Werkende minima in Amsterdam. Kwalitatief onderzoek naar situatie van werkende armen in Amsterdam

In het Nederlandse armoedebeleid van de afgelopen decennia ligt een sterke nadruk op het belang van werk als oplossing van armoede. Uitgangspunt is dat werk moet lonen en dat een voltijdbaan in beginsel voldoende inkomen moet opleveren om als volwaardig burger binnen de samenleving te kunnen participeren. De vraag is echter in hoeverre werk mensen direct uit de armoede haalt. Zo verschijnen er berichten in de pers over werkende armen in Nederland (Tinnemans 2009; Stoker 2010) en is duidelijk dat het verschijnsel ‘werkende armoede’ niet alleen voorkomt in marginale verzorgingsstaten zoals de Verenigde Staten (Newma

Robust zero-energy modes in an electronic higher-order topological insulator: the dimerized Kagome lattice

Quantum simulators are an essential tool for understanding complex quantum materials. Platforms based on ultracold atoms in optical lattices and photonic devices led the field so far, but electronic quantum simulators are proving to be equally relevant. Simulating topological states of matter is one of the holy grails in the field. Here, we experimentally realize a higher-order electronic topological insulator (HOTI). Specifically, we create a dimerized Kagome lattice by manipulating carbon-monoxide (CO) molecules on a Cu(111) surface using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). We engineer alternating weak and strong bonds to show that a topological state emerges at the corner of the non-trivial configuration, while it is absent in the trivial one. Contrarily to conventional topological insulators (TIs), the topological state has two dimensions less than the bulk, denoting a HOTI. The corner mode is protected by a generalized chiral symmetry, which leads to a particular robustness against perturbations. Our versatile approach to quantum simulation with artificial lattices holds promises of revealing unexpected quantum phases of matter

Enhancing catalytic epoxide ring-opening selectivity using surface-modified Ti3C2Tx MXenes

MXenes are a new family of two-dimensional carbides and/or nitrides. Their 2D surfaces are typically terminated by O, OH and/or F atoms. Here we show that Ti3C2Tx—the most studied compound of the MXene family—is a good acid catalyst, thanks to the surface acid functionalities. We demonstrate this by applying Ti3C2Tx in the epoxide ring-opening reaction of styrene oxide (SO) and its isomerization in the liquid phase. Modifying the MXene surface changes the catalytic activity and selectivity. By oxidizing the surface, we succeeded in controlling the type and number of acid sites and thereby improving the yield of the mono-alkylated product to >80%. Characterisation studies show that a thin oxide layer, which forms directly on the Ti3C2Tx surface, is essential for catalysing the SO ring-opening. We hypothesize that two kinds of acid sites are responsible for this catalysis: In the MXene, strong acid sites (both Lewis and Brønsted) catalyse both the ring-opening and the isomerization reactions, while in the Mxene–TiO2 composite weaker acid sites catalyse only the ring-opening reaction, increasing the selectivity to the mono-alkylated product.TKS was supported by the NWO TOP-PUNT Catalysis in Confined Spaces (Grant 718.015.004). EVRF and ASE acknowledge financial support by MINECO (Spain) through the projects MAT2017-86992-R and MAT2016-80285-P. VN and MWB thank NSF DMR 1740795 for financial support

A design for the generation of temporally-coherent radiation pulses in the VUV and beyond by a self-seeding high-GaIn free electron laser amplifier

A proposal for a self-seeding, tunable free-electron laser amplifier operating in the vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) region of the spectrum is presented. Full three-dimensional (3D) modelling of the free electron laser and the optical feedback system has been carried out. Simulations demonstrate the generation of near transform limited radiation pulses with peak powers in the hundreds of megawatts. Preliminary 1D simulations show that by using a similar system it may be possible to extend such operation beyond the VUV to higher photon energies

Surface oxidation of Ti3C2Tx enhances the catalytic activity of supported platinum nanoparticles in ammonia borane hydrolysis

MXenes, first discovered in 2011, are two-dimensional transition metal carbides or nitrides. Because of their interesting electrical and optical properties, they are studied for applications in batteries, supercapacitors and electrocatalysis. However, MXenes are rarely used in heterogeneous catalysis and, to our knowledge, there are no reports on the use of oxidized MXenes in catalysis. Here we used Ti3C2Tx-derived materials as supports for platinum nanoparticles and studied their effectiveness for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane, which is a promising hydrogen carrier. Hydrogen can be released from ammonia borane through catalytic hydrolysis. Most heterogeneous catalysts reported for this purpose contain a noble metal supported on a metal oxide support. The interaction between the metal and the support is important in determining the catalytic performance. Our results show that the electronic environment of platinum can be modified by oxidising the surface of MXene, thus providing a new way of developing active catalysts. Oxidising agents such as water and ozone can be used for this purpose. This electronic modification enhances the catalytic activity of platinum for ammonia borane hydrolysis, which is relevant for other reactions related to energy production/storage.T K S was supported by NWO TOP-PUNT grant 718.015.004. Z S was supported by project LTAUSA19034 from Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (MEYS). E V R F and A S E would like to thanks financial support by MINECO (Spain) through the projects MAT2017-86992-R and MAT2016-80285-P

Surface Plasmon Enhanced Photoconductance of Gold Nanoparticle Arrays with Incorporated Alkane Linkers

We report on a photoconductive gain effect in two-dimensional arrays of gold nanoparticles, in which alkane molecules are inserted. The nanoparticle arrays are formed by a self-assembly process from alkanethiol-coated gold nanoparticles, and subsequently they are patterned on a Si/SiO2 chip by a microcontact printing technique. We find that the photoconductance of the arrays is strongly enhanced at the frequency of the surface plasmon of the nanoparticles. We interpret the observation as a bolometric enhancement of the conductance of the nanoparticle arrays upon excitation of the surface plasmon resonance

Turnout and voting behaviour in constitutional referendums: a regional analysis of the Italian case

This paper investigates regional disparities of both turnout and voting behaviour in constitutional referendums. The analysis is undertaken at the NUTS-3 level and it considers the three constitutional referendums held in Italy in the period 2001–2016. It finds that turnout was lower in provinces with higher unemployment rates and where citizens had a stronger affiliation to opposition parties. These factors, along with level of government popularity, were important drivers of referendum results, especially in 2006 and 2016 when the referendums were rejected. In addition, while the three referendums implied different effects for rich and poor regions, mainly due to decentralization of powers, the local voting patterns did not reflect this. Overall, these findings suggest that the merit of the constitutional reforms played little part in explaining the outcome of the referendums