Author Archive

Poster Prizes at the 3rd International Green Catalysis Symposium 2017

From left to right: P. Dixneuf, C. Vis, R. Gonzales-Fernandez, L. Oro

The “3rd International Green Catalysis Symposium 2017” took place on 23rd-24th March at the University of Rennes. Green Chemistry and Catalysis Science & Technology sponsored poster prizes; Green Chemistry Advisory Board member and chairman of the symposium Professor Pierre Dixneuf (Rennes, France) and Professor Luis Oro (Zaragona, Spain) awarded the Green Chemistry prizes and the Catalysis Science & Technology prizes were presented by Christian Bruneau (Rennes, France).

The Green Chemistry prizes were awarded to Rebeca Gonzales-Fernandez (University of Oviedo, Spain) for her poster entitled “Ruthenium-catalyzed hydration/transfer hydrogenation of beta-ketonitriles: easy access to beta-hydroxyamides” and Carolien Vis (University of Utrecht, The Netherlands for her poster, “Tandem catalytic biomass conversion in Pickering emulsions”.

From left to right: G. Schieweck, C. Bruneau, A. Bruneau-Voisine, C. Darcel

The Catalysis Science & Technology prizes were awarded to Benjamin G. Schieweck (RWTH Aachen University), for his poster entitled “Highly active nickel catalyst for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to formate” and Antoine Bruneau-Voisine (University of Rennes), for his work on “Uses of well-defined manganese catalysts in homogeneous hydrogenation and methylation”.

Congratulations!

More information about the event can be seen on https://igcs2017.sciencesconf.org/

Group photo with the four awardees and Professors

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Waste office paper comes to a sticky end

Paper cannot be recycled into new paper indefinitely

A process for generating aluminium–aluminium bonding adhesives from waste office paper could give a purpose to paper than can no longer be recycled into more paper. 

Paper can typically only be recycled as a new paper product 3–4 times, after this the fibres become too short to be used in new paper or cardboard. Finding alternative ways of reusing this readily available resource is crucial.

To read the full article please visit Chemistry World.

Low-temperature microwave-assisted pyrolysis of waste office paper and the application of bio-oil as an Al adhesive
Zhanrong Zhang, Duncan J. Macquarrie, Mario De bruyn, Vitaliy L. Budarin, Andrew J. Hunt, Mark J. Gronnow, Jiajun Fan, Peter S. Shuttleworth, James H. Clark and Avtar S. Matharu  
Green Chem., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4GC00768A, Paper

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“Sustainability in Chemistry” – September 28-30, 2014, Erlangen, Germany

In their biannual meeting, the division “Sustainable Chemistry” within the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will discuss all topics related to sustainable and green chemistry, methodology, synthesis and processes. In the upcoming meeting autumn 2014, the scientific focus will lie on:

  • Sustainable Synthesis Including Catalysis and Biotechnology
  • Green solvents
  • Renewable Feedstocks
  • Sustainable Macromolecular Chemistry
  • “Assessment and politics”, Green chemistry education

 The submission of both poster and oral contributions via the conference website is now open

 https://www.chemie.uni-erlangen.de/suschem2014/

 Invited lectures

  • Shu Kobayashi, Tokyo, J
  • Ulf Hanefeld, Delft, NL, “From sp2 to sp3 utilising enzymes”
  • Konrad Hungerbühler, ETH Zürich, Ch, “Sustainability Indicators in Chemistry”
  • Cor Koning, Eindhoven, NL, “New developments in sustainable and renewable coating materials”
  • Bert Sels, Leuven, BE, “A lignocellulosic biorefinery concept in Leuven: a chemist’s view”
  • Matthias Beller, Rostock, D,  “Chemistry goes Green: Technologies for the Development of a Sustainable Society “
  • Michael Dreja, Henkel AG & Co KGaA, Düsseldorf, D, “Sustainable detergents – where are we on our way towards 2030?”
  • Harald Gröger, Bielefeld, D, “Combination of the two “worlds” chemo- and biocatalysis towards one-pot processes in water”
  • Burkhard König, Regensburg, D, “Chemical photocatalysis using visible light”
  • Andreas Künkel, Biopolymers , BASF, D, “Symbiosis of Chemistry and Biology: BASF’s Biodegradable and Renewable Polymers”
  • Uwe Lahl, Darmstadt, D, “Indirect Land Use Change ( iLUC)”
  • Alexander Vyhnal, STAEDTLER Mars GmbH & Co. KG, D, “WOPEX – A sustainable materials innovation by STAEDTLER”
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Flue gas reclaimed as polymer feedstock

The first systematic environmental assessment of an industrial plant that produces polyols from carbon dioxide has revealed that they significantly reduce both carbon dioxide emissions and the demand on fossil fuel reserves.

Polyols are the major component of polyurethanes, which make up foams or thermoplastic urethanes in a wide range of applications from mattresses to ski boots. Most polymers are made from fossil fuel-based feedstocks.

To read more on this article please visit Chemistry World.

Life cycle assessment of polyols for polyurethane production using CO2 as feedstock: insights from an industrial case study
Niklas von der Assen and André Bardow  
Green Chem., 2014,16, 3272-3280
DOI: 10.1039/C4GC00513A

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Freeze-dried cells make better biocatalysts

A biocatalytic cascade using mashed-up cells has overcome extraction and solubility problems associated with using enzymes in chemical syntheses.

Enzymes are excellent catalysts for making chiral molecules. One-pot reactions under mild conditions are often possible with more than one catalyst, allowing multi-step syntheses in one go. But if enzymes are used as catalysts, they have to be extracted and purified, and expensive co-factors often need to be added. There are also solubility issues: enzymes are usually most active in buffers, but many of their substrates are hydrophobic, limiting the productivity of the biotransformation because the substrate won’t dissolve in aqueous buffers.

It is thought that the cell envelope helps to stabilise the enzymes in organic solvent

 To read more on this article please visit Chemistry World.

A two-step biocatalytic cascade in micro-aqueous medium: using whole cells to obtain high concentrations of a vicinal diol
Andre Jakoblinnerta and Dörte Rother  
Green Chem., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4GC00010B

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