Retos Investigación MOFSEIDON (grant PID2019-104228RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) project. This work has been also supported by the Regional Government of Madrid (Project ACES2030-CM, S2018/EMT-4319) and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos IMPULSO Project (grant MATER M − 3000). S.K acknowledges the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO Vlaanderen) through a PhD research grant (1181122 N). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 10; 2023 IF: NA |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197198 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8800 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Vlasov, E.; Skorikov, A.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S. |
Title |
Secondary electron induced current in scanning transmission electron microscopy: an alternative way to visualize the morphology of nanoparticles |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
ACS materials letters |
Abbreviated Journal |
ACS Materials Lett. |
Volume |
|
Issue |
|
Pages |
1916-1921 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Electron tomography (ET) is a powerful tool to determine the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nanomaterials in a transmission electron microscope. However, the acquisition of a conventional tilt series for ET is a time-consuming process and can therefore not provide 3D structural information in a time-efficient manner. Here, we propose surface-sensitive secondary electron (SE) imaging as an alternative to ET for the investigation of the morphology of nanomaterials. We use the SE electron beam induced current (SEEBIC) technique that maps the electrical current arising from holes generated by the emission of SEs from the sample. SEEBIC imaging can provide valuable information on the sample morphology with high spatial resolution and significantly shorter throughput times compared with ET. In addition, we discuss the contrast formation mechanisms that aid in the interpretation of SEEBIC data. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001006191600001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-12 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
2639-4979 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
The funding for this project was provided by European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 815128, REALNANO). J.V. acknowledges the eBEAM project, which is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101017720 (FET-Proactive EBEAM). L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (grant # PID2020-117779RB-I00). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:197004 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8795 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Kavak, S.; Kadu, A.A.; Claes, N.; Sánchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Batenburg, K.J.; Bals, S. |
Title |
Quantitative 3D Investigation of Nanoparticle Assemblies by Volumetric Segmentation of Electron Tomography Data Sets |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
127 |
Issue |
20 |
Pages |
9725-9734 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Morphological characterization of nanoparticle assemblies and hybrid nanomaterials is critical in determining their structure-property relationships as well as in the development of structures with desired properties. Electron tomography has become a widely utilized technique for the three-dimensional characterization of nanoparticle assemblies. However, the extraction of quantitative morphological parameters from the reconstructed volume can be a complex and labor-intensive task. In this study, we aim to overcome this challenge by automating the volumetric segmentation process applied to three-dimensional reconstructions of nanoparticle assemblies. The key to enabling automated characterization is to assess the performance of different volumetric segmentation methods in accurately extracting predefined quantitative descriptors for morphological characterization. In our methodology, we compare the quantitative descriptors obtained through manual segmentation with those obtained through automated segmentation methods, to evaluate their accuracy and effectiveness. To show generality, our study focuses on the characterization of assemblies of CdSe/CdS quantum dots, gold nanospheres and CdSe/CdS encapsulated in polymeric micelles, and silica-coated gold nanorods decorated with both CdSe/CdS or PbS quantum dots. We use two unsupervised segmentation algorithms: the watershed transform and the spherical Hough transform. Our results demonstrate that the choice of automated segmentation method is crucial for accurately extracting the predefined quantitative descriptors. Specifically, the spherical Hough transform exhibits superior performance in accurately extracting quantitative descriptors, such as particle size and interparticle distance, thereby allowing for an objective, efficient, and reliable volumetric segmentation of complex nanoparticle assemblies. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000991752700001 |
Publication Date |
2023-05-25 |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
1932-7447 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
3.7 |
Times cited |
2 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1181122N ; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, 861950 ; H2020 European Research Council, 815128 ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.7; 2023 IF: 4.536 |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:196971 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
8793 |
Permanent link to this record |
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|
Author |
Chen, H.; Xiong, Y.; Li, J.; Abed, J.; Wang, D.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Cao, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, Y.; Shakouri, M.; Xiao, Q.; Hu, Y.; Bals, S.; Sargent, E.H.H.; Su, C.-Y.; Yang, Z. |
Title |
Epitaxially grown silicon-based single-atom catalyst for visible-light-driven syngas production |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Nature communications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nat Commun |
Volume |
14 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
1719-11 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Despite the natural abundance and promising properties of Si, there are few examples of crystalline Si-based catalysts. Here, the authors report an epitaxial growth method to construct Co single atoms on Si for light driven CO2 reduction to syngas. Improving the dispersion of active sites simultaneous with the efficient harvest of photons is a key priority for photocatalysis. Crystalline silicon is abundant on Earth and has a suitable bandgap. However, silicon-based photocatalysts combined with metal elements has proved challenging due to silicon's rigid crystal structure and high formation energy. Here we report a solid-state chemistry that produces crystalline silicon with well-dispersed Co atoms. Isolated Co sites in silicon are obtained through the in-situ formation of CoSi2 intermediate nanodomains that function as seeds, leading to the production of Co-incorporating silicon nanocrystals at the CoSi2/Si epitaxial interface. As a result, cobalt-on-silicon single-atom catalysts achieve an external quantum efficiency of 10% for CO2-to-syngas conversion, with CO and H-2 yields of 4.7 mol g((Co))(-1) and 4.4 mol g((Co))(-1), respectively. Moreover, the H-2/CO ratio is tunable between 0.8 and 2. This photocatalyst also achieves a corresponding turnover number of 2 x 10(4) for visible-light-driven CO2 reduction over 6 h, which is over ten times higher than previously reported single-atom photocatalysts. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000962607600018 |
Publication Date |
2023-03-28 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
2041-1723 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
16.6 |
Times cited |
6 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21821003, 21890380, 21905316), Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (2019A1515011748), the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province (2019A050510018), Pearl River Recruitment Program of Talent (2019QN01C108), the EU Infrastructure Project EUSMI (Grant No. E190700310), and Sun Yat-sen University. D.W. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 894254 SuprAtom). S.B. and A.P.-T. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by grant no. 731019 (EUSMI) and ERC Consolidator grant no. 815128 (REALNANO). This project has received funding from the European Commission Grant (EUSMI E190700310). Synchrotron XAS data 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), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Saskatchewan, and the University of Saskatchewan. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.6; 2023 IF: 12.124 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:196062 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7932 |
Permanent link to this record |
|
|
|
Author |
Jain, N.; Hao, Y.; Parekh, U.; Kaltenegger, M.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Lazzaroni, R.; Resel, R.; Geerts, Y.H.; Bals, S.; Van Aert, S. |
Title |
Exploring the effects of graphene and temperature in reducing electron beam damage: A TEM and electron diffraction-based quantitative study on Lead Phthalocyanine (PbPc) crystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Micron |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
169 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
103444 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of organic crystals, such as Lead Phthalocyanine (PbPc), is very challenging since these materials are prone to electron beam damage leading to the breakdown of the crystal structure during investigation. Quantification of the damage is imperative to enable high-resolution imaging of PbPc crystals with minimum structural changes. In this work, we performed a detailed electron diffraction study to quantitatively measure degradation of PbPc crystals upon electron beam irradiation. Our study is based on the quantification of the fading intensity of the spots in the electron diffraction patterns. At various incident dose rates (e/Å2/s) and acceleration voltages, we experimentally extracted the decay rate (1/s), which directly correlates with the rate of beam damage. In this manner, a value for the critical dose (e/Å2) could be determined, which can be used as a measure to quantify beam damage. Using the same methodology, we explored the influence of cryogenic temperatures, graphene TEM substrates, and graphene encapsulation in prolonging the lifetime of the PbPc crystal structure during TEM investigation. The knowledge obtained by diffraction experiments is then translated to real space high-resolution TEM imaging of PbPc. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000965998800001 |
Publication Date |
2023-03-21 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
0968-4328 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
2.4 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This work is supported by FWO and FNRS within the 2Dto3D network of the EOS (Excellence of Science) program (grant number 30489208) and ERC-CoGREALNANO-815128 (to Prof. Dr. Sara Bals). N.J. would like to thank Dr. Kunal S. Mali and Dr. Da Wang for useful and interesting discussions on sample preparation procedures. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 2.4; 2023 IF: 1.98 |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:196069 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7379 |
Permanent link to this record |
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|
Author |
Mulder, J.T.; Meijer, M.S.; van Blaaderen, J.J.; du Fosse, I.; Jenkinson, K.; Bals, S.; Manna, L.; Houtepen, A.J. |
Title |
Understanding and preventing photoluminescence quenching to achieve unity photoluminescence quantum yield in Yb:YLF nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
ACS applied materials and interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
15 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
3274-3286 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Ytterbium-doped LiYF4 (Yb:YLF) is a commonly used material for laser applications, as a photon upconversion medium, and for optical refrigeration. As nanocrystals (NCs), the material is also of interest for biological and physical applications. Unfortunately, as with most phosphors, with the reduction in size comes a large reduction of the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), which is typically associated with an increase in surface-related PL quenching. Here, we report the synthesis of bipyramidal Yb:YLF NCs with a short axis of similar to 60 nm. We systematically study and remove all sources of PL quenching in these NCs. By chemically removing all traces of water from the reaction mixture, we obtain NCs that exhibit a near-unity PLQY for an Yb3+ concentration below 20%. At higher Yb3+ concentrations, efficient concentration quenching occurs. The surface PL quenching is mitigated by growing an undoped YLF shell around the NC core, resulting in near-unity PLQY values even for fully Yb3+-based LiYbF4 cores. This unambiguously shows that the only remaining quenching sites in core-only Yb:YLF NCs reside on the surface and that concentration quenching is due to energy transfer to the surface. Monte Carlo simulations can reproduce the concentration dependence of the PLQY. Surprisingly, Fo''rster resonance energy transfer does not give satisfactory agreement with the experimental data, whereas nearest-neighbor energy transfer does. This work demonstrates that Yb3+-based nanophosphors can be synthesized with a quality close to that of bulk single crystals. The high Yb3+ concentration in the LiYbF4/LiYF4 core/shell nanocrystals increases the weak Yb3+ absorption, making these materials highly promising for fundamental studies and increasing their effectiveness in bioapplications and optical refrigeration. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000912997300001 |
Publication Date |
2023-01-06 |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
1944-8244 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
9.5 |
Times cited |
3 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 766900 (Testing the Large-Scale Limit of Quantum Mechanics). A.J.H. and I.d.F. further acknowledge the European Research Council Horizon 2020 ERC Grant Agreement No. 678004 (Doping on Demand) for financial support. The authors thank Freddy Rabouw and Andries Meijerink (Utrecht University) for very fruitful discussions and extremely useful advice. The author s thank Jos Thieme for his help with the laser setups used . The authors furthermore thank Niranjan Saikumar for proofreading the manuscript. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 9.5; 2023 IF: 7.504 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:194317 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7348 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Parzyszek, S.; Tessarolo, J.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Ortuno, A.M.; Baginski, M.; Bals, S.; Clever, G.H.; Lewandowski, W. |
Title |
Tunable circularly polarized luminescence via chirality induction and energy transfer from organic films to semiconductor nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
Volume |
16 |
Issue |
11 |
Pages |
18472-18482 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Circularly polarized luminescent (CPL) films with high dissymmetry factors hold great potential for optoelectronic applications. Herei n , we propose a strategy for achieving strongly dissymetric CPL in nanocomposite films based on chira l i t y induction and energy transfer to semiconductor nanocrystals. First, focusing on a purely organic system, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and CPL activity of organic liquid crystals (LCs) forming helical nanofilaments was detected, featuring green emission with high dissymmetry factors g(lum) similar to 10(-2). The handedness of helical filaments, and thus the sign of CPL, was controlled via minute amounts of a small chiral organic dopant. Second, nanocomposite films were fabricated by incorporating InP/ZnS semi-conductor quantum dots (QDs) into the LC matri x , which induced the chiral assembly of QDs and endowed them with chiroptical properties. Due to the spectral matching of the components, energy transfer (ET) from LC to QDs was possible enabling a convenient way of tuning CPL wavelengths by varying the LC/QD ratio. As obtained, composite films exhibited absolute glum values up to similar to 10(-2) and thermally on/off switchable luminescence. Overall, we demonstrate the induction of chiroptical properties by the assembly of nonchiral building QDs on the chiral organic template and energy transfer from organic films to QDs, representing a simple and versatile approach to tune the CPL activity of organic materials. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000883943600001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-07 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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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 |
17.1 |
Times cited |
10 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
W.L., S.P., and M.B. acknowledge support from the National Science Center Poland under the OPUS Grant UMO-2019/35/B/ST5/04488. J.T. and G.H.C. acknowledge the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy, Grant EXC 2033-390677874-RESOLV. W.L. acknowledges financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by Grant E210400529. S.B. and A.P.-T. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by Grant 731019 (EUSMI) and ERC Consolidator Grant 815128 (REALNANO). We thank Elie Benchimol for his help with the CPL measurements. We thank Damian Pociecha for his help in the determination of phase sequences of organic compounds. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 17.1 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192101 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7345 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Spaeth, P.; Adhikari, S.; Heyvaert, W.; Zhuo, X.; Garcia, I.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.; Bals, S.; Orrit, M.; Albrecht, W. |
Title |
Photothermal circular dichroism measurements of single chiral gold nanoparticles correlated with electron tomography |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS Photonics |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Photonics |
Volume |
9 |
Issue |
12 |
Pages |
3995-4004 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Chemically synthesized metal nanoparticles with morphological chiral features are known to exhibit strong circular dichroism. However, we still lack understanding of the correlation between morphological and chiroptical features of plasmonic nanoparticles. To shed light on that question, single nanoparticle experiments are required. We performed photothermal circular dichroism measurements of single chiral and achiral gold nanoparticles and correlated the chiroptical response to the 3D morphology of the same nanoparticles retrieved by electron tomography. In contrast to an ensemble measurement, we show that individual particles within the ensemble display a broad distribution of strength and handedness of circular dichroism signals. Whereas obvious structural chiral features, such as helical wrinkles, translate into chiroptical ones, nanoparticles with less obvious chiral morphological features can also display strong circular dichroism signals. Interestingly, we find that even seemingly achiral nanoparticles can display large g-factors. The origin of this circular dichroism signal is discussed in terms of plasmonics and other potentially relevant factors. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000884432100001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-08 |
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 |
7 |
Times cited |
5 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
This work was supported by The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) as part of the Open Technology Program (OTP, Project No. 16008) and by a Spinoza prize (M.O.) . W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 Program (Grant No. 797153, SOPMEN) . L.M.L.M. acknowledges funding from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Grants PID2020-117779RB-I00 and MDM-2017-0720) . We thank Dr. Wolfgang L?fer for providing optical equipment. We also acknowledge the European Soft Matter Infrastructure (EUSMI: E201200468) . |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 7 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192098 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7331 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Yang, S.; Liu, Z.; An, H.; Arnouts, S.; de Ruiter, J.; Rollier, F.; Bals, S.; Altantzis, T.; Figueiredo, M.C.; Filot, I.A.W.; Hensen, E.J.M.; Weckhuysen, B.M.; van der Stam, W. |
Title |
Near-unity electrochemical CO₂ to CO conversion over Sn-doped copper oxide nanoparticles |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS catalysis |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Catal |
Volume |
12 |
Issue |
24 |
Pages |
15146-15156 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
Abstract |
Bimetallic electrocatalysts have emerged as a viable strategy to tune the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) for the selective production of valuable base chemicals and fuels. However, obtaining high product selectivity and catalyst stability remain challenging, which hinders the practical application of eCO2RR. In this work, it was found that a small doping concentration of tin (Sn) in copper oxide (CuO) has profound influence on the catalytic performance, boosting the Faradaic efficiency (FE) up to 98% for carbon monoxide (CO) at -0.75 V versus RHE, with prolonged stable performance (FE > 90%) for up to 15 h. Through a combination of ex situ and in situ characterization techniques, the in situ activation and reaction mechanism of the electrocatalyst at work was elucidated. In situ Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed that the binding energy of the crucial adsorbed *CO intermediate was lowered through Sn doping, thereby favoring gaseous CO desorption. This observation was confirmed by density functional theory, which further indicated that hydrogen adsorption and subsequent hydrogen evolution were hampered on the Sn-doped electrocatalysts, resulting in boosted CO formation. It was found that the pristine electrocatalysts consisted of CuO nanoparticles decorated with SnO2 domains, as characterized by ex situ high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. These pristine nanoparticles were subsequently in situ converted into a catalytically active bimetallic Sn-doped Cu phase. Our work sheds light on the intimate relationship between the bimetallic structure and catalytic behavior, resulting in stable and selective oxide-derived Sn-doped Cu electrocatalysts. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000900052400001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-28 |
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 |
12.9 |
Times cited |
16 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
B.M.W., S.Y., M.C.F., E.J.M.H., and W.v.d.S. acknowledge support from the Strategic UU-TU/e Alliance project ?Joint Centre for Chemergy Research?. S.B. acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator grant #815128 REALNANO) . Z.L. acknowledges financial support of the China Scholarship Council and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research for access to computa-tional resources for carrying out the DFT calculations reported in this work. S.A. and T.A. acknowledge funding from theUniversity of Antwerp Research fund (BOF) . The authors also thank Dr. Jochem Wijten and Joris Janssens (Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Utrecht University) for helpful technical support. Sander Deelen (Faculty of Science, Utrecht University) is acknowledged for the design of the in situ XRD cell. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 12.9 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192742 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7325 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Rivas-Murias, B.; Testa-Anta, M.; Skorikov, A.S.; Comesana-Hermo, M.; Bals, S.; Salgueirino, V. |
Title |
Interfaceless exchange bias in CoFe₂O₄ nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Nano letters |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
23 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
1688-1695 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Oxidized cobalt ferrite nanocrystals with a modified distribution of the magnetic cations in their spinel structure give place to an unusual exchange-coupled system with a double reversal of the magnetization, exchange bias, and increased coercivity, but without the presence of a clear physical interface that delimits two well-differentiated magnetic phases. More specifically, the partial oxidation of cobalt cations and the formation of Fe vacancies at the surface region entail the formation of a cobalt-rich mixed ferrite spinel, which is strongly pinned by the ferrimagnetic background from the cobalt ferrite lattice. This particular configuration of exchange-biased magnetic behavior, involving two different magnetic phases but without the occurrence of a crystallographically coherent interface, revolu-tionizes the established concept of exchange bias phenomenology. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000940892000001 |
Publication Date |
2023-02-27 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
ISSN |
1530-6984 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
10.8 |
Times cited |
4 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
M.T.-A. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n under grant FJC2021- 046680-I. S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grant N o 815128 REALNANO) . V.S. acknowledges the financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n under project PID2020-119242-I00 and from the European Union under project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2019 PEPSA-MATE (project number 872233) . |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 10.8; 2023 IF: 12.712 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:195186 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7315 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
dela Encarnacion, C.; Lenzi, E.; Henriksen-Lacey, M.; Molina, B.; Jenkinson, K.; Herrero, A.; Colas, L.; Ramos-Cabrer, P.; Toro-Mendoza, J.; Orue, I.; Langer, J.; Bals, S.; Jimenez de Aberasturi, D.; Liz-Marzan, L.M. |
Title |
Hybrid magnetic-plasmonic nanoparticle probes for multimodal bioimaging |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Phys Chem C |
Volume |
126 |
Issue |
45 |
Pages |
19519-19531 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Multimodal contrast agents, which take advantage of different imaging modalities, have emerged as an interesting approach to overcome the technical limitations of individual techniques. We developed hybrid nanoparticles comprising an iron oxide core and an outer gold spiky layer, stabilized by a biocompatible polymeric shell. The combined magnetic and optical properties of the different components provide the required functionalities for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and fluorescence imaging. The fabrication of such hybrid nanoprobes comprised the adsorption of small gold nanoparticles onto premade iron oxide cores, followed by controlled growth of spiky gold shells. The gold layer thickness and branching degree (tip sharpness) can be controlled by modifying both the density of Au nanoparticle seeds on the iron oxide cores and the subsequent nanostar growth conditions. We additionally demonstrated the performance of these hybrid multifunctional nanoparticles as multimodal contrast agents for correlative imaging of in vitro cell models and ex vivo tissues. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000883021700001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-04 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
1932-7447; 1932-7455 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
3.7 |
Times cited |
10 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
Notes |
The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (ERC-AdG-2017, 787510) and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 through grants PID2019-108854RA-I00 and Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence No. MDM-2017-0720. S.B. and K.J. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020Programme by Grant No. 823717 (ESTEEM3) and ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128 (REALNANO) . |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.7 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192104 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7311 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Yao, Y.; Ugras, T.J.; Meyer, T.; Dykes, M.; Wang, D.; Arbe, A.; Bals, S.; Kahr, B.; Robinson, R.D. |
Title |
Extracting pure circular dichroism from hierarchically structured CdS magic cluster films |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
Volume |
16 |
Issue |
12 |
Pages |
20457-20469 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Chiroptically active, hierarchically structured materials are difficult to accurately characterize due to linear anisotropic contributions (i.e., linear dichroism (LD) and linear birefringence (LB)) and parasitic ellipticities that produce artifactual circular dichroism (CD) signals, in addition to chiral analyte contributions ranging from molecular-scale clusters to micron-sized assemblies. Recently, we have shown that CdS magic-sized clusters (MSC) can self-assemble into ordered films that have a hierarchical structure spanning seven orders of length-scale. These films have a strong CD response, but the chiral origins are obfuscated by the hierarchical architecture and LDLB contributions. Here, we derive and demonstrate a method for extracting the “pure” CD signal (CD generated by structural dissymmetry) from hierarchical MSC films and identified the chiral origin. The theory behind the method is derived using Mueller matrix and Stokes vector conventions and verified experimentally before being applied to hierarchical MSC and nanoparticle films with varying macroscopic orderings. Each film's extracted “true CD” shares a bisignate profile aligned with the exciton peak, indicating the assemblies adopt a chiral arrangement and form an exciton coupled system. Interestingly, the linearly aligned MSC film possesses one of the highest g-factors (0.05) among semiconducting nanostructures reported. Additionally, we find that films with similar electronic transition dipole alignment can possess greatly different g-factors, indicating chirality change rather than anisotropy is the cause of the difference in the CD signal. The difference in g-factor is controllable via film evaporation geometry. This study provides a simple means to measure “true” CD and presents an example of experimentally understanding chiroptic interactions in hierarchical nanostructures. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000888219600001 |
Publication Date |
2022-11-17 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
17.1 |
Times cited |
8 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
Notes |
This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award Nos. DMR-2003431 and CHE-2003586. This work made use of the Cornell Center for Materials Research Shared Facilities, which are supported through the NSF MRSEC program (DMR-1719875). This work is partly supported by Grant PID2021-123438NB-I00 (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF vA way of making Europe”) and Grant IT1566-22 (Eusko Jaurlaritza). D.W. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in the Horizon 2020 program (Grant 894254 SuprAtom). S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128 REALNANO. B.K. acknowledges NSF award DMR-2003968. We would like to thank Dr. Mark August Pfeifer for help with circular dichroism measurements. Additionally, we would like to thank Professor Luis M. Liz-Marzan for invaluable discussions on chirality. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 17.1 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:192070 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7305 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Bhatia, H.; Martin, C.; Keshavarz, M.; Dovgaliuk, I.; Schrenker, N.J.; Ottesen, M.; Qiu, W.; Fron, E.; Bremholm, M.; Van de Vondel, J.; Bals, S.; Roeffaers, M.B.J.; Hofkens, J.; Debroye, E. |
Title |
Deciphering the role of water in promoting the optoelectronic performance of surface-engineered lead halide perovskite nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
ACS applied materials and interfaces |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
15 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
7294-7307 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Lead halide perovskites are promising candidates for applicability is limited by their structural instability toward moisture. Although a deliberate addition of water to the precursor solution has recently been shown to improve the crystallinity and optical properties of perovskites, the corresponding thin films still do not exhibit a near-unity quantum yield. Herein, we report that the direct addition of a minute amount of water to post-treated substantially enhances the stability while achieving a 95% photoluminescence quantum yield in a NC thin film. We unveil the mechanism of how moisture assists in the formation of an additional NH4Br component. Alongside, we demonstrate the crucial role of moisture in assisting localized etching of the perovskite crystal, facilitating the partial incorporation of NH4+, which is key for improved performance under ambient conditions. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, the application of post-treated and watertreated perovskites is tested in LEDs, with the latter exhibiting a superior performance, offering opportunities toward commercial application in moisture-stable optoelectronics. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000931729400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-01-27 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
1944-8244 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
9.5 |
Times cited |
3 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
Notes |
H.B. would like to express her sincere gratitude to Dr. Peter Erk (formerly BASF SE, Germany) for very insightful discussions. The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO grant numbers S002019N, 1514220N, G.0B39.15, G.0B49.15, G098319N, and ZW15_09-GOH6316) , the KU Leuven Research Fund (C14/19/079, iBOF-21-085 PERSIST, and STG/21/010) , the Flemish government through long-term structural funding Methusalem (CASAS2, Meth/15/04) , the Hercules Founda-tion (HER/11/14) , and the ERC through the Marie Curie ITN iSwitch Ph.D. fellowship to H.B. (grant number 642196) . C.M. acknowledges the financial support from grants PID2021-128761OA-C22 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 by the ?European Union? and SBPLY/21/180501/000127 funded by JCCM and by the EU through Fondo Europeo de Desarollo Regional? (FEDER) . Martin Bremholm and Martin Ottesen acknowledge funding from the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences, under the Sapere Aude program (grant no. 7027-00077B) and VILLUM FONDEN through the Centre of Excellence for Dirac Materials (grant no. 11744) . Affiliation with the Center for Integrated Materials Research (iMAT) at Aarhus University is gratefully acknowledged.-N.J.S. acknowledges financial support from the research foundation Flanders (FWO) through a postdoctoral fellowship (FWO grant no. 1238622N) . S.B. acknowledges financial support from the European Commission by the ERC Consolidator grant REALNANO (no. 815128) . |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 9.5; 2023 IF: 7.504 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:195375 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7293 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Chen, H.; Xu, J.; Wang, Y.; Wang, D.; Ferrer-Espada, R.; Wang, Y.; Zhou, J.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Yang, M.; Tan, J.-H.; Yang, X.; Zhang, L.; Sychugov, I.; Chen, S.; Bals, S.; Paulsson, J.; Yang, Z. |
Title |
Color-switchable nanosilicon fluorescent probes |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2022 |
Publication |
ACS nano |
Abbreviated Journal |
Acs Nano |
Volume |
16 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
15450-15459 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Fluorescent probes are vital to cell imaging by allowing specific parts of cells to be visualized and quantified. Color-switchable probes (CSPs), with tunable emission wavelength upon contact with specific targets, are particularly powerful because they not only eliminate the need to wash away all unbound probe but also allow for internal controls of probe concentrations, thereby facilitating quantification. Several such CSPs exist and have proven very useful, but not for all key cellular targets. Here we report a pioneering CSP for in situ cell imaging using aldehydefunctionalized silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) that switch their intrinsic photoluminescence from red to blue quickly when interacting with amino acids in live cells. Though conventional probes often work better in cell-free extracts than in live cells, the SiNCs display the opposite behavior and function well and fast in universal cell lines at 37 ? while requiring much higher temperature in extracts. Furthermore, the SiNCs only disperse in cytoplasm not nucleus, and their fluorescence intensity correlated linearly with the concentration of fed amino acids. We believe these nanosilicon probes will be promising tools to visualize distribution of amino acids and potentially quantify amino acid related processes in live cells. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000861080700001 |
Publication Date |
2022-09-15 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
ISSN |
1936-0851 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
17.1 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
Notes |
Z.Y. and H.C. acknowledge the funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21905316, 22175201) , the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province (2019A050510018) , the Pearl River Recruitment Program of Talent (2019QN01C108) , the EU Infrastructure Project EUSMI (Grant No. E190700310) , and Sun Yat-sen University. S.C. acknowledge the funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171192) . D.W. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (Grant No. 894254 SuprAtom) . S.B. and A.P.-T. acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by means of the grant agreement No. 731019 (EUSMI) and the ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128 (REALNANO) . J.Z. acknowledged the funding support from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) . L.Z and J.X. thank Huzhou Li-in Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for the instrumentational and financial support. J.X. and R.F.-E. appreciate fruitful discussion with Dr. Emanuele Leoncini and Dr. Noah Olsman. J.X. and R.F.-E. also thank Mr. Daniel Eaton and Mr. Carlos Sanchez for their help with microscope setups. |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 17.1 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:191574 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7288 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Skorikov, A.; Batenburg, K.J.; Bals, S. |
Title |
Analysis of 3D elemental distribution in nanomaterials : towards higher throughput and dose efficiency |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of microscopy |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
Volume |
289 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
157-163 |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Many advanced nanomaterials rely on carefully designed morphology and elemental distribution to achieve their functionalities. Among the few experimental techniques that can directly visualise the 3D elemental distribution on the nanoscale are approaches based on electron tomography in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Unfortunately, these highly informative methods are severely limited by the fundamentally low signal-to-noise ratio, which makes long experimental times and high electron irradiation doses necessary to obtain reliable 3D reconstructions. Addressing these limitations has been the major research question for the development of these techniques in recent years. This short review outlines the latest progress on the methods to reduce experimental time and electron irradiation dose requirements for 3D elemental distribution analysis and gives an outlook on the development of this field in the near future. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000910532600001 |
Publication Date |
2022-12-26 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
ISSN |
0022-2720 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
2 |
Times cited |
2 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
ERC Consolidator Grant, Grant/Award Number: 815128 |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 2; 2023 IF: 1.692 |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:193428 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7281 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
de la Encarnación, C.; Jungwirth, F.; Vila-Liarte, D.; Renero-Lecuna, C.; Kavak, S.; Orue, I.; Wilhelm, C.; Bals, S.; Henriksen-Lacey, M.; Jimenez de Aberasturi, D.; Liz-Marzán, L.M. |
Title |
Hybrid core–shell nanoparticles for cell-specific magnetic separation and photothermal heating |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of materials chemistry B : materials for biology and medicine |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
|
Issue |
|
Pages |
|
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
Abstract |
Hyperthermia, as the process of heating a malignant site above 42 °C to trigger cell death, has emerged as an effective and selective cancer therapy strategy. Various modalities of hyperthermia have been proposed, among which magnetic and photothermal hyperthermia are known to benefit from the use of nanomaterials. In this context, we introduce herein a hybrid colloidal nanostructure comprising plasmonic gold nanorods (AuNRs) covered by a silica shell, onto which iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are subsequently grown. The resulting hybrid nanostructures are responsive to both external magnetic fields and near-infrared irradiation. As a result, they can be applied for the targeted magnetic separation of selected cell populations – upon targeting by antibody functionalization – as well as for photothermal heating. Through this combined functionality, the therapeutic effect of photothermal heating can be enhanced. We demonstrate both the fabrication of the hybrid system and its application for targeted photothermal hyperthermia of human glioblastoma cells. |
Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000968908400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-04-05 |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
ISSN |
2050-750X |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
Impact Factor |
7 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
Notes |
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, PID2019-108854RA-I00 ; H2020 European Research Council, ERC AdG 787510, 4DBIOSERS ERC CoG 815128, REALNANO ; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, PhD research grant 1181122N ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 7; 2023 IF: 4.543 |
Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:195879 |
Serial ![sorted by Serial field, descending order (down)](img/sort_desc.gif) |
7261 |
Permanent link to this record |