452 



NA TURE 



[March 8, 1906 



A NEW OXIDE OF CARBON. 



'T'HE current number of the Berichte der deutschen 

 •*• chemischen Gesellschaft (1906, xxxix., p. 089) contains 

 a preliminary communication by Messrs. Otto Diels and 

 Bertram Wolf, of the Berlin University, giving an account 

 of the preparation and properties of a new oxide of carbon 

 having the composition C.,0., for which they propose the 

 name carbon suboxide. The new oxide is obtained from 

 ethyl malonate, CH a (C0 2 C 2 H s ) 2 , by subjecting the vapour 

 of the latter to the action of phosphorus pentoxide at 

 300 ; under these conditions two molecules of water are 

 removed by the action of the latter reagent, and a mixture 

 of ethylene and carbon suboxide formed, the reaction being 

 expressed by the equation 



CH„(COX„H : ^ = 2C„H 1 + 2H.,0 + C3O,. 



The ethylene and carbon suboxide are condensed together 

 in a receiver cooled with liquid air, and subsequently 

 separated by fractional distillation. 



Carbon suboxide is a gas at the ordinary temperature, 

 which burns in the air with a smoky flame, has a most 

 penetrating smell, resembling that of acrolein and mustard 

 oil, and attacks the eyes, nose, and respiratory organs 

 violently. On cooling it condenses to a colourless, highly 

 refractive liquid, which boils at 7 under 761 mm. pressure. 

 The results of the analysis and of the determination of 

 the vapour density show that the molecular formula is 



c 3 o 2 . 



Carbon suboxide at once combines with water, re-forming 

 malonic acid, and also unites with ammonia, hydrogen 

 chloride, and aniline, forming malonamide, malonyl 

 chloride, and malonanilide respectively ; it therefore con- 

 tains the chain of carbon atoms previously existing in the 

 malonic acid derivative from which it is prepared, and in 

 all probability possesses the constitution represented by the 

 formula OC : C : CO. Hence in both its constitution and 

 properties it has a close analogy with the metallic carbonyl 

 derivatives, and especially with Mond, Langer, and 

 Quincke's nickel tetracarbonyl, Ni(CO),. 



When the liquid suboxide is sealed in glass tubes it 

 slowly undergoes change at the ordinary temperature, and 

 is finally converted into a dark red solid, which dissolves 

 in cold water, yielding an intense eosin-red solution. At 

 higher temperatures the alteration takes place much more 

 rapidly, and the product is then no longer completely 

 soluble in water. The nature of the changes here taking 

 place is still under investigation. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — One hundred and fifty-five students have 

 entered for the First Part of the natural sciences tripos 

 and twenty-five for the Second Part in the coming June. 

 In the mechanical sciences tripos there are fifty candidates. 

 These figures show a considerable increase in the numbers 

 for the last few years. There are seventy-seven in for the 

 First Part of the mathematical tripos, and seven entered 

 for the Second Part. 



The Vice-Chancellor has announced that the Girdlers' 

 Company has offered to renew, for a further period of 

 three years, its grant of 100I. a year towards the study of 

 economics in Cambridge. 



The General Board of Studies has approved for the 

 degree of doctor in science Mr. F. W. Keeble, Gonville 

 and Caius College. 



The Special Board for Physics and Chemistry has agreed 

 to expend its share of the Gordon Wigan Fund as 

 follows : — (1) A sum of 50!. per annum is to be granted 

 to the department of chemistry for five years for the 

 establishment of a prize or otherwise for the encouragement 

 of research in chemistry. (2) The balance of the income 

 is to be used for the assistance of research and teaching 

 amongst the departments of the University directly con- 

 nected with the Board, other than that of chemistry, it 

 being understood that on the average the departments 

 should share equally. (;,) Applications for grants are to be 

 made by the heads of departments and be considered at a 

 meeting of the Special Board held not later than the 



no. 1897, VOL. 72>~\ 



division of the Michaelmas term in each year. Grants not 

 exceeding 74/. have been made out of the balance on in- 

 come account for 1905 to the departments of physics and 

 mineralogy to defray the cost of special apparatus. 



It is reported from Berlin that Mr. Alfred Beit has pre- 

 sented 100,000/. to Hamburg for the establishment of a 

 university. 



The Goldsmiths' Company has made a grant of 1000/. 

 to the building and endowment scheme for Bedford College, 

 University of London. The Grocers' Company has granted 

 25/. for the same purpose. 



Tin; Goldsmiths' Company has made a grant of 10,000/. 

 to the Institute of Medical Sciences Fund, University of 

 London, on the assumption that a site will be provided 

 for the institute at South Kensington. 



President Thomas, of Bryn Mawr College, has 

 announced, says Science, a gift of 16,000/. from Mr. John 

 D. Rockefeller, to enable the college to meet the expenses 

 incurred by the trustees over and above the gift of 50,000/. 

 in 1902 for the new library. Mr. Rockefeller has con- 

 tributed in all 91,000/. to the college. From the same 

 source we learn that McGill University will receive 10,000/. 

 from the estate of the late Mr. F.dwin H. King, former 

 general manager of the Bank of Montreal. 



Mr. F. C. Forth, principal of the Municipal Technical 

 Institute, and director of technical instruction for Belfast, 

 has compiled a very useful " Student's Guide to Prizes and 

 Scholarships." The guide is primarily intended for the 

 information of present and future students of the institute 

 over which the compiler presides, but, as it contains details 

 of scholarships at universities and other institutions of 

 higher education, it should appeal to a wide circle of 

 students elsewhere. The guide demonstrates in a con- 

 vincing manner the numerous facilities in existence to 

 assist earnest students of slender means to continue their 

 education so far as their abilities allow. 



Mr. Wyndham, M.P., delivered an address at the distribu- 

 tion, on March 3, of prizes won by the students of the 

 Dover municipal schools of science, art, and technology. 

 ill- said the study of science is the study of truth. The pur- 

 suit of science is not beset by those pitfalls which are now 

 called " terminological inexactitudes." In science, if the 

 cause is known the effect can be foretold ; it is the only 

 safe form of prophecy. The pursuit of pure science is the 

 noblest calling to which earnest endeavours can be given. 

 The present age is preeminently the age of science, and 

 all who study it feel they are comrades in the great quest 

 for truth. The pursuit of science has brought in its train 

 gifts of various kinds, and to the worker in technology it 

 has brought perhaps the greatest gift that anyone can 

 obtain — the gift of independence, not only pecuniary in- 

 dependence, but the gift to men and women of an ample 

 field for their own energy in which they can win distinc- 

 tion, and at any rate justify their existence upon earth. 



On February 28, in the presence of a large and re- 

 presentative gathering of agriculturists, representatives of 

 county councils, the Scotch Education Department, and 

 others interested in agricultural education, Lord Balfour 

 of Burleigh formally opened the new buildings of the 

 Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agriculture. 

 The new buildings, situate in George Square, Edinburgh, 

 consist of well equipped chemical, botanical, and bacterio- 

 logical laboratories and lecture-rooms, and class-rooms for 

 the various other subjects which form part of the college 

 course. Adequate provision is also made for the staff of 

 lecturers engaged in extension work in the counties. The 

 cost of the present scheme has amounted to more than 

 0000/. , and has been almost entirelv met by grants from 

 the Scotch Education Department, the Carnegie Trust, 

 the Highland and Agricultural Society, and subscriptions 

 from landowners and farmers. In the course of an interest- 

 ing address, Lord Balfour referred with satisfaction to the 

 improved relations which now exist between the farmer 

 and those engaged in the work of agricultural education 

 and in the application of the various sciences to the investi- 

 gation of agricultural problems. 



