34 ELECTROLYSIS AND ELECTROS YNTHESIS 



2. Electrosyntheses. The same investigators re- 

 cently 1 added to our knowledge on this subject by 

 submitting to electrolysis solutions containing the 

 potassium salts of mono-basic acids and the ethyl 

 esters of the mono-potassium salts of dibasic acids dis- 

 solved in equi-molecular proportion. This was in 

 accordance with the experiments made by Brown and 

 Walker. 



In this way they prepared butyric ethyl ester from 

 potassium acetate and potassium- ethyl succinate. The 

 synthesis of the ethyl ester of valeric, capronic, and 

 isobutyl-acetic acid was also effected. 



The reactions all take place according to the follow- 

 ing equation: 

 XCOOK + COOKY.COOC 2 H 5 



= K 2 + 2CO, + XY.COOC a H 5 . 



In accordance with a similar principle they obtained 

 ethyl alcohol from potassium acetate and potassium 

 glycolate. If potassium-ethyl malonate was taken as 

 one of the salts and a solution of this with potassium 

 acetate, propionate, or butyrate was electrolyzed there 

 was formed the ethyl ester of propionic, butyric, or 

 valeric acid, respectively. 



v. Miller" applied this method to a number of 

 other mixtures. Thus upon the electrolysis of a mix- 

 ture of acetic ester with tricar bally lie ester, one third 



1 Chem. Ber., 28, 2427; Zeitschr. f. Elektroch., 4, 55. 

 3 Ztschr. f. Elektroch., 4, 55. 



