Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT)

General expertise of the research group

Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) is the core research group in the NANOlight Centre of Excellence. EMAT is an electron microscopy center for materials research specialized in:

• Structure of nanomaterials and interfaces through electron diffraction (ED), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM) imaging
• Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy filtered TEM (EFTEM) and energy-dipersive X-ray (EDX) analysis
• Three-dimensional imaging through electron tomography and FIB/SEM slice-and-view
• In-situ TEM analysis while heating/biasing in a gas/humid/liquid environment

Specific hydrogen- related expertise & research topics

• Investigation of the structure of radiation sensitive nanomaterials and interfaces through electron diffraction and high-resolution TEM imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy filtered TEM, three-dimensional imaging through electron tomography and imaging interfaces in hybrid compounds
• Catalyst nanoparticle shape/size/distribution analysis with nanometer or atomic resolution.
• Stability studies of materials with respect to material morphology, composition and crystal structure, under relevant working conditions while heating/biasing in a gas/humid/liquid environment

Available equipment/tools

• 6 Transmission Electron Microscopes (Thermo Fisher Titan, Tecnai, Jeol)
• 3 Scanning Electron Microscopes (FEI QUANTA FEG 250, FEI Helios Nanolab 650, JEOL)
• Specimen preparation (focused ion beam, etc)
• Image simulation and processing (commercial scientific software packages and in-house developed packages available)
• X-ray powder diffractometers

International collaborations

EMAT has a wide network of collaborators developing nanomaterials used in electrophotocatalysis applications. For example: Utrecht University – Netherlands, IIT – Italy, IMDEA Energy – Spain, CIC bioMAGUNE, Spain.

Participating in FL/B/EU funded projects with H2 related research

• NANOlight Centre of Excellence, “Nanoparticles in the spotlight: light-driven nanoscience from the lab to society”, some subtopics are related to photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production. Main partners: Universiteit Antwerpen groups EMAT, CMT, AXIS, A-PECS,
  EnvEcon
• TEMPEL, “Temperature assisted water electrolysis”. Main partners: VLAIO Moonshot, VITO, IMEC, KU Leuven, Ghent University, Universiteit Antwerpen
• ARCLATH, “Artificial clathrates for safe storage, transport and delivery of hydrogen”. Main partners: VLAIO Moonshot, KU Leuven, Ghent University, VUB, Universiteit Antwerpen
• DELIGHT, “Designing of multifunctional nanomaterials for light-driven innovation technologies”, Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchange, some topics are related to photocatalysis and hydrogen production. Main partners: Universiteit Antwerpen, Italian institute of technology, CNRS, Utrecht University, Institute of Polymer Research – Dresden
• Correlating Surface Evolution with Electrocatalytic Efficacy in Perovskite Electrocatalysts, FWO project. Partner: University of Louisville, USA

Main relevant publications

1. “Tuneable mesoporous silica material for hydrogen storage application via nano-confined clathrate hydrate construction”. Ciocarlan R-G, Farrando-Perez J, Arenas Esteban D, Houlleberghs M, Daemen LL, Cheng Y, Ramirez-Cuesta AJ, Breynaert E, Martens J, Bals S, Silvestre-Albero J, Cool P, Nature communications 15, 8697 (2024). http://doi.org/10.1038/S41467-024-52893-3
2. “An atomically dispersed Mn-photocatalyst for generating hydrogen peroxide from seawater via the Water Oxidation Reaction (WOR)”. Ren P, Zhang T, Jain N, Ching HYV, Jaworski A, Barcaro G, Monti S, Silvestre-Albero J, Celorrio V, Chouhan L, Rokicinska A, Debroye E, Kustrowski P, Van Doorslaer S, Van Aert S, Bals S, Das S, Journal of the American Chemical Society 145, 16584 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1021/JACS.3C03785
3. “Enabling hydrate-based methane storage under mild operating conditions by periodic mesoporous organosilica nanotubes”. Beckwee EJ, Watson G, Houlleberghs M, Arenas Esteban D, Bals S, Van Der Voort P, Breynaert E, Martens J, Baron GV, Denayer JFM, Heliyon 9, e17662 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.HELIYON.2023.E17662
4. “Hierarchical zeolites containing embedded Cd0.2Zn0.8S as a photocatalyst for hydrogen production from seawater”. Yuan Y, Wu F-J, Xiao S-T, Wang Y-T, Yin Z-W, Van Tendeloo G, Chang G-G, Tian G, Hu Z-Y, Wu S-M, Yang X-Y, Chemical communications 59, 7275 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1039/D3CC01409F
5. “Restructuring of titanium oxide overlayers over nickel nanoparticles during catalysis”. Monai M, Jenkinson K, Melcherts AEM, Louwen JN, Irmak EA, Van Aert S, Altantzis T, Vogt C, van der Stam W, Duchon T, Smid B, Groeneveld E, Berben P, Bals S, Weckhuysen BM, Science 380, 644 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.ADF6984
6. “A high-entropy oxide as high-activity electrocatalyst for water oxidation”. Kante MV, Weber ML, Ni S, van den Bosch ICG, van der Minne E, Heymann L, Falling LJ, Gauquelin N, Tsvetanova M, Cunha DM, Koster G, Gunkel F, Nemsak S, Hahn H, Estrada LV, Baeumer C, ACS nano 17, 5329 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1021/ACSNANO.2C08096
7. “Selective anodes for seawater splitting via functionalization of manganese oxides by a plasma-assisted process”. Bigiani L, Barreca D, Gasparotto A, Andreu T, Verbeeck J, Sada C, Modin E, Lebedev OI, Morante JR, Maccato C, Applied Catalysis B-Environmental 284, 119684 (2021). http://doi.org/10.1016/J.APCATB.2020.119684