August 27, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



207 



the presence of Al Oa. A good yield (40-50 per 

 cent.) of p benzyl phenol was obtained, according 

 to the equation 



C6H5CH2OH + C6H50h'*'-^''C6H5CH=C6H40H + Hm. 



Slightly better yields of the ethers of this phenol 

 were obtained by the condensation of benzyl al- 

 cohol with anisol or phenetol. 



Derivatives of cycloliexane : Arnold E. Ostek- 

 BERG and B. C. Kendall. 



The formation of organic reactions under the 

 electron conception of valence, reaction of formal- 

 dehyde: H. C. P. Webeb. 



A new color reaction for phenols iased upon the 

 use of selenious acid: Victor E. Levine. Phenols 

 in contact with a solution of 0.5 per cent, selenium 

 dioxide or 0.75 per cent, sodium selenite in con- 

 centrated sulphuric acid give rise to a pale green, 

 olive green, emerald green, blue-green or purplish 

 blue color. Often several colors are observed sim- 

 ultaneously. On standing, on heating or on the 

 addition of water the characteristic color or play 

 of colors disappears, giving way to a dark brown, 

 reddish brown or brick red. The reactions is of 

 great sensitivity and of wide applicability. The 

 following types of phenols respond to the test: 

 Mono-, di- and triphenols, phenolic ethers, alde- 

 hydes, aloohols and acids, glycosides yielding 

 phenols on hydrolyses, dyes and alkaloids possess- 

 ing phenolic groups. Nitrating the phenol abolishes 

 the reaction, for o-nitrophenol, p-nitrophenol, di- 

 and trinitrophenol yield negative results. Phenolic 

 aldehydes and acids give extremely faint reac- 

 tions. The following compounds tested prove the 

 general value of the reaction: phenol, amidol, ani- 

 sole, phenetole, phenacetine, the cresols, salicylic al- 

 dehyde, salicylic acid, acetyl salicylic acid, methyl 

 and phenyl salicylates; pyrocatechol, guaiacol, vani- 

 lin, vanillic acid, piperonal, resorcin, hydroquinone, 

 pyrogallol, phloroglucine ; eugenol, thymol, carva- 

 crol, a- and /3-naphthol, chrysarobin; the gluco- 

 sides, arbutin, phloridzin; the opium alkaloids, 

 morphin, heroin, diondn, narcotine, narceine, 

 papaverin; the dyes, orcein, alizarin, purpurin. 

 The reaction proves very useful in detecting 

 phenols in solid or liquid state. Phenols dissolved 

 in water or in an organic solvent should first be 

 evaporated in a porcelain crucible and the test 

 made on the dry residue. A beautiful ring test 

 may be obtained by the additdon of a chloroform 

 or amyl alcohol solution of the phenol to the 

 selenium reagent. A bright emerald green is ob- 

 served at the point of junction of the two liquids. 



The green compound remains with the sulphuric 

 acid and does not dissolve in the organic liquid. 

 The course of the reaction may be explained on 

 the ground that the phenol decomposes the selen- 

 ous acid with the formation of free selenium. 

 This dissolves with a green color in concentrated 

 sulphuric acid to form selenosulphur trioxide. 



A note on the differentiation of acetic anhydride 

 from glacial acetic acid: Victor E. Levine. A 

 differentiation based upon chemical tests may be 

 made as follows: (1) A few drops of 0.5 per cent, 

 selenium dioxide in concentrated sulphuric acid 

 added to acetic anhydride results in the formation 

 of elemental selenium, which appears as brick-red 

 colloidal solution or precipitate. Glacial acetic 

 acid is not affected by the selenious acid reagent. 

 (2) Ten drops of acetic anhydride are shaken 

 with 2 c.c. chloroform in which a few crystals of 

 cholesterol have been dissolved. On the addition 

 of 20 drops of concentrated sulphuric acid a 

 fleeting purple is developed changing to blue and 

 finally to deep green. With or without glacial 

 acetic acid a lemon yellow color forms, which 

 quickly goes over to deep orange, cherry red or 

 burgundy red. 



The poly-phenyl ethers: Hilton Ira Jones. 



The decomposition of amines at high tempera- 

 tures: Fred W. Upson. 



Oxalyl chloride in the synthesis of the triphenyl- 

 methane dyes: Harper P. Zoller. Oxalyl chloride 

 may be used in the place of phosgene or Michle's 

 ketone in the condensing of aniline and its deriva- 

 tives for the production of dye stuffs of the mag- 

 enta type. The use of fused zinc chloride increases 

 the yield of the colored base just as was found 

 true in the case of phosgene. The calculated mo- 

 lecular quantities of aniline or its derivatives are 

 mixed with a corresponding amount of oxalyl 

 chloride necessary to produce a given dye. This 

 mixture is heated in a flask bearing a reflux con- 

 denser and suspended in a hot water bath. Crystal 

 violet (hexa methyl tri amino triphenylmethane) 

 para rosaniline (tri amino triphenylmethane) have 

 been prepared using oxalyl chloride in their syn- 

 thesis. No accurate study has been made of the 

 yields of the dyes using these synthesis. The 

 quantity obtained using the above method amounted 

 to about 50 per cent, of the theoretical. The syn- 

 thesis is described as a very convenient laboratory 

 method of producing the dyes in small and very 

 pure quantities. 



The benzoic acid ester of trichlorotertiary butyl- 

 alcohol or chloretone benzoic acid ester: T. B. 



