Abstract: | The results of a systematic attempt to relate the growth-stimulatingfunction of compounds analogous to ethylene-bis-nitrourethaneto their chemical structure and properties showed that, withthe exception of a series of nitraminocarboxylic acids, NO2NH(CH2)COOH,activity was confined to compounds of the form RN(NO2)XN(NO2)R,where X is an alkylene or substituted alkylene chain. It issuggested that active compounds are converted to dinitramines(R = H) in the plant, and that the acidic nature of the NHNO2groups is of importance. The oil/water partition coefficientsand the geometrical structure of the molecules are also shownto influence their growth-stimulating activity. |