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Author Juchtmans, R.; Béché, A.; Abakumov, A.; Batuk, M.; Verbeeck, J.
Title Using electron vortex beams to determine chirality of crystals in transmission electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Physical review : B : condensed matter and materials physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 91 Issue 91 Pages 094112
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We investigate electron vortex beams elastically scattered on chiral crystals. After deriving a general expression for the scattering amplitude of a vortex electron, we study its diffraction on point scatterers arranged on a helix. We derive a relation between the handedness of the helix and the topological charge of the electron vortex on one hand and the symmetry of the higher-order Laue zones in the diffraction pattern on the other for kinematically and dynamically scattered electrons. We then extend this to atoms arranged on a helix as found in crystals which belong to chiral space groups and propose a method to determine the handedness of such crystals by looking at the symmetry of the diffraction pattern. In contrast to alternative methods, our technique does not require multiple scattering, which makes it possible to also investigate extremely thin samples in which multiple scattering is suppressed. In order to verify the model, elastic scattering simulations are performed, and an experimental demonstration on Mn2Sb2O7 is given in which we find the sample to belong to the right-handed variant of its enantiomorphic pair. This demonstrates the usefulness of electron vortex beams to reveal the chirality of crystals in a transmission electron microscope and provides the required theoretical basis for further developments in this field.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000352017000002 Publication Date 2015-03-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1098-0121;1550-235X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 54 Open Access
Notes Fwo; 312483 Esteem2; 278510 Vortex; esteem2jra1; esteem2jra2 ECASJO_; Approved Most recent IF: 3.836; 2015 IF: 3.736
Call Number c:irua:125512 c:irua:125512 Serial 3825
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Author Lamas, J.S.; Leroy, W.P.; Lu, Y.-G.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Depla, D.
Title Using the macroscopic scale to predict the nano-scale behavior of YSZ thin films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Surface and coatings technology Abbreviated Journal Surf Coat Tech
Volume 238 Issue Pages 45-50
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract In this work, Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited using dual reactive magnetron sputtering. By varying the deposition conditions, the film morphology and texture of the thin films are tuned and biaxial alignment is obtained. Studying the crystallographic and microstructural properties of the YSZ thin films, a tilted columnar growth was identified. This tilt is shown to be dependent on the compositional gradient of the sample. The variation of composition within a single YSZ column measured via STEM-EDX is demonstrated to be equal to the macroscopic variation on a full YSZ sample when deposited under the same deposition parameters. A simple stress model was developed to predict the tilt of the growing columns. The results indicate that this model not only determines the column bending of the growing film but also confirms that a macroscopic approach is sufficient to determine the compositional gradient in a single column of the YSZ thin films. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Lausanne Editor
Language Wos 000331028200005 Publication Date 2013-10-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0257-8972; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.589 Times cited 8 Open Access
Notes 246791 Countatoms; 278510 Vortex;Nmp3-La-2010-246102 Ifox; 312483 Esteem2; esteem2jra3 ECASJO; Approved Most recent IF: 2.589; 2014 IF: 1.998
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:115765 Serial 3827
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Author Shanenko, A.A.; Aguiar, J.A.; Vagov, A.; Croitoru, M.D.; Milošević, M.V.
Title Atomically flat superconducting nanofilms: multiband properties and mean-field theory Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Superconductor science and technology Abbreviated Journal Supercond Sci Tech
Volume 28 Issue 28 Pages 054001
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Recent progress in materials synthesis enabled fabrication of superconducting atomically flat single-crystalline metallic nanofilms with thicknesses down to a few monolayers. Interest in such nano-thin systems is attracted by the dimensional 3D-2D crossover in their coherent properties which occurs with decreasing the film thickness. The first fundamental aspect of this crossover is dictated by the Mermin-Wagner-Hohenberg theorem and concerns frustration of the long-range order due to superconductive fluctuations and the possibility to track its impact with an unprecedented level of control. The second important aspect is related to the Fabri-Perot modes of the electronic motion strongly bound in the direction perpendicular to the nanofilm. The formation of such modes results in a pronounced multiband structure that changes with the nanofilm thickness and affects both the mean-field behavior and superconductive fluctuations. Though the subject is very rich in physics, it is scarcely investigated to date. The main obstacle is that there are no manageable models to study a complex magnetic response in this case. Full microscopic consideration is rather time consuming, if practicable at all, while the standard Ginzburg-Landau theory is not applicable. In the present work we review the main achievements in the subject to date, and construct and justify an efficient multiband mean-field formalism which allows for numerical and even analytical treatment of nano-thin superconductors in applied magnetic fields.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000353015700005 Publication Date 2015-03-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0953-2048;1361-6668; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.878 Times cited 23 Open Access
Notes This work was supported by the Brazilian agencies CNPq (grants 307552/2012-8 and 141911/2012-3) and FACEPE (APQ-0589-1.05/08). AAS acknowledges fruitful discussions with A Perali and D Neilson during his stay in the University of Camerino and is thankful for partial support of his visit by the University of Camerino under the project FAR 'Control and enhancement of superconductivity by engineering materials at the nanoscale'. MDC acknowledges the support from the Back to Belgium Grant of the federal Science Policy (BELSPO). Approved Most recent IF: 2.878; 2015 IF: 2.325
Call Number c:irua:132501 Serial 3944
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Author Ludu, A.; Milošević, M.V.; Peeters, F.M.
Title Vortex states in axially symmetric superconductors in applied magnetic field Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Sn – 0378-4754 Abbreviated Journal Math Comput Simulat
Volume 82 Issue 7 Pages 1258-1270
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract We solve analytically the linearized Ginzburg-Landau (GL) equation in the presence of an uniform magnetic field with cylindrical boundary conditions. The solution of the non-linear GL equation is provided as an expansion in the basis of linearized solutions. We present examples of the resulting vortex structure for a solid and perforated superconducting cylinder. (C) 2012 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000303097000009 Publication Date 2012-02-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0378-4754; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.218 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.218; 2012 IF: 0.836
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:98300 Serial 3887
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Author Zhang, L.-F.; Covaci, L.; Milošević, M.V.; Berdiyorov, G.R.; Peeters, F.M.
Title Vortex states in nanoscale superconducting squares : the influence of quantum confinement Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Physical review : B : condensed matter and materials physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 88 Issue 14 Pages 144501
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory is used to investigate the effect of the size of a superconducting square on the vortex states in the quantum confinement regime. When the superconducting coherence length is comparable to the Fermi wavelength, the shape resonances of the superconducting order parameter have strong influence on the vortex configuration. Several unconventional vortex states, including asymmetric ones, giant-multivortex combinations, and states comprising giant antivortices, were found as ground states and their stability was found to be very sensitive on the value of k(F)xi(0), the size of the sample W, and the magnetic flux Phi. By increasing the temperature and/or enlarging the size of the sample, quantum confinement is suppressed and the conventional mesoscopic vortex states as predicted by the Ginzburg-Laudau (GL) theory are recovered. However, contrary to the GL results we found that the states containing symmetry-induced vortex-antivortex pairs are stable over the whole temperature range. It turns out that the inhomogeneous order parameter induced by quantum confinement favors vortex-antivortex molecules, as well as giant vortices with a rich structure in the vortex core-unattainable in the GL domain.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000325498300004 Publication Date 2013-10-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1098-0121;1550-235X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 19 Open Access
Notes ; This work was supported by the Flemish Science Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen) and Methusalem Funding of the Flemish government. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.836; 2013 IF: 3.664
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:111145 Serial 3891
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Author Masenelli-Varlot, K.; Malchere, A.; Ferreira, J.; Heidari Mezerji, H.; Bals, S.; Messaoudi, C.; Garrido, S.M.
Title Wet-STEM tomography : principles, potentialities and limitations Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal
Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 366-375
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The characterization of biological and inorganic materials by determining their three-dimensional structure in conditions closer to their native state is a major challenge of technological research. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) provides access to the observation of hydrated samples in water environments. Here, we present a specific device for ESEM in the scanning transmission electron microscopy mode, allowing the acquisition of tilt-series suitable for tomographic reconstructions. The resolution which can be obtained with this device is first determined. Then, we demonstrate the feasibility of tomography on wet materials. The example studied here is hydrophilic mesoporous silica (MCM-41). Finally, the minimum thickness of water which can be detected is calculated from Monte Carlo simulations and compared with the resolution expected in the tomograms.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge, Mass. Editor
Language Wos 000337304700005 Publication Date 2014-02-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1431-9276;1435-8115; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.891 Times cited 9 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes IAP-PAI; European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7); ERC grant no. 335078-COLOURATOMS.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 1.891; 2014 IF: 1.877
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:118411 Serial 3915
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Author Callewaert, V.; Saniz, R.; Barbiellini, B.; Bansil, A.; Partoens, B.
Title Application of the weighted-density approximation to the accurate description of electron-positron correlation effects in materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Physical review B Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 96 Issue 8 Pages 085135
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract We discuss positron-annihilation lifetimes for a set of illustrative bulk materials within the framework of the weighted-density approximation (WDA). The WDA can correctly describe electron-positron correlations in strongly inhomogeneous systems, such as surfaces, where the applicability of (semi-)local approximations is limited. We analyze the WDA in detail and show that the electrons which cannot screen external charges efficiently, such as the core electrons, cannot be treated accurately via the pair correlation of the homogeneous electron gas. We discuss how this problem can be addressed by reducing the screening in the homogeneous electron gas by adding terms depending on the gradient of the electron density. Further improvements are obtained when core electrons are treated within the LDA and the valence electron using the WDA. Finally, we discuss a semiempirical WDA-based approach in which a sum rule is imposed to reproduce the experimental lifetimes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000408342600003 Publication Date 2017-08-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2469-9950 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 6 Open Access
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, G. 0224.14N ; U.S. Department of Energy, DE-FG02-07ER46352 DE-AC02-05CH11231 DE-SC0012575 ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.836
Call Number CMT @ cmt @c:irua:145703 Serial 4703
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Author Maccato, C.; Simon, Q.; Carraro, G.; Barreca, D.; Gasparotto, A.; Lebedev, O.I.; Turner, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Zinc and copper oxides functionalized with metal nanoparticles : an insight into their nano-organization Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Journal of advanced microscopy research Abbreviated Journal
Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 84-90
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Ag/ZnO and Au/CuxO (x = 1, 2) nanocomposites supported on Si(100) and polycrystalline Al2O3 were synthesised by hybrid approaches, combining chemical vapor deposition (either thermal or plasma-assisted) of host oxide matrices and subsequent radio frequency-sputtering of guest metal particles. The influence of the adopted synthetic parameters on the nanocomposite morphological and compositional features was investigated by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results confirm the synthesis of ZnO and CuxO nanoarchitectures, characterized by a tailored morphology and an intimate metal/oxide contact. A careful control of the processing conditions enabled a fine tuning of the mutual constituent distribution, opening thus attractive perspectives for the engineering of advanced nanomaterials.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2012-12-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2156-7573;2156-7581; ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Esteem Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:105298 Serial 3932
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Author Roose, D.; Leroux, F.; De Vocht, N.; Guglielmetti, C.; Pintelon, I.; Adriaensen, D.; Ponsaerts, P.; Van der Linden, A.; Bals, S.
Title Multimodal imaging of micron-sized iron oxide particles following in vitro and in vivo uptake by stem cells: down to the nanometer scale Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging Abbreviated Journal Contrast Media Mol I
Volume 9 Issue 6 Pages 400-408
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT);
Abstract In this study, the interaction between cells and micron-sized paramagnetic iron oxide (MPIO) particles was investigated by characterizing MPIO in their original state, and after cellular uptake in vitro as well as in vivo. Moreover, MPIO in the olfactory bulb were studied 9 months after injection. Using various imaging techniques, cell-MPIO interactions were investigated with increasing spatial resolution. Live cell confocal microscopy demonstrated that MPIO co-localize with lysosomes after in vitro cellular uptake. In more detail, a membrane surrounding the MPIO was observed by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Following MPIO uptake in vivo, the same cell-MPIO interaction was observed by HAADF-STEM in the subventricular zone at 1 week and in the olfactory bulb at 9 months after MPIO injection. These findings provide proof for the current hypothesis that MPIO are internalized by the cell through endocytosis. The results also show MPIO are not biodegradable, even after 9 months in the brain. Moreover, they show the possibility of HAADF-STEM generating information on the labeled cell as well as on the MPIO. In summary, the methodology presented here provides a systematic route to investigate the interaction between cells and nanoparticles from the micrometer level down to the nanometer level and beyond.
Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000346172100002 Publication Date 2014-04-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1555-4309; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.307 Times cited 8 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes IAP-PAI; 262348 ESMI; Hercules Type 1: AUHA 09/001 and AUHA 11/01 Approved Most recent IF: 3.307; 2014 IF: 2.923
Call Number UA @ lucian @ Serial 3938
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Author Molina-Luna, L.; Duerrschnabel, M.; Turner, S.; Erbe, M.; Martinez, G.T.; Van Aert, S.; Holzapfel, B.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Atomic and electronic structures of BaHfO3-doped TFA-MOD-derived YBa2Cu3O7−δthin films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Superconductor science and technology Abbreviated Journal Supercond Sci Tech
Volume 28 Issue 28 Pages 115009
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Tailoring the properties of oxide-based nanocomposites is of great importance for a wide range of materials relevant for energy technology. YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) superconducting thin films containing nanosized BaHfO3 (BHO) particles yield a significant improvement of the magnetic flux pinning properties and a reduced anisotropy of the critical current density. These films were prepared by chemical solution deposition (CSD) on (100) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates yielding critical current densities up to 3.6 MA cm−2 at 77 K and self-field. Transport in-field J c measurements demonstrated a high pinning force maximum of around 6 GN/m3 for a sample annealed at T = 760 °C that has a doping of 12 mol% of BHO. This sample was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in combination with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) yielding strain and spectral maps. Spherical BHO nanoparticles of 15 nm in size were found in the matrix, whereas the particles at the interface were flat. A 2 nm diffusion layer containing Ti was found at the YBCO (BHO)/STO interface. Local lattice deformation mapping at the atomic scale revealed crystal defects induced by the presence of both sorts of BHO nanoparticles, which can act as pinning centers for magnetic flux lines. Two types of local lattice defects were identified and imaged: (i) misfit edge dislocations and (ii) Ba-Cu-Cu-Ba stacking faults (Y-248 intergrowths). The local electronic structure and charge transfer were probed by high energy resolution monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy. This technique made it possible to distinguish superconducting from non-superconducting areas in nanocomposite samples with atomic resolution in real space, allowing the identification of local pinning sites on the order of the coherence length of YBCO (~1.5 nm) and the determination of 0.25 nm dislocation cores.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000366193000018 Publication Date 2015-09-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0953-2048;1361-6668; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.878 Times cited 4 Open Access
Notes The authors thank financial support from the European Union under the Framework 6 program as a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (References No. 026019 ESTEEM) and by the EUFP6 Research Project “NanoEngineered Superconductors for Power Applications” NESPA no. MRTN-CT-2006-035619. This work was supported by funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). L.M.L, S.T. and G.V.T acknowledge ERC grant N°246791 – COUNTATOMS and funding under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative, Reference No. 312483- ESTEEM2, as well as the EC project EUROTAPES. G.T.M. and S.V.A acknowledge financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (Reference G.0064.10N and G.0393.11N). M.D. acknowledges financial support from the LOEWE research cluster RESPONSE (Hessen, Germany). M.E. has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement n° NMP-LA-2012-280432.; esteem2jra2; esteem2jra3 Approved Most recent IF: 2.878; 2015 IF: 2.325
Call Number c:irua:129199 c:irua:129199 Serial 3942
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Author Erbe, M.; Hänisch, J.; Hühne, R.; Freudenberg, T.; Kirchner, A.; Molina-Luna, L.; Damm, C.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Kaskel, S.; Schultz, L.; Holzapfel, B.
Title BaHfO3artificial pinning centres in TFA-MOD-derived YBCO and GdBCO thin films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Superconductor science and technology Abbreviated Journal Supercond Sci Tech
Volume 28 Issue 28 Pages 114002
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Chemical solution deposition (CSD) is a promising way to realize REBa2Cu3O7−x (REBCO;RE = rare earth (here Y, Gd))-coated conductors with high performance in applied magnetic fields. However, the preparation process contains numerous parameters which need to be tuned to achieve high-quality films. Therefore, we investigated the growth of REBCO thin films containing nanometre-scale BaHfO3 (BHO) particles as pinning centres for magnetic flux lines, with emphasis on the influence of crystallization temperature and substrate on the microstructure and superconductivity. Conductivity, microscopy and x-ray investigations show an enhanced performance of BHO nano-composites in comparison to pristine REBCO. Further, those measurements reveal the superiority of GdBCO to YBCO—e.g. by inductive critical current densities, Jc, at self-field and 77 K. YBCO is outperformed by more than 1 MA cm−2 with Jc values of up to 5.0 MA cm−2 for 265 nm thick layers of GdBCO(BHO) on lanthanum aluminate. Transport in-field Jc measurements demonstrate high pinning force maxima of around 4 GN m−3 for YBCO(BHO) and GdBCO(BHO). However, the irreversibility fields are appreciably higher for GdBCO. The critical temperature was not significantly reduced upon BHO addition to both YBCO and GdBCO, indicating a low tendency for Hf diffusion into the REBCO matrix. Angular-dependent Jc measurements show a reduction of the anisotropy in the same order of magnitude for both REBCO compounds. Theoretical models suggest that more than one sort of pinning centre is active in all CSD films.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000366193000003 Publication Date 2015-09-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0953-2048;1361-6668; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.878 Times cited 36 Open Access
Notes Experimental work was mainly done at IFW Dresden. We thank Juliane Scheiter and Dr Jens Ingolf Mönch of IFW Dresden for technical assistance. The research leading to these results received funding from EUROTAPES, a collaborative project funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no. NMP-LA-2012-280 432. L Molina-Luna and G Van Tendeloo acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (ERC grant nr. 24 691-COUNTATOMS). Approved Most recent IF: 2.878; 2015 IF: 2.325
Call Number c:irua:129200 Serial 3941
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Author van Aarle, W.; Palenstijn, W.J.; De Beenhouwer, J.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Batenburg, K.J.; Sijbers, J.
Title The ASTRA Toolbox: A platform for advanced algorithm development in electron tomography Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 157 Issue 157 Pages 35-47
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract We present the ASTRA Toolbox as an open platform for 3D image reconstruction in tomography. Most of the software tools that are currently used in electron tomography offer limited flexibility with respect to the geometrical parameters of the acquisition model and the algorithms used for reconstruction. The ASTRA Toolbox provides an extensive set of fast and flexible building blocks that can be used to develop advanced reconstruction algorithms, effectively removing these limitations. We demonstrate this flexibility, the resulting reconstruction quality, and the computational efficiency of this toolbox by a series of experiments, based on experimental dual-axis tilt series.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000361002400005 Publication Date 2015-05-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 562 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the iMinds ICONMetroCT project,the IWT SBO Tom Food project and from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO),Project no. 639.072.005. Networking support was provided by the EXTREMA COST Action MP 1207. Sara Bals acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078 COLOURATOMS).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2015 IF: 2.436
Call Number c:irua:127834 Serial 3974
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Author Mayer, M.; Scarabelli, L.; March, K.; Altantzis, T.; Tebbe, M.; Kociak, M.; Bals, S.; Garcia de Abajo, F.J.; Fery, A.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.
Title Controlled Living Nanowire Growth: Precise Control over the Morphology and Optical Properties of AgAuAg Bimetallic Nanowires Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Nano letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 15 Issue 15 Pages 5427-5437
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Inspired by the concept of living polymerization reaction, we are able to produce silver-gold-silver nanowires with a precise control over their total length and plasmonic properties by establishing a constant silver deposition rate on the tips of penta-twinned gold nanorods used as seed cores. Consequently, the length of the wires increases linearly in time. Starting with approximately 210 nm x 32 nm gold cores, we produce nanowire lengths up to several microns in a highly controlled manner, with a small self-limited increase in thickness of approximately 4 nm, corresponding to aspect ratios above 100, whereas the low polydispersity of the product allows us to detect up to nine distinguishable plasmonic resonances in a single colloidal solution. We analyze the spatial distribution and the nature of the plasmons by electron energy loss spectroscopy and obtain excellent agreement between measurements and electromagnetic simulations, clearly demonstrating that the presence of the gold core plays a marginal role, except for relatively short wires or high-energy modes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000359613700087 Publication Date 2015-07-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1530-6984;1530-6992; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 117 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council Advanced Grant PLASMAQUO (No. 267867) and from the Spanish MINECO (grant MAT2013-46101-R). S.B. acknowledges funding from ERC Starting Grant COLOURATOMS (335078). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreements 312483 (ESTEEM2) and 262348 (ESMI). M.M., M.T., and A.F. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council starting grant METAMECH (No 306686). M.T. was supported by the Elite Network Bavaria in the frame of the Elite Study Program “Macromolecular Science” and funded via a grant for Ph.D. candidates according to Bavarian elite promotion law (BayEFG). F.J.G.deA. acknowledges funding from the Spanish MINECO (grant MAT2014-59096-P).; esteem2jra3; esteem2jra4; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 12.712; 2015 IF: 13.592
Call Number c:irua:129687 c:irua:129687 Serial 3975
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Author Gonzalez-Rubio, G.; Gonzalez-Izquierdo, J.; Banares, L.; Tardajos, G.; Rivera, A.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Pena-Rodriguez, O.; Guerrero-Martinez, A.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.
Title Femtosecond Laser-Controlled Tip-to-Tip Assembly and Welding of Gold Nanorods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Nano letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 15 Issue 15 Pages 8282-8288
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Directed assembly of gold nanorods through the use of dithiolated molecular linkers is one of the most efficient methodologies for the morphologically controlled tip-to-tip assembly of this type of anisotropic nanocrystals. However, in a direct analogy to molecular polymerization synthesis, this process is characterized by difficulties in chain-growth control over nanoparticle oligomers. In particular, it is nearly impossible to favor the formation of one type of oligomer, making the methodology hard to use for actual applications in nanoplasmonics. We propose here a light-controlled synthetic procedure that allows obtaining selected plasmonic oligomers in high yield and with reaction times in the scale of minutes by irradiation with low fluence near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser pulses. Selective inhibition of the formation of gold nanorod n-mers (trimers) with a longitudinal localized surface plasmon in resonance with a 800 nm Ti:sapphire laser, allowed efficient trapping of the (n – 1)-mers (dimers) by hot spot mediated photothermal decomposition of the interparticle molecular linkers. Laser irradiation at higher energies produced near-field enhancement at the interparticle gaps, which is large enough to melt gold nanorod tips, offering a new pathway toward tip-to-tip welding of gold nanorod oligomers with a plasmonic response at the NIR. Thorough optical and electron microscopy characterization indicates that plasmonic oligomers can be selectively trapped and welded, which has been analyzed in terms of a model that predicts with reasonable accuracy the relative concentrations of the main plasmonic species.
Address Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science , 48013 Bilbao, Spain
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000366339600075 Publication Date 2015-11-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1530-6984;1530-6992; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 101 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work has been funded by the Spanish MINECO (MAT2012-38541, MAT2013-46101-R, MAT2014-59678-R and CTQ2012-37404-C02-01). A.G.-M. and G.G.-R., respectively, acknowledge receipt of Ramón y Cajal and FPI Fellowships from the Spanish MINECO. O.P.-R. is grateful with Moncloa Campus of International Excellence (UCMUPM) for the PICATA postdoctoral fellowship. The facilities provided by the Center for Ultrafast Lasers at Complutense University of Madrid are gratefully acknowledged. S.B. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), ERC Grant 335078 COLOURATOMS.; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 12.712; 2015 IF: 13.592
Call Number c:irua:129686 Serial 3976
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Author Hamon, C.; Novikov, S.M.; Scarabelli, L.; Solís, D.M.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Taboada, J.M.; Obelleiro, F.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.
Title Collective Plasmonic Properties in Few-Layer Gold Nanorod Supercrystals Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication ACS Photonics Abbreviated Journal Acs Photonics
Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages 1482-1488
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Gold nanorod supercrystals have been widely employed for the detection of relevant bioanalytes with detection limits ranging from nano- to picomolar levels,

confirming the promising nature of these structures for biosensing. Even though a relationship between the height of the supercrystal (i.e., the number of stacked nanorod layers)and the enhancement factor has been proposed, no systematic

study has been reported. In order to tackle this problem, we prepared gold nanorod supercrystals with varying numbers of stacked layers and analyzed them extensively by atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy and surface enhanced Raman scattering. The experimental results were compared to numerical

simulations performed on real-size supercrystals composed of thousands of nanorod building blocks. Analysis of the hot spot distribution in the simulated supercrystals showed the presence of standing waves that were distributed at different depths, depending on the number of layers in each supercrystal. On the basis of these theoretical results, we interpreted the experimental

data in terms of analyte penetration into the topmost layer only, which indicates that diffusion to the interior of the supercrystals would be crucial if the complete field enhancement produced by the stacked nanorods is to be exploited. We propose that our conclusions will be of high relevance in the design of next generation plasmonic devices.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000363435600013 Publication Date 2015-09-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2330-4022 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.756 Times cited 70 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors are thankful to Dr. Luis Yate for assistance with sample preparation. This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant #267867 Plasmaquo and ERC Starting Grant #335078 Colouratom) and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MAT2013-46101-R). D.M.S., J.M.T., and F.O. acknowledge funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Spanish Ministerio de Economiá y Competitividad (MAT2014-58201-C2-1-R, MAT2014-58201- C2-2-R, Project TACTICA), from the ERDF and the Galician Regional Government under Projects CN2012/279 and CN2012/260 (AtlantTIC) and the Plan I2C (2011−2015), and from the ERDF and the Extremadura Regional Government (Junta de Extremadura Project IB13185).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 6.756; 2015 IF: NA
Call Number c:irua:129458 Serial 3978
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Author Zanaga, D.; Bleichrodt, F.; Altantzis, T.; Winckelmans, N.; Palenstijn, W.J.; Sijbers, J.; de Nijs, B.; van Huis, M.A.; Sanchez-Iglesias, A.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.; van Blaaderen, A.; Joost Batenburg, K.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title Quantitative 3D analysis of huge nanoparticle assemblies Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 8 Issue 8 Pages 292-299
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract Nanoparticle assemblies can be investigated in 3 dimensions using electron tomography. However, it is not straightforward to obtain quantitative information such as the number of particles or their relative position. This becomes particularly difficult when the number of particles increases. We propose a novel approach in which prior information on the shape of the individual particles is exploited. It improves the quality of the reconstruction of these complex assemblies significantly. Moreover, this quantitative Sparse Sphere Reconstruction approach yields directly the number of particles and their position as an output of the reconstruction technique, enabling a detailed 3D analysis of assemblies with as many as 10 000 particles. The approach can also be used to reconstruct objects based on a very limited number of projections, which opens up possibilities to investigate beam sensitive assemblies where previous reconstructions with the available electron tomography techniques failed.
Address EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. sara.bals@uantwerpen.be
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000366911700028 Publication Date 2015-11-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 34 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant # 335078-COLOURATOMS, ERC Advanced Grant # 291667 HierarSACol and ERC Advanced Grant 267867 – PLASMAQUO), the European Union under the FP7 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative N. 262348 European Soft Matter Infrastructure, ESMI and N. 312483 ESTEEM2), and from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), project number 639.072.005 and NWO CW 700.57.026. Networking support was provided by COST Action MP1207.; esteem2jra4; ECASSara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number c:irua:131062 c:irua:131062 Serial 3979
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Author Jelić, Ž.L.; Milošević, M.V.; Van de Vondel, J.; Silhanek, A.V.
Title Stroboscopic phenomena in superconductors with dynamic pinning landscape Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Scientific reports Abbreviated Journal Sci Rep-Uk
Volume 5 Issue 5 Pages 14604
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Introducing artificial pinning centers is a well established strategy to trap quantum vortices and increase the maximal magnetic field and applied electric current that a superconductor can sustain without dissipation. In case of spatially periodic pinning, a clear enhancement of the superconducting critical current arises when commensurability between the vortex configurations and the pinning landscape occurs. With recent achievements in (ultrafast) optics and nanoengineered plasmonics it has become possible to exploit the interaction of light with superconductivity, and create not only spatially periodic imprints on the superconducting condensate, but also temporally periodic ones. Here we show that in the latter case, temporal matching phenomena develop, caused by stroboscopic commensurability between the characteristic frequency of the vortex motion under applied current and the frequency of the dynamic pinning. The matching resonances persist in a broad parameter space, including magnetic field, driving current, or material purity, giving rise to unusual features such as externally variable resistance/impedance and Shapiro steps in current-voltage characteristics. All features are tunable by the frequency of the dynamic pinning landscape. These findings open further exploration avenues for using flashing, spatially engineered, and/or mobile excitations on superconductors, permitting us to achieve advanced functionalities.
Address Departement de Physique, Universite de Liege, Allee du 6-Aout 17, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000362082500001 Publication Date 2015-10-01
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2045-2322 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.259 Times cited 29 Open Access
Notes Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Methusalem Funding of the Flemish Government, the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) and the COST Action MP1201. The work of Ž.L.J. and A.V.S. was partially supported by “Mandat d’Impulsion Scientifique” of the F.R.S.-FNRS. Approved Most recent IF: 4.259; 2015 IF: 5.578
Call Number c:irua:129807 c:irua:129807 Serial 3980
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Author Adami, O.-A.; Jelić, Ž.L.; Xue, C.; Abdel-Hafiez, M.; Hackens, B.; Moshchalkov, V.V.; Milošević, M.V.; Van de Vondel, J.; Silhanek, A.V.
Title Onset, evolution, and magnetic braking of vortex lattice instabilities in nanostructured superconducting films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Physical review: B: condensed matter and materials physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 92 Issue 92 Pages 134506
Keywords A1 Journal article; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract In 1976, Larkin and Ovchinnikov [Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, 1915 (1975) [Sov. Phys.–JETP 41, 960 (1976)]] predicted that vortex matter in superconductors driven by an electrical current can undergo an abrupt dynamic transition from a flux-flow regime to a more dissipative state at sufficiently high vortex velocities. Typically, this transition manifests itself as a large voltage jump at a particular current density, so-called instability current density J∗, which is smaller than the depairing current. By tuning the effective pinning strength in Al films, using an artificial periodic pinning array of triangular holes, we show that a unique and well-defined instability current density exists if the pinning is strong, whereas a series of multiple voltage transitions appear in the relatively weaker pinning regime. This behavior is consistent with time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations, where the multiple-step transition can be unambiguously attributed to the progressive development of vortex chains and subsequently phase-slip lines. In addition, we explore experimentally the magnetic braking effects, caused by a thick Cu layer deposited on top of the superconductor, on the instabilities and the vortex ratchet effect.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000362433200003 Publication Date 2015-10-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1098-0121 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 21 Open Access
Notes ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: This work was partially supported by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS, the Methusalem Funding of the Flemish Government, the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO), and COST Action MP1201. The work of A.V.S. and Z.L.J. is partially supported by “Mandat d’Impulsion Scientifique” MIS F.4527.13 of the F.R.S.-FNRS. B.H. is an associate researcher of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique- FNRS. The authors thank J. Cuppens for the data analysis at the early stage of this work, R. Delamare for his valuable help during the fabrication of the samples, and G. Grimaldi for helpful discussions. Approved Most recent IF: 3.836; 2015 IF: 3.736
Call Number c:irua:128747 Serial 3981
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Author Van Laer, K.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Fluid modelling of a packed bed dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T
Volume 25 Issue 25 Pages 015002
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract A packed bed dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor is computationally studied with a fluid model. Two different complementary axisymmetric 2D geometries are used to mimic the intrinsic 3D problem. It is found that a packing enhances the electric field strength and electron temperature at the contact points of the dielectric material due to polarization of the beads by the applied potential. As a result, these contact points prove to be of direct importance to initiate the plasma. At low applied potential, the discharge stays at the contact points, and shows the properties of a Townsend discharge. When a high enough potential is applied, the plasma will be able to travel through the gaps in between the beads from wall to wall, forming a kind of glow discharge. Therefore, the inclusion of a so-called ‘channel of voids’ is indispensable in any type of packed bed modelling.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000370974800009 Publication Date 2015-12-01
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0963-0252 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.302 Times cited 50 Open Access
Notes The authors gratefully thank St Kolev for the many interesting discussions and the useful advise in setting up the models. This research was carried out in the framework of the network on Physical Chemistry of Plasma-Surface Interactions— Interuniversity Attraction Poles, phase VII (http://psi-iap7.ulb. ac.be/), and supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO). K Van Laer is indebted to the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT Flanders) for financial support. Approved Most recent IF: 3.302
Call Number c:irua:129802 Serial 3982
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Author Bogaerts, A.; Kozak, T.; van Laer, K.; Snoeckx, R.
Title Plasma-based conversion of CO2: current status and future challenges Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Faraday discussions Abbreviated Journal Faraday Discuss
Volume 183 Issue 183 Pages 217-232
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract This paper discusses our recent results on plasma-based CO2 conversion, obtained by a combination of experiments and modeling, for a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), a microwave plasma and a packed bed DBD reactor. The results illustrate that plasma technology is quite promising for CO2 conversion, but more research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms and to further improve the capabilities.
Address Research Group PLASMANT, University of Antwerp, Department of Chemistry, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium. annemie.bogaerts@uantwerpen.be
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000365914900013 Publication Date 2015-06-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1359-6640 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.588 Times cited 89 Open Access
Notes We thank R. Aerts and W. van Gaens for setting up the experimental systems and for the interesting results obtained during their PhD study in our group. We also acknowledge nancial support from the IAP/7 (Inter-university Attraction Pole) program ‘PSI-Physical Chemistry of Plasma-Surface Interactions’ by the Belgian Federal Office for Science Policy (BELSPO), the Fund for Scientic Research Flanders (FWO) and the EU-FP7-ITN network “RAPID”. Approved Most recent IF: 3.588; 2015 IF: 4.606
Call Number c:irua:130318 Serial 3983
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Van Laer, K.; Neyts, E.C.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Can plasma be formed in catalyst pores? A modeling investigation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Applied catalysis : B : environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ
Volume 185 Issue 185 Pages 56-67
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract tWe investigate microdischarge formation inside catalyst pores by a two-dimensional fluid model forvarious pore sizes in the m-range and for various applied voltages. Indeed, this is a poorly understoodphenomenon in plasma catalysis. The calculations are performed for a dielectric barrier discharge inhelium, at atmospheric pressure. The electron and ion densities, electron temperature, electric field andpotential, as well as the electron impact ionization and excitation rate and the densities of excited plasmaspecies, are examined for a better understanding of the characteristics of the plasma inside a pore. Theresults indicate that the pore size and the applied voltage are critical parameters for the formation of amicrodischarge inside a pore. At an applied voltage of 20 kV, our calculations reveal that the ionizationmainly takes place inside the pore, and the electron density shows a significant increase near and inthe pore for pore sizes larger than 200m, whereas the effect of the pore on the total ion density isevident even for 10m pores. When the pore size is fixed at 30m, the presence of the pore has nosignificant influence on the plasma properties at an applied voltage of 2 kV. Upon increasing the voltage,the ionization process is enhanced due to the strong electric field and high electron temperature, andthe ion density shows a remarkable increase near and in the pore for voltages above 10 kV. These resultsindicate that the plasma species can be formed inside pores of structured catalysts (in the m range),and they may interact with the catalyst surface, and affect the plasma catalytic process.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000369452000006 Publication Date 2015-12-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0926-3373 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.446 Times cited 75 Open Access
Notes This work was supported by the Fund for Scientific ResearchFlanders (FWO) (Grant no. G.0217.14N), the National Natural Sci-ence Foundation of China (Grant no. 11405019), and the ChinaPostdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant no. 2015T80244). Theauthors are very grateful to V. Meynen for the useful discussions oncatalysts. This work was carried out in part using the Turing HPCinfrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwer-pen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, fundedby the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (departmentEWI) and the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 9.446
Call Number c:irua:129808 Serial 3984
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Author Bogaerts, A.; Khosravian, N.; Van der Paal, J.; Verlackt, C.C.W.; Yusupov, M.; Kamaraj, B.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Multi-level molecular modelling for plasma medicine Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys
Volume 49 Issue 49 Pages 054002
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Modelling at the molecular or atomic scale can be very useful for obtaining a better insight in plasma medicine. This paper gives an overview of different atomic/molecular scale modelling approaches that can be used to study the direct interaction of plasma species with biomolecules or the consequences of these interactions for the biomolecules on a somewhat longer time-scale. These approaches include density functional theory (DFT), density functional based tight binding (DFTB), classical reactive and non-reactive molecular dynamics (MD) and united-atom or coarse-grained MD, as well as hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. Specific examples will be given for three important types of biomolecules, present in human cells, i.e. proteins, DNA and phospholipids found in the cell membrane. The results show that each of these modelling approaches has its specific strengths and limitations, and is particularly useful for certain applications. A multi-level approach is therefore most suitable for obtaining a global picture of the plasma–biomolecule interactions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000368944100003 Publication Date 2015-12-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0022-3727 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 11 Open Access
Notes This work is financially supported by the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) and the Francqui Foundation. The calculations were carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 2.588
Call Number c:irua:131571 Serial 3985
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Author Van der Paal, J.; Neyts, E.C.; Verlackt, C.C.W.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Effect of lipid peroxidation on membrane permeability of cancer and normal cells subjected to oxidative stress Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Chemical science Abbreviated Journal Chem Sci
Volume 7 Issue 7 Pages 489-498
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We performed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of lipid peroxidation products on the structural and dynamic properties of the cell membrane. Our simulations predict that the lipid order in a phospholipid bilayer, as a model system for the cell membrane, decreases upon addition of lipid peroxidation products. Eventually, when all phospholipids are oxidized, pore formation can occur. This will allow reactive species, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), to enter the cell and cause oxidative damage to intracellular macromolecules, such as DNA or proteins. On the other hand, upon increasing the cholesterol fraction of lipid bilayers, the cell membrane order increases, eventually reaching a certain threshold, from which cholesterol is able to protect the membrane against pore formation. This finding is crucial for cancer treatment by plasma technology, producing a large number of RONS, as well as for other cancer treatment methods that cause an increase in the concentration of extracellular RONS. Indeed, cancer cells contain less cholesterol than their healthy counterparts. Thus, they will be more vulnerable to the consequences of lipid peroxidation, eventually enabling the penetration of RONS into the interior of the cell, giving rise to oxidative stress, inducing pro-apoptotic factors. This provides, for the first time, molecular level insight why plasma can selectively treat cancer cells, while leaving their healthy counterparts undamaged, as is indeed experimentally demonstrated.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000366826900058 Publication Date 2015-10-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2041-6520 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 8.668 Times cited 106 Open Access
Notes The authors acknowledge nancial support from the Fund for Scientic Research (FWO) Flanders, grant number G012413N. The calculations were performed in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 8.668
Call Number c:irua:131058 Serial 3986
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Author Ji, G.; Tan, Z.; Lu, Y.; Schryvers, D.; Li, Z.; Zhang, D.
Title Heterogeneous interfacial chemical nature and bonds in a W-coated diamond/Al composite Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Materials characterization Abbreviated Journal Mater Charact
Volume 112 Issue 112 Pages 129-133
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Heterogeneous Al/Al4C3/Al2O3/diamond{111}, Al/nanolayered Al4C3/diamond{111} and Al12W particle/Al4C3/Al2O3/diamond{111} multi-interfaces have been developed at the nanoscale in a W-coated diamond/Al composite produced by vacuum hot pressing. The formation of nanoscale Al4C3 crystals is strongly associated with local O enrichment and can be further promoted by Al12W interfacial particles. The latter effectively contributes to enhance interfacial chemical bonding reducing interfacial thermal resistance and, in turn, enhancing thermal conductivity.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000370109200015 Publication Date 2015-12-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1044-5803 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.714 Times cited 7 Open Access
Notes This work is financially supported by the FWO project of Belgium (No. U2 FA 070100/3506), the travel funding BQR (No. R8DIV AUE) provided by Université Lille 1, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51401123) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2014 M561469) for Dr. Z.Q. Tan. Dr. W.G. Grünewald (LeicaMicrosystems, Germany) is also thanked for the assistance of surface preparation. Approved Most recent IF: 2.714
Call Number c:irua:129976 Serial 3987
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Yao, X.; Li, Y.; Cao, S.; Ma, X.; Zhang, X.-ping; Schryvers, D.
Title Optimization of Automated Crystal Orientation and Phase Mapping in TEM Applied to Ni-Ti All Round Shape Memory Alloy Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2015 Publication MATEC web of conferences T2 – Proceedings of ESOMAT 2015 10th European Symposium on Martensitic Transformations, September 14-18, 2015, Antwerp, Belgium Abbreviated Journal
Volume 33 Issue 33 Pages 03022
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A new application which focuses on an artificial sphincter fabricated by Ni-Ti SMAs for human implantation is under investigation by applying the all-round shape memory effect with precise control of the phase transformation temperatures. In this study, a Ni51at.%-Ti alloy was fabricated by arc melting with fast solidification, followed by a proper strained aging which induces the two way shape memory effect needed for this particular application. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the thermal behavior and transmission electron microscopy was used for studying the microstructure of the alloys. With the latter the novel technique of automated crystal orientation microscopy is used and optimized to obtain phase and orientation mapping of the various structures.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000372402800037 Publication Date 2015-12-15
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2261-236X ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes The author gratefully acknowledges the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) for providing a scholarship. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number c:irua:129977 Serial 3988
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Author Yao, X.; Cao, S.; Zhang, X.P.; Schryvers, D.
Title Microstructural Characterization and Transformation Behavior of Porous Ni50.8Ti49.2 Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2015 Publication Materials Today: Proceedings Abbreviated Journal
Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages S833-S836
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Porous Ni50.8Ti49.2 bulk material was prepared by powder metallurgy sintering. Solid solution and aging treatments were applied to improve the phase homogeneity and phase transformation behavior. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy, aided by energy dispersive X-ray analysis, were used to study the microstructure and chemical phase content of the alloys. In-situ cooling was carried out to observe the phase transformation behavior. As-received material contains dispersed Ni2Ti4O particles while Ni4Ti3 precipitates appear after aging. Close to pore edges, the latter have a preferential orientation due to the induced stress fields in the matrix.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000371032100081 Publication Date 2015-11-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2214-7853 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes The author gratefully acknowledges the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) for providing a scholarship and the Key Project of the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province under grant No. S2013020012805. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number c:irua:129980 Serial 3989
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Author Khalilov, U.; Bogaerts, A.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Atomic scale simulation of carbon nanotube nucleation from hydrocarbon precursors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Nature communications Abbreviated Journal Nat Commun
Volume 6 Issue 6 Pages 10306
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Atomic scale simulations of the nucleation and growth of carbon nanotubes is essential for understanding their growth mechanism. In spite of over twenty years of simulation efforts in this area, limited progress has so far been made on addressing the role of the hydrocarbon growth precursor. Here we report on atomic scale simulations of cap nucleation of single-walled carbon nanotubes from hydrocarbon precursors. The presented mechanism emphasizes the important role of hydrogen in the nucleation process, and is discussed in relation to previously presented mechanisms. In particular, the role of hydrogen in the appearance of unstable carbon structures during in situ experimental observations as well as the initial stage of multi-walled carbon nanotube growth is discussed. The results are in good agreement with available experimental and quantum-mechanical results, and provide a basic understanding of the incubation and nucleation stages of hydrocarbon-based CNT growth at the atomic level.
Address PLASMANT research group, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000367584500001 Publication Date 2015-12-22
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2041-1723 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.124 Times cited 37 Open Access
Notes The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium, grant number 12M1315N. The work was carried out in part using the Turing HPC infrastructure of the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Centre VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the Universiteit Antwerpen. We thank Professor Adri C. T. van Duin for sharing the ReaxFF code. Approved Most recent IF: 12.124; 2015 IF: 11.470
Call Number c:irua:129975 Serial 3990
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Author Bal, K.M.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Merging Metadynamics into Hyperdynamics: Accelerated Molecular Simulations Reaching Time Scales from Microseconds to Seconds Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of chemical theory and computation Abbreviated Journal J Chem Theory Comput
Volume 11 Issue 11 Pages 4545-4554
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The hyperdynamics method is a powerful tool to simulate slow processes at the atomic level. However, the construction of an optimal hyperdynamics potential is a task that is far from trivial. Here, we propose a generally applicable implementation of the hyperdynamics algorithm, borrowing two concepts from metadynamics. First, the use of a collective variable (CV) to represent the accelerated dynamics gives the method a very large flexibility and simplicity. Second, a metadynamics procedure can be used to construct a suitable history-dependent bias potential on-the-fly, effectively turning the algorithm into a self-learning accelerated molecular dynamics method. This collective variable-driven hyperdynamics (CVHD) method has a modular design: both the local system properties on which the bias is based, as well as the characteristics of the biasing method itself, can be chosen to match the needs of the considered system. As a result, system-specific details are abstracted from the biasing algorithm itself, making it extremely versatile and transparent. The method is tested on three model systems: diffusion on the Cu(001) surface and nickel-catalyzed methane decomposition, as examples of reactive processes with a bond-length-based CV, and the folding of a long polymer-like chain, using a set of dihedral angles as a CV. Boost factors up to 109, corresponding to a time scale of seconds, could be obtained while still accurately reproducing correct dynamics.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000362921700004 Publication Date 2015-09-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 1549-9618 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.245 Times cited 41 Open Access
Notes K.M.B. is funded as Ph.D. fellow (aspirant) of the FWOFlanders (Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders), Grant No. 11 V8915N. The computational resources and services used in this work were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center) and the HPC infrastructure of the University of Antwerp (CalcUA), funded by the Hercules Foundation and the Flemish Government−Department EWI. Approved Most recent IF: 5.245; 2015 IF: 5.498
Call Number c:irua:128183 Serial 3991
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Author van Laer, K.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Improving the Conversion and Energy Efficiency of Carbon Dioxide Splitting in a Zirconia-Packed Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Energy technology Abbreviated Journal Energy Technol-Ger
Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 1038-1044
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract The use of plasma technology for CO2 splitting is gaining increasing interest, but one of the major obstacles to date for industrial implementation is the considerable energy cost. We demonstrate that the introduction of a packing of dielectric zirconia (ZrO2) beads into a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor can enhance the CO2 conversion and energy efficiency up to a factor 1.9 and 2.2, respectively, compared to that in a normal (unpacked) DBD reactor. We obtained a maximum conversion of 42 % and a maximum energy efficiency of 9.6 %. However, it is the ability of the packing to almost double both the conversion and the energy efficiency simultaneously at certain input parameters that makes it very promising. The improved conversion and energy efficiency can be explained by the higher values of the local electric field and electron energy near the contact points of the beads and the lower breakdown voltage, demonstrated by 2 D fluid modeling.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000362913600006 Publication Date 2015-08-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 2194-4288 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.789 Times cited 59 Open Access
Notes This research was carried out in the framework of the network on Physical Chemistry of Plasma-Surface Interactions—Interuniversity Attraction Poles, phase VII (http://psiiap7.ulb.ac.be/), and supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO). K.V.L. is indebted to the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT Flanders) for financial support Approved Most recent IF: 2.789; 2015 IF: 2.824
Call Number c:irua:128224 Serial 3992
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Author Neyts, E.C.; Ostrikov, K.K.; Sunkara, M.K.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Plasma Catalysis: Synergistic Effects at the Nanoscale Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Chemical reviews Abbreviated Journal Chem Rev
Volume 115 Issue 115 Pages 13408-13446
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Thermal-catalytic gas processing is integral to many current industrial processes. Ever-increasing demands on conversion and energy efficiencies are a strong driving force for the development of alternative approaches. Similarly, synthesis of several functional materials (such as nanowires and nanotubes) demands special processing conditions. Plasma catalysis provides such an alternative, where the catalytic process is complemented by the use of plasmas that activate the source gas. This combination is often observed to result in a synergy between plasma and catalyst. This Review introduces the current state-of-the-art in plasma catalysis, including numerous examples where plasma catalysis has demonstrated its benefits or shows future potential, including CO2 conversion, hydrocarbon reforming, synthesis of nanomaterials, ammonia production, and abatement of toxic waste gases. The underlying mechanisms governing these applications, as resulting from the interaction between the plasma and the catalyst, render the process highly complex, and little is known about the factors leading to the often-observed synergy. This Review critically examines the catalytic mechanisms relevant to each specific application.
Address Department of Chemistry, Research Group PLASMANT, Universiteit Antwerpen , Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Wos 000367563000006 Publication Date 2015-11-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue (up) Edition
ISSN 0009-2665 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 47.928 Times cited 204 Open Access
Notes ECN and AB gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium, Grant Number G.0217.14N. KO acknowledges partial support by the Australian Research Council and CSIRO’s OCE Science Leaders Program. MKS acknowledges partial support from US National Science Foundation through grants DMS 1125909 and EPSCoR 1355448 and also PhD students Babajide Ajayi, Apolo Nambo and Maria Carreon for their help. Approved Most recent IF: 47.928; 2015 IF: 46.568
Call Number c:irua:130001 Serial 3993
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