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Methanol syntheses at low temperature in a liquid medium present an opportunity for full syngas conversion per pass. The aim of this work was to study the role of solvents polarity on low-temperature methanol synthesis reaction using eight different aprotic polar solvents. A “once through” catalytic system, which is composed of Cu nanoparticles and sodium methoxide, was used for methanol synthesis at 100°C and 20 bar syngas pressure. Solvent polarity rather than the 7–10 nm Cu (and 30 nm Cu on SiO2) catalyst used dictated trend of syngas conversion. Diglyme with a dielectric constant (ɛ) = 7.2 gave the highest syngas conversion among the eight different solvents used. Methanol formation decreased with either increasing or decreasing solvent ɛ value of diglyme (ɛ = 7.2). To probe the observed trend, possible side reactions of methyl formate (MF), the main intermediate in the process, were studied. MF was observed to undergo two main reactions; (i) decarbonylation to form CO and MeOH and (ii) a nucleophilic substitution to form dimethyl ether and sodium formate. Decreasing polarity favored the decarbonylation side reaction while increasing polarity favored the nucleophilic substitution reaction. In conclusion, our results show that moderate polarity solvents, e.g., diglyme, favor MF hydrogenolysis and, hence, methanol formation, by retarding the other two possible side reactions.

The idea of an entrepreneurial university caught on fast after the American sociologist Burton R. Clark published his books on entrepreneurship in universities ("Creating Entrepreneurial Universities," 1998; "Sustaining Changes in Universities," 2004). Inspired by the alluring of the notion of an entrepreneurial university, and by decreasing levels of state funding for universities, we undertook a study on four very active ECIU universities (ECIU = European Consortium of Innovative Universities, www.eciu.org). To evaluate and quantify their level of entrepreneurship, we extracted from Burton Clark's case studies twenty organisational practices against which a University's entrepreneurship can be measured. These twenty practices or factors in effect formed the basis for an entrepreneurship audit. During a series of interviews, the extent to which the universities are seen as entrepreneurial by the interviewees was surveyed. We showed that the practices have been implemented only to various degrees and rather unsystematically. There are important differences among the universities, to some extent depending on the level of ambition that each university has regarding each practice. There are also important similarities; especially that entrepreneurship within universities has to be welcomed and facilitated top-down, but organically occurs and develops bottom-up. Implementing entrepreneurship at universities is thus about stimulating a culture of organic intrapreneurship and we provide practical recommendations and further research options to that effect.

Cu nanoparticles are known to be very active for methanol (MeOH) synthesis at relatively low temperatures, such that smaller particle sizes yield better MeOH productivity. We aimed to control Cu nanoparticle (NP) size and size distribution for catalysing MeOH synthesis, by using the spinning disk reactor. The spinning disk reactor (SDR), which operates based on shear effect and plug flow in thin films, can be used to rapidly micro-mix reactants in order to control nucleation and particle growth for uniform particle size distribution. This could be achieved by varying both physical and chemical operation conditions in a precipitation reaction on the SDR. We have used the SDR for a Cu borohydride reduction to vary Cu NP size from 3 nm to about 55 nm. XRD and TEM characterization confirmed the presence of Cu2O and Cu crystallites when the samples were dried. This technique is readily scalable for Cu NP production by processing continuously over a longer duration than the small-scale tests. However, separation of the nanoparticles from solution posed a challenge as the suspension hardly settled. The Cu NPs produced were tested to be active catalyst for MeOH synthesis at low temperature and MeOH productivity increased with decreasing particle size.

INTRODUCTION: Facemasks proved to be an additional layer of protection in limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 onboard commercial airplanes. Therefore, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries and airlines implemented mask mandates. However, published data on the effect of mask wear on in-flight O2-saturation of flight crews is scarce. METHODS: We conducted a small case series of volunteers (pilots and cabin crew) to examine the above-mentioned effect. Volunteers were asked to assess their peripheral O2 saturation (SpO2) (using a personal pulse oximeter) on ground as well as during different flight phases while wearing a surgical mask (SFM), FFP2 respirator or no mask. We evaluated the average SpO2 according to mask type, wear time and ambient pressure. We used Mann--Whitney U test to assess statistical significance and Pearson's correlation coefficient to determine correlation. RESULTS: Eight volunteers participated in this series. A total of n= 481 measurements was taken during 39 flight legs. SpO2 aground did not differ between the mask groups (unmasked: μ (mean) = 97.6%, σ (standard deviation) = 1.5%; SFM μ = 97.6%, σ = 0.9%; FFP2 μ = 97.6%, σ = 0.9%). Airborne use of FFP2 respirators resulted in a slight but significant (Δ = 1.1%, p = 0.00004) reduction of SpO2 (unmasked: μ = 95.6%, σ = 1.9%; SFM: μ = 96.2% σ = 1.2% and FFP2: μ = 94.6%, σ = 0.9%). No relevant correlation between the duration of mask use and oxygenation could be demonstrated (r = -0.16, p = 0.12). Airborne SpO2 was significantly lower than aground independent of mask type (p < 0.0001 for each). DISCUSSION: Our exploratory case study suggests, to our knowledge for the first time, that SpO2 in flight crews is slightly impaired while using FFP2 respirators. This impairment is however minimal (1.1%) and therefore unlikely to have any effect on performance or health. The underlying reasons require further investigation. Limitations to this study exist due to the limited number of participants and measurement data as well as the assumption of statistical independence. Learning Objectives 1. The audience learns about O2 saturation in aircrews aground as well as airborne while using different mask types. As a byproduct the audience learns about physilogical responses in spO2 to a change in ambient pressure. 2. The audience should be sensitized that there are still questions unanswered that sparked during airline travel throughout the COVID19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]