5 ELECTROLYSIS AND ELECTROS 'YN THESIS 



trodes, an abundance of chlorine was given off at the 

 cathode and acetic aldehyde collected at the anode. 



Hexatomic Alcohols. The decomposition phenom- 

 ena of hexatomic alcohols and sugars are similar to 

 those of glycerine. A part is completely oxidized 

 either to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide or to 

 formic acid, while the remainder, on timely interrup- 

 tion of the experiment, gives lower oxidation products 

 which vary with the configuration of the alcohols and 

 sugars. 



Mannite. 1 In the electrolyzed fluid from mannite 

 Renard obtained formic acid, trioxy-methylene, ox- 

 alic acid, a sugar isomeric with glucose, and an acid, 

 C,H 8 O 8 , which he regarded as the aldehyde of sac- 

 charic acid. He could detect no mannonic acid. 



Grape Sugar. This sugar, investigated by Renard, 

 on being subjected to the action of the current broke 

 up into carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, formic 

 acid, trioxymethylene, and saccharic acid. 



Cane Sugar. Brester a found on electrolyzing cane 

 sugar that the solution turns strongly acid and pos- 

 sesses reducing properties, very little carbon dioxide 

 being given off. He was not able to determine the 

 nature of the substance which he isolated by distilla- 

 tion and which was free from formic and acetic acid. 

 On further electrolysis it gave the usual final oxida- 



1 Ann. chim. phys., [5] 17, 289. 

 * Bull. soc. chim., 8, 23. 



