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Author Bals, S.; Verbeeck, J.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Liu, Y.-L.; Grivel, J.-C.
Title (down) Quantitative electron microscopy of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+\delta/Ag multifilament tapes during initial stages of annealing Type A1 Journal article
Year 2005 Publication Journal of the American Ceramic Society Abbreviated Journal J Am Ceram Soc
Volume 88 Issue 2 Pages 431-436
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The microstructural and compositional evolution during initial annealing of a superconducting (Bi,Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta/Ag tape is studied using quantitative transmission electron microscopy. Special attention is devoted to the occurrence of Pb-rich liquids, which are crucial for the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta to (Bi,Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta transformation. Ca and/or Pb-rich (Bi,Pb)(2)Sr2CaCu2O8+delta grains dissolve into a liquid, which reacts with Ca-rich phases to increase the liquid's Ca-content. This leads to (Bi,Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta formation. Apparently, a Ca/Sr ratio of around I is sufficient to keep (Bi,Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta nucleation going. It is confirmed that Ag particles are transported from the Ag-sheath into the oxide core by the liquid and not by mechanical treatment of the tape.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Columbus, Ohio Editor
Language Wos 000227510200030 Publication Date 2005-02-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0002-7820;1551-2916; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.841 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.841; 2005 IF: 1.586
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:54876UA @ admin @ c:irua:54876 Serial 2754
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Author Mahr, C.; Kundu, P.; Lackmann, A.; Zanaga, D.; Thiel, K.; Schowalter, M.; Schwan, M.; Bals, S.; Wittstock, A.; Rosenauer, A.
Title (down) Quantitative determination of residual silver distribution in nanoporous gold and its influence on structure and catalytic performance Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Journal of catalysis Abbreviated Journal J Catal
Volume 352 Issue 352 Pages 52-58
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Large efforts have been made trying to understand the origin of the high catalytic activity of dealloyed nanoporous gold as a green catalyst for the selective promotion of chemical reactions at low temperatures. Residual silver, left in the sample after dealloying of a gold-silver alloy, has been shown to have a strong influence on the activity of the catalyst. But the question of how the silver is distributed within the porous structure has not finally been answered yet. We show by quantitative energy dispersive X-ray tomography measurements that silver forms clusters that are distributed irregularly, both on the surface and inside the ligaments building up the porous structure. Furthermore, we find that the role of the residual silver is ambiguous. Whereas CO oxidation is supported by more residual silver, methanol oxidation to methyl formate is hindered. Structural characterisation reveals larger ligaments and pores for decreasing residual silver concentration.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000408299600006 Publication Date 2017-05-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0021-9517 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.844 Times cited 42 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under contracts no. RO2057/12-1 (SP 6) and WI4497/1-1 (SP 2) within the research unit FOR2213 (www.nagocat. de) and the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant No. 335078-COLOURATOMS). (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); ecas_sara Approved Most recent IF: 6.844
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:144434UA @ admin @ c:irua:144434 Serial 4623
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Author Van Aert, S.; Verbeeck, J.; Erni, R.; Bals, S.; Luysberg, M.; van Dyck, D.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title (down) Quantitative atomic resolution mapping using high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2009 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 109 Issue 10 Pages 1236-1244
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab
Abstract A model-based method is proposed to relatively quantify the chemical composition of atomic columns using high angle annular dark field (HAADF) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images. The method is based on a quantification of the total intensity of the scattered electrons for the individual atomic columns using statistical parameter estimation theory. In order to apply this theory, a model is required describing the image contrast of the HAADF STEM images. Therefore, a simple, effective incoherent model has been assumed which takes the probe intensity profile into account. The scattered intensities can then be estimated by fitting this model to an experimental HAADF STEM image. These estimates are used as a performance measure to distinguish between different atomic column types and to identify the nature of unknown columns with good accuracy and precision using statistical hypothesis testing. The reliability of the method is supported by means of simulated HAADF STEM images as well as a combination of experimental images and electron energy-loss spectra. It is experimentally shown that statistically meaningful information on the composition of individual columns can be obtained even if the difference in averaged atomic number Z is only 3. Using this method, quantitative mapping at atomic resolution using HAADF STEM images only has become possible without the need of simultaneously recorded electron energy loss spectra.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000270015200004 Publication Date 2009-05-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 166 Open Access
Notes Fwo; Esteem 026019 Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2009 IF: 2.067
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:78585UA @ admin @ c:irua:78585 Serial 2748
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Author Wang, D.; van der Wee, E.B.; Zanaga, D.; Altantzis, T.; Wu, Y.; Dasgupta, T.; Dijkstra, M.; Murray, C.B.; Bals, S.; van Blaaderen, A.
Title (down) Quantitative 3D real-space analysis of Laves phase supraparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nature Communications Abbreviated Journal Nat Commun
Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 3980
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract 3D real-space analysis of thick nanoparticle crystals is non-trivial. Here, the authors demonstrate the structural analysis of a bulk-like Laves phase by imaging an off-stoichiometric binary mixture of hard-sphere-like nanoparticles in spherical confinement by electron tomography, enabling defect analysis on the single-particle level. Assembling binary mixtures of nanoparticles into crystals, gives rise to collective properties depending on the crystal structure and the individual properties of both species. However, quantitative 3D real-space analysis of binary colloidal crystals with a thickness of more than 10 layers of particles has rarely been performed. Here we demonstrate that an excess of one species in the binary nanoparticle mixture suppresses the formation of icosahedral order in the self-assembly in droplets, allowing the study of bulk-like binary crystal structures with a spherical morphology also called supraparticles. As example of the approach, we show single-particle level analysis of over 50 layers of Laves phase binary crystals of hard-sphere-like nanoparticles using electron tomography. We observe a crystalline lattice composed of a random mixture of the Laves phases. The number ratio of the binary species in the crystal lattice matches that of a perfect Laves crystal. Our methodology can be applied to study the structure of a broad range of binary crystals, giving insights into the structure formation mechanisms and structure-property relations of nanomaterials.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000687320200032 Publication Date 2021-06-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2041-1723 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.124 Times cited 10 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes M. Hermes is sincerely thanked for providing interactive views of the structures in this work. The authors thank I. Lobato, S. Dussi, L. Filion, E. Boattini, S. Paliwal, B. van der Meer and X. Xie for fruitful discussions. D.W., E.B.v.d.W. and A.v.B. acknowledge partial financial support from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP-2007-2013)/ERC Advanced Grant Agreement 291667 HierarSACol. T.D. and M.D. acknowledge financial support from the Industrial Partnership Program, “Computational Sciences for Energy Research” (Grant no. 13CSER025), of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), which was co-financed by Shell Global Solutions International B.V. S.B. acknowledges financial support from ERC Consolidator Grant No. 815128 REALNANO. T.A. acknowledges a post-doctoral grant from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). C.B.M and Y.W. acknowledge support for materials synthesis from the Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Award ONR N00014-18-1-2497. The authors acknowledge EM Square center at Utrecht University for the access to the microscopes.; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 12.124
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181662 Serial 6845
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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 (down) 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
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000991752700001 Publication Date 2023-05-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 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 8793
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Author Skorikov, A.; Albrecht, W.; Bladt, E.; Xie, X.; van der Hoeven, J.E.S.; van Blaaderen, A.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title (down) Quantitative 3D Characterization of Elemental Diffusion Dynamics in Individual Ag@Au Nanoparticles with Different Shapes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 13 Issue 13 Pages 13421-13429
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Anisotropic bimetallic nanoparticles are promising candidates for plasmonic and catalytic applications. Their catalytic performance and plasmonic properties are closely linked to the distribution of the two metals, which can change during applications in which the particles are exposed to heat. Due to this fact, correlating the thermal stability of complex heterogeneous nanoparticles to their microstructural properties is of high interest for the practical applications of such materials. Here, we employ quantitative electron tomography in high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADFSTEM) mode to measure the 3D elemental diffusion dynamics in individual anisotropic Au−Ag nanoparticles upon heating in situ. This approach allows us to study the elemental redistribution in complex, asymmetric nanoparticles on a single particle level, which has been inaccessible to other techniques so far. In this work, we apply the proposed method to compare the alloying dynamics of Au−Ag nanoparticles with different shapes and compositions and find that the shape of the nanoparticle does not exhibit a significant effect on the alloying speed whereas the composition does. Finally, comparing the experimental results to diffusion simulations allows us to estimate the diffusion coefficients of the metals for individual nanoparticles.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000500650000115 Publication Date 2019-10-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1936-0851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 29 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This project has received funding from the European Commission (grant 731019, EUSMI) and European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grants 815128, REALNANO; 770887, PICOMETRICS; 648991, 3MC; and ERC Advanced Grant 291667, HierarSACol). This project has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 823717, ESTEEM3. W.A. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 797153, SOPMEN). E.B. acknowledges a postdoctoral grant 12T2719N from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium). X.X. acknowledges financial support from the EU H2020-MSCAITN-2015 project 676045, MULTIMAT. The authors also acknowledge financial support by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grants G038116N, G026718N, and G036915N).; sygma; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 13.942
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:164061 Serial 5379
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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 (down) 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 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 Heyvaert, W.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Kadu, A.; Claes, N.; González-Rubio, G.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Albrecht, W.; Bals, S.
Title (down) Quantification of the Helical Morphology of Chiral Gold Nanorods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication ACS materials letters Abbreviated Journal ACS Materials Lett.
Volume 4 Issue Pages 642-649
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Chirality in inorganic nanoparticles and nanostructures has gained increasing scientific interest, because of the possibility to tune their ability to interact differently with left- and right-handed circularly polarized light. In some cases, the optical activity is hypothesized to originate from a chiral morphology of the nanomaterial. However, quantifying the degree of chirality in objects with sizes of tens of nanometers is far from straightforward. Electron tomography offers the possibility to faithfully retrieve the three-dimensional morphology of nanomaterials, but only a qualitative interpretation of the morphology of chiral nanoparticles has been possible so far. We introduce herein a methodology that enables us to quantify the helicity of complex chiral nanomaterials, based on the geometrical properties of a helix. We demonstrate that an analysis at the single particle level can provide significant insights into the origin of chiroptical properties.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000784490000013 Publication Date 2022-03-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2639-4979 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes S.B. and A.P.-T. gratefully acknowledge funding by the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant #815128-REALNANO) the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement #823717ESTEEM3. L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033, grant # PID2020- 117779RB-I00 and the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency (Grant No. MDM-2017-0720). G.G.-R. thanks the Spanish Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación for an FPI (BES-2014- 068972) fellowship.; SygmaSB; esteem3reported; esteem3jra Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:186959 Serial 6956
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Author Quintana, M.; Grzelczak, M.; Spyrou, K.; Kooi, B.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Rudolf, P.; Prato, M.
Title (down) Production of large graphene sheets by exfoliation of graphite under high power ultrasound in the presence of tiopronin Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Chemical communications Abbreviated Journal Chem Commun
Volume 48 Issue 100 Pages 12159-12161
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Under ultrasonication, the production of high quality graphene layers by exfoliation of graphite was achieved via addition of tiopronin as an antioxidant.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication London Editor
Language Wos 000311411100003 Publication Date 2012-10-09
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1359-7345;1364-548X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.319 Times cited 39 Open Access
Notes This work was financially supported by the University of Trieste, INSTM, Italian Ministry of Education MIUR (cofin Prot. 20085M27SS) and by the "Graphene-based electronics'' research program of the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM). Part of this work was supported by funding from the ERC grant No 246791COUNTATOMS. MQ acknowledges the financial support from CONACyT CB-2011-01-166914 and FAI-UASLP. Approved Most recent IF: 6.319; 2012 IF: 6.378
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:105230 Serial 2724
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Author Van Aert, S.; de Backer, A.; Martinez, G.T.; Goris, B.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Rosenauer, A.
Title (down) Procedure to count atoms with trustworthy single-atom sensitivity Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication Physical review : B : condensed matter and materials physics Abbreviated Journal Phys Rev B
Volume 87 Issue 6 Pages 064107-6
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract We report a method to reliably count the number of atoms from high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy images. A model-based analysis of the experimental images is used to measure scattering cross sections at the atomic level. The high sensitivity of these measurements in combination with a thorough statistical analysis enables us to count atoms with single-atom sensitivity. The validity of the results is confirmed by means of detailed image simulations. We will show that the method can be applied to nanocrystals of arbitrary shape, size, and atom type without the need for a priori knowledge about the atomic structure.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000315144700006 Publication Date 2013-02-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1098-0121;1550-235X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.836 Times cited 106 Open Access
Notes FWO; 262348 ESMI; 312483 ESTEEM2;246791 COUNTATOMS; Hercules 3; esteem2_jra2 Approved Most recent IF: 3.836; 2013 IF: 3.664
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:105674 Serial 2718
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Author Jinschek, J.R.; Bals, S.; Gopal, V.; Xus, X.; Kisielowski, C.
Title (down) Probing local stoichiometry in InGaN based quantum wells of solid-state LEDs Type A3 Journal article
Year 2004 Publication Microscopy and microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal
Volume 10 Issue S:2 Pages 294-295
Keywords A3 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2008-01-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1431-9276;1435-8115; ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 1.891 Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.891; 2004 IF: 2.389
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:87599 Serial 2714
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Author Boschker, H.; Verbeeck, J.; Egoavil, R.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Huijben, M.; Houwman, E.P.; Koster, G.; Blank, D.H.A.; Rijnders, G.
Title (down) Preventing the reconstruction of the polar discontinuity at oxide heterointerfaces Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication Advanced functional materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Funct Mater
Volume 22 Issue 11 Pages 2235-2240
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Perovskite oxide heteroepitaxy receives much attention because of the possibility to combine the diverse functionalities of perovskite oxide building blocks. A general boundary condition for the epitaxy is the presence of polar discontinuities at heterointerfaces. These polar discontinuities result in reconstructions, often creating new functionalities at the interface. However, for a significant number of materials these reconstructions are unwanted as they alter the intrinsic materials properties at the interface. Therefore, a strategy to eliminate this reconstruction of the polar discontinuity at the interfaces is required. We show that the use of compositional interface engineering can prevent the reconstruction at the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/SrTiO3 (LSMO/STO) interface. The polar discontinuity at this interface can be removed by the insertion of a single La0.33Sr0.67O layer, resulting in improved interface magnetization and electrical conductivity.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Weinheim Editor
Language Wos 000304749600002 Publication Date 2012-03-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1616-301X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.124 Times cited 72 Open Access
Notes We wish to acknowledge the financial support of the Dutch Science Foundation (NWO) and the Dutch Nanotechnology program NanoNed. S. B. acknowledges the financial support from the European Union under the Framework 6 program under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative. Reference 026019 ESTEEM. J. V. and G. V. T. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7), ERC grant N246791 – COUNTATOMS. R. E. acknowledges funding by the European Union Council under the 7th Framework Program (FP7) grant NNMP3-LA-2010-246102 IFOX. We thank Sandra Van Aert for stimulating discussions. Approved Most recent IF: 12.124; 2012 IF: 9.765
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:98907UA @ admin @ c:irua:98907 Serial 2712
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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 (down) 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
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001037058500022 Publication Date 2023-07-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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 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 8808
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Author Kalesaki, E.; Boneschanscher, M.P.; Geuchies, J.J.; Delerue, C.; Morais Smith, C.; Evers, W.H.; Allan, G.; Altantzis, T.; Bals, S.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.
Title (down) Preparation and study of 2-D semiconductors with Dirac type bands due to the honeycomb nanogeometry Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2014 Publication Proceedings of the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers T2 – Proceedings of SPIE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 8981 Issue Pages 898107-898107
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The interest in 2-dimensional systems with a honeycomb lattice and related Dirac-­type electronic bands has exceeded the prototype graphene1. Currently, 2-­dimensional atomic2,3 and nanoscale4-­8 systems are extensively investigated in the search for materials with novel electronic properties that can be tailored by geometry. The immediate question that arises is how to fabricate 2-­D semiconductors that have a honeycomb nanogeometry, and as a consequence of that, display a Dirac-­type band structure? Here, we show that atomically coherent honeycomb superlattices of rocksalt (PbSe, PbTe) and zincblende (CdSe, CdTe) semiconductors can be obtained by nanocrystal self-­assembly and facet-­to-­facet atomic bonding, and subsequent cation exchange. We present a extended structural analysis of atomically coherent 2-­D honeycomb structures that were recently obtained with self-assembly and facet-­to-­facet bonding9. We show that this process may in principle lead to three different types of honeycomb structures, one with a graphene type-­, and two others with a silicene-­type structure. Using TEM, electron diffraction, STM and GISAXS it is convincingly shown that the structures are from the silicene-­type. In the second part of this work, we describe the electronic structure of graphene-­type and silicene type honeycomb semiconductors. We present the results of advanced electronic structure calculations using the sp3d5s* atomistic tight-­binding method10. For simplicity, we focus on semiconductors with a simple and single conduction band for the native bulk semiconductor. When the 3-­D geometry is changed into 2-­D honeycomb, a conduction band structure transformation to two types of Dirac cones, one for S-­ and one for P-­orbitals, is observed. The width of the bands depends on the honeycomb period and the coupling between the nanocrystals. Furthermore, there is a dispersionless P-­orbital band, which also forms a landmark of the honeycomb structure. The effects of considerable intrinsic spin-­orbit coupling are briefly considered. For heavy-­element compounds such as CdTe, strong intrinsic spin-­‐orbit coupling opens a non-­trivial gap at the P-­orbital Dirac point, leading to a quantum Spin Hall effect10-­12. Our work shows that well known semiconductor crystals, known for centuries, can lead to systems with entirely new electronic properties, by the simple action of nanogeometry. It can be foreseen that such structures will play a key role in future opto-­electronic applications, provided that they can be fabricated in a straightforward way.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000336040600004 Publication Date 2014-03-07
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 2 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work has been supported by funding of the French National Research Agency [ANR, (ANR-­‐09-­‐BLAN-­‐0421-­‐01)], NWO and the Dutch organization FOM [Programs “Control over Functional Nanoparticle Solids” (FNPS) and “Designing Dirac Carriers in Semiconductors” Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number c:irua:131912 Serial 4039
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Author Tang, Z.; Liu, P.; Cao, H.; Bals, S.; Heeres, H.J.; Pescarmona, P.P.
Title (down) Pr/ZrO2 prepared by atomic trapping : an efficient catalyst for the conversion of glycerol to lactic acid with concomitant transfer hydrogenation of cyclohexene Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication ACS catalysis Abbreviated Journal Acs Catal
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 9953-9963
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A series of heterogeneous catalysts consisting of highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles supported on nanosized ZrO2 (20 to 60 nm) was synthesized and investigated for the one-pot transfer hydrogenation between glycerol and cyclohexene to produce lactic acid and cyclohexane, without any additional H-2. Different preparation methods were screened, by varying the calcination and reduction procedures with the purpose of optimizing the dispersion of Pt species (i.e., as single-atom sites or extra-fine Pt nanoparticles) on the ZrO2 support. The Pt/ZrO2 catalysts were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy techniques (HAADF-STEM, TEM), elemental analysis (ICP-OES, EDX mapping), N-2-physisorption, H-2 temperature-programmed-reduction (H-2-TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Based on this combination of techniques it was possible to correlate the temperature of the calcination and reduction treatments with the nature of the Pt species. The best catalyst consisted of subnanometer Pt clusters (<1 nm) and atomically dispersed Pt (as Pt2+ and Pt4+) on the ZrO2 support, which were converted into extra-fine Pt nanoparticles (average size = 1.4 nm) upon reduction. These nanoparticles acted as catalytic species for the transfer hydrogenation of glycerol with cyclohexene, which gave an unsurpassed 95% yield of lactic acid salt at 96% glycerol conversion (aqueous glycerol solution, NaOH as promoter, 160 degrees C, 4.5 h, at 20 bar N-2). This is the highest yield and selectivity of lactic acid (salt) reported in the literature so far. Reusability experiments showed a partial and gradual loss of activity of the Pt/ZrO2 catalyst, which was attributed to the experimentally observed aggregation of Pt nanoparticles.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000494549700025 Publication Date 2019-09-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2155-5435 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 10.614 Times cited 46 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Zhenchen Tang acknowledges the financial support from the China Scholarship Council for his Ph.D. grant. All the authors are grateful for the technical support from Erwin Wilbers, Anne Appeldoorn, and Marcel de Vries, the TEM support from Dr. Marc Stuart, and the ICP-OES support from Johannes van der Velde. Pei Liu and Sara Bals acknowledge financial support from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Programme by means of grant agreement No. 731019 EUSMI. Approved Most recent IF: 10.614
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:164643 Serial 6326
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Author Van Tendeloo, L.; Wangermez, W.; Vandekerkhove, A.; Willhammar, T.; Bals, S.; Maes, A.; Martens, J.A.; Kirschhock, C.E.A.; Breynaert, E.
Title (down) Postsynthetic high-alumina zeolite crystal engineering in organic free hyper-alkaline media Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
Volume 29 Issue 29 Pages 629-638
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Postsynthetic modification of high -alumina zeolites in hyper alkaline media can be tailored toward alteration of framework topology, crystal size and morphology, or desired Si/A1 ratio. FAU, EMT, MAZ, KFI, HEU, and LTA starting materials were treated with 1.2 M MOH (M = Na, K, RE, or Cs), leading to systematic ordered porosity or fully transformed frameworks with new topology and adjustable Si/Al ratio. In addition to the versatility of this tool for zeolite crystal engineering, these alterations improve understanding of the crystal chemistry. Such knowledge can guide further development in zeolite crystal engineering. Postsynthetic alteration also provides insight on the long-term stability of aluminosilicate zeolites that are used as a sorption sink in concrete -based waste disposal facilities in harsh alkaline conditions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher American Chemical Society Place of Publication Washington, D.C Editor
Language Wos 000392891700021 Publication Date 2016-12-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0897-4756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 16 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; This work was supported by long-term structural funding by the Flemish Government (Methusalem grant of Prof. J. Martens) and by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Fissile Materials, as part of the program on surface disposal of Belgian Category A waste. The Belgian government is acknowledged for financing the interuniversity poles of attraction (IAP-PAI). S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant No. 24691-COUNTATOMS, ERC Starting Grant No. 335078-COLOURATOMS). ; Ecas_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:152674UA @ admin @ c:irua:152674 Serial 5145
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Author Huybrechts, W.; Mali, G.; Kuśtrowski, P.; Willhammar, T.; Mertens, M.; Bals, S.; Van Der Voort, P.; Cool, P.
Title (down) Post-synthesis bromination of benzene bridged PMO as a way to create a high potential hybrid material Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Microporous and mesoporous materials: zeolites, clays, carbons and related materials Abbreviated Journal Micropor Mesopor Mat
Volume 236 Issue 236 Pages 244-249
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
Abstract Periodic mesoporous organosilicas provide the best of two worlds: the strength and porosity of an inorganic framework combined with the infinite possibilities created by the organic bridging unit. In this work we focus on post-synthetical modification of benzene bridged PMO, in order to create bromobenzene PMO. In the past, this proved to be very challenging due to unwanted structural deterioration. However, now we have found a way to brominate this material whilst keeping the structure intact. In-depth structural analysis by solid state NMR and XPS shows both vast progress over previous attempts as well as potential for improvement.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000385899600028 Publication Date 2016-09-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1387-1811 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.615 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes ; The authors would like to thank financial support from the FWO-Flanders (project no G.0068.13). The authors further acknowledge financial support of the University of Antwerp through BOF GOA funding. S.B. acknowledges financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOM). ; ecas_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 3.615
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:135274 Serial 4228
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Author Deng, S.; Kurttepeli, M.; Cott, D.J.; Bals, S.; Detavernier, C.
Title (down) Porous nanostructured metal oxides synthesized through atomic layer deposition on a carbonaceous template followed by calcination Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of materials chemistry A : materials for energy and sustainability Abbreviated Journal J Mater Chem A
Volume 3 Issue 3 Pages 2642-2649
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Porous metal oxides with nano-sized features attracted intensive interest in recent decades due to their high surface area which is essential for many applications, e.g. Li ion batteries, photocatalysts, fuel cells and dye-sensitized solar cells. Various approaches have so far been investigated to synthesize porous nanostructured metal oxides, including self-assembly and template-assisted synthesis. For the latter approach, forests of carbon nanotubes are considered as particularly promising templates, with respect to their one-dimensional nature and the resulting high surface area. In this work, we systematically investigate the formation of porous metal oxides (Al2O3, TiO2, V2O5 and ZnO) with different morphologies using atomic layer deposition on multi-walled carbon nanotubes followed by post-deposition calcination. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy accompanied by X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used for the investigation of morphological and structural transitions at the micro- and nano-scale during the calcination process. The crystallization temperature and the surface coverage of the metal oxides and the oxidation temperature of the carbon nanotubes were found to produce significant influence on the final morphology.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Cambridge Editor
Language Wos 000348990500019 Publication Date 2014-12-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2050-7488;2050-7496; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 8.867 Times cited 23 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fwo; 239865 Cocoon; 335078 Colouratoms; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 8.867; 2015 IF: 7.443
Call Number c:irua:125298 Serial 2673
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Author Van Eyndhoven, G.; Kurttepeli, M.; van Oers, C.J.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Batenburg, K.J.; Sijbers, J.
Title (down) Pore REconstruction and Segmentation (PORES) method for improved porosity quantification of nanoporous materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume 148 Issue 148 Pages 10-19
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Vision lab; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA)
Abstract Electron tomography is currently a versatile tool to investigate the connection between the structure and properties of nanomaterials. However, a quantitative interpretation of electron tomography results is still far from straightforward. Especially accurate quantification of pore-space is hampered by artifacts introduced in all steps of the processing chain, i.e., acquisition, reconstruction, segmentation and quantification. Furthermore, most common approaches require subjective manual user input. In this paper, the PORES algorithm POre REconstruction and Segmentation is introduced; it is a tailor-made, integral approach, for the reconstruction, segmentation, and quantification of porous nanomaterials. The PORES processing chain starts by calculating a reconstruction with a nanoporous-specific reconstruction algorithm: the Simultaneous Update of Pore Pixels by iterative REconstruction and Simple Segmentation algorithm (SUPPRESS). It classifies the interior region to the pores during reconstruction, while reconstructing the remaining region by reducing the error with respect to the acquired electron microscopy data. The SUPPRESS reconstruction can be directly plugged into the remaining processing chain of the PORES algorithm, resulting in accurate individual pore quantification and full sample pore statistics. The proposed approach was extensively validated on both simulated and experimental data, indicating its ability to generate accurate statistics of nanoporous materials.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Amsterdam Editor
Language Wos 000345973000002 Publication Date 2014-08-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0304-3991; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.843 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Colouratom; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 2.843; 2015 IF: 2.436
Call Number c:irua:119083 Serial 2672
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Author El-Gogary, R.I.; Rubio, N.; Wang, J.T.W.; Al-Jamal, W.T.; Bourgognon, M.; Kafa, H.; Naeem, M.; Klippstein, R.; Abbate, V.; Leroux, F.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Kamel, A.O.; Awad, G.A.S.; Mortada, N.D.; Al-Jamal, K.T.;
Title (down) Polyethylene glycol conjugated polymeric nanocapsules for targeted delivery of quercetin to folate-expressing cancer cells in vitro and in vivo Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication ACS nano Abbreviated Journal Acs Nano
Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 1384-1401
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract In this work we describe the formulation and characterization of chemically modified polymeric nanocapsules incorporating the anticancer drug, quercetin, for the passive and active targeting to tumors. Folic acid was conjugated to poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer to facilitate active targeting to cancer cells. Two different methods for the conjugation of PLGA to folic acid were employed utilizing polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a spacer. Characterization of the conjugates was performed using FTIR and H-1 NMR studies. The PEG and folk acid content was independent of the conjugation methodology employed. PEGylation has shown to reduce the size of the nanocapsule; moreover, zeta-potential was shown to be polymer-type dependent. Comparative studies on the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the different formulations by He La cells, in the presence and absence of excess folic acid, were carried out using MTT assay and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, respectively. Both results confirmed the selective uptake and cytotoxicity of the folic acid targeted nanocapsules to the folate enriched cancer cells in a folate-dependent manner. Finally, the passive tumor accumulation and the active targeting of the nanocapsules to folate-expressing cells were confirmed upon intravenous administration in He La or IGROV-1 tumor-bearing mice. The developed nanocapsules provide a system for targeted delivery of a range of hydrophobic anticancer drugs in vivo.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000332059200032 Publication Date 2014-01-07
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1936-0851;1936-086X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.942 Times cited 144 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes 290023 Raddel; 262348 Esmi; Iap-Pai Approved Most recent IF: 13.942; 2014 IF: 12.881
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:115862 Serial 2670
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Author Verbruggen, S.W.; Keulemans, M.; Goris, B.; Blommaerts, N.; Bals, S.; Martens, J.A.; Lenaerts, S.
Title (down) Plasmonic ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst with broadband solar light response for environmental applications Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Applied catalysis : B : environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ
Volume 188 Issue 188 Pages 147-153
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract We propose the concept of a ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst that consists of TiO2 modified with gold-silver alloy nanoparticles of various sizes and compositions, resulting in a broad plasmon absorption band that covers the entire UV–vis range of the solar spectrum. It is demonstrated that this plasmonic ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst is 16% more effective than TiO2 P25 under both simulated and real solar light for pollutant degradation at the solid-gas interface. With this we provide a promising strategy to maximize the spectral response for solar to chemical energy conversion.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000372677500016 Publication Date 2016-02-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0926-3373 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.446 Times cited 47 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes S.W.V. and B.G. acknowledge the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO) for a postdoctoral fellowship. M.K. acknowledges IWT for the doctoral scholarship. S.B. acknowledges the European Research Council (ERC) for financial support through the ERC grant agreement no. 335078-COLOURATOM. J.A.M. acknowledges the Flemish government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem).; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 9.446
Call Number c:irua:130995 Serial 4061
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Author Asapu, R.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Claes, N.; Blommaerts, N.; Minjauw, M.; Ahmad, T.; Dendooven, J.; Cool, P.; Bals, S.; Denys, S.; Detavernier, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title (down) Plasmonic Near-Field Localization of Silver Core–Shell Nanoparticle Assemblies via Wet Chemistry Nanogap Engineering Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication ACS applied materials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal Acs Appl Mater Inter
Volume 9 Issue 9 Pages 41577-41585
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Silver nanoparticles are widely used in the field of plasmonics because of their unique optical properties. The wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance gives rise to a strongly enhanced electromagnetic field, especially at so-called hot spots located in the nanogap in-between metal nanoparticle assemblies. Therefore, the interparticle distance is a decisive factor in plasmonic applications, such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this study, the aim is to engineer this interparticle distance for silver nanospheres using a convenient wet-chemical approach and to predict and quantify the corresponding enhancement factor using both theoretical and experimental tools. This was done by building a tunable ultrathin polymer shell around the nanoparticles using the layer-by-layer method, in which the polymer shell acts as the separating interparticle spacer layer. Comparison of different theoretical approaches and corroborating the results with SERS analytical experiments using silver and silver−polymer core−shell nanoparticle clusters as SERS substrates was also done. Herewith, an approach is provided to estimate the extent of plasmonic near-field enhancement both theoretically as well as experimentally.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000417005900057 Publication Date 2017-11-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1944-8244 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.504 Times cited 29 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes financial support through a research fellowship. C.D. wishes to thank the Hercules foundation for the financial support (SPINAL). P.C. and R.-G.C. acknowledge financial support by FWO Vlaanderen (project no. G038215N). N.C. and S.B. acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC starting grant #335078-COLOURATOM). (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); saraecas; ECAS_Sara; Approved Most recent IF: 7.504
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147243 Serial 4804
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Author Rehor, I.; Lee, K.L.; Chen, K.; Hajek, M.; Havlik, J.; Lokajova, J.; Masat, M.; Slegerova, J.; Shukla, S.; Heidari, H.; Bals, S.; Steinmetz, N.F.; Cigler, P.
Title (down) Plasmonic nanodiamonds : targeted coreshell type nanoparticles for cancer cell thermoablation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication Advanced healthcare materials Abbreviated Journal Adv Healthc Mater
Volume 4 Issue 4 Pages 460-468
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Targeted biocompatible nanostructures with controlled plasmonic and morphological parameters are promising materials for cancer treatment based on selective thermal ablation of cells. Here, coreshell plasmonic nanodiamonds consisting of a silica-encapsulated diamond nanocrystal coated in a gold shell are designed and synthesized. The architecture of particles is analyzed and confirmed in detail using electron tomography. The particles are biocompatibilized using a PEG polymer terminated with bioorthogonally reactive alkyne groups. Azide-modified transferrin is attached to these particles, and their high colloidal stability and successful targeting to cancer cells overexpressing the transferrin receptor are demonstrated. The particles are nontoxic to the cells and they are readily internalized upon binding to the transferrin receptor. The high plasmonic cross section of the particles in the near-infrared region is utilized to quantitatively ablate the cancer cells with a short, one-minute irradiation by a pulse 750-nm laser.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000349961600014 Publication Date 2015-02-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2192-2640; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.11 Times cited 30 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes 335078 Colouratom; ECAS_Sara; (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 5.11; 2015 IF: 5.797
Call Number c:irua:125375 Serial 2647
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Author Peeters, H.; Keulemans, M.; Nuyts, G.; Vanmeert, F.; Li, C.; Minjauw, M.; Detavernier, C.; Bals, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title (down) Plasmonic gold-embedded TiO2 thin films as photocatalytic self-cleaning coatings Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication Applied Catalysis B-Environmental Abbreviated Journal Appl Catal B-Environ
Volume 267 Issue 267 Pages 118654
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Transparent photocatalytic TiO2 thin films hold great potential in the development of self-cleaning glass sur-

faces, but suffer from a poor visible light response that hinders the application under actual sunlight. To alleviate this problem, the photocatalytic film can be modified with plasmonic nanoparticles that interact very effectively with visible light. Since the plasmonic effect is strongly concentrated in the near surroundings of the nano- particle surface, an approach is presented to embed the plasmonic nanostructures in the TiO2 matrix itself, rather than deposit them loosely on the surface. This way the interaction interface is maximised and the plasmonic effect can be fully exploited. In this study, pre-fabricated gold nanoparticles are made compatible with the organic medium of a TiO2 sol-gel coating suspension, resulting in a one-pot coating suspension. After spin coating, homogeneous, smooth, highly transparent and photoactive gold-embedded anatase thin films are ob- tained.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000518865300002 Publication Date 2020-01-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0926-3373 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 22.1 Times cited 57 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes H.P. is grateful to the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for an aspirant PhD scholarship. Approved Most recent IF: 22.1; 2020 IF: 9.446
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:165616 Serial 5446
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Author Rodal-Cedeira, S.; Montes-García, V.; Polavarapu, L.; Solís, D.M.; Heidari, H.; La Porta, A.; Angiola, M.; Martucci, A.; Taboada, J.M.; Obelleiro, F.; Bals, S.; Pérez-Juste, J.; Pastoriza-Santos, I.
Title (down) Plasmonic Au@Pd Nanorods with Boosted Refractive Index Susceptibility and SERS Efficiency: A Multifunctional Platform for Hydrogen Sensing and Monitoring of Catalytic Reactions Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
Volume 28 Issue 28 Pages 9169-9180
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Palladium nanoparticles (NPs) have received tremendous attention over the years due to their high catalytic activity for various chemical reactions. However, unlike other noble metal nanoparticles such as Au and Ag NPs, they exhibit poor plasmonic properties with broad extinction spectra and less scattering efficiency, and thus limiting their applications in the field of plasmonics. Therefore, it has been challenging to integrate tunable and strong plasmonic properties into catalytic Pd nanoparticles. Here we show that plasmonic Au@Pd nanorods (NRs) with relatively narrow and remarkably tunable optical responses in the NIR region can be obtained by directional growth of Pd on penta-twinned Au NR seeds. We found the presence of bromide ions facilitates the stabilization of facets for the directional growth of Pd shell to obtain Au@Pd nanorods (NR) with controlled length scales. Interestingly, it turns out the Au NR supported Pd NRs exhibit much narrow extinction compared to pure Pd NRs, which makes them suitable for plasmonic sensing applications. Moreover, these nanostructures display, to the best of our knowledge, one of the highest ensemble refractive index sensitivity values reported to date (1067 nm per refractive index unit, RIU). Additionally, we showed the application of such plasmonic Au@Pd NRs for localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based sensing of hydrogen both in solution as well as on substrate. Finally, we demonstrate the integration of excellent plasmonic properties in catalytic palladium enables the in situ monitoring of a reaction progress by surface-enhanced Raman scattering. We postulate the proposed approach to boost the plasmonic properties of Pd nanoparticles will ignite the design of complex shaped plasmonic Pd NPs to be used in various plasmonic applications such as sensing and in situ monitoring of various chemical reactions.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000391080900036 Publication Date 2016-12-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0897-4756 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 80 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Funding from Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grants MAT2013-45168-R and MAT2016-77809-R) is gratefully acknowledge. A.L.P. and S.B. acknowledge support by the European Research Council through an ERC Starting Grant (#335078-COLOURATOMS). L. P. acknowledges the financial support from by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung. V. M.-G. acknowledges the financial support from FPU scholarship from the Spanish MINECO. (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
Call Number EMAT @ emat @ c:irua:139513 Serial 4344
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Author Borah, R.; Ninakanti, R.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title (down) Plasmon resonance of gold and silver nanoparticle arrays in the Kretschmann (attenuated total reflectance) vs. direct incidence configuration Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication Scientific reports Abbreviated Journal Sci Rep-Uk
Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 15738-19
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract While the behaviour of plasmonic solid thin films in the Kretschmann (also known as Attenuated Total Reflection, ATR) configuration is well-understood, the use of discrete nanoparticle arrays in this optical configuration is not thoroughly explored. It is important to do so, since close packed plasmonic nanoparticle arrays exhibit exceptionally strong light-matter interactions by plasmonic coupling. The present work elucidates the optical properties of plasmonic Au and Ag nanoparticle arrays in both the direct normal incidence and Kretschmann configuration by numerical models, that are validated experimentally. First, hexagonal close packed Au and Ag nanoparticle films/arrays are obtained by air–liquid interfacial assembly. The numerical models for the rigorous solution of the Maxwell’s equations are validated using experimental optical spectra of these films before systematically investigating various parameters. The individual far-field/near-field optical properties, as well as the plasmon relaxation mechanism of the nanoparticles, vary strongly as the packing density of the array increases. In the Kretschmann configuration, the evanescent fields arising from p – and s -polarized (or TM and TE polarized) incidence have different directional components. The local evanescent field intensity and direction depends on the polarization, angle of incidence and the wavelength of incidence. These factors in the Kretschmann configuration give rise to interesting far-field as well as near-field optical properties. Overall, it is shown that plasmonic nanoparticle arrays in the Kretschmann configuration facilitate strong broadband absorptance without transmission losses, and strong near-field enhancement. The results reported herein elucidate the optical properties of self-assembled nanoparticle films, pinpointing the ideal conditions under which the normal and the Kretschmann configuration can be exploited in multiple light-driven applications.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000858344700048 Publication Date 2022-09-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2045-2322 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.6 Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes R.B. acknowledges financial support from the University of Antwerp Special Research Fund (BOF) for a DOCPRO4 doctoral scholarship (Grant FN541100001). Approved Most recent IF: 4.6
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190864 Serial 7194
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Author Goris, B.; Guzzinati, G.; Fernández-López, C.; Pérez-Juste, J.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.; Trügler, A.; Hohenester, U.; Verbeeck, J.; Bals, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.
Title (down) Plasmon mapping in Au@Ag nanocube assemblies Type A1 Journal article
Year 2014 Publication The journal of physical chemistry: C : nanomaterials and interfaces Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 118 Issue 28 Pages 15356-15362
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Surface plasmon modes in metallic nanostructures largely determine their optoelectronic properties. Such plasmon modes can be manipulated by changing the morphology of the nanoparticles or by bringing plasmonic nanoparticle building blocks close to each other within organized assemblies. We report the EELS mapping of such plasmon modes in pure Ag nanocubes, Au@Ag coreshell nanocubes, and arrays of Au@Ag nanocubes. We show that these arrays enable the creation of interesting plasmonic structures starting from elementary building blocks. Special attention will be dedicated to the plasmon modes in a triangular array formed by three nanocubes. Because of hybridization, a combination of such nanotriangles is shown to provide an antenna effect, resulting in strong electrical field enhancement at the narrow gap between the nanotriangles.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Washington, D.C. Editor
Language Wos 000339368700031 Publication Date 2014-06-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-7447;1932-7455; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited 41 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fwo; 246791 Countatoms; 278510 Vortex; 335078 Colouratom; 262348 Esmi ECASJO;; ECASSara; (ROMEO:white; preprint:; postprint:restricted 12 months embargo; pdfversion:cannot); Approved Most recent IF: 4.536; 2014 IF: 4.772
Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:118099UA @ admin @ c:irua:118099 Serial 2644
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Author Ndayirinde, C.; Gorbanev, Y.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; De Meyer, R.; Smets, A.; Vlasov, E.; Bals, S.; Cool, P.; Bogaerts, A.
Title (down) Plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis : packed catalysts act as plasma modifiers Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication Catalysis today Abbreviated Journal
Volume 419 Issue Pages 114156-12
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 We studied the plasma-catalytic production of NH3 from H2 and N2 in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor using five different Co-based catalysts supported on Al2O3, namely Co/Al2O3, CoCe/Al2O3, CoLa/Al2O3, CoCeLa/Al2O3 and CoCeMg/Al2O3. The catalysts were characterized via several techniques, including SEM-EDX, and their performance was compared. The best performing catalyst was found to be CoLa/Al2O3, but the dif-ferences in NH3 concentration, energy consumption and production rate between the different catalysts were limited under the same conditions (i.e. feed gas, flow rate and ratio, and applied power). At the same time, the plasma properties, such as the plasma power and current profile, varied significantly depending on the catalyst. Taken together, these findings suggest that in the production of NH3 by plasma catalysis, our catalysts act as plasma modifiers, i.e., they change the discharge properties and hence the gas phase plasma chemistry. Importantly, this effect dominates over the direct catalytic effect (as e.g. in thermal catalysis) defined by the chemistry on the catalyst surface.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000987221300001 Publication Date 2023-04-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0920-5861 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.3 Times cited 3 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project) and the Methusalem project of the University of Antwerp. We also gratefully acknowledge the NH3-TPD analysis performed by Sander Bossier. Approved Most recent IF: 5.3; 2023 IF: 4.636
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197268 Serial 8917
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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 (down) 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.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language 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 7331
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Author Ding, Y.; Maitra, S.; Arenas Esteban, D.; Bals, S.; Vrielinck, H.; Barakat, T.; Roy, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Liu, J.; Li, Y.; Vlad, A.; Su, B.-L.
Title (down) Photochemical production of hydrogen peroxide by digging pro-superoxide radical carbon vacancies in carbon nitride Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication Cell reports physical science Abbreviated Journal
Volume 3 Issue 5 Pages 100874-17
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Artificial photosynthesis of H2O2, an environmentally friendly oxidant and a clean fuel, holds great promise. However, improving its efficiency and stability for industrial implementation remains highly challenging. Here, we report the visible-light H2O2 artificial photosynthesis by digging pro-superoxide radical carbon vacancies in three-dimensional hierarchical porous g-C3N4 through a simple hydrolysis-freeze-drying-thermal treatment. A significant electronic structure change is revealed upon the implantation of carbon vacancies, broadening visible-light absorption and facilitating the photogenerated charge separation. The strong electron affinity of the carbon vacancies promotes superoxide radical (O-center dot(2)-) formation, significantly boosting the H2O2 photocatalytic production. The developed photocatalyst shows an H2O2 evolution rate of 6287.5 mM g(-1) h(-1) under visible-light irradiation with a long cycling stability being the best-performing photocatalyst among all reported g-C3N4-based systems. Our work provides fundamental insight into highly active and stable photocatalysts with great potential for safe industrial H2O2 production.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000805830100006 Publication Date 2022-04-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Y.D. thanks the China Scholarship Council (201808310127) for financial support. This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1663225) , Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT_15R52) of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities-Plan 111 (grant no. B20002) from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education of China, and the National Key R&D Program of China (2016YFA0202602) . This research was also supported by the European Commission Interreg V France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen project “DepollutAir”. Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189706 Serial 7090
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