ELECTROLYSIS AND ELECTROSYNTHESIS 

 OF ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS. 



I. (a) Hydroxyl Compounds. 



The investigations on the behavior of the mon- 

 atomic alcohols have been confined almost entirely to 

 methyl and ethyl alcohol, both of which show com- 

 plete analogy in their reactions. In those cases where 

 platinum electrodes were used and similar results were 

 obtained both with and without porous separating 

 cells, the decompositions are almost without excep- 

 tion oxidation processes. Being in the pure state 

 poor conductors, the alcohols require strong currents 

 for their electrolysis. The addition of potassium car- 

 bonate or dilute acid increases the conductivity of the 

 solution, but of course influences the results. 



The manner in which the primarily formed decom- 

 position products, oxygen and hydrogen, act in the 

 simplest case, i.e., in aqueous solution, depends solely 

 upon the chemical constitution of the electrolytes. 

 It is evident, therefore, that in the electrolysis of ali- 



