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Author Herzog, M.J.; Gauquelin, N.; Esken, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Janek, J.
Title Increased Performance Improvement of Lithium-Ion Batteries by Dry Powder Coating of High-Nickel NMC with Nanostructured Fumed Ternary Lithium Metal Oxides Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication ACS applied energy materials Abbreviated Journal ACS Appl. Energy Mater.
Volume 4 Issue 9 Pages 8832-8848
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Dry powder coating is an effective approach to protect the surfaces of layered cathode active materials (CAMs) in lithium-ion batteries. Previous investigations indicate an incorporation of lithium ions in fumed Al2O3, ZrO2, and TiO2 coatings on LiNi0.7Mn0.15Co0.15O2 during cycling, improving the cycling performance. Here, this coating approach is transferred for the first time to fumed ternary LiAlO2, Li4Zr3O8, and Li4Ti5O12 and directly compared with their lithium-free equivalents. All materials could be processed equally and their nanostructured small aggregates accumulate on the CAM surfaces to quite homogeneous coating layers with a certain porosity. The LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC) coated with lithium-containing materials shows an enhanced improvement in overall capacity, capacity retention, rate performance, and polarization behavior during cycling, compared to their lithium-free analogues. The highest rate performance was achieved with the fumed ZrO2 coating, while the best long-term cycling stability with the highest absolute capacity was obtained for the fumed LiAlO2-coated NMC. The optimal coating agent for NMC to achieve a balanced system is fumed Li4Ti5O12, providing a good compromise between high rate capability and good capacity retention. The coating agents prevent CAM particle cracking and degradation in the order LiAlO2 ≈ Al2O3 > Li4Ti5O12 > Li4Zr3O8 > ZrO2 > TiO2. A schematic model for the protection and electrochemical performance enhancement of high-nickel NMC with fumed metal oxide coatings is sketched. It becomes apparent that physical and chemical characteristics of the coating significantly influence the performance of NMC. A high degree of coating-layer porosity is favorable for the rate capability, while a high coverage of the surface, especially in vulnerable grain boundaries, enhances the long-term cycling stability and improves the cracking behavior of NMCs. While zirconium-containing coatings possess the best chemical properties for high rate performances, aluminum-containing coatings feature a superior chemical nature to protect high-nickel NMCs.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000703338600018 Publication Date 2021-09-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2574-0962 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited 15 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes For his support in scanning electron microscopy analysis, the authors thank Erik Peldszus. N. G. and J. V. acknowledge funding from GOA project “Solarpaint” of the University of Antwerp and from the Flemish Research Fund (FWO) project G0F1320N. The Qu-Ant-EM microscope and the direct electron detector were partly funded by the Hercules fund from the Flemish Government Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183949 Serial 6823
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Author Villarreal, R.; Lin, P.-C.; Faraji, F.; Hassani, N.; Bana, H.; Zarkua, Z.; Nair, M.N.; Tsai, H.-C.; Auge, M.; Junge, F.; Hofsaess, H.C.; De Gendt, S.; De Feyter, S.; Brems, S.; Ahlgren, E.H.; Neyts, E.C.; Covaci, L.; Peeters, F.M.; Neek-Amal, M.; Pereira, L.M.C.
Title Breakdown of universal scaling for nanometer-sized bubbles in graphene Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 21 Issue 19 Pages 8103-8110
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Condensed Matter Theory (CMT); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We report the formation of nanobubbles on graphene with a radius of the order of 1 nm, using ultralow energy implantation of noble gas ions (He, Ne, Ar) into graphene grown on a Pt(111) surface. We show that the universal scaling of the aspect ratio, which has previously been established for larger bubbles, breaks down when the bubble radius approaches 1 nm, resulting in much larger aspect ratios. Moreover, we observe that the bubble stability and aspect ratio depend on the substrate onto which the graphene is grown (bubbles are stable for Pt but not for Cu) and trapped element. We interpret these dependencies in terms of the atomic compressibility of the noble gas as well as of the adhesion energies between graphene, the substrate, and trapped atoms.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000709549100026 Publication Date 2021-09-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184137 Serial 6857
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Author Chee, S.-S.; Greboval, C.; Vale Magalhaes, D.; Ramade, J.; Chu, A.; Qu, J.; Rastogi, P.; Khalili, A.; Dang, T.H.; Dabard, C.; Prado, Y.; Patriarche, G.; Chaste, J.; Rosticher, M.; Bals, S.; Delerue, C.; Lhuillier, E.
Title Correlating structure and detection properties in HgTe nanocrystal films Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 21 Issue 10 Pages 4145-4151
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract HgTe nanocrystals (NCs) enable broadly tunable infrared absorption, now commonly used to design light sensors. This material tends to grow under multipodic shapes and does not present well-defined size distributions. Such point generates traps and reduces the particle packing, leading to a reduced mobility. It is thus highly desirable to comprehensively explore the effect of the shape on their performance. Here, we show, using a combination of electron tomography and tight binding simulations, that the charge dissociation is strong within HgTe NCs, but poorly shape dependent. Then, we design a dual-gate field-effect-transistor made of tripod HgTe NCs and use it to generate a planar p-n junction, offering more tunability than its vertical geometry counterpart. Interestingly, the performance of the tripods is higher than sphere ones, and this can be correlated with a stronger Te excess in the case of sphere shapes which is responsible for a higher hole trap density.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000657242300002 Publication Date 2021-05-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 20 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The project is supported by ERC starting grant blackQD (Grant No. 756225) and consolidator grant Realnano (815128). This project has received funding from the European Commission (Grant 731019, EUSMI). We acknowledge the use of cleanroom facilities from the “Centrale de Proximité Paris-Centre”. This work has been supported by the Region Ile-de-France in the framework of DIM Nano-K (Grant dopQD). This work was supported by French state funds managed by the ANR within the Investissements d’Avenir programme under reference ANR11-IDEX-0004-02, and more specifically within the framework of the Cluster of Excellence MATISSE and also by grants IPERNano2 (ANR-18CE30-0023-01), Copin (ANR-19-CE24- 0022), Frontal (ANR-19-CE09-0017), Graskop (ANR-19- CE09-0026), and NITQuantum (ANR-20-ASTR-0008-01). A.C. thanks Agence innovation defense for Ph.D. funding; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179127 Serial 6837
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Author Chen, B.; Gauquelin, N.; Green, R.J.; Lee, J.H.; Piamonteze, C.; Spreitzer, M.; Jannis, D.; Verbeeck, J.; Bibes, M.; Huijben, M.; Rijnders, G.; Koster, G.
Title Spatially controlled octahedral rotations and metal-insulator transitions in nickelate superlattices Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Nano Letters Abbreviated Journal Nano Lett
Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 1295-1302
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The properties of correlated oxides can be manipulated by forming short-period superlattices since the layer thicknesses are comparable with the typical length scales of the involved correlations and interface effects. Herein, we studied the metal-insulator transitions (MITs) in tetragonal NdNiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices by controlling the NdNiO3 layer thickness, n in the unit cell, spanning the length scale of the interfacial octahedral coupling. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals a crossover from a modulated octahedral superstructure at n = 8 to a uniform nontilt pattern at n = 4, accompanied by a drastically weakened insulating ground state. Upon further reducing n the predominant dimensionality effect continuously raises the MIT temperature, while leaving the antiferromagnetic transition temperature unaltered down to n = 2. Remarkably, the MIT can be enhanced by imposing a sufficiently large strain even with strongly suppressed octahedral rotations. Our results demonstrate the relevance for the control of oxide functionalities at reduced dimensions.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000619638600014 Publication Date 2021-01-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1530-6984 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.712 Times cited 19 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work is supported by the international M-ERA.NET project SIOX (project 4288). J.V. and N.G. acknowledge funding through the GOA project “Solarpaint” of the University of Antwerp. The microscope used in this work was partly funded by the Hercules Fund from the Flemish Government. D.J. acknowledges funding from FWO Project G093417N from the Flemish fund for scientific research. M.S. acknowledges funding from Slovenian Research Agency (Grants J2-9237 and P2-0091). R.J.G. acknowledges funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Part of the research described in this paper was performed at the Canadian Light Source, a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, which is supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), NSERC, the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Saskatchewan, and the University of Saskatchewan. This work received support from the ERC CoG MINT (No. 615759) and from a PHC Van Gogh grant. M.B. thanks the French Academy of Science and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences for supporting his stays in The Netherlands. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 823717 -ESTEEM3. Approved Most recent IF: 12.712
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176753 Serial 6736
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Author Gerrits, N.
Title Accurate simulations of the reaction of H₂ on a curved Pt crystal through machine learning Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry Letters Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem Lett
Volume 12 Issue 51 Pages 12157-12164
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Theoretical studies on molecule-metal surface reactions have so far been limited to small surface unit cells due to computational costs. Here, for the first time molecular dynamics simulations on very large surface unit cells at the level of density functional theory are performed, allowing a direct comparison to experiments performed on a curved crystal. Specifically, the reaction of D-2 on a curved Pt crystal is investigated with a neural network potential (NNP). The developed NNP is also accurate for surface unit cells considerably larger than those that have been included in the training data, allowing dynamical simulations on very large surface unit cells that otherwise would have been intractable. Important and complex aspects of the reaction mechanism are discovered such as diffusion and a shadow effect of the step. Furthermore, conclusions from simulations on smaller surface unit cells cannot always be transfered to larger surface unit cells, limiting the applicability of theoretical studies of smaller surface unit cells to heterogeneous catalysts with small defect densities.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000734045900001 Publication Date 2021-12-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1948-7185 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.353 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.353
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184717 Serial 7413
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Author Altantzis, T.; Wang, D.; Kadu, A.; van Blaaderen, A.; Bals, S.
Title Optimized 3D Reconstruction of Large, Compact Assemblies of Metallic Nanoparticles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 47 Pages 26240-26246
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)
Abstract 3D characterization of assemblies of nanoparticles is of great importance to determine their structure-property connection. Such investigations become increasingly more challenging when the assemblies become larger and more compact. In this paper, we propose an optimized approach for electron tomography to minimize artefacts related to beam broadening in High Angle Annular Dark-Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy mode. These artefacts are typically present at one side of the reconstructed 3D data set for thick nanoparticle assemblies. To overcome this problem, we propose a procedure in which two tomographic tilt series of the same sample are acquired. After acquiring the first series, the sample is flipped over 180o, and a second tilt series is acquired. By merging the two reconstructions, blurring in the reconstructed volume is minimized. Next, this approach is combined with an advanced three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm yielding quantitative structural information. Here, the approach is applied to a thick and compact assembly of spherical Au nanoparticles, but the methodology can we used to investigate a broad range of samples.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000752810100031 Publication Date 2021-12-02
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 4.536 Times cited 4 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant No. 815128−REALNANO to S.B.). T.A. acknowledges the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). 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. D.W. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 894254 SuprAtom).; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:185224 Serial 6904
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Author Sanchez-Iglesias, A.; Jenkinson, K.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzan, L.M.
Title Kinetic regulation of the synthesis of pentatwinned gold nanorods below room temperature Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 43 Pages 23937-23944
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The synthesis of gold nanorods requires the presence of symmetry-breaking and shape-directing additives, among which bromide ions and quaternary ammonium surfactants have been reported as essential. As a result, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) has been selected as the most efficient surfactant to direct anisotropic growth. One of the difficulties arising from this selection is the low solubility of CTAB in water at room temperature, and therefore the seeded growth of gold nanorods is usually performed at 25 degrees C or above, which has restricted so far the analysis of kinetic effects derived from lower temperatures. We report a systematic study of the synthesis of gold nanorods from pentatwinned seeds using hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) as the principal surfactant and a low concentration of bromide as shape-directing agent. Under these conditions, the synthesis can be performed at temperatures as low as 8 degrees C, and the corresponding kinetic effects can be studied, resulting in temperature-controlled aspect ratio tunability.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000716453300038 Publication Date 2021-10-23
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 6 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes realnano; sygmaSB; This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under award NSF CHE-1808502 (P.C. and I.J.). This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University's NUANCE Center, which has received support from the SHyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), the IIN, and Northwestern's MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139). D.A E. and S.B. acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants No. 815128 REALNANO and Grant Agreement No. 731019 EUSMI). Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184104 Serial 6868
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Author Renero-Lecuna, C.; Herrero, A.; Jimenez de Aberasturi, D.; Martínez-Flórez, M.; Valiente, R.; Mychinko, M.; Bals, S.; Liz-Marzán, L.M.
Title Nd3+-Doped Lanthanum Oxychloride Nanocrystals as Nanothermometers Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 36 Pages 19887-19896
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The development of optical nanothermometers operating in the near-infrared (NIR) is of high relevance toward temperature measurements in biological systems. We propose herein the use of Nd3+-doped lanthanum oxychloride nanocrystals as an efficient system with intense photoluminescence under NIR irradiation in the first biological transparency window and emission in the second biological window with excellent emission stability over time under 808 nm excitation, regardless of Nd3+ concentration, which can be considered as a particular strength of our system. Additionally, surface passivation through overgrowth of an inert LaOCl shell around optically active LaOCl/Nd3+ cores was found to further enhance the photoluminescence intensity and also the lifetime of the 1066 nm, 4F3/2 to 4I11/2 transition, without affecting its (ratiometric) sensitivity toward temperature changes. As required for biological applications, we show that the obtained (initially hydrophobic) nanocrystals can be readily transferred into aqueous solvents with high, long-term stability, through either ligand exchange or encapsulation with an amphiphilic polymer.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000697335100031 Publication Date 2021-09-16
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 4.536 Times cited 9 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors thank the financial support of the European Research Council (ERC-AdG-2017 787510, ERC-CoG-2019 815128) and of the European Commission (EUSMI, Grant 731019). This work was performed under the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency−Grant MDM-2017−0720. Realnano; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:181671 Serial 6831
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Author Nematollahi, P.; Ma, H.; Schneider, W.F.; Neyts, E.C.
Title DFT and microkinetic comparison of ru-doped porphyrin-like graphene and nanotubes toward catalytic formic acid decomposition and formation Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 34 Pages 18673-18683
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract Immobilization of single metal atoms on a solid host opens numerous possibilities for catalyst designs. If that host is a two-dimensional sheet, sheet curvature becomes a design parameter potentially complementary to host and metal composition. Here, we use a combination of density functional theory calculations and microkinetic modeling to compare the mechanisms and kinetics of formic acid decomposition and formation, chosen for their relevance as a potential hydrogen storage medium, over single Ru atoms anchored to pyridinic nitrogen in a planar graphene flake (RuN4-G) and curved carbon nanotube (RuN4-CNT). Activation barriers are lowered and the predicted turnover frequencies are increased over RuN4-CNT relative to RuN4-CNT. The results highlight the potential of curvature control as a means to achieve high performance and robust catalysts.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000693413400013 Publication Date 2021-08-22
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 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181538 Serial 7805
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Author Demiroglu, I.; Karaaslan, Y.; Kocabas, T.; Keceli, M.; Vazquez-Mayagoitia, A.; Sevik, C.
Title Computation of the thermal expansion coefficient of graphene with Gaussian approximation potentials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 26 Pages 14409-14415
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Direct experimental measurement of thermal expansion coefficient without substrate effects is a challenging task for two-dimensional (2D) materials, and its accurate estimation with large-scale ab initio molecular dynamics is computationally very expensive. Machine learning-based interatomic potentials trained with ab initio data have been successfully used in molecular dynamics simulations to decrease the computational cost without compromising the accuracy. In this study, we investigated using Gaussian approximation potentials to reproduce the density functional theory-level accuracy for graphene within both lattice dynamical and molecular dynamical methods, and to extend their applicability to larger length and time scales. Two such potentials are considered, GAP17 and GAP20. GAP17, which was trained with pristine graphene structures, is found to give closer results to density functional theory calculations at different scales. Further vibrational and structural analyses verify that the same conclusions can be deduced with density functional theory level in terms of the reasoning of the thermal expansion behavior, and the negative thermal expansion behavior is associated with long-range out-of-plane phonon vibrations. Thus, it is argued that the enabled larger system sizes by machine learning potentials may even enhance the accuracy compared to small-size-limited ab initio molecular dynamics.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000672734100027 Publication Date 2021-06-24
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 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179850 Serial 7719
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Author Korkmaz, Y.A.; Bulutay, C.; Sevik, C.
Title k · p parametrization and linear and circular dichroism in strained monolayer (Janus) transition metal dichalcogenides from first-principles Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 13 Pages 7439-7450
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Condensed Matter Theory (CMT)
Abstract Semiconductor monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have brought a new paradigm by introducing optically addressable valley degree of freedom. Concomitantly, their high flexibility constitutes a unique platform that links optics to mechanics via valleytronics. With the intention to expedite the research in this direction, we investigated ten TMDs, namely MoS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, WS2, WSe2, WTe2, MoSSe, MoSeTe, WSSe, and WSeTe, which particularly includes their so-called janus types (JTMDs). First, we obtained their electronic band structures using regular and hybrid density functional theory (DFT) calculations in the presence of the spin-orbit coupling and biaxial or uniaxial strain. Our DFT results indicated that against the expectations based on their reported piezoelectric behavior, JTMDs typically interpolated between the standard band properties of the constituent TMDs without producing a novel feature. Next, by fitting to our DFT data we generated both spinless and spinful k center dot p parameter sets which are quite accurate over the K valley where the optical activity occurs. As an important application of this parametrization, we considered the circular and linear dichroism under strain. Among the studied (J)TMDs, WTe2 stood out with its largest linear dichroism under uniaxial strain because of its narrower band gap and large K valley uniaxial deformation potential. This led us to suggest WTe2 monolayer membranes for optical polarization-based strain measurements, or conversely, as strain tunable optical polarizers.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000639044400045 Publication Date 2021-03-26
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 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:178264 Serial 8136
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Author Van de Sompel, P.; Khalilov, U.; Neyts, E.C.
Title Contrasting H-etching to OH-etching in plasma-assisted nucleation of carbon nanotubes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 14 Pages 7849-7855
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract To gain full control over the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a thorough understanding of the underlying plasma-catalyst mechanisms is required. Oxygen-containing species are often used as or added to the growth precursor gas, but these species also yield various radicals and ions, which may simultaneously etch the CNT during the growth. At present, the effect of these reactive species on the growth onset has not yet been thoroughly investigated. We here report on the etching mechanism of incipient CNT structures from OH and O radicals as derived from combined (reactive) molecular dynamics (MD) and force-bias Monte Carlo (tfMC) simulations. Our results indicate that the oxygen-containing radicals initiate a dissociation process. In particular, we show how the oxygen species weaken the interaction between the CNT and the nanocluster. As a result of this weakened interaction, the CNT closes off and dissociates from the cluster in the form of a fullerene. Beyond the specific systems studied in this work, these results are generically important in the context of PECVD-based growth of CNTs using oxygen-containing precursors.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000641307100032 Publication Date 2021-04-06
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
Impact Factor 4.536 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:178393 Serial 7729
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Author Loenders, B.; Engelmann, Y.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Plasma-Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane on Pt(111): A Microkinetic Study on the Role of Different Plasma Species Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Physical Chemistry C Abbreviated Journal J Phys Chem C
Volume 125 Issue 5 Pages 2966-2983
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Movement Antwerp (MOVANT)
Abstract We use microkinetic modeling to examine the potential of plasma-catalytic partial oxidation (POX) of CH4 as a promising new approach to produce oxygenates. We study how different plasma species affect POX of CH4 on the Pt(111) surface, and we discuss the associated kinetic and mechanistic changes. We discuss the effect of vibrationally excited CH4 and O2, as well as plasma-generated radicals and stable intermediates. Our results show that vibrational excitation enhances the turnover frequency (TOF) of catalytic CH4 dissociation and has good potential for improving the selectivities toward CH3OH, HCOOH, and C2 hydrocarbons. Nevertheless, when also considering plasma-generated radicals, we find that these species mainly govern the surface chemistry. Additionally, we find that plasma-generated radicals and stable intermediates enhance the TOFs of COx and oxygenates, increase the selectivity toward oxygenates, and make the formation of HCOOH more significant on Pt(111). We also briefly illustrate the potential impact of Eley−Rideal reactions that involve plasma-generated radicals. Finally, we reveal how various radicals affect the catalyst surface chemistry and we link this to the formation of different products. This allows us to make suggestions on how the plasma composition should be altered to improve the formation of desired products.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000619760700017 Publication Date 2021-02-11
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 4.536 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Universiteit Antwerpen; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, S001619N ; H2020 European Research Council, 810182 ; We thank Tom Butterworth for the interesting discussions regarding the calculation of the vibrational populations of methane and for taking the time to share his thoughts and experiences on the matter. This research is supported by the FWO-SBO project PLASMACATDesign (grant number S001619N). We also acknowledge financial support from the TOP-BOF project of the University of Antwerp and from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (grant agreement no. 810182SCOPE ERC Synergy project). The calculations were carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen, a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (Department EWI), and the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 4.536
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:175873 Serial 6672
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Author Bal, K.M.
Title Reweighted Jarzynski sampling : acceleration of rare events and free energy calculation with a bias potential learned from nonequilibrium work Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Chemical Theory And Computation Abbreviated Journal J Chem Theory Comput
Volume 17 Issue 11 Pages 6766-6774
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We introduce a simple enhanced sampling approach for the calculation of free energy differences and barriers along a one-dimensional reaction coordinate. First, a small number of short nonequilibrium simulations are carried out along the reaction coordinate, and the Jarzynski equality is used to learn an approximate free energy surface from the nonequilibrium work distribution. This free energy estimate is represented in a compact form as an artificial neural network and used as an external bias potential to accelerate rare events in a subsequent molecular dynamics simulation. The final free energy estimate is then obtained by reweighting the equilibrium probability distribution of the reaction coordinate sampled under the influence of the external bias. We apply our reweighted Jarzynski sampling recipe to four processes of varying scales and complexities.spanning chemical reaction in the gas phase, pair association in solution, and droplet nucleation in supersaturated vapor. In all cases, we find reweighted Jarzynski sampling to be a very efficient strategy, resulting in rapid convergence of the free energy to high precision.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000718183600008 Publication Date 2021-10-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1549-9618 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.245 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.245
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:184676 Serial 8479
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Author Oliveira, M.C.; Yusupov, M.; Bogaerts, A.; Cordeiro, R.M.
Title Lipid Oxidation: Role of Membrane Phase-Separated Domains Type A1 Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Journal Of Chemical Information And Modeling Abbreviated Journal J Chem Inf Model
Volume 61 Issue 6 Pages 2857-2868
Keywords A1 Journal Article; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;
Abstract Lipid oxidation is associated with several inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, but many questions to unravel its effects on biomembranes are still open due to the complexity of the topic. For instance, recent studies indicated that phase-separated domains can have a significant effect on membrane function. It is reported that domain interfaces are “hot spots” for pore formation, but the underlying mechanisms and the effect of oxidation-induced phase separation on membranes remain elusive. Thus, to evaluate the permeability of the membrane coexisting of liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) domains, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we studied the membrane permeability of nonoxidized or oxidized homogeneous membranes (single-phase) and at the Lo/Ld domain interfaces of heterogeneous membranes, where the Ld domain is composed of either oxidized or nonoxidized lipids. Our simulation results reveal that the addition of only 1.5% of lipid aldehyde molecules at the Lo/Ld domain interfaces of heterogeneous membranes increases the membrane permeability, whereas their addition at homogeneous membranes does not have any effect. This study is of interest for a better understanding of cancer treatment methods based on oxidative stress (causing among others lipid oxidation), such as plasma medicine and photodynamic therapy.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000669541400034 Publication Date 2021-06-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1549-9596 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.76 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1200219N ; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior; We thank Universidade Federal do ABC for providing the computational resources needed for completion of this work and CAPES for the scholarship granted. M.Y. acknowledges the Flanders Research Foundation (grant 1200219N) for financial support. Approved Most recent IF: 3.76
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:179766 Serial 6806
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Author Leinders, G.; Baldinozzi, G.; Ritter, C.; Saniz, R.; Arts, I.; Lamoen, D.; Verwerft, M.
Title Charge Localization and Magnetic Correlations in the Refined Structure of U3O7 Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Inorganic Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Inorg Chem
Volume 60 Issue 14 Pages 10550-10564
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Atomic arrangements in the mixed-valence oxide U3O7 are refined from high-resolution neutron scattering data. The crystallographic model describes a long-range structural order in a U60O140 primitive cell (space group P42/n) containing distorted cuboctahedral oxygen clusters. By combining experimental data and electronic structure calculations accounting for spin–orbit interactions, we provide robust evidence of an interplay between charge localization and the magnetic moments carried by the uranium atoms. The calculations predict U3O7 to be a semiconducting solid with a band gap of close to 0.32 eV, and a more pronounced charge-transfer insulator behavior as compared to the well-known Mott insulator UO2. Most uranium ions (56 out of 60) occur in 9-fold and 10-fold coordinated environments, surrounding the oxygen clusters, and have a tetravalent (24 out of 60) or pentavalent (32 out of 60) state. The remaining uranium ions (4 out of 60) are not contiguous to the oxygen cuboctahedra and have a very compact, 8-fold coordinated environment with two short (2 × 1.93(3) Å) “oxo-type” bonds. The higher Hirshfeld charge and the diamagnetic character point to a hexavalent state for these four uranium ions. Hence, the valence state distribution corresponds to 24/60 × U(IV) + 32/60 U(V) + 4/60 U(VI). The tetravalent and pentavalent uranium ions are predicted to carry noncollinear magnetic moments (with amplitudes of 1.6 and 0.8 μB, respectively), resulting in canted ferromagnetic order in characteristic layers within the overall fluorite-related structure.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000675430900049 Publication Date 2021-07-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0020-1669 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 4.857 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Financial support for this research was partly provided by the Energy Transition Fund of the Belgian FPS Economy (Project SF-CORMOD – Spent Fuel CORrosion MODeling). This work was performed in part using HPC resources from GENCI-IDRIS (Grants 2020-101450 and 2020-101601), and in part by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center) and the HPC infrastructure of the University of Antwerp (CalcUA), both funded by the FWO-Vlaanderen and the Flemish Government-department EWI. GL thanks E. Suard and C. Schreinemachers for assistance during the neutron scattering experiments at the ILL. GB acknowledges V. Petříček for suggestions on using JANA2006. Approved Most recent IF: 4.857
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:179907 Serial 6801
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Author De Paepe, J.; Clauwaert, P.; Gritti, M.C.; Ganigue, R.; Sas, B.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Rabaey, K.
Title Electrochemical in situ pH control enables chemical-free full urine nitrification with concomitant nitrate extraction Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Environmental Science & Technology Abbreviated Journal Environ Sci Technol
Volume 55 Issue 12 Pages 8287-8298
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Urine is a valuable resource for nutrient recovery. Stabilization is, however, recommended to prevent urea hydrolysis and the associated risk for ammonia volatilization, uncontrolled precipitation, and malodor. This can be achieved by alkalinization and subsequent biological conversion of urea and ammonia into nitrate (nitrification) and organics into CO2. Yet, without pH control, the extent of nitrification is limited as a result of insufficient alkalinity. This study explored the feasibility of an integrated electrochemical cell to obtain on-demand hydroxide production through water reduction at the cathode, compensating for the acidification caused by nitritation, thereby enabling full nitrification. To deal with the inherent variability of the urine influent composition and bioprocess, the electrochemical cell was steered via a controller, modulating the current based on the pH in the bioreactor. This provided a reliable and innovative alternative to base addition, enabling full nitrification while avoiding the use of chemicals, the logistics associated with base storage and dosing, and the associated increase in salinity. Moreover, the electrochemical cell could be used as an in situ extraction and concentration technology, yielding an acidic concentrated nitrate-rich stream. The make-up of the end product could be tailored by tweaking the process configuration, offering versatility for applications on Earth and in space.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000663939900052 Publication Date 2021-06-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0013-936x; 1520-5851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.198 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.198
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179779 Serial 7862
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Author Alloul, A.; Cerruti, M.; Adamczyk, D.; Weissbrodt, D.G.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Operational strategies to selectively produce purple bacteria for microbial protein in raceway reactors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Environmental Science & Technology Abbreviated Journal Environ Sci Technol
Volume 55 Issue 12 Pages 8278-8286
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) show potential for microbial protein production on wastewater as animal feed. They offer good selectivity (i.e., low microbial diversity and high abundance of one species) when grown anaerobically in the light. However, the cost of closed anaerobic photobioreactors is prohibitive for protein production. Although open raceway reactors are cheaper, their feasibility to selectively grow PNSB is thus far unexplored. This study developed operational strategies to boost PNSB abundance in the biomass of a raceway reactor fed with volatile fatty acids. For a flask reactor run at a 2 day sludge retention time (SRT), matching the chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate to the removal rate in the light period prevented substrate availability during the dark period and increased the PNSB abundance from 50-67 to 88-94%. A raceway reactor run at a 2 day SRT showed an increased PNSB abundance from 14 to 56% when oxygen supply was reduced (no stirring at night). The best performance was achieved at the highest surface-to-volume ratio (10 m(2) m(-3) increased light availability) showing productivities up to 0.2 g protein L-1 day(-1) and a PNSB abundance of 78%. This study pioneered in PNSB-based microbial protein production in raceway reactors, yielding high selectivity while avoiding the combined availability of oxygen, COD, and darkness.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000663939900051 Publication Date 2021-06-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0013-936x; 1520-5851 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.198 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.198
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179768 Serial 8334
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Author Salzmann, B.B.V.; Vliem, J.F.; Maaskant, D.N.; Post, L.C.; Li, C.; Bals, S.; Vanmaekelbergh, D.
Title From CdSe nanoplatelets to quantum rings by thermochemical edge reconfiguration Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Chemistry Of Materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
Volume 33 Issue 17 Pages 6853-6859
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The variation in the shape of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) remains intriguing. This interest goes beyond crystallography as the shape of the NC determines its energy levels and optoelectronic properties. While thermodynamic arguments point to a few or just a single shape(s), terminated by the most stable crystal facets, a remarkable variation in NC shape has been reported for many different compounds. For instance, for the well-studied case of CdSe, close-to-spherical quantum dots, rods, two-dimensional nanoplatelets, and quantum rings have been reported. Here, we report how two-dimensional CdSe nanoplatelets reshape into quantum rings. We monitor the reshaping in real time by combining atomically resolved structural characterization with optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. We observe that CdSe units leave the vertical sides of the edges and recrystallize on the top and bottom edges of the nanoplatelets, resulting in a thickening of the rims. The formation of a central hole, rendering the shape into a ring, only occurs at a more elevated temperature.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000696553600024 Publication Date 2021-08-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Hans Meeldijk is kindly acknowledged for helping with electron microscopy at Utrecht University. B.B.V.S. and D.V. acknowledge the Dutch NWO for financial support via the TOP-ECHO grant no. 715.016.002. D.V. acknowledges financial support from the European ERC Council, ERC Advanced grant 692691 “First Step”. D.V. and L.C.P. acknowledge the Dutch NWO for financial support via the TOP-ECHO grant nr. 718.015.002. S.B acknowledges financial support from the European ERC Council, ERC Consolidator grant 815128. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 731019 (EUSMI). Realnano; sygmaSB Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181550 Serial 6839
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Author Feng, H.L.; Kang, C.-J.; Manuel, P.; Orlandi, F.; Su, Y.; Chen, J.; Tsujimoto, Y.; Hadermann, J.; Kotliar, G.; Yamaura, K.; McCabe, E.E.; Greenblatt, M.
Title Antiferromagnetic order breaks inversion symmetry in a metallic double perovskite, Pb₂NiOsO₆ Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Chemistry Of Materials Abbreviated Journal Chem Mater
Volume 33 Issue 11 Pages 4188-4195
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A polycrystalline sample of Pb2NiOsO6 was synthesized under high-pressure (6 GPa) and high-temperature (1575 K) conditions. Pb2NiOsO6 crystallizes in a monoclinic double perovskite structure with a centrosymmetric space group P2(1)/n at room temperature. Pb2NiOsO6 is metallic down to 2 K and shows a single antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at T-N = 58 K. Pb2NiOsO6 is a new example of a metallic and AFM oxide with three-dimensional connectivity. Neutron powder diffraction and first-principles calculation studies indicate that both Ni and Os moments are ordered below T-N and the AFM magnetic order breaks inversion symmetry. This loss of inversion symmetry driven by AFM order is unusual in metallic systems, and the 3d-Sd double-perovskite oxides represent a new class of noncentrosymmetric AFM metallic oxides.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000661521800032 Publication Date 2021-05-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0897-4756; 1520-5002 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 9.466 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 9.466
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179679 Serial 6854
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Author Xia, C.; Pedrazo-Tardajos, A.; Wang, D.; Meeldijk, J.D.; Gerritsen, H.C.; Bals, S.; de Donega, C.M.
Title Seeded growth combined with cation exchange for the synthesis of anisotropic Cu2-xS/ZnS, Cu2-xS, and CuInS2 nanorods Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Chemistry of materials Abbreviated Journal
Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 102-116
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract Colloidal copper(I) sulfide (Cu2-xS) nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted much attention for a wide range of applications because of their unique optoelectronic properties, driving scientists to explore the potential of using Cu2-xS NCs as seeds in the synthesis of heteronanocrystals to achieve new multifunctional materials. Herein, we developed a multistep synthesis strategy toward Cu2-xS/ZnS heteronanorods. The Janus-type Cu2-xS/ZnS heteronanorods are obtained by the injection of hexagonal high-chalcocite Cu2-xS seed NCs in a hot zinc oleate solution in the presence of suitable surfactants, 20 s after the injection of sulfur precursors. The Cu2-xS seed NCs undergo rapid aggregation and coalescence in the first few seconds after the injection, forming larger NCs that act as the effective seeds for heteronucleation and growth of ZnS. The ZnS heteronucleation occurs on a single (100) facet of the Cu2-xS seed NCs and is followed by fast anisotropic growth along a direction that is perpendicular to the c-axis, thus leading to Cu2-xS/ZnS Janus-type heteronanorods with a sharp heterointerface. Interestingly, the high-chalcocite crystal structure of the injected Cu2-xS seed NCs is preserved in the Cu2-xS segments of the heteronanorods because of the highthermodynamic stability of this Cu2-xS phase. The Cu2-xS/ZnS heteronanorods are subsequently converted into single-component Cu2-xS and CuInS2 nanorods by postsynthetic topotactic cation exchange. This work expands the possibilities for the rational synthesis of colloidal multicomponent heteronanorods by allowing the design principles of postsynthetic heteroepitaxial seeded growth and nanoscale cation exchange to be combined, yielding access to a plethora of multicomponent heteronanorods with diameters in the quantum confinement regime.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000610984700009 Publication Date 2020-12-28
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 10 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes C.X. acknowledges China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the financial support (grant number 201406330055). C.d.M.D. acknowledges funding from the European Commission for access to the EMAT facilities (grant number EUSMI E180900184). D.W. acknowledges an Individual Fellowship funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) in Horizon 2020 program (grant 894254 SuprAtom). S.B. acknowledges support by means of the ERC Consolidator grant no. 815128 REALNANO. The authors thank Donglong Fu for XRD measurements.; sygma Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176587 Serial 6732
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Author Fuoco, T.; Cuartero, M.; Parrilla, M.; García-Guzmán, J.J.; Crespo, G.A.; Finne-Wistrand, A.
Title Capturing the real-time hydrolytic degradation of a library of biomedical polymers by combining traditional assessment and electrochemical sensors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Biomacromolecules Abbreviated Journal Biomacromolecules
Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 949-960
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation)
Abstract We have developed an innovative methodology to overcome the lack of techniques for real-time assessment of degradable biomedical polymers at physiological conditions. The methodology was established by combining polymer characterization techniques with electrochemical sensors. The in vitro hydrolytic degradation of a series of aliphatic polyesters was evaluated by following the molar mass decrease and the mass loss at different incubation times while tracing pH and l-lactate released into the incubation media with customized miniaturized electrochemical sensors. The combination of different analytical approaches provided new insights into the mechanistic and kinetics aspects of the degradation of these biomedical materials. Although molar mass had to reach threshold values for soluble oligomers to be formed and specimens’ resorption to occur, the pH variation and l-lactate concentration were direct evidence of the resorption of the polymers and indicative of the extent of chain scission. Linear models were found for pH and released l-lactate as a function of mass loss for the l-lactide-based copolymers. The methodology should enable the sequential screening of degradable polymers at physiological conditions and has potential to be used for preclinical material’s evaluation aiming at reducing animal tests.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2021-01-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1525-7797 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 5.246 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.246
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175296 Serial 7575
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Author Alvarez-Martin, A.; Newsome, G.A.; Janssens, K.
Title High-resolution mass spectrometry and nontraditional mass defect analysis of brominated historical pigments Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Analytical Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Anal Chem
Volume 93 Issue 44 Pages 14851-14858
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS)
Abstract The implementation of high-resolution mass spectrometry systems offers new possibilities for the analysis of complex art samples such as historical oil paintings. However, these multicomponent systems generate large and complex data sets that require advanced visualization tools to aid interpretation, especially when no chromatographic separation is performed. In the context of this research, it was crucial to propose a data analysis tool to identify the products generated during the synthesis, drying, and aging of historical pigments. This study reports for the first time a nontraditional mass defect analysis of oil paint samples containing a fugitive brominated-organic pigment, eosin or geranium lake, by using direct infusion electrospray ionization in combination with a high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The use of nontraditional Kendrick mass defect plots is presented in this study as a processing and visualization tool to recognize brominated species based on their specific mass defect and isotope pattern. The results demonstrate that this approach could provide valuable molecular compositional information on the degradation pathways of this pigment. We anticipate that mass defect analysis will become highly relevant in future degradation studies of many more historical organic pigments.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000718171600037 Publication Date 2021-10-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0003-2700; 5206-882x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.32 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.32
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:182347 Serial 8038
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Author Trashin, S.; Morales-Yánez, F.; Thiruvottriyur Shanmugam, S.; Paredis, L.; Carrión, E.N.; Sariego, I.; Muyldermans, S.; Polman, K.; Gorun, S.M.; De Wael, K.
Title Nanobody-based immunosensor detection enhanced by photocatalytic-electrochemical redox cycling Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Analytical Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Anal Chem
Volume 93 Issue 40 Pages 13606-13614
Keywords A1 Journal article; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Antwerp Electrochemical and Analytical Sciences Lab (A-Sense Lab)
Abstract Detection of antigenic biomarkers present in trace amounts is of crucial importance for medical diagnosis. A parasitic disease, human toxocariasis, lacks an adequate diagnostic method despite its worldwide occurrence. The currently used serology tests may stay positive even years after a possibly unnoticed infection, whereas the direct detection of a re-infection or a still active infection remains a diagnostic challenge due to the low concentration of circulating parasitic antigens. We report a time-efficient sandwich immunosensor using small recombinant single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies specific to Toxocara canis antigens. An enhanced sensitivity to pg/mL levels is achieved by using a redox cycle consisting of a photocatalytic oxidation and electrochemical reduction steps. The photocatalytic oxidation is achieved by a photosensitizer generating singlet oxygen (1O2) that, in turn, readily reacts with p-nitrophenol enzymatically produced under alkaline conditions. The photooxidation produces benzoquinone that is electrochemically reduced to hydroquinone, generating an amperometric response. The light-driven process could be easily separated from the background, thus making amperometric detection more reliable. The proposed method for detection of the toxocariasis antigen marker shows superior performances compared to other detection schemes with the same nanobodies and outperforms by at least two orders of magnitude the assays based on regular antibodies, thus suggesting new opportunities for electrochemical immunoassays of challenging low levels of antigens.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000708550500025 Publication Date 2021-09-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0003-2700; 5206-882x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.32 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.32
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:181795 Serial 8290
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Author Aghaei, M.; Bogaerts, A.
Title Flowing Atmospheric Pressure Afterglow for Ambient Ionization: Reaction Pathways Revealed by Modeling Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Analytical Chemistry Abbreviated Journal Anal Chem
Volume 93 Issue 17 Pages 6620-6628
Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)
Abstract We describe the plasma chemistry in a helium flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) used for analytical spectrometry, by means of a quasione-dimensional (1D) plasma chemical kinetics model. We study the effect of typical impurities present in the feed gas, as well as the afterglow in ambient humid air. The model provides the species density profiles in the discharge and afterglow regions and the chemical pathways. We demonstrate that H, N, and O atoms are formed in the discharge region, while the dominant reactive neutral species in the afterglow are O3 and NO. He* and He2* are responsible for Penning ionization of O2, N2, H2O, H2, and N, and especially O and H atoms. Besides, He2+ also contributes to ionization of N2, O2, H2O, and O through charge transfer reactions. From the pool of ions created in the discharge, NO+ and (H2O)3H+ are the dominant ions in the afterglow. Moreover, negatively charged clusters, such as NO3H2O− and NO2H2O−, are formed and their pathway is discussed as well. Our model predictions are in line with earlier observations in the literature about the important reagent ions and provide a comprehensive overview of the underlying pathways. The model explains in detail why helium provides a high analytical sensitivity because of high reagent ion formation by both Penning ionization and charge transfer. Such insights are very valuable for improving the analytical performance of this (and other) ambient desorption/ionization source(s).
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000648505900008 Publication Date 2021-05-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0003-2700 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.32 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 6713 ; The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) grant number 6713. The computational work was carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (Department EWI), and the UA. The authors also thank J. T. Shelley for providing experimental data for the gas velocity behind the anode disk and before the mass spectrometer interface, to validate our model. Approved Most recent IF: 6.32
Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:178126 Serial 6762
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Author Albrecht, W.; Van Aert, S.; Bals, S.
Title Three-Dimensional Nanoparticle Transformations Captured by an Electron Microscope Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Accounts Of Chemical Research Abbreviated Journal Accounts Chem Res
Volume 54 Issue 5 Pages 1189-1199
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000626269900011 Publication Date 2021-03-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0001-4842 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 20.268 Times cited 12 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors acknowledge funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Consolidator Grants No. 815128–REALNANO and No. 770887–PICOMETRICS), the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, G.0267.18N), and the European Commission (EUSMI). The authors furthermore acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, ESTEEM3. The authors also acknowledge contributions from all co-workers that have contributed over the years: Thomas Altantzis, Annick De Backer, Joost Batenburg and co-workers, Armand Béché, Eva Bladt, Lewys Jones and co-workers, Luis Liz-Marzán and co-workers, Ivan Lobato, Thais Milagres de Oliveira, Peter Nellist and co-workers, Hugo Pérez Garza and co-workers, Alexander Skorikov, Sara Skrabalak and co-workers, Sandra Van Aert, Alfons van Blaaderen and co-workers, Hans Vanrompay, Staf Van Tendeloo, and Johan Verbeeck.; sygmaSB; Approved Most recent IF: 20.268
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:177644 Serial 6752
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Author Esteban, D.A.; Vanrompay, H.; Skorikov, A.; Béché, A.; Verbeeck, J.; Freitag, B.; Bals, S.
Title Fast electron low dose tomography for beam sensitive materials Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Microscopy And Microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal
Volume 27 Issue S1 Pages 2116-2118
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2021-07-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1431-9276 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 1.891 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.891
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183278 Serial 6813
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Author MacArthur, K.E.; Yankovich, A.B.; Béché, A.; Luysberg, M.; Brown, H.G.; Findlay, S.D.; Heggen, M.; Allen, L.J.
Title Optimizing Experimental Conditions for Accurate Quantitative Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis of Interfaces at the Atomic Scale Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Microscopy And Microanalysis Abbreviated Journal Microsc Microanal
Volume Issue Pages 1-15
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract The invention of silicon drift detectors has resulted in an unprecedented improvement in detection efficiency for energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope. The result is numerous beautiful atomic-scale maps, which provide insights into the internal structure of a variety of materials. However, the task still remains to understand exactly where the X-ray signal comes from and how accurately it can be quantified. Unfortunately, when crystals are aligned with a low-order zone axis parallel to the incident beam direction, as is necessary for atomic-resolution imaging, the electron beam channels. When the beam becomes localized in this way, the relationship between the concentration of a particular element and its spectroscopic X-ray signal is generally nonlinear. Here, we discuss the combined effect of both spatial integration and sample tilt for ameliorating the effects of channeling and improving the accuracy of EDX quantification. Both simulations and experimental results will be presented for a perovskite-based oxide interface. We examine how the scattering and spreading of the electron beam can lead to erroneous interpretation of interface compositions, and what approaches can be made to improve our understanding of the underlying atomic structure.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000664532400007 Publication Date 2021-04-12
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1431-9276 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.891 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The authors would like to thank Jürgen Schubert for helping to supply the sample and valuable discussions on the topic. K. E. MacArthur and M. Heggen acknowledge the Helmholtz Funding agency and the DFG (grant number HE 7192/1-2) for their financial support of this work. L. J. Allen acknowledges the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This research was supported under the Discovery Projects funding scheme of the Australian Research Council (Projects DP140102538 and FT190100619). K.E. MacArthur, A.B. Yankovich and A. Béché acknowledge support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research innovation program under grant agreement No. 823717 – ESTEEM3. A.B. Yankovich also acknowledges support from the Materials Science Area of Advance at Chalmers and the Swedish Research Council (VR, under grant No: 2020-04986).; esteem3TA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 1.891
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:178129 Serial 6760
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Author Agrawal, S.; Weissbrodt, D.G.; Annavajhala, M.; Jensen, M.M.; Arroyo, J.M.C.; Wells, G.; Chandran, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Terada, A.; Smets, B.F.; Lackner, S.
Title Time to act–assessing variations in qPCR analyses in biological nitrogen removal with examples from partial nitritation/anammox systems Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res
Volume 190 Issue Pages 116604
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is broadly used as the gold standard to quantify microbial community fractions in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Benchmarking efforts to ensure the comparability of qPCR data for environmental bioprocesses are still scarce. Also, for partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) systems systematic investigations are still missing, rendering meta-analysis of reported trends and generic insights potentially precarious. We report a baseline investigation of the variability of qPCR-based analyses for microbial communities applied to PN/A systems. Round-robin testing was performed for three PN/A biomass samples in six laboratories, using the respective in-house DNA extraction and qPCR protocols. The concentration of extracted DNA was significantly different between labs, ranged between 2.7 and 328 ng mg−1 wet biomass. The variability among the qPCR abundance data of different labs was very high (1−7 log fold) but differed for different target microbial guilds. DNA extraction caused maximum variation (3–7 log fold), followed by the primers (1–3 log fold). These insights will guide environmental scientists and engineers as well as treatment plant operators in the interpretation of qPCR data.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000632807700001 Publication Date 2020-11-05
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.942 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.942
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:173838 Serial 8672
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Author De wael, A.; De Backer, A.; Lobato, I.; Van Aert, S.
Title Modelling ADF STEM images using elliptical Gaussian peaks and its effects on the quantification of structure parameters in the presence of sample tilt Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication Ultramicroscopy Abbreviated Journal Ultramicroscopy
Volume Issue Pages 113391
Keywords A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
Abstract A small sample tilt away from a main zone axis orientation results in an elongation of the atomic columns in ADF STEM images. An often posed research question is therefore whether the ADF STEM image intensities of tilted nanomaterials should be quantified using a parametric imaging model consisting of elliptical rather than the currently used symmetrical peaks. To this purpose, simulated ADF STEM images corresponding to different amounts of sample tilt are studied using a parametric imaging model that consists of superimposed 2D elliptical Gaussian peaks on the one hand and symmetrical Gaussian peaks on the other hand. We investigate the quantification of structural parameters such as atomic column positions and scattering cross sections using both parametric imaging models. In this manner, we quantitatively study what can be gained from this elliptical model for quantitative ADF STEM, despite the increased parameter space and computational effort. Although a qualitative improvement can be achieved, no significant quantitative improvement in the estimated structure parameters is achieved by the elliptical model as compared to the symmetrical model. The decrease in scattering cross sections with increasing sample tilt is even identical for both types of parametric imaging models. This impedes direct comparison with zone axis image simulations. Nonetheless, we demonstrate how reliable atom-counting can still be achieved in the presence of small sample tilt.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000704334200001 Publication Date 2021-09-24
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 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 770887 and No. 823717 ESTEEM3). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through grants to A.D.w. and A.D.B. and projects G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, and EOS 30489208. S.V.A. acknowledges TOP BOF funding from the University of Antwerp.; esteem3JRA; esteem3reported Approved Most recent IF: 2.843
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:181462 Serial 6810
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