The nature of the neutrino is one of the major open questions in experimental nuclear and particle physics. The most sensitive known method to establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino is detection of the ultra-rare process of neutrinoless double beta decay. However, identification of one or a handful of decay events within a large mass of candidate isotope, without obfuscation by backgrounds is a formidable experimental challenge. One hypothetical method for achieving ultra- low-background neutrinoless double beta decay sensitivity is the detection of single 136Ba ions produced in the decay of 136Xe (“barium tagging”). To implement such a method, a single-ion-sensitive barium detector must be developed and demonstrated in bulk liquid or dry gaseous xenon. This paper reports on the development of two families of dry-phase barium chemosensor molecules for use in high pressure xenon gas detectors, synthesized specifically for this purpose. One particularly promising candidate, an anthracene substituted aza-18-crown-6 ether, is shown to respond in the dry phase with almost no intrinsic background from the unchelated state, and to be amenable to barium sensing through fluorescence microscopy. This interdisciplinary advance, paired with earlier work demonstrating sensitivity to single barium ions in solution, opens a new path toward single ion detection in high pressure xenon gas.

The Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC (NEXT) searches for the neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of 136Xe using high-pressure xenon gas TPCs with electroluminescent amplification. A scaled-up version of this technology with about 1 tonne of enriched xenon could reach in less than 5 years of operation a sensitivity to the half-life of 0νββ decay better than 1027 years, improving the current limits by at least one order of magnitude. This prediction is based on a well-understood background model dominated by radiogenic sources. The detector concept presented here represents a first step on a compelling path towards sensitivity to the parameter space defined by the inverted ordering of neutrino masses, and beyond.

Single molecule fluorescence detection of barium is investigated for enhancing the sensitivity and robustness of a neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) search in 136 Xe, the discovery of which would alter our understanding of the nature of neutrinos and the early history of the Universe. A key developmental step is the synthesis of bariumselective chemosensors capable of incorporation into ongoing experiments in high-pressure 136 Xe gas. Here we report turn-on fluorescent naphthalimide chemosensors containing monoaza-and diaza-crown ethers as agents for single Ba 2+ detection. Monoaza-18-crown-6 ether naphthalimide sensors showed sensitivity primarily to Ba 2+ and Hg 2+ , whereas two diaza-18-crown-6 ether naphthalimides revealed a desirable selectivity toward Ba 2+ . Solution-phase fluorescence and NMR experiments support a photoinduced electron transfer mechanism enabling turn-on fluorescence sensing in the presence of barium ions. Changes in ion-receptor interactions enable effective selectivity between competitive barium, mercury, and potassium ions, with detailed calculations correctly predicting fluorescence responses. With these molecules, dry-phase single Ba 2+ ion imaging with turnon fluorescence is realized using oil-free microscopy techniques. This represents a significant advance toward a practical method of single Ba 2+ detection within large volumes of 136 Xe, plausibly enabling a background-free technique to search for the hypothetical process of 0νββ.

Benzimidazoles are common in nature, medicines, and materials. Numerous strategies for preparing 2-arylbenzimidazoles exist. In this work, 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles were prepared from various mono-and disubstituted ortho-phenylenediamines (OPD) by iron-catalyzed oxidative coupling. Specifically, O 2 and FeCl 3 •6H 2 O catalyzed the cross-dehydrogenative coupling and aromatization of diarylmethyl and dialkyl benzimidazole precursors. N,N′-Disubstituted-OPD substrates were significantly more reactive than their N,N-disubstituted isomers, which appears to be relative to their propensity for complexation and charge transfer with Fe 3+ . The reaction also converted N-monosubstituted OPD substrates to 2-substituted benzimidazoles; however, electron-poor substrates produce 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles by intermolecular imino-transfer. Kinetic, reagent, and spectroscopic (UV−vis and EPR) studies suggest a mechanism involving metal−substrate complexation, charge transfer, and aerobic turnover, involving high-valent Fe(IV) intermediates. Overall, comparative strategies for the relatively sustainable and efficient synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles are demonstrated.

N-Alkyl and N-aryl-isoindolinones were prepared by a dioxane-mediated oxidation of isoindoline precursors. The transformation exhibits unique chemoselectivity for isoindonlines. A chiral tertiary (3°)-benzylic position was not racemized during oxidation, and methyl indoprofen was prepared by late stage oxidation. Mechanistic studies suggest a selective H atom transfer, which avoids many known oxidation (by-)­products of isoindolinones.