Neue Giraffenhaltung im Opel-Zoo Kronberg.

The „Africa Savanna“– exhibit is described. The biggest investment of the Opel-Zoo in recent years was opened for the public on the 50th anniversary of the so-called Georg von Opel – Freigehege für Tierforschung on September 16th, 2006. The developed area covers about 22500 m² and includes in addition to the animal related buildings, a new restaurant, a new main entrance and a new administration building. The mostly moated outside exhibit of about 10000 m² is dominated by artificial baobab tree. A waterhole of 200 m² separates the exhibit from the restaurant. Due to fairly long winters the inside area for the giraffes is rather large, so they can be kept as a herd, even when they must stay inside. Visitors can enter a small area of the giraffe house and may watch the animals through glass. The off-exhibit area for the zebras, gnus and impalas has 18 equal stables of 10 m² each. Five introduction pens connect the new animal house with the outside exhibit.This article also informs about the giraffe keeping history at Kronberg since 1961 and tells about the experiences made with the new development during the first year of use.     

Effects of biomass weight and light intensity on the performance of photosynthetic microbial fuel cells with Spirulina platensis

Microalgae Spirulina platensis were attached to the anode of a membrane-free and mediator-free microbial fuel cell (MFC) to produce electricity through the consumption of biochemical compounds inside the microalgae. An increase in open circuit voltage (OCV) was observed with decreasing light intensity and optimal biomass area density. The highest OCV observation for the MFC was 0.39 V in the dark with a biomass area density on the anode surface of 1.2 g cm⁻². Additionally, it was observed that the MFC with 0.75 g cm⁻² of biomass area density produced 1.64 mW m⁻² of electrical power in the dark, which is superior to the 0.132 mW m⁻² produced in the light. Which also means the MFC can be applied to generate electrical power under both day and night conditions.     

Mountain cheese factory wastewater treatment with the use of a hybrid constructed wetland

This paper describes the activity period of an experimental hybrid wetland system placed in a cold climate region. The aim is to determine the efficiency of the system in reducing TSS, BOD₅, COD and other pollutants. The constructed wetland consists of a fat-removal unit and a basin for the storage and the distribution of the wastewater which precedes three phytoremediation beds: the first two are parallel and they work as submerged vertical flow wetland with gravel medium for an area of 180 m²; the last is a submerged horizontal flow wetland with sand medium and an area of 360 m². The CW was designed to process a total estimated BOD₅ loading rate of about 24 g m⁻² d⁻¹, which was less than half of the average actual loading rate. The wastewater treatment did not meet the required Italian law outflow limits, most likely due to BOD₅ overloading.     

Near-full length sequencing of 16S rDNA and RFLP indicates that Rhizobium etli is the dominant species nodulating Egyptian winter Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.)

Egyptian winter Berseem clover (EWBC) is one of the main important forage legume crops in Egypt that is used for animal feeding in winter and it occupies about 2.5 million feddans (Feddan = 4200 m²) in winter agricultural rotation systems. Forty-eight rhizobial isolates that nodulated this legume host from different geographical regions within Egypt were isolated. RFLP analyses of 16S rDNA (1.5 kb) and whole ribosomal DNA (5 kb), the sequencing of 16S rDNA, and the sequencing of nodC, nifH and house keeping genes were used to identify these isolates. The RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA (1.5 kb) among 15 representative strains with three enzymes generated two genotypes. The largest genotype was similar to Rhizobium etli CFN42T (93.33%) except for strain 902 that failed to re-nodulate EWBC. RFLP analysis of complete ribosomal DNA (5 kb) produced five genotypes. The majority of tested strains shared the genotype with R. etli CFN42T (53.33%). Only one strain (1002) shared the genotype with Rhizobium leguminosarum sv. trifolii 3023. The other four strains were comprised of two unique genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that seven representative strains could be divided into two genetic clusters sharing the ancestral clad with R. etli CFN42T. A phylogenetic tree based on nodC gene sequence confirmed that all the examined strains shared the genetic lineage with R. leguminosarum sv. trifolii WSM1325. The phylogenetic trees of house keeping genes are supported strongly the identification of majority of strains as a novel symbiovar of R. etli with new lineages.     

Patch dynamics of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica: Implications for recolonisation process

Patch dynamics of the Mediterranean slow-growing seagrass Posidonia oceanica was studied in two shallow sites (3–10 m) of the Balearic Archipelago (Spain) through repeated censuses (1–2 year⁻¹). In the sheltered site of Es Port Bay (Cabrera Island), initial patch density (October 2001) was low: 0.05 patches m⁻², and the patch size (number of shoots) distribution was bimodal: most of the patches had less than 6 shoots or between 20 and 50 shoots. Mean patch recruitment in Es Port Bay (0.006 ± 0.002 patches m⁻² year⁻¹) exceeded mean patch loss (0.001 ± 0.001 patches m⁻² year⁻¹), yielding positive net patch recruitment (0.004 ± 0.003 patches m⁻² year⁻¹) and a slightly increased patch density 3 years later (July 2004, 0.06 patches m⁻²). In the exposed site of S’Estanyol, the initial patch density was higher (1.38 patches m⁻², August 2003), and patch size frequency decreased exponentially with size. Patch recruitment (0.26 patches m⁻² year⁻¹) and loss (0.24 patches m⁻² year⁻¹) were high, yielding a slightly increased patch density in the area 1 year later (October 2004, 1.40 patches m⁻²). Most recruited patches consisted of rooting vegetative fragments of 1–2 shoots. Seedling recruitment was observed in Summer 2004 at both sites. Episodic, seedling recruitment comprised 30% and 25% of total patch recruitment in Es Port Bay and S’Estanyol, respectively. Patch survival increased with patch size and no direct removal was observed among patches of 5 shoots or more. Most patches grew along the study, shifting patch distribution towards larger sizes. Within the size range studied (1–150 shoots), absolute shoot recruitment (shoots year⁻¹) increased linearly with patch size (R² = 0.64, p < 4 × 10⁻⁵, N = 125), while specific shoot recruitment was constant (about 0.25 ± 0.05 year⁻¹), although its variance was large for small patches. Given the slow growth rate and the high survival of patches with 5 or more shoots, even the low patch recruitment rates reported here could play a significant role in the colonisation process of P. oceanica.     

Diurnal courses of net photosynthesis and photosystem II quantum efficiency of submerged Lagarosiphon major under natural light conditions

An optode device for net-photosynthesis measurements, based on oxygen-depending quenching of fluorescence from O₂-specific sensors, and PAM fluorometry have been used to study diurnal courses of net-photosynthesis and the F_v/F_m ratio of the submerged plant Lagarosiphon major. Plants were pre-cultivated and studied in large mesocosm flow-through outdoor tanks under 50% and 80% shade cloth, respectively. Growth under the different shade cloths resulted in similar light compensation points (∼20 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹), but strongly different light saturation levels, with about 150 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ for plants grown under 80% shade cloth and about 350 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ for plants grown under 50% shade cloth. Plants under both growth conditions showed a transient reduction of the maximum F_v/F_m value in the afternoon (down to 70% of the morning control values under 80% shade cloth and down to 85% under 50% shade cloth), which was not accompanied by a reduction of the net photosynthetic rate. This indicated that the fluorescence parameter F_v/F_m must not be a reliable indicator of the rate of photosynthesis under all conditions. The new photo-optical device became evidenced as a valuable tool not only for laboratory experiments, but also for field studies of gas exchange of submerged plants.     

Effects on capacitance by overexpression of membrane proteins

Functional Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) overexpression of about 10⁴ channels/μm² in the plasma membrane of HEK293 cells was studied by patch-clamp and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Simultaneous electrorotation measurements revealed that ChR2 expression was accompanied by a marked increase of the area-specific membrane capacitance (C_m). The C_m increase apparently resulted partly from an enlargement of the size and/or number of microvilli. This is suggested by a relatively large C_m of 1.15 ± 0.08 μF/cm² in ChR2-expressing cells measured under isotonic conditions. This value was much higher than that of the control HEK293 cells (0.79 ± 0.02 μF/cm²). However, even after complete loss of microvilli under strong hypoosmolar conditions (100 mOsm), the ChR2-expressing cells still exhibited a significantly larger C_m (0.85 ± 0.07 μF/cm²) as compared to non-expressing control cells (0.70 ± 0.03 μF/cm²). Therefore, a second mechanism of capacitance increase may involve changes in the membrane permittivity and/or thickness due to the embedded ChR2 proteins.     

Synthesis and properties of red emitter Ru(II) complexes based on 6,6′-disubstituted-4,4′-bipyrimidine

Heteroleptic complexes [Ru(bpy)₂(R₂bpm)]²⁺, where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine and R₂bpm = 6,6′-diaryl-4,4′-bipyrimidine, have been synthesized and characterized, together with the homoleptic complex [Ru(R₂bpm)₃]²⁺, in which R₂bpm = 6,6′-diphenyl-4,4′-bipyrimidine. The substituent aryl on the bipyrimidine has significant effects on the properties of these complexes as compared to the parent [Ru(bpy)₂(bpm)]²⁺ complex. The complexes exhibit Ru-to-bpm charge transfer (CT) absorptions centered at about 540 nm and Ru-to-bpy CT absorptions centered at about 435 nm. The assignment of the low energy absorptions is supported by the relative ease of the reduction of the new complexes as compared to [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺. The new complexes exhibit a relatively intense emission at room temperature, with lifetimes in the 10-50 ns range, with the homoleptic species exhibiting the higher-energy (maximum at 724 nm) and the longest-lived (τ = 48 ns) emission among the complexes. Luminescence lifetimes and quantum yields are governed by the energy gap law, indicating that direct deactivation to the ground state is the dominant relaxation pathway for 1-6, while thermally activated processes are inefficient.     

The effect of organic loading rate on foam initiation during mesophilic anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater sludge

The impact of increasing organic load on anaerobic digestion foaming was studied at both full and bench scale. Organic loadings of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 kg VS m⁻³ were applied to bench-scale digesters. Foaming was monitored at a full scale digester operated in a comparable organic loading range over 15 months. The bench scale batch studies identified 2.5 kg VS m⁻³ as a critical threshold for foam initiation while 5 kg VS m⁻³ resulted in persistent foaming. Investigation of a full scale foaming event corroborated the laboratory observation that foaming may be initiated at a loading rate of ?2.5 kg VS m⁻³. Experimental findings on foam composition and differences in the quality characteristics between foaming and non-foaming sludges indicated that foam initiation derived from the combined effect of the liquid and gas phases inside a digester and that the solids/biomass ultimately stabilized foaming.     

Thermal conversion of alkaline lignin and its structured derivatives to porous carbonized materials

Alkaline lignin was thermally converted to microporous carbon in ca. 50% yield by heating up from room temperature to 900 °C without activation process under flowing of an argon gas. The carbonized material prepared by heating up conditions of 1 °C min⁻¹ showed 530 m²/g of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area, which increased to 740 m²/g after washing with water. Furthermore, alkaline lignin derivatives were structured as micron scale particles by micelle formation and polymer gelation techniques. Carbonization of the structured lignins could afford high porous materials having BET surface areas above 1000 m²/g without surface activation processes.     

Development and validation of a high-throughput method for the quantitative analysis of d-amphetamine in rat blood using liquid chromatography/MS on a hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Amphetamines are a group of sympathomimetic drugs that exhibit strong central nervous system stimulant effects. d-Amphetamine ((+)-alpha-methylphenetylamine) is the parent drug in this class to which all others are structurally related. In drug discovery, d-amphetamine is extensively used either for the exploration of novel mechanisms involving the catecholaminergic system, or for the validation of new behavioural animal models. Due to this extensive use of d-amphetamine in drug research and its interest in toxicologic–forensic investigation, a specific and high-throughput method, with minimal sample preparation, is necessary for routine analysis of d-amphetamine in biological samples. We propose here a sensitive, specific and high-throughput bioanalytical method for the quantitative determination of d-amphetamine in rat blood using MS³ scan mode on a hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (LC–MS/MS/MS). Blood samples, following dilution with water, were prepared by fully automated protein precipitation with acetonitrile containing an internal standard. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters XTerra C18 column (2.1 mm × 30 mm, 3.5 μm) using gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min over a 2 min run time. An Applied Biosystems API4000 QTRAP™ mass spectrometer equipped with turbo ion-spray ionization source was operated simultaneously in MS³ scan mode for the d-amphetamine and in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for the internal standard. The MS/MS/MS ion transition monitored was m/z 136.1 → 119.1 → 91.1 for the quantitation of d-amphetamine and for the internal standard (rolipram) the MS/MS ion transition monitored was m/z 276.1 → 208.2. The linear dynamic range was established over the concentration range 0.5–1000 ng/mL (r² = 0.9991). The method was rugged and sensitive with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.5 ng/mL. All the validation data, such as accuracy, precision, and inter-day repeatability, were within the required limits. This method was successfully applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of d-amphetamine in rat. On a more general extent, this work demonstrated that the selectivity of the fragmentation pathway (MS³) can be used as alternative approach to significantly improve detection capability in complex situation (e.g., small molecules in complex matrices) rather than increasing time for sample preparation and chromatographic separation.     

长江口崇明东滩盐沼湿地围堤工程对底栖动物群落的影响

长江口崇明东滩盐沼湿地围堤工程是以清除入侵植物互花米草为目的而进行的生态修复工程。由于大型底栖动物可作为重要的环境指示生物,分析比较了围堤前后围堤工程内和工程外大型底栖动物群落结构及多样性的变化。结果表明,在2013年围堤工程前和2016年围堤工程后两次调查共采集到大型底栖动物29种,分别隶属于无针纲、多毛纲、腹足纲、双壳纲、甲壳纲和昆虫纲。在2013和2016年围堤外光滩生境分别采集到底栖动物21种和27种,并且所有样线都表现出物种数量增加或持平;然而在围堤内区域,两条全封闭样线(样线2和样线3)由围堤前的12种减少到围堤后的6种,而在保留进出水口的半封闭样线1围堤内由围堤前7种增加到围堤后12种。底栖动物平均密度在半封闭样线1围堤内由围堤前的(75±0)个/m²增加到围堤后的(288±111)个/m²(P=0.091),在全封闭的样线2(2013:(120±17)个/m²; 2016:(7±7)个/m²)和样线3(2013:(359±20)个/m²; 2016:(93±93...     

Determination of protein mobility in mitochondrial membranes of living cells

Molecular mobility in membranes of intracellular organelles is poorly understood, due to the lack of experimental tools applicable for a great diversity of shapes and sizes such organelles can acquire. Determinations of diffusion within the plasma membrane or cytosol are based mostly on the assumption of an infinite flat space, not valid for curved membranes of smaller organelles. Here we extend the application of FRAP to mitochondria of living cells by application of numerical analysis to data collected from a small region inside a single organelle. The spatiotemporal pattern of light pulses generated by the laser scanning microscope during the measurement is reconstructed in silico and consequently the values of diffusion parameters best suited to the particular organelle are found. The mobility of the outer membrane proteins hFis and Tom7, as well as oxidative phosphorylation complexes COX and F₁F₀ ATPase located in the inner membrane is analyzed in detail. Several alternative models of diffusivity applied to these proteins provide insight into the mechanisms determining the rate of motion in each of the membranes. Tom7 and hFis move along the mitochondrial axis in the outer membrane with similar diffusion coefficients (D = 0.7 μm²/s and 0.6 μm²/s respectively) and equal immobile fraction (7%). The notably slower motion of the inner membrane proteins is best represented by a dual-component model with approximately equal partitioning of the fractions (F₁F₀ ATPase: 0.4 μm²/s and 0.0005 μm²/s; COX: 0.3 μm²/s and 0.007 μm²/s). The mobility patterns specific for the membranes of this organelle are unambiguously distinguishable from those of the plasma membrane or artificial lipid environments: The parameters of mitochondrial proteins indicate a distinct set of factors responsible for their diffusion characteristics.     

Internal eutrophication of restored peatland stream: The role of bed sediments

The improvement of site hydrology is a major determinant of the success or failure of wetland restoration. Unfortunately, the influence of new hydrological conditions on wetland chemistry and nutrient cycling is often ignored or simply not monitored. This study assessed how changes in the composition of stream sediments that occurred after peatland stream restoration affected the pool and bioavailability of phosphorus (P) stored on the stream floor. The studied watercourses were located in the Narew River valley, NE Poland. They were restored in 2002 by excavating channels about 4-6 m wide and 1-1.5 m deep. Channels were cut through a peat layer to basal sands that underlay the organic deposits. Due to fallacious assumption about the high stability of peat stream banks, the banks were not modelled or protected by any technical measures to eliminate potential slump and erosion.Within a few years of the completion of the restoration project, peat bank failures led to the substantial deposition of organic material onto the floor of the newly created water-bodies. This resulted in an increase in the mean total phosphorus (TP) concentration in the sediment from 19 μmol g⁻¹ to more than 35 μmol g⁻¹ as well as an increase in both the concentration and pool of potentially mobile P fractions. A potential for the release of P was confirmed by the change in the concentration of P fractions that has been recorded over the summer period. Between June and October 2008 their content in the top 1-cm layer diminished from 134.1 mmol m⁻² to 100.6 mmol m⁻², implying an average net release of P of about 0.3 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹.This suggests that examined sediments primarily act as a highly dynamic transformer system, being the sink for particulate organic and mineral forms of P and serving as the net source of bioavailable (soluble reactive phosphorus) SRP.     

Low light acclimated submerged freshwater plants show a pronounced sensitivity to increasing irradiances

The high light sensitivity of three submerged aquatic freshwater plant species, Egeria densa, Elodea nuttallii and Myriophyllum heterophyllum, which have been cultivated at a photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) of 70 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, was studied by means of chlorophyll fluorescence and pigment analyses. Exposure of plants to 100, 300, 600 and 1000 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ PAR for up to 360 min induced a strong reduction of the F_v/F_m ratio, indicating a pronounced inactivation of PSII even at the lowest PAR applied. These changes were accompanied by a reduction of the chlorophyll content to about 60-70% of control values at the highest PAR. Rapidly inducible photoprotective mechanisms were not affected, as derived from the rapid generation of pH-dependent energy dissipation under these conditions. At PAR higher than 100 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, however, the primary quinone acceptor of photosystem II, Q_A, was reduced to about 80% and the effective quantum yield of photosystem II, Φ_PSII, dropped to values of about 10%, indicating a high reduction state of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. These data support the notion that the three aquatic macrophytes have a very low capacity for the acclimation to higher light intensities.     

Synthesis and characterization of new imidophosphanes and phosphine oxides containing 3,3,4,4-tetramethylsuccinimidyl group

A series of new imidophosphanes and phosphine oxides containing 3,3,4,4-tetramethylsuccinimidyl group were synthesized and characterized by ¹H, ¹³C{¹H} and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, IR and MS. Ph_mPCl_n (m = 3 − n, n = 3, 2, 1) reacted with 3,3,4,4-tetramethylsuccinimide (TH) and potassium 3,3,4,4-tetramethylsuccinimidate 1 to give corresponding Ph_mPT_n. Molecular structures of products were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Attempts to prepare new imidophosphoranes by reactions of 1 with Ph_mPCl_n (m = 5 − n, n = 4, 3, 2) resulted in phosphine oxides. In these reactions the phosphoryl group was formed and we characterized a by-product of this type of reaction.     

Horizontal or vertical photobioreactors? How to improve microalgae photosynthetic efficiency

The productivity of a vertical outdoor photobioreactor was quantitatively assessed and compared to a horizontal reactor. Daily light cycles in southern Spain were simulated and applied to grow the microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana in a flat panel photobioreactor.The maximal irradiance around noon differs from 400 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ in the vertical position to 1800 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ in the horizontal position. The highest volumetric productivity was achieved in the simulated horizontal position, 4 g kg culture⁻¹ d⁻¹. The highest photosynthetic efficiency was found for the vertical simulation, 1.3 g of biomass produced per mol of PAR photons supplied, which compares favorably to the horizontal position (0.85 g mol⁻¹) and to the theoretical maximal yield (1.8 g mol⁻¹). These results prove that productivity per unit of ground area could be greatly enhanced by placing the photobioreactors vertically.     

Effects of hydraulic loading rate on pollutants removal by a deep subsurface wastewater infiltration system

The subsurface wastewater infiltration (SWI) system proved to be an effective and low-cost technique for decentralized sewage treatment in areas without adequate domestic treatment facilities. Field-scale experiments were conducted through a deep SWI system, with effective depth of 1.5 m, under hydraulic loading rates of 0.040, 0.065, 0.081 and 0.10 m³/m² d. Taking the hydraulic and treatment efficiencies into consideration, the hydraulic loading rate of 0.081 m³/m² d was recommended. Under this condition, NH₃-N, TN, and COD removal efficiencies were 86.2 ± 3.0, 80.7 ± 1.9 and 84.8 ± 2.1%, respectively. In the effluent, NH₃-N concentration declined to 2.3-4.4 mg/L, accounting for 63.2-65.6% of TN. NO₃-N concentration increased from 0.2 to 0.3 mg/L in the influent to 2.0-2.5 mg/L in the effluent. The nitrifying bacteria number declined with increased depth, while the amount of denitrifying bacteria increased. The analysis of results about the nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria distribution indicated that the most effective ranges for nitrification and denitrification process were 0.3-0.7 m and 0.7-1.5 m, respectively.     

Indoor and outdoor pollen concentrations in private and public spaces during the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula</Emphasis> pollen season

Although the number of studies of pollen concentrations inside and outside buildings is increasing, little is known about the efficiency of penetration of pollen from outdoor to indoor air, and further. We studied indoor and outdoor pollen concentrations in the town of Lappeenranta and in the municipality of Rautjärvi in SE Finland from May 3–23, 2004, i.e. throughout the Betula pollen season, and assessed the risk of exposure to pollen grains. Pollen concentrations were measured inside and outside a block of flats, a detached house, and the regional central hospital, using rotorod-type samplers; in the town of Joutseno data were compared with Burkard counts. Outdoor concentrations of Betula pollen grains ranged between low and abundant (0–855 grains m^?3). The corresponding indoor concentrations near the main front doors varied from low to moderate (0–17 grains m^?3) in the central hospital and were low (<10 grains m^?3) in both residential buildings. Indoor concentrations further from the main front door were low (<10 grains m^?3) at all study sites. The concentrations of Betula pollen decreased substantially from outdoors to indoors, and further toward the centre of the building, probably indicating relatively poor penetrating properties of the pollen grains and/or the short-lived presence of pollen grains in indoor air. The concentrations of Betula pollen inside the buildings during the peak flowering period were mostly at a level barely inducing reactions even in the most sensitive persons.     

A new copper(II) tubelike metal-organic framework constructed from P,P′-diphenylmethylenediphosphinic acid and 4,4′-bipyridine: Synthesis, structure, and thermal behavior

A new tubular metal-organic framework [Cu₂(pcp)₂(4,4′-bipy)] · 5H₂O (pcp = P,P′-diphenylmethylenediphosphinate) has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis, temperature-dependent X-ray powder diffraction (TDXD), thermogravimetric measurements and IR spectroscopy. The structure consists of polymeric nano-sized square channels, whose edges are constituted by infinite chains of metal ions bridged by phosphinate ligands. The chains are linked together by 4,4′-bipyridines, forming the walls of the channels. Solvent water molecules are located inside and outside the channels, all anchored through hydrogen bonds. The cross-section dimensions of the channels are approximately 10 × 10 Å². The four guest molecules located inside the channels can be eliminated by gentle heating at ca. 80 °C, restored in air, or in turn substituted by DMF through vapour exposition. The monohydrated phase [Cu₂(pcp)₂(4,4′-bipy)] · H₂O, which maintains the same polymeric framework as the title complex, remains stable till 260 °C. Above this temperature the complex undergoes a solid state crystal-to-crystal rapid reaction, via loss of both the 4,4′-bipyridine and the remaining water and rearrangement of the coordinated pcp to give the previously reported [Cu(pcp)] polymeric framework.