Abstract
1. 1. The green marine alga Enteromorpha intestinalis evolves dimethyl sulfide on removal from the water. The precursor of the sulfide is dimethyl-β-propiothetin which has been isolated from the alga as the platinichloride, the picrate and the styphnate. 2. 2. The presence of a similar dimethylsulfonium compound in certain marine and fresh water algae appears to follow from the evolution of dimethyl sulfide on boiling the plants with alkali. Pteridium aquilinum (the common bracken) and several species of Equisetum (horse tail) also give dimethyl sulfide with alkali. 3. 3. The occurrence of sulfonium compounds in nature is discussed. 4. 4. A methyl group of dimethylacetothetin anhydride can be transferred by heat to the nitrogen of aromatic amines R.NH 2 giving N-methylarylamines R.NH.CH 3 and diarylureas CO(NHR) 2 and also to the hydroxyl group of phenol to give anisole C 6H 5.O.CH 3. Betaine, on heating with phenol and β-naphthol, gives anisole and β-naphthyl methyl ether C 10H 7.O.CH 3, respectively. These reactions are analogous to the well-known biological methylations effected by betaine, dimethylacetothetin and dimethyl-β-propiothetin.
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