Kazuaki Ishihara and his group at Nagoya University (Japan; www.ishihara-lab.net) have established a new, environment friendly reaction technology — using Baeyer-Villiger oxidations — for selectively oxidizing ketones into esters. The reaction uses hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant, and has potential…
A challenge in the development of polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells is the durability and electrocatalytic activity of platinum-based electrocatalysts. The sluggishness of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) causes the fuel cell performance to be limited by the cathodic reaction, and…
A team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kaist; Daejeon, South Korea: www.kaist.ac.kr) and Seoul National University (www.useoul.edu) led by Kaist’s professor Keon Jae Lee, claims to have developed the first prototype of a fully functional all-flexible…
Professor Kenichoro Itami and his group at Nagoya University (synth.chem. nagoya-u.ac.jp) have synthesized a cage-type carbon nano-molecule, Carbon Nano-cage, composed of 20 condensed benzene rings — C120H78. The group used a procedure it developed four years ago to synthesize carbon…
Several drug delivery systems have been studied involving the encapsulation of molecules in a suitable structure and their transport through the human body. In particular, polymersomes — tiny hollow spheres that enclose a solution — formed using synthetic block copolymers…
A move toward bio-based malic acid... Novozymes A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark; www.novozymes.com) has developed a strain of metabolically engineered Aspergillus oryzae fungus that is capable of producing the four-carbon, dicarboxylic acid compound malic acid. The chemical building block malic acid is…
Synfuels China Technology Co. (Beijing; www.synfuelschina.com.cn) says it has developed a high-temperature slurry Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process (flowsheet) that produces mainly clean diesel, naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products, with unique features including: high productivity of proprietary catalyst; efficient recovery…
The MFO actuator from the proven 812/813 Series is a pneumatic actuator that was specially designed to be compatible with sterile and fine-chemical applications, and is particularly well suited for the tight space requirements associated with prefabricated system components. This…
The Compact Vertical Dosing (CVD) system features a modular design that makes it possible to add or replace fittings and components during, or even after commissioning and without cost-intensive modifications. The design includes standardized components (dosing pump, valves and so…
Two new diameters extend the diversity of this company’s modular-pipework system for handling bulk goods, dust extraction and exhaust air. Introducing these two new nominal diameters of 280 and 315 mm adds an extra 250 products to the range, which…