Action of Plant Growth Regulators. IV. Adsorption of Unsubstituted and 2,6-Dichloro-aromatic Acids to Oat Monolayers

The adsorption of chloro-aromatic acids to monomolecular layers of oat squashes is reported in earlier papers but it was not possible by the technique used, to measure unambiguously the adsorption of unsubstituted and 2,6-dichloro-aromatic acids. This has now been achieved by a modification of the earlier method and involves assessments of competitive adsorption between the unknown acid and a standard acid, using measurements of surface potential.Benzoic and phenoxyacetic acids were not adsorbed but phenylacetic acid was weakly adsorbed. The second ring in naphthalene and naphthoxyacetic acids greatly increased adsorption. Substitution of the 2 and 6 positions in the phenyl and phenoxyacetic acids resulted in low adsorption but 2,6-disubstituted phenoxybutyric and benzoic acids were more highly adsorbed.The adsorption values from earlier work are combined and discussed in relation to the growth-regulating activity of the acids. It is conciuded that there is no direct relation embracing all acids between adsorption and activity, notable exceptions being those substituted by chlorine in the 3-position of the aromatic ring. However, for a number of acids it is suggested that activity is limited not only by their ability to interact at enzyme sites but also by the amount of acid immobilised by adsorption when moving to these sites. It is also concluded that the hydrophilic/lipophilic balance of a growth regulator sometimes used as a guide to its activity, is an unreliable indication of interfacial behaviour.