A COLOR REACTION OF GLYCINE WHEN BOILED 

 WITH CHLORAL HYDRATE 



EDWIN D. WATKINS 



(University of Tennessee, Memphis) 



Considering the color reaction of triketohydrinden hydrate when 

 boiled with amino acids, I was led to investigate the possible color 

 reactions of other substances supposed to have two — OH groups 

 attached to one carbon atom, when boiled with Solution of amino 

 acid. Only glycine has been studied. This report is a prelimi- 

 nary one. 



The materials used in the experiments were the purest procur- 

 able in the market. 



An aqueous Solution of glycine in a beaker was treated with 

 chloral hydrate in substance and boiled for five minutes. The Solu- 

 tion assumed a dark red color, which was very marked. Aqueous 

 Solutions of glycine and chloral hydrate boiled separately remained 

 colorless. 



Glycine in dilute aqueous Solution (i to 5,000), treated in this 

 way, yielded a distinct dark red color. A weaker Solution of gly- 

 cine (i to 10,000) yielded faint amethyst color. 



Phenol, glycerol, resorcin, acetone, ethyl alcohol, glyoxylic acid, 

 orthophosphoric acid, and chloral itself, when boiled with aqueous 

 Solution of glycine, yielded no color. 



Acetone boiled with barium hydroxid sol. and then with glycine 

 sol., yielded a green color which changed to dark red in thirty 

 minutes. A cold saturated Solution of glycine in water was treated 

 with chloral hydrate in substance and boiled to half the original 

 volume. A port-wine colored Solution resulted which, when treated 

 with ether and extracted, yielded its color in part to the ether. The 

 ether Solution was evaporated over an incandescent lamp; there 

 resulted a dark oily liquid which gave off pungent fumes. 



This oily liquid, when cooled rapidly on a glass slide with solidi- 



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