Search results for "NEWA"
showing 10 items of 2491 documents
Salinity gradient energy
2016
Abstract Beyond the most common renewable energy sources today exploited for the production of clean energy, salinity gradients power (SGP) has been attracting the increasing interest of scientists and companies involved in the field. This chapter provides an introduction to SGP, reporting a brief history of the technological developments throughout the years, from the beginning to present. A number of different SGP technologies have been developed in the last decades, all based on the concept of harvesting the energy from the controlled mixing of two solutions at different salinities. A theoretical analysis of the energy potential for SGP places this renewable source of energy among those …
Towards a sustainable and equitable blue economy
2019
The global rush to develop the ‘blue economy’ risks harming both the marine environment and human wellbeing. Bold policies and actions are urgently needed. We identify five priorities to chart a course towards an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable blue economy.
Solar heating and cooling systems versus conventional systems assisted by photovoltaic: Application of a simplified LCA tool
2016
Abstract Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an effective methodology to assess the energy and environmental impacts of energy systems during their life cycle, including manufacturing, operation and end-of-life. The aim of the paper is the application of a simplified LCA tool, developed in the framework of the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Task 48, for comparing different typologies of solar assisted heating and cooling systems. In detail, solar thermal heating and cooling systems located in Palermo (southern Italy) and in Zurich (Switzerland) were compared with conventional systems assisted by grid connected and stand-alone photovoltaic plants. A validation of the tool w…
Global solar radiation in Italy
1978
Chemo-enzymatic Conversion of Glucose in 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural: The Joint Effect of Ionic Liquids and Ultrasound
2020
For the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, a key step is unlocking the conversion of glucose to suitable chemical platforms. To this aim, we herein describe the sequential chemo-enzymatic conversion of glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), in two steps: glucose isomerization to fructose, catalyzed by glucose isomerase (GI) and fructose dehydration to 5-HMF promoted by Amberlyst 15. The novelty of our approach lies in the use of crude cell extracts of Streptomyces coelicolor showing GI activity, as isomerization catalysts, along with a commercial immobilized GI. Under optimized reaction conditions, we obtained a conversion to 5-HMF (C5‑HMF) from glucose of 50% in the H2O/[bmim]…
Enhanced one-component spray polyurethane foams via sol-gel microspheres doped with aqueous glycerol
2013
The sol-gel microencapsulation of aqueous glycerol in silica-based microspheres affords functional materials that can be used to cure one-component polyurethane foams (OCF) formulations affording better and greener foam formation. These findings are important and may open the route to more sustainable materials, such as foams, coatings, adhesives, and sealants that are widely utilized in many industrial sectors. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
The role of governance in realising the transition towards sustainable societies
2016
It is widely known that governance is central to the successful implementation of sustainable development policies and measures. Yet, there is a paucity of research which explore the links between governance and sustainability. This paper attempts to address this research need by providing an analysis of the role of governance in enabling - and to some extent - fostering a transition towards sustainable societies. A set of indicators for assessing the capacity for and willingness and commitment to transition to a more sustainable society is presented, enabling identification of direction of change. This paper presents the results of a study, in the context of which sustainability governance…
Connecting Existing Cemeteries Saving Good Soils (for Livings)
2019
Background: Urban sprawl consumes and degrades productive soils worldwide. Fast and safe decomposition of corpses requires high-quality functional soils, and land use which competes with both agriculture and buildings. On one hand, cremation does not require much land, but it has a high energy footprint, produces atmospheric pollution, and is unacceptable to some religious communities. On the other hand, as exhumations are not practiced, “green burials” require more surface area than current burial practices, so a new paradigm for managing land use is required. Conclusions: In this paper, we propose a concept for ‘green belt communalities’ (i.e., ecological corridors with multiple, yet flex…
Sustainable Approach to Waste-Minimized Sonogashira Cross-Coupling Reaction Based on Recoverable/Reusable Heterogeneous Catalytic/Base System and Ace…
2016
In this contribution, we present a chemically efficient and sustainable protocol for the palladium-catalyzed copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction, based on the use of a heterogeneous catalytic system. This consists in the combination of a palladium catalyst on highly cross-linked thiazolidine network on silica and a polystyrene-supported base. The solid catalyst/base system acts as a palladium scavenger avoiding leaching of the metal and consequent product contamination. The reaction can be conducted in safe and easily recoverable acetonitrile/water azeotrope as reaction medium. This proved to be an efficient greener alternative to the classic toxic aprotic media commonly used in…
Xylochemistry--Making Natural Products Entirely from Wood.
2015
The first total synthesis of the dimeric berberine alkaloid ilicifoline (ilicifoline B) is reported. Its carbon skeleton is constructed from ferulic acid, veratrole, and methanol. The synthesis reported herein employs starting materials solely derived from wood. The natural product is thus constructed entirely from renewable resources. The same strategy is applied to a formal total synthesis of morphinan alkaloids. The use of wood-derived building blocks (xylochemicals) instead of the conventional petrochemicals represents a sustainable alternative to classical synthetic approaches.