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The detection of DNA from a biological target is becoming a powerful tool for several applications. In particular, the development of approaches for fast and sensitive identification of genomic footprints in open-field or POCT contexts would have a tremendous impact on the identification of fraudulent or pathogenic contaminations.

Stimuli-responsive polymeric biomaterials have attracted much attention for their prospective application in several fields including biomedicine, biotechnology and biosensing. We have recently engineered an hybrid bioadhesive consisting in a chitosan film doped with gold nanorods (GNRs) that can be activated by near-infrared (NIR) laser light [1,2]. These films ( 0.8 cm diameter, 40 ?m thickness) are insoluble, flexible, resistant and stable in a physiological environment. The use of GNRs provides amplified optical absorbance of the laser light due to efficient plasmon bands in the NIR window, where tissue components and chitosan are mostly transparent. Upon laser irradiation a well-localized photothermal effect can thus be produced in the film, which is in turn stimulated to produce adhesion with a proximal tissue surface (e.g. arterial wall, tendon, lens capsule). Optimal irradiation conditions were observed with laser pulses in the millisecond timescale and about 1 W power, which proved reliable and reproducible. This technology may enable a number of key applications in medicine including tissue repair, wound dressing and drug delivery. [1] Matteini P et al. Chitosan films doped with gold nanorods as laser-activatable hybrid bioadhesives. Adv Mater 22 4313 (2010) [2] Matteini P et al. Hybrid nanocomposite films for laser-activated tissue bonding. J Biophotonics 5 868 (2012)

This chapter describes the conventional, the recently developed and the innovative technologies aimed at the production of propene oxide. The different routes are compared in terms of process sustainability. For each process, the reaction mechanism, the catalyst characteristics and the reactor/plant technology are described, with the aim of providing an overview of possible future implementations aimed at the development of a more sustainable chemical industry.

A comparative assessment between two alternative routes to Elliot’s alcohol, an industrial intermediate in the preparation of pyrethroids of the resmethrin family, is presented in this section. This assessment is made with the aid of the EATOS tool and takes into consideration both the masses (E-factor) as well as environmental impact of the substances employed and released by the processes (Sheldon’s Q).

This chapter describes the conventional, the recently developed and the innovative technologies aimed at the production of adipic acid. The different routes are compared in terms of process sustainability. For each process, the reaction mechanism, the catalyst characteristics and the reactor/plant technology are described, with the aim of providing an overview of possible future implementations aimed at the development of a better sustainability for the chemical industry.