053 



The nitrogroup attached to the nitrogen atom of the nitramine 

 is evidently not essential for the reaction. 



Further, the spectrum of triniti-obenzene with alkali, though much 

 differing from that of the other allcaline solutions, has yet its absorption 



in about the same part ( - 1800—2500 



We may thus conclude, that in all these cases the coloration is 

 produced t)y a reaction of the base with one or more nitrogroups 

 of the nucleus. 



Finally it has been shown, that the presence of a strong acid, as 

 well as the introduction of acyl radicals, completely expels the absorp- 

 tion bands of picrylmethylamide. 



Chemistry. — ''ct-Salpho-proplonic acid and its resolution into 

 optically active isomerides" . By Prof. A. P. N. Franchimont 

 and Dr. H. J. Backer. 



(Communicated in the meeting of September 26, 1914). 



Already in 1902 a great number of di\erse chemical and bioche- 

 mical methods were tried by the first of us to separate the «-sul- 

 phopropionic acid CH3(S03H1CHC02H prepared by him ^) from pro- 

 pionic anhydride and sulphuric acid, into the two optical isomerides 

 that one might expect according to theory. Not a single one, however, 

 had given the desired result, although sometimes strychnine 

 salts with a different rotating power were obtained, but after their 

 conversion into ammonium salts these always appeared to be inactive. 



As SwARTs ^) had stated that he certainly had obtained from 

 fluorochlorobromoacetic acid strychnine salts w4th varying rotating 

 power, but had not succeeded in isolating the optically active acids, 

 and as also Poncher ^), who tried to effect a separation of bromo- 

 chloromethanesulphonic acid by means of cinchonine, only obtained 

 rotating ammonium and barium salts, but no acids, it appeared as 

 if with such simple acids the tendency to form racemic mixtures 

 or compounds was very great and likewise the velocity of conver- 

 sion. This was provisionally also assumed in the case of «-sulpho- 

 propionic acid (methylsulphoacetic acid) and the experiments were 

 discontinued in consequence. 



Still with lactic acid (raethyloxy acetic acid) Purdie and Walker ■*) 



1) Rec. d. Tr. ch. d. P.B. 7. p. 27 Q888). 



2) Bull. Ac. Belg. (3) 31. p. 25 (1896). 



3) Bull. Soc. ch. (3) 27. p. 438 (1903). 



4) J. ch. Soc. 61. p. 754 (1892). 



