pH‐sensitive gels: By using a cyclohexane‐based scaffold to which various amino acid based substituents can be connected, low‐molecular‐weight compounds were obtained that can gelate water at very low concentrations. Their modular design (see picture: AA=amino acid(s), X=hydrophilic substituent, dark purple=hydrophobic region, light purple=hydrophilic region), allows tuning of the thermally and pH‐induced reversible gel‐to‐sol transition of their gels.

pH‐empfindliche Gele: Durch Kupplung von Aminosäure‐Substituenten an ein Cyclohexangerüst erhält man niedermolekulare Verbindungen, die in sehr niedrigen Konzentrationen Wasser gelieren. Ihr modularer Aufbau (siehe Bild; AA=Aminosäure(n), X=hydrophiler Substituent, hydrophobe Regionen violett, hydrophile Regionen rosa) ermöglicht die Abstimmung des thermisch und pH‐induzierten Gel‐Sol‐Übergangs.

No abstract

A conceptually new class of cationic amphiphiles, Sunfish amphiphiles, designed for the delivery of genes into cells is introduced. Sunfish amphiphiles have two hydrophobic tails, connected at the 4-and the N-position to the cationic pyridinium headgroup. Two extreme morphologies visualised by backfolding and combining of both tails at one site (matching situation) or unfolding of the tails at distinct interaction sites at biological membranes will lead to considerable differences in morphological behaviour. The underlying rationale allows controlled release by using this morphological alteration of

Bio-aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylenes, BTX) were prepared by the catalytic pyrolysis of six different black liquors using both in situ and ex situ approaches. A wide range of catalysts was screened and conditions were optimized in microscale reactors. Up to 7 wt % of BTX, based on the organic fraction of the black liquors, was obtained for both the in situ and ex situ pyrolysis (T = 500–600 °C) using a Ga-modified H-ZSM-5 catalyst. The in situ catalytic pyrolysis of black liquors from hardwood paper mills afforded slightly higher yields of aromatics/BTX than softwood black liquors, a trend that could be confirmed by the results obtained in the ex situ catalytic pyrolysis. An almost full deoxygenation of the lignin and carbohydrate fraction was achieved and both organic fractions were converted to a broad range of (substituted) aromatics. The zeolite catalyst used was remarkably stable and even after 100 experiments in batch mode with intermittent oxidative catalyst regeneration, the yields and selectivity toward BTX remained similar. The ex situ pyrolysis of black liquor has potential for large-scale implementation in a paper mill without disturbing the paper production process.