GDCh

Bitterfeld-Wolfen
Chemische und photochemische Aspekte von lithographischen Druckplatten für die Laserbelichtung
Dr. H. Baumann, Kodak Graphic Communication, Osterode
5. 10., 15 Uhr s. t.
TGZ Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Areal A, Andresenstr. 1a
Oldenburg
Von Menschen und Säuren
(Abschiedsvorlesung)
Prof. Dr. M. Wickleder, Univ. Oldenburg
24. 9., 17 Uhr c. t.
Univ. Oldenburg, Großer Hörsaal, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9—11

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Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemische und photochemische Aspekte von lithographischen Druckplatten für die Laserbelichtung Dr. H. Baumann, Kodak Graphic Communication, Osterode 5. 10., 15 Uhr s. t. TGZ Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Areal A, Andresenstr. 1a Oldenburg Von Menschen und Säur...

22 April 1915 marked the first large scale introduction of chemical weapons in warfare, when chlorine gas was released into enemy trenches near Ypres, Belgium. Since that time many hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or injured by chemical weapons. As recently as 2012, chemical weapons were used in the current Syrian conflict.
100 years after the first use, on 21 April 2015, Ambassadors to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) gathered in Ypres to commemorate those who have died as a result of these awful agents, to present a commemorative plaque to the town of Ypres, to reveal a new declaration on chemical weapons, the Ypres Declaration, and to review progress in eli- minating these weapons.
Chemists were represented by Thomas Geelhaar (President of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker), David Phillips (a past President of the Royal Society of Chemistry) and David Cole-Hamilton (President of EuCheMS). They called for a complete world-wide ban on chemical weapons and for no chemist to take part in their development or deployment.
Following presentations by regional re- presentatives of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Defence Minister of Belgium, a representative of the UN Secretary General and the Mayor of Ypres, the plaque was unveiled and the Ypres Declaration read out. Delegates then moved to the Menin Gate for the last post and a bagpipe lament. It was a very moving occasion where it was very important that chemists showed that they are totally opposed to the use of chemical weapons.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which justly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, is renewing its efforts to complete the total elimination of chemical weapons. Of 196 countries in the world, 191 have signed and ratified the treaty which means they must disclose and dispose of all stockpiles of chemical weapons, the most recent being Syria in 2012 and Myanmar (Burma) in 2015. Israel has signed but not ratified whilst Angola, Egypt, North Korea and Southern Sudan have not signed.
However, we were sharply reminded that some chemicals which have perfectly innocent uses, such as chlorine for water treatment, can be misused as chemical weapons. A few days before the commemoration, barrel bombs containing chlorine were dropped from a helicopter in Syria, reminding us that such chemicals must be kept under strongly controlled conditions.
David Cole-Hamilton, EuCheMS President
<a href="mailto:djc@st-andrews.ac.uk">djc@st-andrews.ac.uk</a>


<h2>Zero carbon energy</h2>
As an early contribution to the European Sustainable Energy Week, EuCheMS, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Society of Edinburgh jointly organised a conference on ”Zero Carbon Energy — The Future” at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 27 May.
About 50 people were addressed by world experts in the field. After the opening words of David Cole-Hamilton, EuCheMS President, Mercedes Maroto-Valer (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh) introduced the ”Energy Tri- lemma”: Resources of fossil fuels are running out, their use is causing global warming and many places that have reserves of fossil fuels are politically delicate, leading to worries about the security of supply. She went on to discuss methods for reutilising CO2 in fuel manufacture.
Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin (EPFL, Lau- sanne) then spoke about dye-sensitised solar cells of which he is one of the inventors, along with Michael Grätzel. The transparency of such cells allows them to be used as windows with variable colours. These cells have been commercialised and efforts are now being made to improve their efficiency.
James Durrant (Imperial College London) talked about systems which allow sunlight to decompose water directly into hydrogen and oxygen. Recent research has shown that efficiencies as high as seven percent are possible. Ten percent would allow all the world's energy needs to be met by the amount of sunlight falling on an area the size of Libya.
Peter Wasserscheid (University Erlangen- Nuremberg) talked about a new process for storing hydrogen by reaction with aromatic hydrocarbons that are already used commercially as heat transfer fluids. Such a fluid with six percent hydrogen can easily be transported in current gasoline handling equipment. This might have great potential for use in mobile applications such as trucks and cars.
Each lecture was followed by a lively discussion. EuCheMS thanks Bristow Muldoon (Royal Society of Edinburgh) and Mindy Dulai (Royal Society of Chemistry).
Nineta H. Majcen

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