380 PHEN^LPROPIOLIC ACID. 



Phenylpropiolic Acid. 



C 6 H 5 .C:C.CO.OH. 



Is formed by the simultaneous action of sodium and 

 carbonic anhydride on /3-bromcinnamene ; by bringing 

 the sodium compound of acetenylbenzene together with 

 carbonic anhydride ; and by heating a-bromcinnarnie 

 acid with alcoholic potassa. Long, colorless needles ; 

 fusing point, 136-137 ; easily sublimable ; but slightly 

 soluble in cold water, easily soluble in boiling water, 

 in alcohol and ether. It combines directly with four 

 atoms of bromine, forming an acid that crystallizes 

 only with great difficulty. Nascent hydrogen (sodium- 

 amalgam) converts it into hydroehmamic acid. Chro 

 mic acid oxidizes it, forming benzoic acid. Heated 

 with water to 120, it is resolved into carbonic anhy 

 dride and acetenylbenzene. 



In connection with this group a few aromatic com 

 pounds will be here described, that have not been so 

 well investigated. They also, for the greater part, 

 differ from the compounds of the first group by con 

 taining a smaller number of hydrogen-atoms, the car 

 bon-atoms being combined more closely instead. 



Anethol, C l II 12 o(= C 6 H 4 | ^p p ?). Is con 



tained in oils of anise, fenchel and tarragon, and sepa 

 rates on cooling these oils. Colorless, lustrous laminse ; 

 fusing point, 21 ; boiling point, 232. When heated 

 with hydriodic acid, it yields methyl iodide and a 

 resin; heated with potassium hydroxide for a long 

 time at 200-230, it yields paraoxybenzoic acid and a 

 substance, having the character of phenols, anol, 



C 9 H 10 (= C 6 H 4 1 ^p ? j , which forms white, lustrous 



laminse; fusing point, 92.5; not distillable without de 

 composition. When anethol is oxidized with nitric or 

 chromic acids, it is converted into anisic aldehyde 



