Metal-organic framework templated electrodeposition of functional gold nanostructures

Utilizing a pair of quick, scalable electrochemical processes, the permanently porous MOF HKUST-1 was electrochemically grown on a copper electrode and this HKUST-1-coated electrode was used to template electrodeposition of a gold nanostructure within the pore network of the MOF. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that a proportion of the gold nanostructures exhibit structural features replicating the pore space of this ∼1.4 nm maximum pore diameter MOF, as well as regions that are larger in size. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the electrodeposited gold nanostructure, produced under certain conditions of synthesis and template removal, is sufficiently inter-grown and mechanically robust to retain the octahedral morphology of the HKUST-1 template crystals. The functionality of the gold nanostructure within the crystalline HKUST-1 was demonstrated through the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) detection of 4-fluorothiophenol at concentrations as low as 1 μM. The reported process is confirmed as a viable electrodeposition method for obtaining functional, accessible metal nanostructures encapsulated within MOF crystals

The Role of Regional Knowledge Production in University Technology Transfer: Isolating Coevolutionary Effects

The rate and magnitude of university-to-industry-technology-transfer (UITT) is a function not only of university characteristics but also of regional factors. A university's embeddedness in an innovative regional milieu moderates UITT. This necessary balance of the supply side (technology push) and demand side (market pull) of technology transfer has so far neither been systematically addressed in the technology transfer literature nor has it been acknowledged by policy makers.We investigate UITT as a function of the interrelation of the industrial innovative milieu of a region and the characteristics of regional universities to identify the impact of the industry on UITT. Thereby we do not only aim to reduce the existing empirical gap in the academic entrepreneurship literature but also to inform policy in its attempt to foster UITT in European regions

The Importance of Spatial Autocorrelation for Regional Employment Growth in Germany

In analyzing the disparities of the regional developments in the volume of employment in Germany, in the recent empirical literature so called shift-share-regression-models are frequently applied. However, these models usually neglect spatial interdependencies, even though such interdependencies are likely to occur on a regional level. Therefore, this paper focuses on the importance of spatial dependencies using spatial autocorrelation in order to analyze regional employment development. Spatial dependency in the form of spatial lag, spatial error and cross regressive model are compared. The results indicate that the exogenous variables' spatial lag sufficiently explains the spatial autocorrelation of regional employment growth

Regional labour market mobility. A network analysis of inter-firm relatedness

Labour market rigidity is known to hamper the proper adjustment of an economy, thus making it less resilient to shocks. This paper investigates the characteristics and resilience of the regional labour flow network in Veneto, a region famous for its industrial districts and the expertise of its workforce. A unique database of inter-firm worker mobility is used and the made-in-Italy relatedness to other industries is quantified. Descriptive results suggest that permanent-contract workers are more mobile within-sector than fixed-term contractors. The latter are more mobile across sectors. A finer disaggregation of the made-in-Italy industries shows that textile, food and woodwork are highly related to leisure-retail, logistics-wholesale and agriculture. These results can orient policy-making in getting faster labour reallocation. Network analysis establishes a number of stylised facts about labour flow networks, in particular, a hierarchical organisation of flows and a preference for workers to move from low-connected to high-connected firms and vice-versa, i.e. disassortativity. Unlike previous research, this paper identifies clusters of a non-spatial nature, that is, based on the intensity of labour flows. Regression analysis shows that labour mobility, both in and out, is beneficial for firms. However, being located inside labour clusters negatively affects firm performance. Interestingly, when these clusters include MNEs, the firm benefits. These results combined suggest that variety of connections prevails over standardisation