Experimental study of the decay φ→ηγ in multiphoton final state

The φ(1020)→ηγ→3π ⁰ γ decay is studied in the SND experiment at the VEPP-2M e ⁺ e ⁻ collider. The measurements give a branching ratio Bφ→ ηγ)=(1.246±0.025±0.057)%. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 7, 549–551 (10 October 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

On the low-temperature onset of molecular flexibility in lipid bilayers seen by Raman scattering

For dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid/water bilayers, a detailed temperature dependence of the Raman scattering spectra at the spectral range of the CH 2-stretching modes was investigated. Below 150 K the ratio of intensities of the 2880 cm (-1) antisymmetric vibration line and the 2850 cm (-1) symmetric one was found to be nearly temperature-independent. Between 150 and 230 K it decreases slightly as temperature increases; and above 230 K it decreases remarkably. This decrease is accompanied with broadening of the antisymmetric line, from 4.2 cm (-1) at 100 K to 5.7 cm (-1) at 296 K. According to literature, the decrease of the antisymmetric line may be interpreted in two ways: (i) the appearance of a static conformational disorder (or of a disorder fluctuating at the time scale larger than picoseconds) and (ii) relaxation at the ps time scale, which is induced by coupling with temperature-activated librational-torsional motion of the lipid chain. Both these interpretations imply that obtained data evidence the appearance of molecular flexibility of lipids around approximately 200 K. The observed effect is to be compared with low-temperature dynamical transition found in disordered media with neutron scattering, Mossbauer absorption, molecular dynamics simulations and other techniques. This transition implies that with temperature increase harmonic atomic motions are transformed to large-amplitude anharmonic (or stochastic) ones. The characteristic times of these motions lay at the ps time scale. The closeness of the temperature of the transition and of the time scale of motions with those found in this work by Raman scattering for lipid bilayers supports the dynamic nature of the 2880 cm (-1) antisymmetric vibration line decrease (i.e., that it is induced by coupling with libration-torsion). To prove that the observed onset of flexibility is a property of a disordered state, Langmuir-Blodgett films of behenic acid were studied. These films contain, like lipids, long CH 2-tails, but, in opposite to bilayers, they have a well-ordered crystalline-like structure. The relative intensity of the antisymmetric/symmetric CH 2-stretching lines was found in these films to be temperature-independent in the whole temperature range studied, between 60 and 296 K.     

Configurational Stability of 1,1′-Bi-2-naphthol in Superacid System HSO3F–SbF5–SO2ClF

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry - Although 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) is known to racemize in aqueous mineral acids and much more readily in superacids, it retains its initial...     

Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Diethyl Ether Anesthetic

The growing interest in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing regional lung function relies on the use of nuclear spin hyperpolarized gas as a contrast agent. The long gas-phase lifetimes of hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe make this inhalable contrast agent acceptable for clinical research today despite limitations such as high cost, low throughput of production and challenges of ¹²⁹Xe imaging on clinical MRI scanners, which are normally equipped with proton detection only. We report on low-cost and high-throughput preparation of proton-hyperpolarized diethyl ether, which can be potentially employed for pulmonary imaging with a nontoxic, simple, and sensitive overall strategy using proton detection commonly available on all clinical MRI scanners. Diethyl ether is hyperpolarized by pairwise parahydrogen addition to vinyl ethyl ether and characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Proton polarization levels exceeding 8 % are achieved at near complete chemical conversion within seconds, causing the activation of radio amplification by stimulated emission radiation (RASER) throughout detection. Although gas-phase T₁ relaxation of hyperpolarized diethyl ether (at partial pressure of 0.5 bar) is very efficient, with T₁ of ca. 1.2 second, we demonstrate that, at low magnetic fields, the use of long-lived singlet states created via pairwise parahydrogen addition extends the relaxation decay by approximately threefold, paving the way to bioimaging applications and beyond.     

Nuclear spin relaxation in free radicals as revealed in a stimulated electron spin echo experiment

Electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) in a three-pulse stimulated echo experiment, when the time interval between the first and second pulses τ is varied, is attributed to a spontaneous change of the electron spin Larmor frequency in the time intervalT between the second and third pulses, due to the longitudinal relaxation of nearby nuclei. It is observed for nitroxide radicals in glassy matrices in the temperature range of 130–240 K. Nuclear relaxation is assumed to arise from fluctuation of the proton hyperfine interaction, due to fast rotation of the methyl groups. This contribution to ESEEM and the conventional one that is induced by the simultaneous excitation of allowed and forbidden electron spin transitions were found to be multiplicative. As the latter does not depend on the timeT, both contributions can be easily separated. The rate of nuclear spin relaxation was determined, and correlation time of methyl group rotation was estimated by Redfield theory of spin relaxation. Arrhenius parameters of this motion were estimated on the basis of these data and those at 77 and 90 K, where the previously developed approach was used (L.V. Kulik, I.A. Grigor’ev, E.S. Salnikov, S.A. Dzuba, Yu.D. Tsvetkov, J. Phys. Chem. A 106, 12066–12071, 2003).     

Synthesis of Derivatives of the Optically Active β‐Amino Acids from (+)‐Car‐2‐ene

The reaction of (+)‐car‐2‐ene ( 4 ) with chlorosulfonyl isocyanate (=sulfuryl chloride isocyanate; ClSO₂NCO) led to the tricyclic lactams 6 and 8 corresponding to the initial formation both of the tertiary carbenium and α‐cyclopropylcarbenium ions (Scheme 2). A number of optically active derivatives of β‐amino acids which are promising compounds for further use in asymmetric synthesis were synthesized from the lactams (see 16, 17 , and 19 – 21 in Scheme 3).     

Localization of Frenkel Excitons at Dislocations

It is shown that if dislocations are present in a crystal, Frenkel excitons are localized at them. The dispersion equation for localized excitons is derived and examined. The localized wave amplitude is determined as a function of the distance from the dislocation. The frequency gap separating localized oscillations from bulk ones is found. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 23–25, July, 2005.     

Solvation state of iron(III) in aqueous solutions of dimethyl sulfoxide. Complex formation ability of iron(III) with respect to derivatives of <Emphasis Type="Italic">sym</Emphasis>-triazine and bis(hydrazinocarbonylmethyl) sulfoxide

Parameters of the solvation equilibria \({\left[ {Fe{{\left( {{H_2}O} \right)}_6}} \right]^{3 + }} + nDMSO \rightleftarrows {\left[ {Fe{{\left( {{H_2}O} \right)}_{6 - n}}{{\left( {DMSO} \right)}_n}} \right]^{3 + }} + n{H_2}O\) have been determined in aqueous-dimethyl sulfoxide solutions (0–90 vol% DMSO) by means of spectrophotometry and mathematical modeling of equilibria. Iron(III) is not involved in the complex formation with derivatives of sym-triazine: 2,4-diamino-6-(carbamoylmethylsulfinylmethyl)-1,3,5-triazine and 2,4-diamino-6-(acetohydrazidomethylsulfinylmethyl)-1,3,5-triazine in aqueous DMSO medium (40 vol % DMSO). Bis(hydrazinocarbonylmethyl) sulfoxide forms two complexes with iron(III), with 1: 1 and 1: 2 compositions; in contrast to the Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes, in the iron complexes the ligand exists in the amide form. The most probable structures of the complexes have been revealed by molecular mechanics simulation and (in selected cases) using the DFT/B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) density functional theory method.     

Structure and properties of aqueous dispersions of sodium dodecyl sulfate with carbon nanotubes

The dispersing action of the surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) on the carbon nanotubes (CNT) in aqueous medium has been studied. Electron microscopy, molecular docking, NMR and IR spectroscopies were applied to determine the physical-chemical properties of CNT dispersions in SDS—water solutions. It was established that micellar adsorption of the surfactant on the surface of carbon material and solubilization of SDS in aqueous medium contribute to improving CNT dispersing in water solutions. It was shown that the non-polar hydrocarbon radicals of a single surfactant molecule form the highest possible number of contacts with the graphene surface. Upon increase of the SDS in solution these radicals form micelles connected with the surface of the nanotubes. At the sufficiently high SDS concentration the nanotube surface becomes covered with an adsorbed layer of surfactant micelles. Water molecules and sodium cations are concentrated in spaces between micelles. The observed pattern of micellar adsorption is somewhat similar to a loose bilayer of surfactant molecules.