1865.] Researches on Ethers. 463 



The reactions involved in the production of these bodies are exactly si- 

 milar to those by which the corresponding ethylic bodies are formed. 



Ethylic dimethacetone carbonate is a colourless, slightly oleaginous liquid, 

 possessing a peculiar penetrating and pleasant odour, and a sharp burning 

 taste. It is scarcely at all soluble in water, but readily so in alcohol and 

 ether. Its specific gravity is '9913 at 16 C. It boils constantly at 184 C., 

 and distils unchanged. A determination of its vapour-density gave the 

 number 5 -3 6, the above formula requiring 5 -4 5. Its remaining properties 

 very closely resemble those of ethylic diethacetone carbonate. Boiled with 

 baryta-water, it gives barium carbonate and dimethylated acetone, 

 f C Me H 2 

 \CMeO 



Dimethylated acetone is a colourless, transparent and very mobile liquid, 

 possessing a pleasant odour, reminding at the same time of parsley and ace- 

 tone. Its specific gravity is '8099 at 13 C., and it boils at 93 0> 5 C. Its 

 vapour-density is 2'92, theory requiring 2*97. Dimethylated acetone 

 closely resembles its ethylic homologue in all its chemical properties ; like 

 diethylated acetone, it is oxidized with difficulty, and does not very readily 

 form a crystalline compound with bisulphite of soda differing in the latter 

 respect markedly from its isomer, ethylated acetone, and also from me- 

 thylated acetone described below. 



Ethylic dimethacetone carbonate and ethylic methacetone carbonate boil 

 at the same temperature, arid cannot therefore be separated by rectification ; 

 but we have prepared and examined the ketone from the second of these 

 bodies ; viz. methylated acetone, which has the formula 

 J C Me H 2 

 \CMeO 



Methylated acetone is best obtained in a state of purity by combining it 

 with bisulphite of soda, pressing the beautiful crystalline compound so 

 formed between folds of blotting-paper to remove traces of dimethylated 

 acetone, exposing it over sulphuric acid in vacuo, and then regenerating the 

 methylated acetone by distillation with aqueous potash. The liquid so ob- 

 tained, after drying over quicklime and rectification, gave analytical results 

 corresponding with the above formula. 



Methylated acetone is a colourless, transparent and very mobile liquid, 

 possessing an odour like chloroform, but more pungent. It is tolerably 

 soluble in water, and more than slightly so in a saturated solution of com- 

 mon salt. Its specific gravity is '8125 at 13 C. It boils at 81 C., and 

 its vapour-density is 2*52, the above formula requiring 2'49. Methylated 

 acetone is identical with the ethyl-acetyl obtained by Freund * in acting 

 upon chloride of acetyl with zinc ethyl. Methylated acetone forms a 

 splendidly crystalline compound with bisulphite of soda, and in its other 

 chemical properties so closely resembles ethylated acetone as to require no 

 further description. It retains alcohol with such tenacity as to render its 

 separation from that liquid by washing and treatment with chloride of cal- 

 * Ann. Ch. Pharm., vol. cxviii. p. 1. 



