VAlON – A new catalyst family Actually, acrylonitrile is mainly produced by Technology Status
propylene ammoxidation. Propylene accounts for
for propane ammoxidation roughly 60 percent of the cash cost for making Available for licensing
acrylonitrile in current plants. Therefore, an
Sopartec, the technology transfer company of Representative References
alternative to this industrial application is to
the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL),
replace the propylene by propane. The propane 1. R. Prada Silvy, N. Popescu, N. Blangenois
presents a new catalyst for propane
process reduces the direct cost of manufacturing and P. Grange. Propane ammoxidaton
ammoxidation.
acrylonitrile by at least 20 percent while reducing catalysts based on vanadium-aluminium
wastes. oxynitride AlCHE Journal, 49, 2228-2231,
2003
The UCL invention 2. M. Olea, M. Florea, I. Sack, R. Prada Silvy,
Due to lower propane’s reactivity propane E.M. Gaigneaux, G.B. Marin and P. Grange.
ammoxidation requires harsh conditions and very Evidence for the participation of lattice
active and stable catalysts. nitrogen from vanadium aluminium
oxynitrides in propane ammoxidation.
Technology Keyword Amongst these, vanadium-aluminium-oxynitride
Journal of Catalysis, 232, 152-160, 2005.
“VAlON” has been discovered and patented by
• Propane ammoxidation the laboratory of catalysis at UCL
• Catalyst (www.cata.ucl.ac.be/engcata.html) has a new Contact
• Acrylonitrile catalyst family to perform propane ammoxidation Frédéric Ooms, Ph.D.
• SOHIO process Senior Patent & Licensing Manager
(1)
Tel +32-(0)10-390 021
Technology Market - Petrochemicals
This new catalytic material exhibits amorphous Email f.ooms@sopartec.com
Acrylonitrile is widely used as a chemical character, high specific surface area, basic-redox Web www.sopartec.com
intermediate in the production of synthetic properties and higher acrylonitrile production http://www.uclouvain.be
fibers, rubbers, nitriles, resins and other per hour and amount of catalyst compared to
commodities. existing catalysts. (2)

BOTOX A NEW Technology Market : Cancer leading to a substantial improvement in tumor
response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
RADIO/CHEMOTHERAPY- In order to enhance anticancer treatment, there is
a need to develop effective chemotherapy, Technology Status
ENHANCING AGENT radiotherapy treatment and/or combination
thereof, especially for cases where surgical This work is the subject of a patent application :
Sopartec, the technology transfer company of
operations are difficult and the risk of recurrence PCT patent application filed on 17/10/2005 and
the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL),
is high. Among anticancer drugs developed to published under No. WO 2006/094539 (internal
presents a new indication for BOTOX in the
date, it has been reported that taxol and cisplatin file reference number : SOP-192).
treatment of cancer.
may be used as radiotherapy-enhancing agents (or
so called \"radio-sensitizer\"). However, even Representative References
though they are rather effective in enhancing 1. Cron Go, et al. Magn Reson Med. 59, 19-27,
radiotherapy, they still have some critical defects, 2008.
especially causing toxicity to patients. 2. Ansiaux R, et al.Clin Cancer Res., 12, 1276-
83, 2006.
The UCL invention
Sopartec would like to talk to companies
Researchers at the Unit of medicinal Chemistry
interested in developing and commercializing this
and Radiopharmacy have discovered that
opportunity.
administering a botulinum toxin (BOTOX) to
cancerous cells or a tumor in combination with Contact
Source: National Cancer Institute; Author: Bill Branson. radiotherapy is synergistically effective in treating Frédéric Ooms, Ph.D.
said cells in comparison with radiotherapy only or Senior Patent & Licensing Manager
Technology Keywords with BT only. Tel +32-(0)10-390 021
Email f.ooms@sopartec.com
• Anticancer treatment, Tumor sensitization Using validated tumor models, they demonstrated Web www.sopartec.com
• Radiotherapy, Radio-sensitizer that local administration of BOTOX dramatically
• Botulinum toxin (BOTOX) http://www.uclouvain.be
increases tumor oxygenation and perfusion,