460 Messrs. Frankland and Duppa Synthetical [Nov. 16, 



The density of its vapour was found to be 6'59. The above formula, cor- 

 responding to two volumes, requires the number C'43. Boiling aqueous 

 solutions of potash and soda have scarcely any action on ethylic diethace- 

 tone carbonate, but baryta-water and lime-water decompose it with great fa- 

 cility, as do also boiling alcoholic solutions of potash and soda. In all cases 

 a carbonate of the base is precipitated, and alcohol, together with a light 

 ethereal liquid, is separated. 



This liquid, freed from alcohol by repeated washing with salt and water, 

 boiled, after drying over chloride of calcium, between 137 0< 5 and 139 C. 

 Submitted to analysis, it yielded results corresponding with the formula 



C 7 H U 0. 



We regard this body as diethylated acetone. Its formula and its rela- 

 tions to acetone may be thus expressed : 



JCH 3 JCEt 2 H 



\CMeO \ CMe 



Acetone. Diethylated acetone. 



Diethylated acetone is produced from ethylic diethacetone carbonate by 

 the action of alcoholic potash according to the following equation : 



w fo 



(C 2 H.) 2 + 2KH O=C j OK4-C 2 H 5 O 



j (yi [ O K Alcohol. 



LO C 2 H 5 Potassium 



Ethylic diethacetone carbonate. 



carbonate. 



Diethylated acetone is a colourless, transparent and mobile liquid, possess- 

 ing a penetrating odour of camphor, and the burning and bitter after-taste 

 of the same substance. It is very slightly soluble in water, but miscible in all 

 proportions with alcohol and ether. Its specific gravity is '8171 at 22 C. 

 It boils at 137'5 to 139 C. A determination of its vapour-density gave 

 the number 3'86, the above formula requiring 3'93. Diethylated acetone 

 does not oxidize in the air, neither does it reduce ammoniacal solution of 

 nitrate of silver when boiled with it. Mixed with concentrated solution of 

 sodium bisulphite, it forms an oily compound which scarcely exhibits signs 

 of crystallization at C. It suffers no alteration by prolonged boiling 

 with alcoholic potash. It is isomeric with butyrone, with a ketone ob- 

 tained by Fittig * in the distillation of calcium valerianate, and with oenan- 

 thol. From the first it is distinguished by its lower boiling-point (138), 

 butyrone boiling at 144 C., aud Fittig's ketone at 161 to 164, and from 

 the third by its different properties, which are essentially those of a ketone 

 and not of an aldehyde. The difference in structure of three of these bodies 

 may be expressed with considerable certainty by the following formulae : 

 / C Et 2 H / C Et H 2 f C (Aq) H 2 



\CMeO \C(Pr)0 \ CHO 



Diethylated acetone. Butyrone. (Enanthol. 



Ann. Ch. Pharm., vol. cxvii. p. G8. 



