November 25, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



527 



lene with selenium monochloride : C. E. Boord 

 AND Fred F. Cope. Bis (/3 chloropropyl) selenide, 

 bis (/9 chlorobutyl) selenide and bis (/3 ehloro- 

 amyl) selenide and their respective diehlorides 

 were described. The reaction between olefines and 

 selenium monochloride both when the define is in 

 excess and when the monochloride is in excess were 

 discussed. Evidence was offered to show that 

 selenium monochloride has the unsymmetrical struc- 

 ture. 



The use of olefines in the preparation of alkyl 

 phenols (^preliminary report) : C. E. Boord, A. 

 J. Yanet and C. W. Holl. A simple appa- 

 ratus for the laboratory preparation of ethylene, 

 propylene, butylene, and amylene is described. 

 A description of the preparation of amylphenol 

 and amyl catechol by the interaction of amylene 

 and the phenol in the presence of anhydrous fer- 

 ric chloride is given. An extension of the re- 

 action between olefines and phenols in the pres- 

 ence of anhydrous chlorides for the preparation 

 of alkyl phenols is proposed. It is also proposed 

 t-o use this reaction in a study of the mechanism 

 of the Eriedel-Crafts reaction. 



The action of sulphuric acid on 1-phenylnaph- 

 thalene-S-S-dicarioxylic acid: M. L. Crosslet. 

 It has been shown by previous investigators that 

 l-phenylnaphthalene-2-3-dicarboxylic acid is con- 

 verted by sulphuric acid into allochrysoketone- 

 earboxylie acid. I have found that if the reac- 

 tion is carried out at a higher temperature than 

 that at which the ketone acid is formed, a product 

 differing from the ketone acid and having the 

 formula C^HhOi is obtained. This forms an 

 ethyl ester of the formula Ca^HjiOi. The acid 

 crystallizes from pj-ridime in tufts of light yel- 

 low monoclinic needles and melts at about 375° 

 C. without decomposition. It is insoluble in water 

 and most organic solvents. The ester crystallizes 

 from alcohol in long yellow needles, melting at 

 171° C. and is quite soluble in most organic 

 solvents. 



Addition compounds of y-pyrones and sulfur 

 trioxide: A. S. Eichardson. 



Compound formation in phenol-cresol mixtures: 

 James Ejendall and J. J. Beaver. The isola- 

 tion of stable compounds between phenol and 

 the oresols has been cited by Dawson and Mount- 

 ford as constituting an exception to the generali- 

 zation that the stability of addition compounds 

 decreases with increasing similarity in character 

 of the components. The present authors have de- 

 termined the specific conductivity, viscosity and 



freezing-point depression curves in benzene for 

 all six phenol-cresol systems. Without exception, 

 the results indicate that no increase in molecular 

 complexity occurs on admixture. The compounds 

 obtained by Dawson and Mountford are there- 

 fore to be regarded as substitution rather than as 

 addition compounds, being formed by the re- 

 placement of part of an associated molecule by 

 a homologue. 



The oxidation of potassium acetate with po- 

 tassium permanganate in the presence of potas- 

 sium hydroxide: W: L. Evans and Patjl S. 

 Hines. The literature contains conflicting state- 

 ments in reference to the stability of acetates 

 towards alkaline potassium permanganate. The 

 results of our experiments are as follows: (a) 

 Potassium acetate is oxidized to potassium oxalate 

 with potassium permanganate in the presence of 

 potassium hydroxide. (6) The production of ox- 

 alic acid is proportional to the concentration of 

 the alkali used, (c) An increase in the tem- 

 perature is accompanied by an increase in the 

 production of oxalic acid. (d) When the oxi- 

 dation is carried on for several days it is found 

 that potassium acetate is oxidized to potassium 

 oxalate in neutral potassium permanganate solu- 

 tions, (e) The yield of oxalic acid increases with 

 the time of the oxidation. (/) The velocity of 

 the oxidation is very small. 



The oxidation of acetol with potassium perman- 

 ganate in the presence of potassium hydroxide: 

 W. L. Evans and Ora L. Hoover, (a) Acetic, 

 oxalic and carbonic acids are the final products 

 of the oxidation of acetol with potassium per- 

 manganate in the presence of potassium hydrox- 

 ide. (6) In the absence of potassium hydroxide, 

 acetic and carbonic acids are the sole reaction 

 products, (c) Acetic acid is formed in the largest 

 amounts in neutral permanganate solutions, al- 

 though the acetic acid present in these cases is 

 less than the amount equivalent to two carbon 

 atoms. These facts show that more than one 

 oxidation reaction is taking place under these 

 conditions, (d) The yield of acetic acid dimin- 

 ishes to a certain minimum with an increase in 

 the initial coneentraton of the alkali, after which 

 it increases to a certain constant yield with a 

 continuing increase in the initial concentration 

 of the alkali, (e) The production of carbon di- 

 oxide increases to a maximum point with an in- 

 crease in the initial concentration of the alkali, 

 after which it diminishes to a constant value, (f) 

 The yield of oxalic acid is proportional to the 



