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CO2electroreduction powered by renewable energy is an attractive strategy to recycle air-based carbon. One of the current challenges for the scale up of the technology is that the catalysts that show high faradaic yield at high current density (post-transitional metals such as In, Sn, Bi, Pb) suffer from very high overpotentials of more than 1 V. On the other hand, Pd can convert CO2to formate with almost no overpotential, but is readily poisoned by CO and deactivates when trying to reach industrially relevant currents. In this work we show the effect of the interaction of In and Pd in bimetallic nanoparticles, reaching the conclusion that this interaction causes a loss of selectivity towards formate and at the same time suppresses CO poisoning of Pd sites. The results of the catalyst characterization suggest the formation of intermetallic PdIn compounds that in turn cause the aforementioned behavior. Based on these results, it seems that geometric and electronic effects in Pd based intermetallic compounds can alleviate CO poisoning on Pd sites. In the case of PdIn intermetallics this leads to the loss of CO2reduction activity, but this strategy may be useful for other electrochemical reactions that suffer from the same problem of deactivation. It remains to be seen if intermetallic compounds of Pd with other elements can yield viable CO2reduction catalysts.

This contribution will analyze the main factors that will contribute to lowering the carbon footprint of polymer materials in the next decades, carefully selected from a personal perspective. Specifically, the following aspects will be critically discussed: (i) feedstock and associated atom efficiencies (ii) negative footprints required for getting to net zero, (iii) end-of-life options: reuse, (closed-loop) recycling and biodegradability. Some of the developments that will address these three main factors will be discussed, focusing on glucose and CO2as feedstock for the production of our future polymers.

Flack and de Waal's exploration of basic building blocks of moral systems among non-human primates indicates that human legal systems and legal behaviour are not purely the product of the environment. An examination of some of the ways in which capacities for reciprocity, retributive behaviours, moralistic aggression, dispute resolution, sympathy, and empathy play roles in contemporary law and legal behaviour shows that these capacities are both ubiquitous and facilitative of legal systems. No attempt is made to reduce all legal systems or legal behaviour to these building block predispositions. However, the creation of legal systems and the willingness and ability to make and abide by laws emerged from certain human predispositions -- the 'basic building blocks'.

An increasing body of evidences from preclinical as well as epidemiological and clinical studies suggest a potential beneficial role of dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids for cognitive functioning. In this narrative review, we will summarize and discuss recent findings from epidemiological, interventional and experimental studies linking dietary consumption of omega-3 fatty acids to cognitive function in healthy adults. Furthermore, affective disorders and schizophrenia (SZ) are characterized by cognitive dysfunction encompassing several domains. Cognitive dysfunction is closely related to impaired functioning and quality of life across these conditions. Therefore, the current review focues on the potential influence of omega-3 fatty acids on cognition in SZ and affective disorders. In sum, current data predominantly from mechanistic models and animal studies suggest that adjunctive omega-3 fatty acid supplementation could lead to improved cognitive functioning in SZ and affective disorders. However, besides its translational promise, evidence for clinical benefits in humans has been mixed. Notwithstanding evidences indicate that adjunctive omega-3 fatty acids may have benefit for affective symptoms in both unipolar and bipolar depression, to date no randomized controlled trial had evaluated omega-3 as cognitive enhancer for mood disorders, while a single published controlled trial suggested no therapeutic benefit for cognitive improvement in SZ. Considering the pleiotropic mechanisms of action of omega-3 fatty acids, the design of well-designed controlled trials of omega-3 supplementation as a novel, domain-specific, target for cognitive impairment in SZ and affective disorders is warranted.

High Throughput experimentation has been well established as a tool in early stage catalyst development and catalyst and process scale-up today. One of the more challenging areas of catalytic research is polymer catalysis. The main difference with most non-polymer catalytic conversions is the fact that the product is not a well defined molecule and the catalytic performance cannot be easily expressed only in terms of catalyst activity and selectivity. In polymerization reactions, polymer chains are formed that can have various lengths (resulting in a molecular weight distribution rather than a defined molecular weight), that can have different compositions (when random or block co-polymers are produced), that can have cross-linking (often significantly affecting physical properties), that can have different endgroups (often affecting subsequent processing steps) and several other variations. In addition, for polyolefins, mass and heat transfer, oxygen and moisture sensitivity, stereoregularity and many other intrinsic features make relevant high throughput screening in this field an incredible challenge. For polycondensation reactions performed in the melt often the viscosity becomes already high at modest molecular weights, which greatly influences mass transfer of the condensation product (often water or methanol). When reactions become mass transfer limited, catalyst performance comparison is often no longer relevant. This however does not mean that relevant experiments for these application areas cannot be performed on small scale. Relevant catalyst screening experiments for polycondensation reactions can be performed in very efficient small scale parallel equipment. Both transesterification and polycondensation as well as post condensation through solid-stating in parallel equipment have been developed. Next to polymer synthesis, polymer characterization also needs to be accelerated without making concessions to quality in order to draw relevant conclusions.

We report here the synthesis and testing of a set of 48 aluminasupported catalysts for hydrogenation of 5ethoxymethylfurfural. This catalytic reaction is very important in the context of converting biomass to biofuels. The catalysts are composed of one main metal gold, copper, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium and one promoter metal bismuth, chromium, iron, sodium, tin, tungsten. Using a 16parallel trickleflow reactor, we tested all 48 catalyst combinations under a variety of conditions. The results show that both substrate conversion and product selectivity are sensitive towards temperature changes and solvent effects. The best results of >99% yield to the desired product, 5ethoxymethylfurfuryl alcohol, are obtained using an iridiumchromium IrCr catalyst. The mechanistic implications of different possible reaction pathways in this complex hydrogenation system are discussed.

Two ester-functionalized cyclohexene oxide monomers (3,4-cyclohexene-oxide-1-carboxylic acid methyl ester (1) and 3,4-cyclohexene-oxide-1-carboxylic acid phenyl ester (2)) could be copolymerized with CO2using the -diketiminato zinc catalyst (EtBDI)ZnOEt (EtBDI 2-(2,6-diethylphenyl)amido-4-(2,6-diethylphenyl)imino-2-pentene) under mild conditions. MALDI-ToF-MS microstructure analyses of the formed aliphatic polycarbonates revealed the occurrence of chain transfer reactions to both monomer and polymer as a result of zinc-catalyzed transesterifications. As a consequence, branched and cyclic polymer structures were formed, which limited the molecular weight development and led to an increase in the polydispersity. The zinc catalyst is also capable of transesterifying carbonate functionalities, albeit that the transesterification rate is considerably lower than that for ester functionalities and only becomes visible at high conversion. This was supported by independent catalytic transesterification reactions of esters and carbonates. Transesterification of carbonate functionalities at the end of the polymerization reaction might explain the observed bimodal behavior for the intrinsically living -diketiminato zinc catalyst.

A detailed investigation was conducted into the chain microstructure and reaction mechanisms of polycyclohexene carbonate (PCHC) synthesized with β-diketiminato zinc catalysts (EtBDI)ZnOEt, (EtBDI)ZnOMe (EtBDI = 2-(2,6-diethylphenyl)amido-4-(2,6-diethylphenyl)imino-2-pentene), and a bis(phenoxy)zinc catalyst [(2,6-F2C6H3O)2Zn·THF]2. For these complexes several different initiation, propagation, and termination reactions were identified by analyzing the MALDI-TOF-MS spectra of the resulting polymers. The bis(phenoxy)zinc system showed some ether linkages while the β-diketiminato zinc catalyzed system produces perfectly alternating cyclohexene oxide−CO2 copolymers. The presence of a mixture of cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, and cyclohexenyl end groups for all three catalyst systems points to an unexpected side reaction that is initiated by traces of water. This study also led to the discovery that, under conditions where traces of water or alcohols are present, the β-diketiminato zinc catalyst is not a truly living system since a very rapid reversible chain transfer mechanism is operating, where alcohols and/or hydroxyl-terminated polymer chains act as the chain transfer agents.

Features the Nederlands Dans Theater II in Hague, Netherlands. Goal of the company; Number of performances per season; Repertoire of the company; Remarks from the company's ballet dancers.

Summary: Copolymerization of CO2 and oxiranes using high-pressure autoclaves typically allows one experiment per reactor per day. As a high-throughput approach for this chemistry would be extremely valuable, a parallel setup has been validated for the copolymerization of CO2 and cyclohexene oxide (CHO) with two β-diiminato zinc complexes. Molecular weights, polydispersities and activities were found to be comparable with literature values. Polycarbonate from cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and CO2.

Summary:Copolymerization of CO2and oxiranes using high‐pressure autoclaves typically allows one experiment per reactor per day. As a high‐throughput approach for this chemistry would be extremely valuable, a parallel setup has been validated for the copolymerization of CO2and cyclohexene oxide (CHO) with two β‐diiminato zinc complexes. Molecular weights, polydispersities and activities were found to be comparable with literature values.

The aim of interventions on the supply side of the hard drug market is to diminish or regulate the unwanted effects of the hard drug trade, with respect to both public health and safety. However, initiatives for the regulation of the hard drug trade cannot be pursued at the international governmental level because the sale of hard drugs is forbidden by law. Therefore, what remains are initiatives at the local level. In a case study of the City of Rotterdam, an inventory is made of interventions on the supply side. It describes interventions initiated by both governmental and private organizations, including the closure of certain dealing addresses, public transport and other general regulations, reporting centers for drug-related nuisance (i.e., local government), and “self-regulation” of dealing addresses and drug consumption/selling rooms (i.e., private interventions). The argument here is for a different approach of (dosed) suppression and regulation (by public and private interventions). In this approach, the use of “quality criteria” for dealing addresses and the spread of dealing addresses are important instruments.

Currently laboratory automation is a rapidly growing field of interest in chemical process research and development. The idea of using automated and parallel methods for the optimization of chemical processes was initiated by the extensive implementation of combinatorial techniques in medicinal chemistry. The techniques applied involve all methods and concepts aimed at dramatically increasing the output of research by extensive use of automation, parallelization and miniaturization, fast analysis, advanced data handling and by efficient automated planning, scheduling and tracking. In this paper, the “Combi” or high-throughput experimentation approach consists of the integration of parallel experimentation with four key modeling and simulation methodologies, modeling, multivariate statistics, statistical design of experimentation and empirical model generation. Integrated automated liquid and solid handling.