Recent progress of high-power negative ion beam development for fusion plasma heating

A negative-ion-based neutral beam injector (N-NBI) has been constructed for JT-60U. The N-NBI is designed to inject 500 keV, 10 MW neutral beams using two ion sources, each producing a 500 keV, 22 A D⁻ ion beam. In the preliminary experiment using one ion source, a D⁻ ion beam of 13.5 A has been successfully accelerated with an energy of 400 keV (5.4 MW) for 0.12 s at an operating pressure of 0.22 Pa. This is the highest D⁻ beam current and power in the world. Co-extracted electron current was effectively suppressed to the ratio of Ie/I_D⁻ < 1. The highest energy beam of 460 keV, 2.4 A, 0.44 s has also been obtained. To realize 1 MeV class NBI system for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), demonstration of ampere class negative ion beam acceleration up to 1 MeV is an important mile stone. To achieve the mile stone, a prototype accelerator and a 1 MV, 1 A test facility called MeV Test Facility (MTF) were constructed. Up to now, an H⁻ ion beam was accelerated up to the energy of 805 keV with an acceleration drain current of 150 mA for 1 s in a five stage electrostatic multi-aperture accelerator.     

Synthesis and reactivities of 10-S-3 trithiadiazapentalene derivatives

1,3-Bis(p-substituted-phenylthiocarbamoyl)-2-imidazolidinethiones 3a-f reacted with bromine to give trithiadiazapentalene derivatives 5a-f , bearing the exocyclic C-N double bonds, in moderate yields. The molecular structure of 5b was elucidated by the X-ray crystallographic analysis. The treatment of 5b-f with hydrochloric acid gave the ring-opening products, 1,3-bis(p-substituted-phenylthiocarbamoyl)-2-imidazo-lidinones 9b-f , accompanied by the production of elemental sulfur. Reduction of 5b , 5d , and 5e with sodium borohydride gave the ring-opening compounds, 1,3-bis(p-substituted-phenylthiocarbamoyl)-2-imidazolidines 13b , 13d , and 13e respectively.     

Prospects of Sol-Gel Process for Spectral Hole-Burning Glasses

Persistent spectral hole burning was studied in Eu³⁺ ions-doped Al₂O₃-SiO₂ glass prepared by a sol-gel method. The gel synthesized by the hydrolysis of Si- and Al-alkoxides and EuCl₃·6H₂O was heated in air and hydrogen gas atmospheres. For the glass heated in air to contain OH bonds, the hole was formed by the photoinduced rearrangement of the OH bonds surrounding the Eu³⁺ ions, and was thermally refilled and erased above 200 K. On the other hand, the glass heated in hydrogen gas showed the hole spectrum above 200 K. It was found that the hole depth was independent of the temperature and was 7% of the total intensity at room temperature. The proposed mechanism was the electron transfer between the Eu³⁺ ions and the defect centers formed in glass matrix.     

Palladium-catalyzed cycloheptatriene formation by [3+2+2] cocyclization of 2-substituted allylic alcohols and alkynes

Cycloheptatrienes were obtained by the reaction of 2-substituted allylic alcohols with alkynes in the presence of catalytic amounts of palladium complexes and p-toluenesulfonic acid.     

Dialumenes – aryl vs. silyl stabilisation for small molecule activation and catalysis

Main group multiple bonds have proven their ability to act as transition metal mimics in the last few decades. However, catalytic application of these species is still in its infancy. Herein we report the second neutral NHC-stabilised dialumene species by use of a supporting aryl ligand (3). Different to the trans-planar silyl-substituted dialumene (3Si), compound 3 features a trans-bent and twisted geometry. The differences between the two dialumenes are explored computationally (using B3LYP-D3/6-311G(d)) as well as experimentally. A high influence of the ligand''s steric demand on the structural motif is revealed, giving rise to enhanced reactivity of 3 enabled by a higher flexibility in addition to different polarisation of the aluminium centres. As such, facile activation of dihydrogen is now achievable. The influence of ligand choice is further implicated in two different catalytic reactions; not only is the aryl-stabilised dialumene more catalytically active but the resulting product distributions also differ, thus indicating the likelihood of alternate mechanisms simply through a change of supporting ligand.

Ligand controlled reactivity: a trans-bent and twisted geometry enables dihydrogen activation and enhanced catalytic activity for NHC-stabilised dialumenes.     

Thermal analysis graphite intercalation compounds with dichlorides of some d-elements: A.S. Skoropanov,G.S. Petrov,A.A. Vecher,Yu.N. Novikov and M.E. Vol'pin,Thermochim. Acta, 90 (1985) 339-342

Kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the axial base dissociation of solid Co(salen) (X-py) complexes, X = H (1), 3-Me (2), 4-Me (3), 3,4-Me₂ (4), 3,5-Me₂ (5), 3-NH₂ (6), 3-Cl (7), 3-CN (8), 4-CN (9), have been investigated by means of TG-DSC and isothermal weight-loss measurements. These adducts endothermically dissociate the axial base giving rise to the oxygen-active Co(salen) complex. The axial base dissociation reactions fit the contracting disc equation and the kinetic compensation effect is observed for all the adducts excepting Adducts 4–6. For the remaining adducts the kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of the Co-(X-py) bond are found to increase linearly with increasing Hammett's substitution constants of X except for Adducts 3 and 9. These results are discussed in terms of the σ and π interactions between cobalt(II) and substituted pyridine. Factors dominating the kinetic bond stability are briefly discussed.     

First example of chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes as catalysts for kinetic resolution

Chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes, which are derived from C2-symmetric 1,3-bis(1-arylethyl)imidazolium salts, catalyze enantioselective acylation of racemic secondary alcohols.     

Absolute stereochemistry of citrinadins a and B from marine-derived fungus

[Structure: see text]. Citrinadin A (2) is a pentacyclic indolinone alkaloid isolated from the cultured broth of a fungus, Penicillium citrinum, which was separated from a marine red alga. The absolute stereochemistry of the pentacyclic core in 2 and its new congener, citrinadin B (1), was elucidated by analysis of the ROESY spectrum for the chlorohydrin derivative (3) of 1 as well as comparison of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra for 1 and 2 with those of known spirooxiindole alkaloids. On the other hand, the absolute configuration at C-21 bearing an epoxide ring was assigned as S by comparison of the vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of 1 with those of model compounds 2S- and 2R-2,3-epoxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one (4a and 4b, respectively).     

Thick Silicate Film by an Interfacial Polymerization

A thick silica gel film, corresponding to the glass film of 10–20 micron in thickness, has been formed at the interface between two immiscible liquids, hexane and water, using E-40, a partially polymerized silicon alkoxide, as the precursor. The film formation was possible using both acid- and base-catalyzed water, but was greatly dependent on the type of catalyst. Only the trace of a film was observed for the system catalyzed with a strong electrolyte such as HCl, HNO₃ or NaOH, while a gel film, corresponding to the glass film of several to 10 micron in thickness was formed with a weak electrolyte such as ammonia, organic acid like acetic acid, citric acid, etc., of similar pH value. The direct introduction of organic base catalyst like triethylamine in hexane was much more effective than the use of ammonia water, suggesting that the polymerization of E-40 to form a gel film takes place in the organic phase, where water molecules, as well as undissociated ammonia or organic acids, can diffuse in.