STRENGTHEN AND UPGRADE REGIONAL CAPABILITIES (REGIONAL UNIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE CENTRE PROGRAMME IN HUNGARY)

The emerging vision of the modern, innovative Hungarian economy, which can compete successfully in the global arena, made it absolutely necessary to encourage business firms to be innovation-oriented and to encourage universities to develop, beyond their traditional teaching mission, also their research performance and their capabilities to transfer research results and new knowledge to convert them into commercially relevant innovations. The role of government was to create a suitable legal environment and proper incentives to stimulate and support change and to enable collaborations between Public and Private Sector actors. Despite all efforts in launching relevant programmes, the competency and attractiveness of universities for strategic research partnerships with the private sector remained heterogeneous and partially unsatisfactory because of shortcomings in their knowledge base and their capability to act as well-performing research partners in collaborative projects. In 2004 Hungary established a new complementary programme which addressed particularly these shortcomings, the Pázmány Péter – Regional University Knowledge Centre programme. This paper describes shortly the programme and then investigates the experiences of two initial calls. This Public-Private-Partnership model, where the state is not the single supporter of the programme, the participating Private Sector actors provide complementary funding. In addition, the centres can also attract external funding from various other sources. In addition, Private Sector enterprises make advanced technical equipment available for use by members and non-members. By the first experiences this programme is a good frame to support overcoming on one of the failure of the system, weak knowledge distribution capability. This initiative, the Pázmány Péter programme provides a potentially transferable example for other countries with shortcomings similar to those of Hungary’s National Science and Innovation System. It was the first policy measure which has attracted a large number of actors and united them in joint regional research activities. This form of Public Sector - Private Sector research collaborations is crucial for the flow of knowledge, the seamless transfer of research results to commercially relevant innovation and for feedback loops in development. The centres offer a stimulating environment for innovators and potential innovators, thus contributing to make the Hungarian economy more competitive.university-industry collaboration, regional university knowledge centre, public-private partnership

Szilárd anyagok és vegyületek elektrokémiai és elektroanalitikai vizsgálata = Electrochemical and electroanalytical studies of solid compounds and materials

Szilárd anyagok vizsgálata az elektrokémia és az elektroanalitika egy új területe. Ide sorolható minden olyan kísérlet, amikor egy vezető (elektród) felületén rögzítünk valamilyen anyagot, és olyan oldószerben vizsgáljuk, amelyben oldhatatlan. E projekt keretében a következő rendszereket állítottuk elő illetve vizsgáltuk: i) RuCl3, ii) TCNQ, iii) fenazin and fenazin polimerek (poli-o-feniléndiamin, polifenazin), iv) ittrium-hexaciano-ferrát, v) nanokompozitok: RuCl3-polianilin, RuCl3-polipirrol, vi) fém-szulfidok. A két fő vizsgálati módszer az elektrokémiai kvarckristály-nanomérleg(EQCM) és az impedanciaspektroszkópia(EIS) volt. Valamennyi rendszernél tisztáztuk a redoxi átalakulásokat kísérő ioncsere- és oldószerszorpciós folyamatok mechanizmusát és kinetikáját. A fenazin esetén a leválási-oldódási folyamatok jellemzésére is sor került, kimutattuk egy töltésátviteli komplex képződését. Elsőként elektropolimerizáltunk szilárd anyagokat. Új módszert dolgoztunk ki a kristályok oldódásának elkerülésére, amikor a töltött forma oldható vízben, aminek a lényege a víz aktivításának csökkentése. A RuCl3 és a TCNQ esetén kimutattuk a szilárd-szilárd fázisátalakulást, és ezt a folyamatot kísérő jellemző EQCM frekvenciaváltozást is értelmeztük. Egy új modellt állítottunk fel az EIS mérési adatok értelmezésére. Kidolgoztuk a fém-szulfidok meghatározását természetes vízekben. | The investigation of solid materials immobilized on an electrode surface has become a new area of electroanalytical chemistry, recently. In this project the following systems were prepared and/or studied: i) RuCl3, ii) TCNQ, iii) phenazine and phenazine polymers (poly-o-phenylenediamine, polyphenazine), iv) yttrium-hexacyano-ferrate, v) nanocomposites: RuCl3-polyaniline, RuCl3-polypyrrole, vi) metal-sulfides. The main experimental methods were the electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance(EQCM) and impedance spectroscopy(EIS). In the case of all systems the mechanism and kinetics of the ion-exchange and solvent sorption processes accompanying the redox transformations have been elucidated. Deposition and dissolution processes during the electrochemical processes of phenazine have been characterized, the formation of a charge-transfer complex was established. A new method, the solid-state electropolymerization was introduced. The solubility problem of microcrystals, when the charged form is soluble in water, was eliminated by decreasing the water activity, e.g., by applying electrolyte of high concentration. The anomalous variation of the EQCM frequency response during the solid-solid phase transition was explained. A new model was elaborated for the proper interpretation of EIS results. A method was proposed for the determination of metal-sulfides in natural water samples

Vezető polimer nanokompozitok előállítása, jellemzése és alkalmazása = Nanocomposites based on conducting polymers, preparation, characterization and application

Vezető polimerek különböző kompozitjait állítottuk elő. Az új anyagok tulajdonságait különböző módszerekkel, EQCN, RRDE, EIS, AFM and SEM, határoztuk meg. Katalitikus aktivításukat és szuperkapacitás viselkedésüket az általunk tervezett polimer elektrolitos tüzelőanyag-cellákban teszteltük. Az eredményeket a terület vezető folyóirataiban tettük közzé. A hallgatókkal együtt 11 konferencián 24 beszámolót tartottunk. A projektvezető több könyvet és könyvfejezetet publikált a 2008-2012 időszakban. A Vezető polimerek című könyve 2 kiadásban is megjelent, a 2. kiadás részletesen foglalkozik a kompozitokkal is. A kompozitokat hasznosítottuk két, általunk épített járműben (HYGO and HYGO 2.0) is, melyek a Széchenyi futamon elnyerték mind 2009-ben, mind 2010-ben A leginnovatívabb jármű és a Prototípus I. díját, 2009-ben a Honda különdíját is. Az eredeti pályázatban szereplő két doktorandusz (Kriston Á. és Róka A.) fokozatot szerzett. Csorbai Á., Székely A. és Nemes Á. megvédték BSc diplomájukat, Berkes B. vegyészdiplomát szerzett. Továbbra is a témán dolgozik Pröhle Zs. (BSc), Nemes Á. (MSc), Berkes B. (PhD) és Kriston Á (postdoc). | Several composites based on conducting polymers have been prepared. The characterization of the new materials has been carried out by EQCN, RRDE, EIS, AFM and SEM techniques. Their catalytic activity and supercapacitor behavior have been tested in polymer membrane fuel cells (PEMFcs) designed and fabricated in the PI's laboratory. The results obtained in the period of 2008-2012 have been published in different leading journals. The project leader with his students have taken part at 11 conferences with 24 presentations. The PI has published several books and book chapters during this period, among others on the Conducting Polymers, Springer (2008 and 2nd edn. 2012, the latter one extended by an extensive discussion on composites). The composites have been utilized in two vehicles (HYGO and HYGO 2.0), which won the prizes (Most Innovative Vehicle, 1st Prize of Prototype in both years as well as the Honda Prize in 2009) at the competition of alternatively driven vehicles called 5th and 6th Szechenyi race in Győr in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The two Ph.D. students, A. Róka and Á. Kriston, have defended their Ph.D. thesis. 3 BSc students (Á. Csorbai, Á. Nemes, A. Székely) and 1 MSc (B. Berkes) defended their diploma work. Zs. Pröhle (BSc), Nemes (MSc), Berkes (PhD) and Kriston (postdoc) still has been working on this project

Charge Transport in Conducting Polymer Film Electrodes

The essential features of charge transport in conducting polymer film electrodes are discussed. Selected experimental results are presented, which shed light on the complex nature of the processes occurring in these systems. The problems of the theoretical elucidation and practical consequences are also emphasized

The Advantages of Using an Electrochemical QuartzNanobalance to Study the Electrochemical Conversions of Solid Microparticles

This paper discusses the importance of and opportunities for applying piezoelectric nanogravimetry in the investigation of immobilized microcrystals on electrodes. The selected experimental results presented shed light on the complex nature of the processes occurring in these systems. The problem of the first cycle or break-in effect is emphasized

PAUL SAMUELSON EMLÉKÉRE

Paul A. Samuelson, Nobel-díjas közgazdász 2009. december 13-án, belmonti otthonában (Massachusetts) elhunyt. A következőkben röviden áttekintést nyújtunk a világhírű közgazdász életéről, valamint vázlatosan ismertetjük a közgazdaságtanban elért alapvető eredményeit, végül kitérünk arra is, hogyan emlékezett rá a közgazdász-társadalom