We designed and tested a compact deuteron-deuteron fusion neutron generator for application to 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. The nearly monoenergetic neutrons produced for sample irradiation are anticipated to provide several advantages compared with conventional fission spectrum neutrons: Reduction of collateral nuclear reactions increases age accuracy and precision. Irradiation parameters within the neutron generator are more controllable compared with fission reactors. Confidence in the prediction of recoil energies is improved, and their likely reduction potentially broadens applicability of the dating method to fine-grained materials without vacuum encapsulation. Resolution of variation in the 39K(n,p)39Ar neutron capture cross section at 1.3 to 3.2 MeV and discovery of a strong resonance at ~2.4 MeV illuminate future pathways to improve the technique for 40Ar/39Ar dating.

The various reactions catalyzed by mononuclear ruthenium complexes are reviewed through 2008. The reactions discussed are hydrogenation with dihydrogen of carbon–carbon multiple bonds and carbon–heteroatom bonds, hydrogenation via hydrogen transfer, oxidation of carbon–heteroatom bonds, oxidation of carbon–carbon bonds, oxidation of alkanes, nucleophilic addition to alkynes, reactions involving C–H activation, olefin metathesis, reactions involving allyl ruthenium intermediates, and a brief discussion of radical reactions involving mononuclear ruthenium complexes. The article attempts to emphasize the use of chiral auxiliaries for obtaining enantiospecific transformations and the impact of ligand structure on the mechanistic aspects of a particular transformation. The article is not intended to be comprehensive but tries to survey the range of organic transformations currently employing mononuclear ruthenium reactions. More than half of the references are from the past 10 years.

In einer Modellreaktion werden die Aldehyde (Ia) und (Ic) mit dem bicyclischen Thioacetal (II) in Gegenwart von Triton B zu einem a/ß‐Gemisch (III) gekuppelt.