Demonstration of the parity-violating energy difference between enantiomers

Racemic mixtures of (+) and (−) sodium potassium tartrate, tris(1,2-ethanediamine)cobalt(III), and tris(1,2-ethanediamine)iridium(III) molecules were crystallized, and the optical activities of the resulting crystalline materials, dissolved in water, were carefully measured to study the influence of the parity-violating energy difference in the crystallization process. Although no effect was found in the case of tartrate, enantiomeric excess appeared in the crystallization of the cobalt and iridium complexes. These investigations, performed in our laboratory, demonstrated the contribution of the parity-violating neutral weak current to the forces acting in molecules.

将(+)与(-)酒石酸钾钠、三(1,2-乙二胺)合钴(III)以及三(1,2-乙二胺)合铱(III)分子的外消旋混合物进行结晶实验；随后将所得结晶产物溶解于水中，严谨测定其旋光活性，以研究宇称不守恒能差对结晶过程的影响。尽管酒石酸盐体系未观测到明显效应，但钴和铱配合物的结晶产物中出现了对映体过量现象。本实验室开展的此项研究证实，宇称不守恒中性弱流对分子间相互作用力存在贡献。