278 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



Calculated for CoUjEraOj. j 2 ^°^°^- 3 ^ 



28.04 27.73 

 1.86 2.00 



62.24 62.40 



Decomposition of the j3 Phenyltrihrompropionic Acid hy Water heated 



to 100° C. 



Twenty grammes of the acid were placed in a flask with two hundred 

 cubic centimeters of boiling water. Decomposition began immediately, 

 a volatile oil separating out, which at the end of eight hours had for 

 the greater part been carried over with the steam, leaving a clear 

 liquid that on cooling deposited a white crystalline substance. On 

 examination, the oil was found to be a dibromstyrol, the white crys- 

 talline substance the a monobromcinnamic acid, and a third substance, 

 which remained in solution in the liquid, gave on analysis results cor- 

 responding very closely to those required for a phenyldibromlactic 

 acid. 



Dibromstyrol, CgHgBr, . 



The oil that was carried over by the steam was separated from the 

 water by ether, and, after thorough washing to remove all traces of 

 hydrobromic acid, the ether was distilled off. The oil thus obtained 

 wa^ of a light amber color, growing gradually darker, and giving off 

 on long standing traces of hydrobromic acid. 



It boils at 253-254° C. with slight decomposition, hydrobromic acid 

 being formed. 



The analyses of the oil, dried over sulphuric acid, gave the follow- 

 ing results: — 



1. 0.2518 gr. substance gave 0.3328 gr. CO2 and 0.0518 gr. H.p. 



2. 0.3592 gr. substance gave 0.4810 gr. CO^ and 0.0744 gr. H^O. 



3. 0.2518 gr. substance gave 0.3615 gr. AgBr. 



4. 0.3032 gr. substance gave 0.4379 gr. AgBr. 



Calculated for CJL.Br,. , „ Found. 



3. 4. 



61.10 61.40 



The properties of this oil correspond in all respects with those of 

 the dibromstyrol obtained from the decomposition of the a phenyl- 

 trihrompropionic acid,* and it seems most probable that the two sub- 



* Kinnicutt, Araer. Chem. Jour., iii. 4. 



