Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI): facing the challenges and pathways of global change in the 21st century

During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments must now be secured through science-based strategies co-designed with regional decision makers to lead their societies to prosperity in the face of environmental and institutional challenges. NEESPI scientific research, data, and models have created a solid knowledge base to support the NEFI program. This paper presents the NEFI research vision consensus based on that knowledge. It provides the reader with samples of recent accomplishments in regional studies and formulates new NEFI science questions. To address these questions, nine research foci are identified and their selections are briefly justified. These foci include: warming of the Arctic; changing frequency, pattern, and intensity of extreme and inclement environmental conditions; retreat of the cryosphere; changes in terrestrial water cycles; changes in the biosphere; pressures on land-use; changes in infrastructure; societal actions in response to environmental change; and quantification of Northern Eurasia's role in the global Earth system. Powerful feedbacks between the Earth and human systems in Northern Eurasia (e.g., mega-fires, droughts, depletion of the cryosphere essential for water supply, retreat of sea ice) result from past and current human activities (e.g., large scale water withdrawals, land use and governance change) and potentially restrict or provide new opportunities for future human activities. Therefore, we propose that Integrated Assessment Models are needed as the final stage of global change assessment. The overarching goal of this NEFI modeling effort will enable evaluation of economic decisions in response to changing environmental conditions and justification of mitigation and adaptation efforts

Synthesis and characterisation of C-60 derivatives containing functionalised anthraquinone groups and an unusual fullerene-stabilised cation

The ortho-anthraquinonedimethane dienophiles prepared in situ from 1,4-dihydroxy-2,3-bis(bromomethyl)-anthraquinone and 1,4-dimethoxy-2,3-bis(bromomethyl)anthraquinone respectively react with the fullerene C60 to give the anthraquinone derivatives: dihydroxy-anthraquinone-C60 and dimethoxy-anthraquinone-C60. The former compound with sodium butoxide and 15-crown-5 gives the bis(sodium-15-crown-5)dioxo-anthraquinone-C60. The dimethoxy-anthraquinone-C60 reacts with [Ru(PPh3)2(NO)Cl] to form the bis-adduct {[η2-(dimethoxy-anthraquinone-C60)][Ru(PPh3 )2(NO)Cl]}. The electrochemistry of the dihydroxy- and dimethoxy-anthraquinone-C60 derivatives has been studied by cyclic voltammetry and, in contrast to 1,4-dihydroxy-2,3-dimethylanthraquinone, the compound dihydroxy-anthraquinone-C60 shows two separate one electron oxidations at lower potentials strongly suggesting a relatively rare example of a fullerene stablised cation

Synthesis, structure and density functional study of the ansa-rhenocene complex [Re{(eta-C5H4)CMe2(eta-C5H4)}Cl]

The ansa-rhenocene compound [Re{(η-C5H4)CMe2(η-C5H4)}Cl] 1 has been prepared by reaction of ReCl5 with [K2(C5H4)CMe2(C5H4)]. X-Ray crystallography shows the molecular structure to be unsymmetrical, with the angle defined by the Re-bridgehead carbon vector and the chlorine atom found to be 170.4°. A density functional study compares the electronic structure of [Re{(η-C5H4)CH2(η-C5H4)}Cl] with [Re{(η-C5H5)2Cl] and shows that for the ansa-bridged species, the chlorine binds less effectively in the central position. The calculated structure of [Re{(η-C5H4)CH2(η-C5H4)}Cl] is also found to be unsymmetrical