Nitrenes are a highly reactive, yet fundamental, compound class. They possess a monovalent nitrogen atom and usually a short life span, typically in the nanosecond range. Here, we report on the synthesis of a stable nitrene by photolysis of the arylazide MFluindN (), which gave rise to the quantitative formation of the arylnitrene MFluindN () (MFluind is dispiro[fluorene-9,3'-(1',1',7',7'-tetramethyl-s-hydrindacen-4'-yl)-5',9''-fluorene]) that remains unchanged for at least 3 days when stored under argon atmosphere at room temperature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a detailed structural, spectroscopic, and thermogravimetric investigation of a new series of mixed-alkali rare-earth orthoborates KLiRE(BO) (RE = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Y). Single crystals were directly prepared by a flux method as well as mechanically separated from the polycrystalline powder obtained from the conventional solid-state reactions. All KLiRE(BO) members are isotypic and crystallize in the space group 2/.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMuch of our understanding of Earth's past climate comes from the measurement of oxygen and carbon isotope variations in deep-sea benthic foraminifera. Yet, long intervals in existing records lack the temporal resolution and age control needed to thoroughly categorize climate states of the Cenozoic era and to study their dynamics. Here, we present a new, highly resolved, astronomically dated, continuous composite of benthic foraminifer isotope records developed in our laboratories.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe mid-Cretaceous period was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years, driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of around 1,000 parts per million by volume. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it is disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we use a sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf-the southernmost Cretaceous record reported so far-and show that a temperate lowland rainforest environment existed at a palaeolatitude of about 82° S during the Turonian-Santonian age (92 to 83 million years ago).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrecise knowledge about the extent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; c. 26.5-19 cal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubglacial lakes are widespread beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet but their control on ice-sheet dynamics and their ability to harbour life remain poorly characterized. Here we present evidence for a palaeo-subglacial lake on the Antarctic continental shelf. A distinct sediment facies recovered from a bedrock basin in Pine Island Bay indicates deposition within a low-energy lake environment.
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