288 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIV. No. 1130 



be used as it decomposes and the chloride reacts 

 too slowly. 



Cl-CH,CH.CH,-0-Mg-I prepared by the Grig- 

 nard reaction decomposes at 270°, giving mainly 

 trimethylene iodide and a small amount of product 

 boiling at 70-100° which is partly ethyl iodide and 

 partly some unidentified mixture of iodine com- 

 pounds. 



The Behavior of fi-Phenoxy Ethyl Bromide in 

 Wwrtz-Fittig Synthesis: St. Elmo Brady. 

 The type of ether, CHj-O-CH-CHoBr, was pre- 

 pared from sodium phenolate and ethylene bro- 

 mide and the reaction so regulated as to obtain a 

 maximum yield of the bromethylphenyl ether in- 

 stead of the diphenoxy ether which under certain 

 conditions has an equal chance for formation with 

 the bromethylphenyl ether. The regular Wurtz- 

 Eittig synthesis was carried out with the single 

 modification of varying the amount of sodium 

 used. The products were ethylene gas, sodium 

 phenylate, and a, 5-diphenoxybutane in 10 per 

 cent., 20 per cent, and 30 per cent, yields respec- 

 tively. 



The interesting fact observed in this synthesis 

 was the unvarying yield of a, 5-diphenoxybutane 

 with increasing amounts of the reacting mate- 

 rials and an increase in the yield of ethylene gas 

 under the same conditions. The yield of ethylene 

 gas is directly proportional to the amount of 

 sodium used. 



Preparatio7i and Characterization of e-Acetylca- 

 proic Acid: St. Elmo Brady and C. G. Derick:. 

 Trimethylene bromide and acetoacetic ester were 

 condensed, molecular proportions of the reacting 

 substances being used. The resulting condensation 

 product was hydrolyzed with 20 per cent, hydro- 

 chloric acid and the nonhydrolyzable matter sepa- 

 rated. The aqueous portion is treated with solid 

 sodium carbonate and the separating product re- 

 moved and purified. This is 7-acetylbutyl alcohol. 

 The alcohol is brominated and the bromide con- 

 densed with malonic ester. The 1, 1 dicarbox- 

 ethyl heptanone-6, after purification, is hydro- 

 lyzed with 20 per cent, hydrochloric acid and the 

 resulting dicarboxylie acid heated to 170°. By the 

 loss of carbon dioxide the e-acetylcaproie acid is 

 formed. The acid is easily soluble in alcohol, 

 ether and water and is somewhat hygroscopic. It 

 melts at 28° and boils constant at 145° under 1 

 mm. pressure. The ionization constant is 1.638 

 .0005 X 10- 5 . 



Preparation and Characterization of S-Acetylvale- 

 rianic Acid: B. W. Hess and C. G. Derick. 

 Trimethylene glycol was converted into the 



bromide by refluxing with aqueous HBr. By using 

 the proper proportions the yield was increased 

 from 50 per cent, to 80 per cent. 7-Brombutyro- 

 nitrile was made from the trimethylene bromide 

 and KCN. When a mixture of, water and alcohol 

 was used as a solvent the yield was 20-25 per 

 cent., but with absolute methyl alcohol it was 40- 

 50 per cent. The action of 7-brombutyronitrile on 

 sodium acetoacetic ester gave two new products, 

 the one desired, 8-eyano-a-acetylvalerie ethyl ester 

 and another 1, 7, -dicyano-4-aeeto-4-earboxethyl 

 heptane. The latter boils at 200° under 5 mm. 

 pressure; melts at 73.5° and is insoluble in most 

 organic solvents. An excess of acetoacetic ester 

 prevents the formation of this substance. The 

 former distills at 154° under 2 mm. pressure and 

 hydrolyzes to 5-aeetylvalerianic acid with constant 

 boiling HG1. B. p. 181° under 25 mm. pressure; 

 m. p. 36.5°; ionization constant 1.93 X 10~ 5 . 



A Study of the Isomeric AminoethyVbenzenes and 



Certain of their Derivatives: O. S. Keener, O. 



Kamm and C. G. Derick. 

 Syntheses in the Naphthalene Series: Oliver 



Kamm and H. B. McClugage. 

 A Study of the Equilibrium in the Friedel and 



Craft Reaction: Oliver Kamm and S. D. Kirk- 



patrick. 

 On the Reactions of the Formamidines. V. On 



some Pyrazolone Derivatives: E. B. Dains, H. 



B. O'Brien and C. L. Johnson. 

 Contributions to our Knowledge of Dichlorether. 



Part II.: G. B. Frankforter and S. J. 



Beichert. 

 The Action of Aluminum Chloride on the Alcohols 



and Carbohydrates Alone and in the Presence 



of Other Organic Compounds: G. B. Erank- 



FORTER AND V. KOKATNUR. 



A Catalytic Decomposition of Some Phenol Salts: 



W. H. Hunter. 

 Some Work on the Reimer-Tiemann Reaction: "W. 



H. Hunter. 

 Notes on the Use of the Multiple Unit Electric 

 Furnace and of a Modified Carbon Dioxide Gen- 

 erator in the Dumas Method for the Determina- 

 tion of Nitrogen: Harry L. Eisher. 

 The furnace has excellent temperature control 

 with all ranges, the units are well insulated, and 

 it has a nickel trough which is permanent and does 

 not stick to melted glass. The combustion tube 

 can be inspected at any time. 



The generator is arranged for either pressure 

 or vacuum work and can be constructed of vary- 

 ing capacity and in a compact form. It consists 

 of two round-bottomed flasks, the upper being in- 



