242 Willstättcr's Rcscarches on Chlorophyll [Jan. 



which may be separated into its components by shaking the ether- 

 petrolenm ether sol. with 60 percent methyl alcohol, thus removing 

 the b component. Component a is bluish black, giving a bluish green 

 or green sol. One gram dissolves in 760 c.c. of ether, giving a sol. 

 easily decomposed by 10 percent acid. Component h is greenish 

 black and gives a yellowish green or green sol. One gram dissolves 

 in 2.8 liters of ether and is decomposed by 15 percent acid. It does 

 not react with ammonia gas. 



Chlorophyllase, acting upon Chlorophyll in moist ether or dilute 

 acetone, gives chlorophyllide,Cz2^zoO^Mg{COO}:{) {COOCR.) , 

 the two components of which may be separated by the use of 50 

 percent methyl alcohol. It may also be obtained from the methyl 

 derivative but the reaction is much slower than in the case of Chlo- 

 rophyll. The enzyme appears to be fairly specific for Chlorophyll, 

 for in the case of pheophytin the reaction is also very slow. The 

 a form crystallizes with half a molecule of water, as green or bluish 

 green six sided tables, while the b form is yellow to olive green. 

 The free carboxyl group gives it marked acid properties, a being ex- 

 tracted from ether with n/iooo potassiumhydroxide sol., while b is 

 nearly quantitatively extracted by M/2000 potassium hydroxide sol. 

 It is quickly allomerized in alcoholic sol. With dry ammonia gas it 

 gives a precipitate of an ammonium salt which may be decomposed 

 by shaking with moist ether. Upon warming in vacuum, or upon 

 Standing in dilute sol., it decomposes forming magnesium pheo- 

 phorbide. 



Decomposition with ALKALI. Chlorophyll, reacting with 

 methyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide sol., gives rise to twoproducts 

 depending upon the conditions used : chlorophylline and isochloro- 

 phylline, which are unstable tricarboxylic acids and have been studied 

 in the form of their salts. If the saponification is carried out in the 

 cold with conc. methyl alcoholic potash sol., the principal product of 

 the reaction is chlorophylline potassium o; either the extract or the 

 purified Chlorophyll may be used, a much purer product being ob- 

 tained from the purified Chlorophyll. If allomerized Chlorophyll is 

 used, this is the only product formed. The pure cryst. potassium 

 Salt may be easily obtained by shaking a petroleum ether sol. of 3 

 gm. of Chlorophyll a with 10 cc. of 7 percent methyl alcoholic potash 

 sol. The salt crystallizes in dark blue leaflets. It is characterized 



