“Populieren en hun bacteriën : een sanering hoeft niet altijd duur en ingrijpend te zijn”. Compernolle T, Van Passel S, Lebbe L, Vangronsveld J, Thewys T, Nieuwsbrief milieu &, economie 24, 15 (2010)
Keywords: A3 Journal article; Economics
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“Polydopamine-gelatin as universal cell-interactive coating for methacrylate-based medical device packaging materials : when surface chemistry overrules substrate bulk properties”. Van de Walle E, Van Nieuwenhove I, Vanderleyden E, Declercq H, Gellynck K, Schaubroeck D, Ottevaere H, Thienpont H, De Vos WH, Cornelissen M, Van Vlierberghe S, Dubruel P, Biomacromolecules 17, 56 (2016). http://doi.org/10.1021/ACS.BIOMAC.5B01094
Abstract: Despite its widespread application in the fields of ophthalmology, orthopedics and dentistry and the stringent need for polymer packagings that induce in vivo tissue integration, the full potential of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and its derivatives as medical device packaging material has not been explored yet. We therefore elaborated on the development of a universal coating for methacrylate-based materials which ideally should reveal cell-interactivity irrespective of the polymer substrate bulk properties. Within this perspective, the present work reports on the UV-induced synthesis of PMMA and its more flexible poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG)-based derivative (PMMAPEG) and its subsequent surface decoration using polydopamine (PDA) as well as PDA combined with gelatin B (Gel B). Successful application of both layers was confirmed by multiple surface characterization techniques. The cell interactivity of the materials was studied by performing live-dead assays and immunostainings of the cytoskeletal components of fibroblasts. It can be concluded that only the combination of PDA and Gel B yields materials posessing similar cell interactivities, irrespective of the physicochemical properties of the underlying substrate. The proposed coating outperforms both the PDA functionalized and the pristine polymer surfaces. A universal cell-interactive coating for methacrylate-based medical device packaging materials has thus been realized.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
DOI: 10.1021/ACS.BIOMAC.5B01094
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“Polycyclodextrin and carbon nanotubes as composite for tyrosinase immobilization and its superior electrocatalytic activity towards butylparaben an endocrine disruptor”. Rather JA, Pilehvar S, De Wael K, Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology 15, 3365 (2015). http://doi.org/10.1166/JNN.2015.10210
Abstract: We developed a protocol for the immobilization of tyrosinase (Tyr) on the composite of polycyclodextrin polymer (CDP) and carbon nanotubes for the detection of an endocrine disruptor, i.e., butylparaben (BP). The formation of the CDP polymer was characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The conducting film of cross-linked CDP and carbon nanotubes, displays excellent matrix capabilities for Tyr immobilization. The host-guest chemical reaction ability of CD and the ππ stacking interaction assure the bioactivity of Tyr towards butylparaben. The developed biosensor was characterized electrochemically by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The enzyme-substrate kinetic parameters such as the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K M app) was measured under saturated substrate concentration. The determination of butylparaben was carried out by using square wave voltammetry over the concentration range of 2.1 to 35.4 μM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. The fabricated biosensor was successfully applied in real-life cosmetic samples with good recovery ranging from 98.5 to 102.8%.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Times cited: 3
DOI: 10.1166/JNN.2015.10210
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“Polycapillary X-ray optics”. Gao N, Janssens K page 89 (2004).
Keywords: H3 Book chapter; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
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“Polaron effects in heterostructures, quantum wells and superlattices”. Peeters FM, Devreese JT, , 99 (1994)
Keywords: P1 Proceeding; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Theory of quantum systems and complex systems
Times cited: 1
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“Polaron cyclotron resonance spectrum with interface optical phonon modes in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells”. Hai GQ, Peeters FM, Devreese JT Kluwer, Dordrecht, page 243 (1993).
Keywords: H3 Book chapter; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Theory of quantum systems and complex systems
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“Polarized-beam high-energy EDXRF in geological samples”. Čevik U, Akbulut S, Makarovska Y, Van Grieken R, Spectroscopy letters 46, 36 (2013). http://doi.org/10.1080/00387010.2012.661015
Abstract: Certified reference materials (NIST 1645, BCR 143, IAEA 7, BCR 141, NIESCRM02, and IAEA 375) were used for determining the performance of a secondary target energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer, Epsilon 5 (PANalytical, Almelo, the Netherlands). For the evaluation of the EDXRF spectra with polarized-beam high-energy excitation, the WinAxil software package has been applied. The results showed that Epsilon 5, EDXRF spectrometry is favorable for the determination of elemental concentrations in geological samples, but the sample preparation has the largest influence on the precision. However, they presented good agreement with certified values for most of the elements.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
DOI: 10.1080/00387010.2012.661015
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“Point defect reactions in silicon studies in situ by high flux electron irradiation in high voltage transmission electron microscope”. Vanhellemont J, Romano-Rodriguez A, Fedina L, van Landuyt J, Aseev A, Materials science and technology 11, 1194 (1995)
Keywords: A3 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Times cited: 7
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“Platinum group elements in the environment and their health risk”. Ravindra K, Bencs L, Van Grieken R, The science of the total environment 318, 1 (2004). http://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00372-3
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
DOI: 10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00372-3
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“Platinum : environmental pollution and health effects”. Bencs L, Ravindra K, Van Grieken R page 580 (2011).
Keywords: H2 Book chapter; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
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Rodrigues Lavor I (2021) Plasmons and electronic transport in two-dimensional materials. 219 p
Abstract: This thesis presents, in its first part, an investigation on the trembling motion of wave packets known as zitterbewegung (ZBW), in multilayer graphene, as well as in moiré excitons in twisted MoS2/WSe2 hetero-bilayers. In the last few decades, the dynamics of wave packets has been subject of many theoretical and experimental studies in various types of systems such as semiconductors, superconductors, crystalline solids and cold atoms. The discovery of graphene and moiré excitons in twisted hetero-bilayers, brought two new platforms for the investigation on time evolution of wave packets and possible observation of ZBW. This trembling motion was first theoretically predicted by Schrödinger for wave packets describing particles that obey the Dirac equation. This is exactly the case of low energy electrons in graphene, as well as of moiré exciton in twisted MoS2/WSe2 under an external applied electromagnetic field. ZBW in multilayer graphene was studied both analytically and computationally, respectively, through the Green's function and split-operator methods. In this system, it is found that ZBW depends not only on the wave packet width and initial pseudospin polarization, but also on the number of layers. Furthermore, the analytical and numerical methods proposed here allow to investigate wave packet dynamics in graphene systems with an arbitrary number of layers and arbitrary potential landscapes. For moiré excitons in twisted MoS2/WSe2 hetero-bilayers, it is shown that, analogously to other Dirac-like particles, this system also exhibits ZBW when under a perpendicular applied field. In this case, the ZBW presents long timescales that are compatible with current experimental techniques for exciton dynamics. This promotes the study of the dynamics of moiré excitons in van der Waals heterostructures as an advantageous solidstate platform to probe zitterbewegung, broadly tunable by gating and inter-layer twist angle. In the second part of this thesis, a study into graphene plasmonic in van der Waals heterostructure (vdWhs) are treated in a linear response framework within the Random Phase Approximation and with support of the quantum electrostatic heterostructure (QEH), a DFT-based method. Since Dirac plasmons in graphene are very sensitive to the dielectric properties of the environment, it is possible to explore this property to probe the structure and composition of van der Waals heterostructures (vdWh) placed underneath a single graphene layer. In this way, one can achieve a layer sensitivity of a single layer and differentiate between different TMDs for heterostructures thicker than 2 layers. As a consequence of this, study, the hybridization of Dirac plasmons in graphene with phonons of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), when the materials are combined in so-called van der Waals heterostructures (vdWh) forming surface plasmon-phonon polaritons (SPPPs) are also investigated. It was found that it is possible to realize both strong and ultrastrong coupling regimes by tuning graphene’s Fermi energy and changing TMD layer number.
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
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“Plasmonic hybrid nanostructures in photocatalysis : structures, mechanisms, and applications”. Ninakanti R, Dingenen F, Borah R, Peeters H, Verbruggen SW, Topics in Current Chemistry 380, 40 (2022). http://doi.org/10.1007/S41061-022-00390-W
Abstract: (Sun)Light is an abundantly available sustainable source of energy that has been used in catalyzing chemical reactions for several decades now. In particular, studies related to the interaction of light with plasmonic nanostructures have been receiving increased attention. These structures display the unique property of localized surface plasmon resonance, which converts light of a specific wavelength range into hot charge carriers, along with strong local electromagnetic fields, and/or heat, which may all enhance the reaction efficiency in their own way. These unique properties of plasmonic nanoparticles can be conveniently tuned by varying the metal type, size, shape, and dielectric environment, thus prompting a research focus on rationally designed plasmonic hybrid nanostructures. In this review, the term “hybrid” implies nanomaterials that consist of multiple plasmonic or non-plasmonic materials, forming complex configurations in the geometry and/or at the atomic level. We discuss the synthetic techniques and evolution of such hybrid plasmonic nanostructures giving rise to a wide variety of material and geometric configurations. Bimetallic alloys, which result in a new set of opto-physical parameters, are compared with core–shell configurations. For the latter, the use of metal, semiconductor, and polymer shells is reviewed. Also, more complex structures such as Janus and antenna reactor composites are discussed. This review further summarizes the studies exploiting plasmonic hybrids to elucidate the plasmonic-photocatalytic mechanism. Finally, we review the implementation of these plasmonic hybrids in different photocatalytic application domains such as H2 generation, CO2 reduction, water purification, air purification, and disinfection.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
DOI: 10.1007/S41061-022-00390-W
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Blommaerts N (2019) Plasmonic core shell nanoparticles : from synthesis to photocatalytic applications. 153 p
Abstract: Het gebruik van plasmon-actieve nanodeeltjes heeft de laatste 10 jaar zeer veel interesse gewekt bij onderzoekers in verschillende toepassingsdomeinen zoals fotokatalyse of oppervlakte versterkte Raman spectroscopie. Er is echter een grote limiterende factor bij het gebruik van edelmetaal nanodeeltjes zoals goud en zilver en dat is de stabiliteit. Deze oxideren en aggregeren snel, zeker in oxidatieve omgeving zoals in lucht. Een interessante aanpak om plasmon-actieve nanodeeltjes te stabiliseren, is om ze te omgeven in een schil, met andere woorden om een kern-schil nanodeeltje te vormen. Er zijn een heel aantal verschillende manieren waarop kern-schil nanodeeltjes gesynthetiseerd kunnen worden. In eerste instantie werden metaal nanodeeltjes omgeven door een (dunne) TiO2 laag. Afhankelijk van de hoeveelheid TiO2 precursor kon de dikte van de laag gecontroleerd worden tot enkele nanometers dik. De stalen werden getest voor de fotokatalytische afbraak van een vaste laag stearinezuur waarbij toevoeging van 2 wt% metaal@TiO2 op P25 leidde tot een significante verbetering in afbraakefficiëntie in vergelijking met zuiver P25. Een andere manier voor het stabiliseren van metaal nanodeeltjes is door ze te omgeven met een polymeerschil. Op deze manier kon de laagdikte gecontroleerd worden met sub-nanometer controle wat een zeer belangrijke factor is voor de hoeveelheid near-field versterking dat buiten de polymeer schil kan gaan. Een XTT test werd uitgevoerd om te bepalen wat de zuurstofactivatie snelheid was van goud en zilver (en goud-zilver bimetallische) nanodeeltjes, al dan niet omgeven door een (niet-)geleidende polymeer laag. Wanneer de stalen gecoat werden met vier niet-geleidende polymeerlagen zakte de zuurstofactivatie nagenoeg tot nul. Aan de andere kant, als goud nanodeeltjes werden omgeven door een geleidende schil was er nog steeds zuurstofactivatie, hoewel lager dan in het geval van goud zonder laag. Het laatste deel van deze thesis focuste meer op mogelijke toepassingen in luchtzuivering. In dit werk werd een glazen buis, gecoat aan de binnenkant met (Ag@polymer gemodificeerd) TiO2, als een spiraal rond een UVA lamp gewikkeld. De geoptimaliseerde spiraalreactor werd dan vergeleken met een conventionele cilindervormige fotoreactor, met dezelfde dimensies en totale katalysatorbelading, over een grote range aan experimentele condities. Uit de resultaten bleek dat de spiraalreactor significant betere afbraakefficiënties vertoonde in vergelijking met de conventionele cilindervormige reactor over een grote range aan debieten. Een adsorptiestap in combinatie met de geoptimaliseerde spiraalreactor zou kunnen leiden tot een zeer krachtige luchtzuiveringstechnologie.
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
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“Plasmacatalysis : a sustainable and efficient indoor air treatment”. Van Wesenbeeck K, Hauchecorne B, Lenaerts S, (2015)
Keywords: P3 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
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Xu W (2023) Plasma-catalytic DRM : study of LDH derived catalyst for DRM in a GAP plasma system. 350 p
Abstract: Plasma is considered one of the promising technologies to solve greenhouse gas problems, as it can activate CO2 and CH4 at relatively low temperatures. Among the various types of plasmas, the gliding arc plasmatron (GAP) is promising, as it has a high level of non-equilibrium and high electron density. Nevertheless, the conversion of CO2 and CH4 in the GAP reactor is limited. Therefore, combining the GAP reactor with catalysts and making use of the heat produced by the plasma to provide thermal energy to the catalyst, forming a post-plasma catalytic (PPC) system, is hypothesized to improve its performance. Therefore, in this PhD research, we investigate important aspects of the PPC concept towards the use of the heat produced by GAP plasma to heat the plasma bed, without additional energy input. Aiming at this, based on a literature study (chapter 1), Ni-loaded layered double hydroxide (LDH) derived catalyst with good thermal catalytic DRM performance were chosen as the catalyst material. Before applying the LDH as a support material, the rehydration property of calcined LDH in moist and liquid environment was studied as part of chapter 2. The data indicated that after high temperatures calcination (600-900 C), the obtained layered double oxides (LDOs) can rehydrate into LDH, although, the rehydrated LDH were different from the original LDH. In chapter 3, different operating conditions, such as gas flow rate, gas compositions (e.g. CH4/CO2 ratio and nitrogen dilution), and addition of H2O were studied to investigate optimal conditions for PPC DRM, identifying possible differences in temperature profiles and exhaust gas compositions that might influence the catalytic performance. Subsequently, the impact of different PPC configurations, making use of the heat and exhaust gas composition produced by the GAP plasma, is shown in Chapter 4. Experiments studying the impact of adjusting the catalyst bed distance to the post-plasma, the catalyst amount, the influence of external heating (below 250 C) and the addition of H2O are discussed. As only limited improvement in the performance was achieved, a new type of catalyst bed was designed and utilized, as described in chapter 5. This improved configuration can realize better heat and mass transfer by directly connecting to the GAP device. The performance was improved and became comparable to the traditional thermal catalytic DRM results obtained at 800 C, although obtained by a fully electrically driven plasma.
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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Belov I (2017) Plasma-assisted conversion of carbon dioxide
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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Snoeckx R (2017) Plasma technology : a novel solution for CO2 conversion? Antwerpen
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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van 't Veer KC (2022) Plasma kinetics modelling of nitrogen fixation : ammonia synthesis in dielectric barrier discharges with catalysts. 241 p
Abstract: Ammonia (NH3) synthesis is crucial for the production of artificial fertilizer and is carried out through the Haber-Bosch process. With an energy consumption of 30 GJ/t-NH3 and the emission of 2 kg-CO2/kg-NH3, ammonia is the chemical with the largest environmental footprint. Haber-Bosch operates under high pressure and high temperature conditions. Plasma technology potentially allows greener ammonia production. Dielectric barrier discharges are a popular plasma source in which a catalyst is easily incorporated. The combination of plasma and catalyst can circumvent the harsh reaction conditions of the Haber-Bosch process. Plasma kinetics modelling is used to gain insight into the mechanisms of such plasma-catalytic systems. Special attention is given to the instantaneous power absorbed by the electrons, the relevant fraction of the microdischarges and the discharge volumes. The importance of vibrational excitation is investigated. Depending on the exact discharge conditions, it was found that both the strong microdischarges and vibrational excitation can be simultaneously important for the ammonia yield. The temporal behavior of filamentary dielectric barrier discharges was explicitly taken into account. Ammonia was found to decompose during the microdischarges due to electron impact dissociation. At the same time atomic nitrogen and other excited species are created. Those reactive species recombine to ammonia in the afterglow through various elementary Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood surface reaction steps with a net ammonia gain. Finally, the concept of the fraction of microdischarges was generalized. It directly represents the efficiency with which the applied electric power is transferred to each individual particle in the plasma reactor. It is argued that any type of spatial or temporal non-uniformity of the plasma will cause unequal treatment of the gas molecules in the reactor, corresponding to a lower efficiency at which the power is transferred to the gas molecules. All of those insights aid in an increased understanding of plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis as a potential green chemistry solution to the synthesis of ammonia on small scale.
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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Heijkers S (2020) Plasma chemistry modelling for CO2 and CH4 conversion in various plasma types. 316 p
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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“Plasma chemical looping : unlocking high-efficiency CO₂, conversion to clean CO at mild temperatures”. Long Y, Wang X, Zhang H, Wang K, Ong W-L, Bogaerts A, Li K, Lu C, Li X, Yan J, Tu X, Zhang H, JACS Au (2024). http://doi.org/10.1021/JACSAU.4C00153
Abstract: We propose a plasma chemical looping CO2 splitting (PCLCS) approach that enables highly efficient CO2 conversion into O-2-free CO at mild temperatures. PCLCS achieves an impressive 84% CO2 conversion and a 1.3 mmol g(-1) CO yield, with no O-2 detected. Crucially, this strategy significantly lowers the temperature required for conventional chemical looping processes from 650 to 1000 degrees C to only 320 degrees C, demonstrating a robust synergy between plasma and the Ce0.7Zr0.3O2 oxygen carrier (OC). Systematic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations unveil the pivotal role of plasma in activating and partially decomposing CO2, yielding a mixture of CO, O-2/O, and electronically/vibrationally excited CO2*. Notably, these excited CO2* species then efficiently decompose over the oxygen vacancies of the OCs, with a substantially reduced activation barrier (0.86 eV) compared to ground-state CO2 (1.63 eV), contributing to the synergy. This work offers a promising and energy-efficient pathway for producing O-2-free CO from inert CO2 through the tailored interplay of plasma and OCs.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
DOI: 10.1021/JACSAU.4C00153
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Van Wesenbeeck K (2016) Plasma catalysis as an efficient and sustainable air purification technology. 171 p
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
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Michielsen I (2019) Plasma catalysis : study of packing materials on CO2 reforming in a DBD reactor. 215 p
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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Wang J (2022) Plasma catalysis : study of CO2 reforming of CH4 in a DBD reactor. XVI, 232 p
Abstract: The plasma-based dry reforming in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor is important to achieve sustainable goals, but many challenges remain. For example, the conversion and energy yield of DBD reactors are relatively low, and the catalysts or packing materials used in existing studies cannot improve them, possibly due to the unsuitable properties and structures of catalysts or packing materials for plasma processes. In order to study the effect of catalyst structure on plasma-based dry reforming, a controllable synthesis of the catalyst supports or templates was explored. In Chapter 2, an initially immiscible synthesis method was proposed to synthesize uniform silica spheres, which can replace the organic solvent-based Stöber method to successfully synthesize silica particles with the same size ranges as the original Stöber process without addition of organic solvents. Using the silica spheres as templates, 3D porous Cu and CuO catalysts with different pore sizes were synthesized in Chapter 3 to study the effect of catalyst pore size on the plasma-catalytic dry reforming. In most cases, the smaller the pore size, the higher the conversion of CH4 and CO2 due to the reaction of radicals and ions formed in the plasma. An exception are the samples synthesized from 1 μm silica, which show better performance due to the electric field enhancement for pore sizes close to the Debye length. Besides the pore size, the particle diameter of the catalyst or packing is also one of the important factors affecting the interaction between plasma and catalyst. In Chapter 4, SiO2 spheres (with or without supported metal) were used to study the effect of different support particle sizes on plasma-based dry reforming. We found that a uniform SiO2 packing improves the conversion of plasma-based dry reforming. The conversion of plasma-based dry reforming first increases and then decreases with increasing particle size, due to the balance between the promoting and hindering effect of the particle filling on the plasma discharge. Chapter 5 is to improve the design of the DBD reactor itself, in order to try to increase its low energy yield. Some stainless steel rings were put over the inner electrode rod of the DBD reactor. The presence of rings increases the local electric field, the displaced charges and the discharge fraction, and also makes the discharge more stable and with more uniform intensity. The placement of the rings improves the performance of the reactor at 30 W supplied power.
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
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“Plasma catalysis : integration of a photocatalytic coating in a corona discharge unit”. Van Wesenbeeck K, Hauchecorne B, Lenaerts S, (2013)
Keywords: P3 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
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“Plasma assisted catalysis : an efficient and sustainable indoor air purification technology”. Van Wesenbeeck K, Hauchecorne B, Lenaerts S, (2012)
Keywords: P3 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
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Clavel J (2024) Plant-mycorrhizal interactions and their role in plant invasions in mountains. 182 p
Abstract: Non-native species invasions are one of the most impactful drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss worldwide. One aspect of plant species invasion, which is only recently starting to be recognized as a determinant of invasion success, is the symbiosis between plant and mycorrhizal fungi. Here, I focus on anthropogenic disturbance in mountain ecosystems and its impact on plant communities and mycorrhizal fungi to answer how these communities are impacted by disturbance and whether non-native plants can benefit to establish and spread. To this end I used a combination of different approaches: 1) repeated surveys of plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi along disturbed roadsides in the mountains of Norway, 2) combining a global dataset of native and non-native plants along mountain roads with a database associating plants with their mycorrhizal types, and 3) an in-situ experiment measuring non-native plant success and changes in fungal community following different types of disturbances. Through these methods, I could assess the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on mycorrhizal symbiosis and non-native plant species at multiple scales and resolutions. We found that road disturbance has a globally consistent effect on mycorrhizal types in mountain systems, as plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were more abundant following disturbance. Conversely, vegetation associated with either ectomycorrhizal (EcM) or ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi was less abundant in disturbed sites. In the regional study, AM fungi were most abundant and diverse in the roots of plant communities affected by road disturbance. Non-native plants were also restricted to these disturbed sites. The experimental results showed that physical disturbance and nutrient addition have negative effects on EcM fungi and positive effects on fungal pathogens, and facilitate non-native plant success. Our results show that anthropogenic disturbance does have an effect on mycorrhizal fungi that in turn impacts the distribution of plant species in disturbed mountain systems. The resulting shift in mycorrhizal fungi benefiting AM fungi and AM plant species could have implications for non-native plant invasions. Indeed, we know that non-native plants predominantly form associations with AM fungi. Therefore, anthropogenic disturbance can facilitate non-native plant success through disruption of the native fungal communities, and especially so in high elevation and cold climate regions which are naturally less dominated by AM plants. I believe this highlights the importance of mycorrhizal symbiosis in understanding plant invasions and emphasizes the importance of monitoring sources of anthropogenic disturbance in mountains to prevent future establishment of non-native plants.
Keywords: Doctoral thesis; Plant and Ecosystems (PLECO) – Ecology in a time of change
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“Plant morphology and function, geometric morphometrics, and modelling : decoding the mathematical secrets of plants”. Gao J, Huang W, Gielis J, Shi P, Plants 12, 3724 (2023). http://doi.org/10.3390/PLANTS12213724
Keywords: Editorial; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
DOI: 10.3390/PLANTS12213724
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“Plant morphology and function, geometric morphometrics, and modelling : decoding the mathematical secrets of plants”. Gao J, Huang W, Gielis J, Shi P page 224 p. (2023).
Abstract: Delve into the diverse aspects of plant morphology, their responses to global climate change, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest productivity. Join us on a journey through the intricate web of plant characteristics and their impact on the environment.
Keywords: ME3 Book as editor; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
DOI: 10.3390/BOOKS978-3-0365-9423-1
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“Plant and microbial science and technology as cornerstones to Bioregenerative Life Support Systems in space”. De Micco V, Amitrano C, Mastroleo F, Aronne G, Battistelli A, Carnero-Diaz E, De Pascale S, Detrell G, Dussap C-G, Ganigué, R, Jakobsen ØM, Poulet L, Van Houdt R, Verseux C, Vlaeminck SE, Willaert R, Leys N, NPJ microgravity 9, 69 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1038/S41526-023-00317-9
Abstract: Long-term human space exploration missions require environmental control and closed Life Support Systems (LSS) capable of producing and recycling resources, thus fulfilling all the essential metabolic needs for human survival in harsh space environments, both during travel and on orbital/planetary stations. This will become increasingly necessary as missions reach farther away from Earth, thereby limiting the technical and economic feasibility of resupplying resources from Earth. Further incorporation of biological elements into state-of-the-art (mostly abiotic) LSS, leading to bioregenerative LSS (BLSS), is needed for additional resource recovery, food production, and waste treatment solutions, and to enable more self-sustainable missions to the Moon and Mars. There is a whole suite of functions crucial to sustain human presence in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and successful settlement on Moon or Mars such as environmental control, air regeneration, waste management, water supply, food production, cabin/habitat pressurization, radiation protection, energy supply, and means for transportation, communication, and recreation. In this paper, we focus on air, water and food production, and waste management, and address some aspects of radiation protection and recreation. We briefly discuss existing knowledge, highlight open gaps, and propose possible future experiments in the short-, medium-, and long-term to achieve the targets of crewed space exploration also leading to possible benefits on Earth.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
DOI: 10.1038/S41526-023-00317-9
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“Pixe analysis of aerosol samples collected over the atlantic-ocean from a sailboat”. Maenhaut W, Selen A, van Espen P, Van Grieken R, Winchester WJ, Nuclear instruments and methods 181, 399 (1981). http://doi.org/10.1016/0029-554X(81)90640-6
Abstract: Size-fractionated aerosol samples, collected over the Atlantic Ocean, were analyzed for up to 20 elements by PIXE. Using a sailboat as sampling platform, duplicate samples were taken for two-day periods by means of battery operated 6-stage cascade impactors, positioned about 8 m above the sea surface. In the PIXE analysis of the fine particle stages (stages 3 to 5) a 5 times smaller beam size was used than for stages 1 and 2. This led to significant improvement in the detection limits for the former stages. The results from the duplicate impactor samples were normally in good agreement, indicating that the combined uncertainty of sampling and PIXE analysis was of the order of 20%. The precision of the PIXE analysis alone was investigated by rebombarding some samples six months after the first analysis. The trends with time of the fine particle sulfur and the coarse particle iron concentrations are discussed in some detail.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Chemometrics (Mitac 3)
DOI: 10.1016/0029-554X(81)90640-6
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