380 PHEN^LPROPIOLIC ACID. 



Phenylpropiolic Add. 

 C 9 H 6 2 = 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-bromcinnainic 

 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 arid 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 hydrocinnamic 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 10 H 12 ()(= C 6 IPJ ^ P ?). Is con- 



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

 rates on cooling these oils. Colorless, lustrous laminae ; 

 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 ^ 5 ? } , which forms white, lustrous 



laminae; fusing point, 92.5; not distillable without de- 

 composition. When anethol is oxidized with nitric or 

 chromic acids, it is converted into anisic aldehyde 



