NMR Studies on Solution Structures of Methanol and Ethanol Saturated with CO2

²H and ¹⁷O NMR relaxation times, T ₁(²H) and T ₁(¹⁷O), and ²H NMR chemical shifts, δ(²H), in CO₂-saturated CD₃OD and C₂D₅OD solutions were measured at 313.2 K over the pressure range up to ~6 MPa. The rotational correlation times, τ _r, of the CD and OD axes within CD₃OD and C₂D₅OD molecules and the CO axis within the CO₂ molecule were determined from T ₁(²H) and T ₁(¹⁷O), and the magnetic susceptibility-corrected chemical shifts, δ _corr, were derived from δ(²H). The differences in τ _r and δ _corr observed between the two alcohol systems: τ _r and δ _corr of OD in C₂D₅OD, decreased rapidly with increasing CO₂ concentration, while those of OD in CD₃OD remained almost unchanged at mole fractions of CO₂, \( x_{\text CO_{2}} \) , lower than ~0.25 and then slightly decreased at higher \( x_{\text CO_{2}} \) . The hydrogen bonding structure in C₂D₅OD was found to be gradually broken down by CO₂ dissolution. On the other hand, in CD₃OD, it has been revealed that the hydrogen bonding structure can persist at \( x_{\text CO_{2}} \)  < ~0.25 but then collapses at higher \( x_{\text CO_{2}} \) .     

High-speed living ring-opening polymerization by a new catalyst based on metalloporphyrin

Polymerization of ϵ-caprolactone and δ-valerolactone initiated with aluminum porphyrin (1) was much accelerated by the addition of methylaluminum diphenoxide with bulky substituents 2, to give polymers with narrow molecular weight distribution. The polymerization of β-butyrolactone was also accelerated by 2, to different extents depending on the mode of ring scission. 2 also accelerated the living polymerization of propylene sulfide initiated with zinc porphyrin (3). The effect of 2 is due to the coordinative activation of monomer.     

Metalloporphyrin catalysts for living and immortal polymerizations

The living polymerization of methyl methacrylate with aluminium porphyrin ( 1 ) proceeded dramatically rapidly at room temperature in the presence of sterically crowded organoaluminium compounds such as methylaluminium ortho-substituted diphenolates ( 3a − 3g ), bis(triphenylmethanolate) ( 4a ), and triphenylaluminium, where undesired reaction between the growing species and the Lewis acids was sterically suppressed. On the basis of this Lewis acid - assisted high-speed living polymerization, various monomers such as ethyl, propyl, butyl, and dodecyl methacrylates, methacrylonitrile, and 1,2-epoxypropane were polymerized very rapidly with the aluminium porphyrin - Lewis acid systems.     

Photon Recoil in Light Scattering by a Bose–Einstein Condensate of a Dilute Gas

Photon recoil upon light scattering by a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) of a dilute atomic gas is analyzed theoretically accounting for a weak interatomic interaction. Our approach is based on the Gross–Pitaevskii equation for the condensate, which is coupled to the Maxwell equation for the field. The dispersion relations of recoil energy and momentum are calculated, and the effect of weak nonideality of the condensate on the photon recoil is ubraveled. A good agreement between the theory and experiment [7] on the measurement of the photon recoil momentum in a dispersive medium is demonstrated.     

Facet Formation in Garnet Crystals

Formation of {110} and {211} type facets in rare-earth aluminium garnet crystals grown along different crystallographic directions is analyzed and it is shown that D/2R parameter (where D is the crystal diameter and R is the curvature radius of spherical growth interface) may be used to characterize the number of originating facets and their configuration in crystals.     

Applied nuclear physics at Yerevan Physics Institute

A number of areas of development of applied studies at the Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) are viewed. The main area is research into possibilities to produce radio nuclides for nuclear medicine on the linear accelerator of electrons at YerPhI. We consider also the methods for employment of neutron beams obtained from photonuclear reactions for boron-capture neutron therapy and for nondestructive detection of fission materials.     

Efficient generation of terahertz pulses in lithium niobate crystal with integrated matching prism

We present results of experimental studies of Cherenkov-type generation of a terahertz (THz)-pulse during propagation of a femtosecond laser pulse in LiNbO₃ crystal with a Si-prism output coupler. Application of the Si-prism allows reducing essentially the damping of THz radiation because of shortening of the path of THz pulse in the nonlinear crystal. Results of experimental studies agree sufficiently well with theoretical calculations.     

Inclusion of Enantiomeric Carvones in β-Cyclodextrin: a Variable Temperature 1H NMR Study in Aqueous Solution

In aqueous solution, the apparent association constant at room temperature for the 1 : 1 inclusion of S-(+)-carvone in - cyclodextrin is double of that for R-(-)-carvone, whereas, at 45 °C, both enantiomers have association constants two orders of magnitude smaller, with the S-(+) inclusion being then slightly weaker than the R-(-) encapsulation. Calculations carried out at the molecular mechanics, AM1 and STO-3G levels confirm the preferential inclusion of the S-enantiomer and provide important clues for understanding chiral discrimination by -cyclodextrin.