Partnership for International Development: Finland-Nigeria Conference on Climate, Food, Health and Entrepreneurship.

A joint collaboration between the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, Finland and the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria was organised as a hybrid conference on several topics that are related to climate, food, health and entrepreneurship. The utilisation of natural resources in both regions is an important theme in meeting the sustainable development goals agenda. The topics discussed were multidisciplinary, they include Nigerian indigenous foods, bioeconomy, circular economy, nutrition, health, innovation and entrepreneurship under four themes (Climate, Food, Health and Entrepreneurship).

Methanesulfonamide: a cosolvent and a general acid catalyst in sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylations.

To obtain information about the effect that methanesulfonamide has in the hydrolysis step in Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, a series of aliphatic and conjugated aromatic olefins were dihydroxylated with and without methanesulfonamide. The hypothesis in this study was that methanesulfonamide is a cosolvent that aids in the transfer of the hydroxide ions from the water phase to the organic phase. A plot of t90% versus the computational partition coefficient clog P of the intermediate osmate ester of nonterminal aliphatic olefins revealed that the polarity of the intermediate osmate ester has a significant effect on the reaction time and methanesulfonamide effect.

On the hydrolysis step in osmium catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylations.

In order to obtain information about the most important features that affect the efficiency of osmium catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation, a series of substituted styrenes have been studied by using a Hammett type approach as well as solvent kinetic isotope effects. A concave shaped Hammett plot with a minimum at X=H revealed a change in the mechanism going from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing substituents for both NaClO2 and K3[Fe(CN)6] asymmetric dihydroxylations. The Hammett plot together with solvent isotope effect results indicates that osmium (mono)glycolates of styrenes with electron-withdrawing substituents are hydrolyzed by a stepwise attack of the nucleophile to the electrophilic osmium-center and subsequent protonation of the alkaline intermediate.

Sodium chlorite as an efficient oxidant and hydroxy ion pump in osmium-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation.

Sodium chlorite is an efficient stoichiometric oxidant in Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation. One sodium chlorite provides the reaction with the stoichiometric number of electrons and hydroxide ions needed to dihydroxylate two olefins without the consumption of any additional base. 100% conversion in sodium chlorite asymmetric dihydroxylation of styrene was achieved twice as fast as in the established Sharpless K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)] dihydroxylation.