Phytochemistry: Structure of the blue cornflower pigment

@article{Shiono2005PhytochemistrySO,
  title={Phytochemistry: Structure of the blue cornflower pigment},
  author={Masaaki Shiono and Naohiro Matsugaki and Kǒsaku Takeda},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2005},
  volume={436},
  pages={791-791}
}
The same anthocyanin pigment makes roses red but cornflowers blue, a phenomenon that has so far not been entirely explained. Here we describe the X-ray crystal structure of the cornflower pigment, which reveals that its blue colour arises from a complex of six molecules each of anthocyanin and flavone, with one ferric iron, one magnesium and two calcium ions. We believe that this tetrametal complex may represent a previously undiscovered type of supermolecular pigment. 
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Blue metal complex pigments involved in blue flower color
  • K. Takeda
  • Chemistry, Medicine
    Proceedings of the Japan Academy. Series B, Physical and biological sciences
  • 2006
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This review revisits this phenomenon to provide a comprehensive description of the nature of binding and of spectral modifications occurring in copigmentation complexes, in which charge transfer plays an important role.
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