Valdis KOKARS

Professor  Valdis Kokars Department of  Chemistry, Faculty of Material Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University Azenes iela 14/24 Riga, LV 1048 Latvia Phone: +371-26579172 Fax:     + 371-67615765 E-mail: vkokars@ktf.rtu.lv

 

Born: September 10, 1951, Madona, Latvia

Languages: Latvian (native), English and Russian

• Organic Synthesis
• Chemistry of Diazo Compounds
• Photo-responsive organic glasses and polymers for nonlinear optical materials, optical data storage materials and electro-optic devices

50 SCI publications, 11 patents. Presentations at more than 60 international meetings.

Education:

• Engineering Degree in Technology of biologically active Compounds , Riga Politechnical Institute (Faculty of Chemistry), 1974
• Postgraduate studies, Riga Technical University (Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Organic Chemistry ), 1975 - 1978
• Dr.chem. (Candidate of Sciences in former USSR System, Ph.D. in Western Countries) Riga Technical University, 1990

Riga Technical University:

• Junior Researcher, Faculty of Chemistry, 1979 – 1980
• Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Department of General Chemistry, 1980 - 1987
• Assistant Professor, Department of General Chemistry, 1987 - 1998
• Associate Professor, Department of General Chemistry, 1998 – 2001
• Professor , Department of Chemistry, 2001 - present
• Dean of Faculty of Material Science and Applied Chemistry, 2008 - present

  Visiting researcher:

• Emergencies Engineering Division, Environmental Technology Centre, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 1995 - 1996

Honours and Awards

• Corresponding Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 2009
• G.Vanags Medal (Riga Technical University), 2001
• Award of Latvian Academy of Sciences for university students , 1974

• Member of Latvian Association of University Professors, 2001-
• Member of Professors Election Council of Faculty of Material Sciences and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University 2003-
• Member of Promotion Council ( RTU P-01 >), Riga Technical University, 2005-
• Member of Senate, Riga Technical University, 2009-
• Member of the Technical Committee of the Packaging Standardization (LVS/STK/32), Latvia, 1998

Riga Technical University:

• General chemistry (advanced course)
• Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Conformity
• Packaging conformity

• V. Kokars, A. Maļeckis, K. Traskovskis. Synthesis of organic glasses containing azochromophore. -  Scientific Proceedings of Riga Technical University, Material Science and Applied Chemistry, 2009, Nr 20, pp. 7-16.

• M.Rutkis, A.Jurgis, V.Kampars, A.Vembris, A.Tokmakovs, V.Kokars. Optimizing the second order NLO performance of the host – guest polymer systems by tailoring the chromophore structure. -  Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 2008, Vol. 485,  pp. 903 – 914.

• D.Saharov, A.Ozols, V.Kokars, V.Kampars, G.Mezhinskis, A.Maleckis, A.Pludons, M.Rutkis. The trans-cis photoosomerization possibility of stilbene azocompounds by red light of He-Ne laser. - Scientific Proceedings of Riga Technical University,  Material Science and Applied Chemistry, 2008, Nr.18, pp. 26-34.

• A. Ozols, M. Reinfelde , Dm. Saharov , K. Kundzins , V. Kampars , V. Kokars. Holographic recording of surface relief gratings in tolyle-basedazobenzene oligomers. -  Thin Solid Films, 2008,  516 , pp. 8887–8892.

• M. Rutkis, A. Jurgis, V. Kampars, A. Vembris, A. Tokmakovs, V. Kokars.Toward device applicable second order NLO polymer materials: definition of chromophore figure of merit. - Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2007, Vol. 93, Issue 1, pp. 012028.

• A. Ozols, Dm. Saharov, V. Kampars, V. Kokars, J. Kreicberga, and S. Ratyeva. Holographic properties of azobenzene oligomers with differently bonded chromophore groups. - Phys. Stat. Sol.,  2007, (c) 4, No. 3, pp. 1360– 1363.

Recent research projects:

• V.Kokars (Head of Project ). Synthesis of new photo refractive polymers containing azochromophores in their side chain. - Latvian Council of Science (2005- 2008).

• V.Kokars (Head of Project ). Sythesis of amorphous molecular organic glasses and polymers for photorefractive and nonlinear optical material. - LR Ministry of Education and Science & Riga Technical University (2008).

• V.Kokars (Head of Project ). Obtaining and investigation of polymer systems containing photoresponsive organic chromophore for information storage materials. - LR Ministry of Education and Science & Riga Technical University (2007).

Last update 05.02.2010