711 



III. "On the Oxidation of Glycol, and on some Salts of Gly- 

 oxylic Acid." By H. DEBUS, Ph.D. Communicated by 

 Dr. TYNDALL. Received March 16, 1859. 



(Abstract.) 



If glycol be oxidized with nitric acid, according to Wurtz*, it 

 is converted into gly colic and oxalic acids. 



C 2 H 2 + 2 = C 2 H 4 3 + H 2 



Glycol. Glycolic acid. Water. 



C 2 H,0 2 + 4 = C 2 H 2 4 + 2JMH 



Glycol. Oxalic acid. Water. 



As the formation of these acids from glycol is analogous to the pro- 

 duction of acetic acid from ethylic alcohol, it may be assumed that 

 the bibasic oxalic acid stands to the biatomic glycol in the same rela- 

 tion as the fatty acids do to their corresponding alcohols. Alcohol 

 is not converted at once into acetic acid, an intermediate substance 

 aldehyde being formed. The formation of a similar body from gly- 

 col is highly probable. If two or four atoms of hydrogen be removed 

 from glycol, an aldehyde of the composition of acetic acid or of the 

 formula C 2 H 2 O 2 may be produced. Glyoxal, obtained by the oxida- 

 tion of ethylic alcohol, has indeed the composition corresponding to 

 the above formula and the characteristic properties of an aldehyde. 

 Nitric acid converts it rapidly into oxalic acid. Consequently glycol, 

 glyoxal, and oxalic acid bear a similar relation to each other as ethylic 

 alcohol, aldehyde, and acetic do. 



C 2 H 6 



Alcohol. Aldehyde. Acetic acid. 



Glycol. Glyoxal. Oxalic acid. 



Another connexion between glycol and glyoxal is that they both pro- 

 duce glycolic acid, the former by oxidation, and the latter by combi- 



* Comp. Rend. xliv. 1306. f C = 12, H = l, = 16. 



