1914] Clarence J. West 249 



carbon dioxide. Chlorophylline gives glaucophylline, which may be 

 represented as 



CoiHssN^Mg COOK COOK. 



a ß 



The reaction product is precipitated by diluting with water, the 

 meist Salt covered with one part o£ alcohol and six parts of ether, 

 and the Suspension acidified with conc. monophosphate sol. The 

 free glaucophylline goes into the alcohol-ether mixture, the alcohol 

 is washed out with water, which causes a precipitation of impuri- 

 ties and gives a blue color to the phylline sol, and a bluish red 

 fluorescence. The Solution is further purified by shaking with 0.004 

 percent ammonia five or six times, which extracts the phylline. 

 Acidified with a little primary phosphate, it is again brought into 

 ether, which is then shaken with a little very dilute disodium phos- 

 phate sol. Upon concentrating the sol., the phylline precipitates as 

 small prisms having a blue surface luster. 



Under the same conditions isochlorophylline gives cyanophyl- 

 line,^^ in which the carboxyl groups y and ß are probably present. 

 This substance is very unstable and, upon standing, the f resh Solu- 

 tion quickly becomes turbid, because of the Splitting out of the 

 magnesium. 



If the temperature is raised to 165-170°, two isomeric dicar- 

 boxylic acids are obtained, rhodophylline and erythro phylline, which 

 differ from the two acids described above in color and chemical 

 properties. Just what causes this isomerism is not known. Will- 

 stätter suggests that they differ by the presence of two hydrogen 

 atoms. By increasing the temperature another 20 degrees (195° 

 to 200°), the second carboxyl group is split off, probably the ß 

 carboxyl. Then pyrrophylline and phyllophylline result. They can 

 differ only in the position of the carboxyl group, pyrrophylline 

 probably containing the a carboxyl, while phyllophylline contains 

 the y carboxyl group. They have the f ormula, 



CgiHggN^Mg COOK a or y. 



As is Seen from the table on page 241, these two products are 

 common to both components of Chlorophyll, a and b. For this rea- 



29 Will statt er, Fischer and Forsen : Ann. d. Chem., 400, 147 (1913). 



