42 M. Lourenco on Glycol Compounds. 



colourless, oily liquids, insoluble in water, but readily soluble in 

 alcohol and in ether, and with odours resembling their corre- 

 sponding acids. They boil respectively at 220° and 240° C. 



The ethers with two acid radicals of the same kind are formed 

 by heating glycol with excess of the acid in question. Divale- 



rianate of glycol, ,p 5 ti 9 qx, >0 2 , is an oily liquid insoluble in 



water, and boiling at 255°. 



The mixed ethers are prepared by treating with another acid 

 the ethers with a single acid radical. Thus : 



€«H 4 

 R 

 H 



€ 2 H 4 1 



>0* + gl*0= R to 2 +H 2 0. 



In this manner Lourenco has prepared acetobutyric acid, already 



€ 2 H 4 1 

 obtained by Simpson*, and acetovalerianic acid, € 2 H 8 9>9 2 . 



€ 6 H 9 0j 

 This latter is a colourless, oily, neutral liquid, soluble in ether 

 and in alcohol, and boiling at 230° C. 



These ethers distil without decomposition. When treated with 

 water, they experience a decomposition analogous to that of the 

 ethers of alcohol and glycerine, being resolved into an acid and 

 glycol, or an intermediate compound. Thus neutral acetate of 

 glycol, when treated with water, is resolved into free acid and 

 monoacetate of glycol ; and monoacetate of glycol, when treated 

 with water, is decomposed into free acetic acid and glycol. 



By the action of chloride of acetyle or butyryle on glycol, the 



C 2 H 4 i C 2 JT 4 t * 



chloroacetine of glycol, e2H 3 [0 2 ,andchlorbutyrine,^4 H 7 }0, 



CI CI 



are obtained. The two phases of the action may be thus ex- 

 pressed : — 



G2 ^|o 2 -f2C 2 H 3 OCl==^g3 9 |o+C 2 H 4 2 +HCl. 



G1 y coL aceVe C1 Aceticacid - 



Chloracetine. 



€2 S^0 2 + € 2 H 4 2 + HCl=g^ 3 4 A "lo-f2H 2 9. 



ni n . J Acetic acid. b n * 1 



Glycol. CI 



Chloracetine. 



The reaction of a chloride of an acid radical on a glycol with 



one acid radical gives rise to the formation of an ether with two 



radicals and a chlorhydrine and water. By treating monoacetate 



* Phil. Mag. vol. xix. p. /0. 



