Technological innovation, human capital and social change for sustainability. Lessons learnt from the industrial technologies theme of the EU's Research Framework Programme.

Europe is facing a twofold challenge. It must maintain or even increase its competitiveness, a basic requirement in a globalised economy and under the current demographic threat. It needs also to tackle the so-called "grand challenges", especially environmental issues, through a sustainable model of production and consumption.

Flazasulfuron: alcoholysis, chemical hydrolysis, and degradation on various minerals.

The herbicide flazasulfuron undergoes rapid alcoholysis. High yields of the corresponding carbamate and aminopyrimidine are obtained after the alcoholysis process (methanol or ethanol) at 30 degrees C, in the course of which the concomitant rearrangement reaction remains minor. Hydrolysis (pH ranging from 5 to 11) of flazasulfuron at 30 degrees C principally involves the rearrangement into urea after elimination of SO(2) and can lead, in a small proportion, to both aminopyrimidine and pyridinesulfonamide.

Hydrolysis of sulfonylurea herbicides in soils and aqueous solutions: a review.

Sulfonylureas are a unique group of herbicides used for controlling a range of weeds and some grasses in a variety of crops and vegetables. They have been extremely popular worldwide because of their low mammalian toxicity, low use rate, and unprecedented herbicidal activity. Knowledge about the fate and behavior of sulfonylurea herbicides in the soil-water environment appears to be of utmost importance for agronomic systems and environmental protection.

Nicosulfuron: alcoholysis, chemical hydrolysis, and degradation on various minerals.

Alcoholysis (methanol or ethanol) and hydrolysis (pH ranging from 4 to 11) of the herbicide nicosulfuron at 30 degrees C principally involves the breakdown of the urea part of the molecule. A high yield of the corresponding carbamate was obtained along with aminopyrimidine during alcoholysis. Hydrolysis led to both aminopyrimidine and pyridylsulfonamide.

Behavior of four sulfonylurea herbicides in the presence of hydroxy compounds.

The behavior of four sulfonylurea herbicides (metsulfuron methyl, chlorsulfuron, chlorimuron ethyl, and bensulfuron methyl) was studied in the presence of various hydroxy compounds. When dissolved at 30 degrees C in simple primary, secondary, or tertiary alcohols (methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol) and in glycerol or in poly(ethylene glycol), most of these herbicides underwent rapid alcoholysis involving the breakdown of the urea part of the molecule. The corresponding sulfonyl carbamate is recovered in high yields, along with a small amount of sulfonylamide formed in the concomitant hydrolysis.