Light-induced starch degradation in non-dormant turions of Spirodela polyrhiza

Continuous red light controls starch degradation in turions of Spirodela polyrhiza[Dölger, K., U. K. Tirlapur and K.‐J. Appenroth [1997]Photochem. Photobiol. 66, 126–127 (1997)]. This light could be replaced by repeated red light pulses with the reciprocity law fulfilled over a large range of fluence rates. The effect of red light pulses repeated every 24 or 12 h for 6 days was reversible by subsequent far‐red light pulses. In contrast, hourly applied red pulses were irreversible by far‐red light. This discrepancy was explained by showing the starch degradation activity of far‐red pulses themselves. The investigated process was categorized as a phytochrome low fluence response with an unusual property: requirement of light treatment for several days. A partial fulfillment of this requirement was obtained with a red pulse followed by a dark period and a 24 h continuous irradiation. These results suggest the existence of two separate steps in the process of starch degradation in turions: formation of a sprout (=sink) during the pulse‐induced germination, and starch degradation in the storage tissue (=source) induced by the second light treatment.     

The catalytic reactions of triethyl- and triethoxy-silane with unsaturated sulphides

The hydrosilylation of mono- and di-alkenyl sulphides of the type RS(CH₂)_nCH=CH₂ (R = C₂H₅, CH₂=CH, CH₂=CHCH₂, C₃H₇, n = 0, 1 and 4) by triethyl- and triethoxy-silane, catalyzed by H₂PtCl₆·6 H₂O, (Ph₃P)₃RhCl and (PhCN)₂PdCl₂·Ph₃P, has been studied. The addition of hydrosilane to the double bond of alkenyl sulphide leads to a mixture of two isomeric monoadducts. The hydrosilane can cleave the C---S bond of the initial sulphides giving the corresponding derivatives of thiosilanes, X₃SiS(CH₂)_nCH=CH₂ (X = C₂H₅, C₂H₅O). Hydrosilylation of alkenyl sulphides is accompanied by some side reactions such as dehydrocondensation, reduction and polymerization. The effect of the catalyst nature, the structure of hydrosilane and alkenyl sulphide on the reaction route has been investigated.     

Self-assembly of a hydrophobic groove

Heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin interacts with 5,15-diphenylporphine to produce a 2:1 complex in dimethyl sulfoxide. This complex possesses a hydrophobic groove that circumscribes the metal binding site of the porphyrin moiety.     

The lipids of microalgae II. Lipids of the dry biomass ofMonochrysis lutheri

Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 899–900, November–December, 1993.     

Electronic properties of polyoxometalates: a DFT study of alpha/beta-[XM(12)O(40)](n-) relative stability (M=W, Mo and X a main group element)

Keggin heteropolyanions [XM(12)O(40)](n-) have various isomeric structures, alpha and beta being the most common. Conventionally, the alpha structure appears to be the most stable, but calculations carried out at the DFT level for X = P(V), Si(IV), Al(III), As(V), Ge(IV), and Ga(III) and M = W(VI) and Mo(VI) show that this stability depends on several factors, particularly on the nature of the heteroatom (X) and the total charge of the cluster. In this paper, we apply the clathrate model to the Keggin molecule to carry out a fragment-interaction study to elucidate when and why the traditional relative stability of various isomers can be inverted. The fully oxidized anions that have inverted the traditional stability trend in this series are [AlW(12)O(40)](5-) and [GaW(12)O(40)](5-), both of which contain a third-group heteroatom and an overall charge of -5. beta-isomers are always more easily reduced than alpha-isomers. This experimental observation suggests that reduction favors the stability of beta-isomers and one of the most important results of this study is that the alpha/beta inversion is achieved in most cases after the second reduction. The alpha- and beta-isomers may have different properties because the energy of the LUMO, a symmetry-adapted d(xy)-metal orbital, is different.     

Synthesis and properties of alkyldicyclopentadienyl-vanadium(III) compounds

The compounds Cp₂VR (R = CH₃, C₂H₅, n-C₃H₇, n-C₄H₉, n-C₅H₁₁, CH₂C(CH₃)₃ or CH₂Si(CH₃)₃) have been prepared from Cp₂ VCl and RMgX in n-pentane. The air-sensitive compounds are stable at room temperature, but decompose between 65 and 138°C. The thermal stability decreases in the order R = CH₃ CH₂Si(CH₃)₃ > C₂H₅ > CH₂C(CH₃)₃ > n-C₅H₁₁ > n-C₄H₉ > n-C₃H₇. Compounds with R = i-C₃H₇ or t-C₄H₉ could not be obtained.     

Effect of hydrothermal treatment on catalytic properties of superhigh-silica zeolites

The effect of hydrothermal treatment of decationized superhigh-silica zeolite on the mechanism of n-hexane conversion has been studied. It has been established that thermosteam modification sharply decreases the cracking activity and increases the selectivity to aromatization reactions. Zeolite acidity markedly decreases, but its crystal structure does not become amorphous.

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Cis- undtrans-α,β-dialkylsubstituierte Phenylazo-alkene

Zusammenfassung Bei der Umsetzung aliphatischer Keto-phenylhydrazone (1) mit J₂ in Pyridin wird ein H-Atom einer -ständigen Methyloder Methylengruppe durch den Pyridinium-Substituenten ersetzt, so daß die -Phenylhydrazonoalkyl-pyridiniumjodide2 bzw.3 entstehen. Aus3 werden durch Alkalieinwirkung unter 1,4-Eliminierung von Pyridin·HJ die orangefarbenen s-trans-(E, E)-Phenylazo-alkene5 und—in der offenkettigen Reihe—die s-trans(E,Z)-Phenylazo-alkene6 erhalten. Die Strukturen von5 und6 werden durch spektroskopische Daten (EA,¹H-NMR) gestützt.

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Cis- and trans-,-dialkylated Phenylazo-alkenes

Phenylhydrazones of aliphatic ketones1 react with I₂ in pyridine replacing one hydrogen atom of a methyl or methylene group at the -position of the functional group by the N-pyridinium substituent to give1-(2-phenylhydrazonoalkyl)-pyridinium iodides2 and3 respectively. Upon alkali induced 1.4-elimination of pyridine·HI from3 the orange s-trans(E, E)-phenylazo-alkenes5 and—in the acyclic series—s-trans(E,Z)-phenylazo-alkenes6 are obtained. Their structures are derived from their spectroscopic properties (ea and¹H-nmr).

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Oxidationsprodukte von Arylhydrazon-Verbindungen, 7. Mitt. (6. Mitt.)     

Titrimetrische Bestimmung von Zink mit Äthylendiamintetraessigsäure in Gegenwart von Palladium(II)

Zusammenfassung Komplexometrische Methoden zur Bestimmung von Zink in Gegenwart von Palladium(II) wurden ausgearbeitet. Dabei wird Palladium(II) mit Kaliumcyanid getarnt und der Zinkgehalt entweder bei p_H 5,8 oder nach Demaskierung mit Chloralhydrat bei p_H 10 mit ÄDTA gegen Methylthymolblau titriert. Diese Zinkbestimmung läßt sich auch in Anwesenheit einer Mischung von Palladium(II), Kupfer(II), Nickel und Kobalt(II) durchführen.

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Summary Complexometric methods have been developed for determining zinc in the presence of palladium(II). In these procedures, Pa(II) is masked with potassium cyanide and the zinc content is titrated either at p_H 5.8 or after demasking with chloralhydrate is titrated with EDTA at p_H 10 in the presence of methylthymol blue. This zinc determination may also be conducted in the presence of a mixture of palladium(II), copper(II), nickel(II),and cobalt(II).

     

The electrocapillarity of polyacrylates

Summary The electrocapillary properties of polyacrylic acid have been studied by two methods. Exploratory measurements have been made of the effect of the polymer on the differential capacity of a mercury drop in 0.1 m sodium perchlorate. They showed that the polymer was strongly adsorbed over a wide range of potentials but that it did not appear to form a monolayer. The surface excess of polymer obtained from drop weight data showed a maximum at very low concentrations and then a decline at higher concentrations. The bulk of the work was carried out by making surface tension measurements, using a sessile mercury drop, in solutions of a fraction of polyacrylic acid (mol. wt. 7.02×10⁴) in potassium chloride at 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 m at 25°C.The data have been used to evaluate the surface excesses of the polymer and of the inorganic ions. The distribution of K⁺ and Cl^– in the electrical double layer and the contact adsorption of Cl^– on the mercury were very little affected by the presence of the polymer. The surface excess of polymer was always found to be greatest at low concentrations, to decrease steeply at first as the concentration was increased and then to decrease more slowly at higher concentrations.Possible explanations of this behaviour are discussed and it is concluded that the rapid decrease is a consequence of molecular weight dispersion and the stronger adsorption of high molecular weight polymer. The slow decrease in surface excess at higher concentrations may be a result of configurational changes of the polymer molecules.Surface pressure data show that, despite this decrease in the surface excess, the surface coverage reaches a high level at very low polymer concentrations and then continues to increase slowly as the concentration of polymer is increased. This apparent contradiction is due to changes in configuration of the adsorbed polymer molecules. At higher bulk concentrations the chain configurations are more compact and each adsorbed molecule makes more contacts with and so occupies a greater area of the mercury surface than at low concentrations.The conclusion is reached that the surface excess of polymer is mostly contained in a layer probably more than 1000 Å thick. It consists of a concentrated and entangled mass of polymer chains. Relatively few of these chains are in contact with the mercury at any istant. The concentration in this surface layer decreases steadily with increasing distance from the mercury surface and it merges without discontinuity into the bulk solution.With 10 figures in 22 details