L Remsen on the Product of the action, 



Art. XY.—Commn 

 College. No. IV.- 

 on Ethyl Succinate; by Ira Kemsek 



Ik a notice published a short time ago in this Journal,* I 

 described a few preliminary experiments, undertaken with the 

 object of discovering the structure of a peculiar substance 

 which is produced when potassium is allowed to act upon 

 ethyl succinate. Since the time of the first publication, I have 

 been engaged in prosecuting this investigation, the results of 

 which are herewith communicated. The communication is 

 hastened by the fact that quite recently a similar investigation 

 has been undertaken in the laboratory of Wislicenus,t and in 

 the publication of the experiments no reference is made to my 



1. Preparation and Properties. 

 The substance under consideratiori was first obtained bj v. 

 Fehling:}; in the course of an exhaustive examination of the 

 compounds of succinic acid. I give his description of the 

 method of obtaining the substance: "If ethyl succinate, which 

 has been thoroughly dried by means of 'calcic chloride, is 

 brought in contact with potassium or sodium, the metal be- 

 comes oxidized, and the ether is decomposed. At the ordinary 

 temperature the decomposition takes place more readily with 

 potassium than with sodium. The action begins instantane- 

 ously ; an inflammable gas is evolved which conducts itself 

 like hydrogen. By gently heating the action is hastened ; the 

 mass becomes heated spontaneously, and care must hence be 

 taken not to heat higher than 30-40= at first. In connection 

 with the reaction a peculiar penetrating odor is perceived. If 

 the action is too violent, the mass may easily be thrown oui of 

 the vessel in which it is contained." 



"If sufficient potassium has been added the mass becomes 

 thick and viscid, and the color of the mass is brown. This 

 color appears to arise from secondary decomposition-products " 

 — " If water is now added to the mass, and it be heated rapidly 

 to boiling, a clear, yellow liquid is obtained, upon which an 

 oily, yellowish layer floats; but it seems to be important not to 

 heat for too long a time. The liquid congeals on cooling, 

 forming a soft, pasty mass. By means of a filter the liquid is 

 separated from a yellow crystalline mass, and the residue 

 washed out with water.'' — "The yellowish residue upon the 

 filter is purified by repeated recrystallizations from alcohol. 



* Vol. ix, p. 120. f Berliner Berichte, viii, Jahrgang, 1039. 



X Annalen der Ch. Pharm., lUx, ]92. 

 Am. Joub. Sci.— Third Series, Vol. XI, No. 62.— Feb., 1876. 



