The Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF) is under construction in the Soreq Nuclear Research Center at Yavne, Israel. When completed at the beginning of the next decade, SARAF will be a user facility for basic and applied nuclear physics, based on a 40 MeV, 5 mA CW proton/deuteron superconducting linear accelerator. Phase I of SARAF (SARAF-I, 4 MeV, 2mA CW protons, 5 MeV 1mA CW deuterons) is already in operation, generating scientific results in several fields of interest. The main ongoing program at SARAF-I is the production of 30 keV neutrons and measurement of Maxwellian Averaged Cross Sections (MACS), important for the astrophysical s-process. The world leading Maxwellian epithermal neutron yield at SARAF-I (5×10 10 epithermal neutrons/sec), generated by a novel Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT), enables improved precision of known MACSs, and new measurements of lowabundance and radioactive isotopes. Research plans for SARAF-II span several disciplines: Precision studies of beyond-Standard-Model effects by trapping light exotic radioisotopes, such as 6 He, 8 Li and 18,19,23 Ne, in unprecedented amounts (including meaningful studies already at SARAF-I); extended nuclear astrophysics research with higher energy neutrons, including generation and studies of exotic neutron-rich isotopes relevant to the rapid (r-) process; nuclear structure of exotic isotopes; high energy neutron cross sections for basic nuclear physics and material science research, including neutron induced radiation damage; neutron based imaging and therapy; and novel radiopharmaceuticals development and production.

Dendrimers, the aesthetically beautiful macromolecules displaying a variety of potentially useful architecture-induced properties, are traditionally assembled in solution. However, since 1988, a number of dendritic structures have been assembled on insoluble organic and inorganic polymers, and thus dendronized supports have been formed. One of the major applications of these new materials is in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Supported dendritic catalytic systems, bearing the catalytic units on the dendron periphery, have been examined in the last 5 years in such reactions as hydroformylation, Heck and other Pd-catalyzed COC bond formations, oxidation, and enantioselective addition to aldehydes. In the majority of these studies, substantial dendritic effects on the reactivity, selectivity, or recyclability of the catalysts were observed. Although a number of factors have been suggested as sources of the effects, it is most likely that the phenomenon has a multicomponent origin. Additional research, including a full determination of the effects and their causes, is likely to lead to markedly better heterogeneous catalytic systems.

[reaction: see text] Phosphine-palladium complexes, immobilized on polystyrene, demonstrated a remarkable increase in catalytic activity and selectivity in the Heck reaction upon the introduction of a dendritic spacer between the support and phosphine. For some reactions an up to 5-fold increase in yield is observed.

Recent studies revealed that catalysts, prepared on dendronized support, frequently exhibit enhanced activity and selectivity as compared to their non-dendronized analogues. Regretfully, in early studies of the supported dendritic catalysis, no particular attention was paid to the coordinative nature of the dendritic backbone. In this study, we functionalized Wang polystyrene support with three types of dendritic templates: poly(aril benzyl ether), poly(aryl benzyl thioether), and poly(aryl benzyl amine). These dendronized resins were further decorated with phosphine ligands on the periphery and complexed with a Pd(0) catalytic precursor. The catalysis of the Heck and Suzuki reactions of bromobenzene with the first to third generation supported dendritic catalysts was examined and compared to that of the non-dendritic analogues. All of the examined reactions revealed a positive dendritic effect, reflected in up to 5-fold increase in yield, in the most prominent case. The reasons for the observed effect are the proximity of the ligating sites translated into reduced cross-linking and, probably, the increased distance of the catalyst from the polymer matrix. We proved, however, that the latter could not be achieved with a linear spacer. Although the Suzuki reaction was rather insensitive to the backbone structure, the Heck reaction catalysis at 80 degrees C exhibited substantial sensitivity to the nature of the dendritic backbone, with the polyether structure demonstrating the best outcome. This is the first demonstration of the influence of the coordinative ability of the backbone on the activity of a supported dendritic catalyst.

Dendronized supports, combining core Wang resin and poly(aryl benzyl ether) dendrons, were prepared using a novel route. Employing a dimethyl 5-hydroxyisophthalate module and a Mitsunobu condensation/ester reduction iterative sequence, the dendrimer was cleanly and efficiently prepared to the third generation. The synthesis was monitored using gel-phase 13 C NMR and acidolytic cleavage, followed by 1 H NMR. Gel-phase NMR and swelling experiments demonstrated that the behavior of the dendronized resins in various solvents is strongly influenced by the peripheral functional groups. Synthesis of a cinnamate derivative (via Mitsunobu and Heck reactions) and of a tripeptide demonstrated suitability of the dendronized support for solid-phase synthesis.

Aerogels offer a great platform for heterogeneous electrocatalysis owing to their high surface area and porosity. Atomically dispersed transition metal ions can be imbedded in these platforms at ultra‐high site density to make them catalytically active for various reactions. Herein, the synthesis of a new class of conjugated microporous organic aerogels that are used as covalent 3D frameworks for the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is reported. Modified aerogels functionalized with bipyridine ligands enable copper ion complexation in a single‐step synthesis. The aerogels’ structures are fully characterized using a wide array of spectroscopic and microscopic methods, and heat‐treated in order to make them electronically conductive. After heat treatment at 600 °C, the aerogels maintained their macrostructure and became active ORR catalysts in alkaline environment, showing high mass activity and ultra‐high site density.

A remarkable increase in catalytic activity and selectivity in the intramolecular Pauson-Khand reaction is observed for Co complexes, immobilised on second- and third-generation dendron-functionalized polystyrene, as compared with their analogues on non-dendronized support.

The syntheses of 1,10-phenanthroline fluorophore-based chemosensor 7 and its truncated analog 9 are reported. Interactions of these compounds with urea, thiourea, 1,3-dimethylurea, tetrahydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one, imidazolidin-2-one, and selected uronium salts were assessed by three-dimensional excitation-emission spectroscopy, UV-vis absorbance, and fluorescence titrations. Chemosensor 7 was found to be capable of distinguishing between neutral ureas and their salts, by producing a different optical response for each type of compounds. The complexation of urea by 7 was also studied by selective-NOE 1H NMR, 13C NMR (using 13C-labeled guest), and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. In addition, we performed DFT calculations (B3LYP 3-21g** level) for structures of complexes of 7 with urea, imidazolidin-2-one, and tetrahydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one. Development of chemosensor 7-type compounds in conjunction with differential excitation-emission spectroscopy represents an important step toward the development of novel tools for ureas and their salts analysis.