Photolysis of tertiary amines in the presence of CO2: the paths to formic acid, α-amino acids, and 1,2-diamines

The photolysis of triethylamine (1a) in the presence of carbon dioxide leads to the hydrogenation of CO2, the α-C-C coupling of triethylamine (1a), and the CO2-insertion into the α-C-H σ-bond of amine 1a. This reaction is proposed to proceed through the radical ion pair [R3N·+·CO2·-] generated by the photoionization of amine 1a and the electron capture by CO2. The presence of lithium tetrafluoroborate in the reaction medium promotes the efficient and stereoselective α-C-C coupling of 1a by enhancing the production of α-dialkylamino radicals and the isomerization of N,N,N',N'-tetraethylbutane-2,3-diamine (4a)

The generation of student engagement as a cognition-affect-behaviour process in a Twitter learning experience

Twitter is a microblog that allows users to interact about a topic in online discussion. This makes it an interesting interactive tool with possibilities to increase student engagement and learning performance through active collaboration in an informal learning environment. However, few articles take a quantitative approach to investigate the creation of student engagement using this social networking site. To address this gap, we propose a series of activities conducted through Twitter to analyse the engagement generation process in a sample of 110 students in the first year of a business and administration degree at a large Spanish university. The results show that the engagement process is created through active collaborative learning and enjoyment, and that engaged students are more satisfied with the activity and perceive greater learning performance. This leads us to recommend teachers to encourage active and collaborative activities to make students more engaged and satisfied, and improve their performance.es consisting of applying the concepts studied in class to practical environments, and activities where students browse for online information and take part in a debate, are more enjoyable

Private concession contracts for toll roads in Spain: analysis and recommendations.

Spain has a long history of using the private sector to help build and operate public infrastructure, particularly roads. This article presents new data about toll motorways. The authors found that contracts in Spain are characterized by significant traffic overestimations and frequent renegotiations, which can lead to toll modifications or longer contracts. They suggest reasons for this and some solutions—both of which have significance for other countries