A teranthene derivative has been successfully isolated in a crystalline form for the first time. Geometrical considerations and physical property investigations indicate that the molecule possesses prominent biradical character in the ground state.

The characteristics of the edge state, which is a peculiar magnetic state in zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) that originates from electron-electron correlation in an edge-localized π-state, are investigated by preparing and characterizing quarteranthene molecules. The molecular geometry that was determined from the X-ray analysis is consistent with a zigzag-edge-localized structure of unpaired electrons. The localized electrons are responsible for the peculiar magnetic (room-temperature ferromagnetic correlation), optical (the lowest-lying doubly excited state), and chemical (peroxide bond formation) behaviors. On the basis of these distinguishing properties and a careful consideration of the valence bonding, insight into the edge state of ZGNRs can be gained.

Plasma synthesis of ammonia was studied at atmospheric pressure using a dielectric-barrier-discharge-plasma reactor equipped with a metal-loaded membrane-like alumina tube as a catalyst between the electrodes. Introducing the pure alumina into N 2 -H 2 plasma resulted in an increase in the ammonia yield and the further improvement was achieved by loading the alumina with Ru, Pt, Ni, and Fe. These results clearly demonstrate the catalytic effects of the alumina and the metals in the plasma reaction. Temperature-programmed desorption and isotope exchange reaction of nitrogen revealed that plasma-excited N 2 molecules were subjected to dissociative adsorptions mainly on the alumina to form atomic N(a) (The suffix ''(a)'' denotes adsorbed species) species, which were converted into ammonia by H 2 plasma. A role of the metals is considered to be acceleration of ammonia formation by the reaction of the alumina-adsorbed N(a) atoms with plasma-activated hydrogen species.

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