split dataframe column including list of lists on multiple rows into pandas -

i have dataframe df:

import pandas pd df = pd.dataframe([     [[[3,0.5, 0.4, 0.7, 5],[2, 0.5, 1, 0.8, 2],[1, 0.5, 1, 1, 2]], 'b'],     [[[1, 0.5, 0.6, 0.01, 1],[2, 0.5, 0.3, 0.2, 3],[1, 0.8, 1.0, 0.04, 3]], 'd']],     index = ['row1', 'row2'],     columns=['col1', 'col2']) 

i split col1, including list of lists, on multiple lines follows:

        col1                    col2 row1    [3,0.5, 0.4, 0.7, 5]    b row1    [2, 0.5, 1, 0.8, 2]     b row1    [1, 0.5, 1, 1, 2]       b row2    [1, 0.5, 0.6, 0.01, 1]  d row2    [2, 0.5, 0.3, 0.2, 3]   d row2    [1, 0.8, 1.0, 0.04, 3]  d 

and next split col1 in 2 columns, retaining second , third elements

        new_col1  new_col2  col2 row1    0.5       0.4       b row1    0.5       1         b row1    0.5       1         b row2    0.5       0.6       d row2    0.5       0.3       d row2    0.8       1.0       d 

how can done make using pandas?

for first step there may not better loop:

df2 = pd.dataframe() row in df.index:     col = df.ix[row, 'col1']     n = len(col)     df2 = df2.append(pd.dataframe(         [[c, df.ix[row, 'col2']] c in col],         index=[row] * n,         columns = ['col1', 'col2'])) 

for second step, add new columns , delete original one:

df3 = df2.copy() df3['new_col1'] = [c[1] c in df3['col1']] df3['new_col2'] = [c[2] c in df3['col1']] del df3['col1']