b48 



the catalyst had disrupted the SO.Cl, into SO, and CI, which were 

 now subsequently influenced catalyticaliy (Rec. 30, 381 (1911)). 



The catalytic action proper can, therefore, be no union, because 

 in that compound the catalyst is paralysed; it also cannot be a 

 dissociation because the substance is then too much attacked, hence, 

 it must be an intermediary influence. 



I have called the latter a dislocation or dismptlon (Rec 30, 88 

 (1911) dating from Sept. 1909) in order to demonstrate that there 

 certainly does exist an influence, but that this should effect neither 

 nnion or dissociation if it is to be considered as a purely catalytic 

 one. In order to more sharply confirm experimentally this result 

 obtained, the transformation of chloral into metachloral under the 

 influence of diverse catalysts was submitted to a closer investigation. ') 



This system was chosen because it had been shown that: 



1st it is an equilibrium between two substances, therefore a very 

 simple case because we are only dealing with the transformation of 

 one substance into another one. 



2"^* this equilibrium is situated in a readily attainable temperature- 

 zone, whereas the properties of monomeride and polymeride differ 

 rather strongly, so that the specific influence of the catalyst may 

 come perceptibly to the fore. 



3"^ That the monomeride itself is a supercharged molecule, so 

 that it was to be expected that the action of the catalyst would be 

 a pronounced one. 



In fact it could now be demonstrated that the equilibrium 

 was attained rapidly only then when the activator was present in 

 small quantities and had not perceptibly united wiih one of the 

 modiflcations. 



If the catalyst (pyridine) was retained (absorbed) in the colloidal 

 polymeride the equilibrium set in, but in the liquid phase of the 

 monomeride the reaction ceased. 



If the catalyst combined with one of the components (the mono- 

 meride) the equilibrium was shifted in the direction of that component. 



If, finally, the action of the activator was stronger still, the split- 

 ting products were obtained only. 



About the same time, S. C. J. Oi.ivier (Diss. Delft 1913, Proc. 

 1912 and R 33, 91 (1914) had finished a dynamic research on the 

 action of bromobenzenesulphochloride on some benzene-hydrocarbons 

 under the influence of aluminium chloride. 



Whereas the researches had been as yet of a qualitative character 

 it could now also be demonstrated quantitatively that the retention 



1) K 32, 112 (1913). 



