1 8 ELECTROLYSIS AND ELECTROS YN THESIS 



Kolbe and Kemp * obtained by the electrolysis of a 

 concentrated potassium acetate solution, at the anode, 

 hydrogen, methyl-acetic ester, methyl-formic ester, 

 ethane, ethylene, and carbon dioxide; at the cathode, 

 hydrogen and potassium hydroxide. In an alkaline 

 solution of the same salt Bourgoin' obtained a mix- 

 ture of sodium formate, but so far as hydrocarbons 

 were concerned could only prove the presence of 

 ethane and ethylene. 



Besides the alkali salts, the copper, lead, man- 

 ganese, and uranium salts were subjected to electroly- 

 sis by Dupre, 3 Wiedemann, 4 Despretz, 6 and Smith. 6 

 The metals were precipitated at the anode, a portion 

 of the manganese and lead in the form of superoxides. 



According to Bauer, 7 in the electrolysis of the 

 acetic acid salts of metals possessing a constant 

 valence (K, Na, NH 4 , Mg, Ca, Zn, and Al), when 

 cold, moderately dilute solutions and relatively high 

 current densities are employed, gases consisting chiefly 

 of ethane and carbon dioxide are given off at the 

 anode. No inconsiderable quantities of ethylene are 

 formed in the case of calcium, magnesium, and potas- 



1 Journ. prakt. Chemie, [2] 4, 46. 

 8 Ann. chim. phys., [4] 14, 157. 

 8 Archiv. ph. nat., 35, 998. 



4 Pogg. Ann., 104, 162. 



5 Comp. rend., 45, 449. 



6 Chem. Ber., 13, 151. 



1 Dissert. Giessen, 1897; Wied. Beibl., 21, 601. 



