4 OPTICAL ACTIVATION 



place thousands of catalytic processes between tissues and 

 fluids" ; and also, ''when compared with known phenomena in 

 the inorganic world, it resembles nothing else so much as the 

 decomposition of hydrogen peroxide under the influence of 

 platinum, silver, or fibrin." In recent times, Bredig'^ has shown 

 many striking resemblances between the enzymes and certain 

 inorganic catalysts, such as colloidal solutions of the metals. 

 Indeed, all recent investigations point to the action of enzymes 

 being catalytic. 



The asymmetric division of an inactive mixture by means 

 of enzymes, which we may look on as catalysts, suggests the 

 possibility of such a division being brought about with the help 

 of a catalyst of Jcnoivn chemical structure. 



Several attempts have already been made to accomplish 

 an asymmetric division by means of a catalyst. F. S. Kip ping- 

 carried out the synthesis of 'benzion from benzaidehyde (with 

 potassium cyanide), and of mandelic acid nitrile from l^enz- 

 aldehyde and potassium cyanide in concentrated alcoholic 

 camphor solutions ; but in these and other cases the compounds 

 obtained were inactive. E. and 0. Wedekiiid'^ allowed menthyl 

 - benzly- aniline to unite with allyl- iodide in oj^tically 

 active solvents such as d- limonene, 1- menthol, and 

 1- chlor- methyl- menthyl- ether, but in every case the 

 products were inactive. At Bredig's suggestion, the rate of 

 decomposition of d- and 1- camphorcarboxylic acid in d- 

 and 1- limonene was investigated by BaJcom^ who found that 

 the isomers decomposed at the same rate. 



It remained for Professor G. Brecdig to find a stereochemical 

 specific cataJyst. At his suggestion Fajans^' measured the rate 

 of decomposition of the isomeric camphorcarboxylic acids in 



1. Bredig, G.: Biochem. Zeit., 6, 283, (1907). 



2. Kipping-, F. S. : Proc. Chem. Soc, 16, 283, (1901). 



3. "VVedekind, E. and C: Ber. d. deutsch. chem. Ges., 41, 456, (1908). 



4. Balcolm, R. W. : Diss. Heidelberg 1905. Bredig and Balcolm: 

 Ber. d. deutsch. chem. Ges.. 41, 740, (1908). 



5. Fajans, K.: Diss. Heidelberg- 1910. Zeit. f. phys. Chem., 73, 25. 

 (1910). 



