A new technology that will be unveiled as part of a conference on "Innovative technological solutions to the growing environmental crisis", on Tuesday - April 8, 2008, organized by the School of Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University and Ramot - the university's implementation company
At Tel Aviv University they found an alternative way to use organic solvents by using water. A new technology that will be unveiled as part of a conference on "Innovative technological solutions for the increasing environmental crisis" that will be held on Tuesday, April 8, at Tel Aviv University.
The conference organized by Tel Aviv University's School of Environmental Studies and the Ramot company near Tel Aviv University will be attended by senior representatives from industry, government ministries and financial sectors. Among those who have confirmed their participation are CEOs of technology incubators and venture capital funds as well as Chen Altshuler - Altshuler Investment House - Shaham, Buki Oren - President and CEO of Arison water initiatives, Jacques Levy - Senior Partner, Israel Cleantech Ventures (Israel Cleantech Ventures) and representatives of the embassies of China, the USA, Austria, India, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands,
The prestigious journal Angewandte Chemie, International Edition reported for the first time this week on the new technology developed by Professor Arkady Vigluk together with Ph.
Prof. Wiglock's group of researchers belongs to a new branch of chemistry, which tries to introduce greener thinking into the preparation of chemical substances. In green chemistry, the amount of hazardous waste produced in the reactions is as minimal as possible.
The researchers explain that organic solvents, which are used in paints and other household products, produce a considerable amount of waste water that causes, among other things, environmental pollution. Nowadays, for the preparation of a medicine, between 10 and 20 steps are usually required, with each step using organic solvents, which harm the environment by creating waste. In the pharmaceutical industry, during the preparation of one kilogram of a chemical compound, 100 kilograms of waste can be generated, which, as we know, must be destroyed.
The researchers discovered a new technology that has an alternative way to use organic solvents by using water. Mixing of organic compounds, called aldehydes, with water that can be oxidized in air without the use of an organic solvent and without waste. The researchers used this technology to prepare carboxylic acids and today several industries such as the polymer industry and the lubricants industry use these acids with great success.
The conference will present additional research on renewable energy issues - innovative wind turbines, genetically engineered plants for fuel production, hydrogen production from photosynthesis processes, in the field of efficient agriculture - plants that are able to sense the availability of water, in the field of pollutant purification - removing antibiotic residues from water using innovative technology, biological sensors for identifying substances Pollutants in water and air, in the field of environmental restoration - restoration of contaminated soils with innovative processes.
The research of Nelly Shapiro, a PhD student, was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Porter School of Environmental Studies, at Tel Aviv University.
One response
Wow, well done for the research. It sounds like a very promising field. The business side also sounds very profitable, turning to huge industries like the pharmaceutical industry can incentivize investing in the field since it can save companies a lot (!) of money. The flow of funds from the private market will further encourage the development of green technologies and their absorption in the private industrial sector. Well done. Good luck.