GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION OF PHENYLALKANES AND BICYCLIC HYDROCARBONS.
Abstract Retention indices and their temperature coefficients have been measured with Silicone Oil DC 710 and Emulphor O as liquid phases. Some experimental rules are put forward.
Strahlungschemie der Kohlenwasserstoffe. 5. Mitteilung. Temperatureffekte in Toluol
The radiation chemistry of liquid toluene was studied between --80 and +180 deg C and from 1 to 100 Mrad. The yields of the isomeric bitolyls, phenyltoluenes, benzylmethyl-cyclohexadienes, and xylenes and of bibenzyl were measured. The production of the bitolyls increases with temperature, but the ratio of the six isomers remains constant. The percentage of the o,o' isomer is much lower than expected. The benzyltoluenes do not show any temperature dependence between -- 80 deg and + 80 deg , and their isomer distribution is nearly statistical. Part of the results may be discussed within the framework of free radical reactions. (auth)
STUDIES ON TERRESTRIAL CONTAMINANTS OF METEORITES
During t h e l a s t ha l f d e c a d e a n unpara l le led upsu rge h a s t aken p l ace in t h e s tudy of meteor i tes , e s p e c i a l l y t h e ca rbonaceous chondr i tes . S c i e n t i s t s from all ove r t h e world, employing t h e newes t a n d most s e n s i t i v e an a1 y t i c a l t ec hni q u e s , i n v e s t i g a t e t h e ch e m i c a l composition of t h e o rgan ic mate t ia l found in t h e s e meteor i tes . In t h i s way they a r e trying to de te rmine t h e phys ica l c o n s t a n t s of t h e meteor i tes and e s t a b l i s h , on t h e b a s i s of minera logica l and petrolog ica l s t u d i e s , t h e cha rac t e r i s t i c s of t h e environmental condi t ions f r o m which t h e s e s t o n e s or ig ina ted and to desc r ibe and ident i fy cer ta in mic ros t ruc tu res which abound in s o m e of t h e s e ca rbonaceous chondr i tes . A l l of t h e s e research i n t e r e s t s a r e d i rec ted towards o n e pa r t i cu la r problem, t h e def in i te so lu t ion of which may indeed have revolutionary e f f e c t s o n ou r c o n c e p t s of t he universe. T h e ques t ion is whether or not t h e s e meteor i tes conta in t r a c e s of ex t ra t e r r e s t r i a l l i fe , t hus proving tha t some kind of biota eve r e x i s t e d o ther t han on t h e ear th , o r if a l l of t h o s e f ea tu res tha t t end to subs t a n t i a t e t h e prev ious ly mentioned h y p o t h e s i s a r e only t h e r e s u l t of contaminat ion by te r res t r ia l matter. T h e impor tance of t h i s problem w a s emphas ized by Berna l (1961: 130) in t h e following way: “ T h e v i t a l ques t ion cou ld be s e t t l e d o n c e and for a l l if s p e c i f i c molecu le s s u c h a s porphyrins o r nuc leo t ides were found. A counter ind ica t ion a t t he moment is t h e extremely low phosphorous conten t of t h e meteorite.” S ince tha t s t a t emen t w a s made, porphyrins (Hodgson & Baker, 1964) a n d poss i b l y nuc leo t ides (Nagy et al., 1963a) have been ident i f ied f r o m t h e Orgueil meteor i te , but s t i l l t he q u e s t i o n of t h e e x i s t e n c e of extrat e r r e s t r i a l life is far from be ing proven. I t is clear from the a b o v e tha t o n e of t h e b a s i c problems tha t o n e faces in t h e s tudy of meteor i tes is tha t of contamination. In order t o e s t a b l i s h unques t ionably t h e e x i s t e n c e o r p a s t e x i s t e n c e of ex t ra te r res t r ia l l i f e through t h e s t u d i e s of meteor i tes , two primary q u e s t i o n s h a v e to b e dea l t with s imul taneous ly . O n e h a s to d e c i d e