Vegetable-type soybean, also known as edamame, was recently introduced to South Africa. However, there is lack of information on its responses to drought. The aim of this study was to investigate the photosynthetic efficiency and carbohydrates responses of six edamame cultivars under drought stress. Photosynthetic efficiency parameters, including chlorophyll fluorescence and stomatal conductance, were determined using non-invasive methods, while pigments were quantified spectrophotometrically. Non-structural carbohydrates were quantified using Megazyme kits. Structural carbohydrates were determined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Drought stress significantly increased the Fv/Fm and PIabs of AGS429 and UVE17 at pod filling stage. Chlorophyll-a, which was most sensitive to drought, was significantly reduced in AGS429 and UVE17, but chlorophyll-b was relatively stable in all cultivars, except UVE17, which showed a significant decline at flowering stage. AGS354 and AGS429 also showed reduced chlorophyll-b at pod filling. UVE17 showed a significant reduction in carotenoid content and a substantial reduction in stomatal conductance during pod filling. Drought stress during pod filling resulted in a significant increase in the contents of trehalose, sucrose and starch, but glucose was decreased. Chlorophyll-a positively correlated with starch. The FTIR and XRD results suggest that the cell wall of UVE14, followed by UVE8 and AGS429, was the most intact during drought stress. It was concluded that carotenoids, stomatal conductance, starch and hemicellulose could be used as physiological/biochemical indicators of drought tolerance in edamame. This information expands our knowledge of the drought defense responses in edamame, and it is essential for the physiological and biochemical screening of drought tolerance.

This work entails deep red emitting Eu^III based complexes with a variety of ternary β-diketonate ligands and 1,10-phenanthroline as the ancillary ligand in the system.

C₁₈H₁₂O₃N₄Re, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 8.3476(15) Å, b = 9.5742(17) Å, c = 12.435(2) Å, α = 87.606(5)°, β = 74.502(5)°, γ = 88.028(5)°, V = 956.6(3) ų, Z = 2, R _gt(F) = 0.0213, wR _ref(F ²) = 0.0523, T = 100(2) K.

Two indium(iii) complexes, mer-[In(Ox)₃]·2H₂O (1) and [In₂(Ox)₂Cl₂-μ-[κ²-O,O′-(Ox)₂]]·C₇H₈ (2) (Ox = 8-hydroxyquinolinate), were synthesized and characterised for comparison by NMR, X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence.

C₁₈H₁₆O₃N₄Re, monoclinic, P2₁/c (no. 14), a = 9.8409(6) Å, b = 14.0933(9) Å, c = 13.9153(9) Å, β = 90.558(2)°, V = 1929.8(2) ų, Z = 4, R _gt(F) = 0.0266, wR _ref(F ²) = 0.0584, T = 100(2) K.

A range of complexes, [Rh(opo)(CO)(PR₃)], with opo⁻ = 2-oxopyridin-1-olate, and [Rh(opo)(CO)₂] (1), [Rh(opo)(CO)(PPh₃)] (2A_I/B_I ), [Rh(opo)(CO)(PPh₂Cy)] (3A_I/B_I ), [Rh(opo)(CO)(PPhCy₂)] (4A_I/B_I ), [Rh(opo) (CO)(PCy₃)] (5A_I/B_I ), [Rh(opo)(CO)(P(o-Tol)₃)] (6A_I/B_I ), [Rh(opo)(CO) (P(m-Tol)₃)] (7A_I/B_I ), [Rh(opo)(CO)(P(p-Tol)₃)] (8A_I/B_I ), and cis-[Rh(opo)(CO)(CH₃)(I)(PPh₃)] (2A_II ), were synthesized and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy. Two isomers (A = major, MaI; B = minor, MiI) were observed in ca. 2:1 ratios for complexes 2–8 due to the similar characteristics of the chelating O-donors, yet non-symmetric within the bidentate ligand. Single crystal X-ray diffraction yielded the solid-state structures of the major isomers of 4A_I , 5A_I , 6A_I , and 2A_II . Metallophilic interactions were observed between neighboring Rh(I) centers in [Rh(opo)(CO)₂] (1) with an intermolecular Rh···Rh distance of 3.5780(5) Å. These interactions do not occur in the crystal structures of 4A_I , 5A_I , 6A_I , and 2A_II , attributed to the steric bulk of the phosphine ligands and the interactions observed in the crystal lattice of these structures. Preliminary iodomethane oxidative addition (OA) to the rhodium(I) complexes [Rh(opo)(CO)(PR₃)] was investigated by IR, NMR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, yielding corresponding alkyl intermediate species (nA_II /B_II ) or acyl products (nA_III /B_III ), respectively, for n = 2–8 and PR₃ = PPh₃ (2), PPh₂Cy (3), PPhCy₂ (4), PCy₃ (5), P(o-Tol)₃ (6), P(m-Tol)₃ (7), P(p-Tol)₃ (8). The rates of OA and assumed subsequent migratory carbonyl insertion (CI) reactions were identical within standard deviations, suggesting the CI to be fast relative to the OA. Moreover, the interconversion between the two isomers A and B seemed to be a slower process, governed by the relative steric strain induced by the tertiary phosphine ligands and not by the rates. Graphical Abstract