386 M. Wurtz on Hydrate of Amylene. 



the aldehyde of cenanthylic acid, into its corresponding alcohol. 

 They dissolved a certain quantity of the substance in acetic acid, 

 and placed this mixture along with some zinc in an apparatus 

 which could be heated under a gentle pressure in a water-bath. 

 Under these circumstances the aldehyde, C 14 H 14 O 2 , combined 

 with nascent hydrogen to form the alcohol, which, with acetic 



C 4 H 15 1 

 acid, formed cenanthylic acetic ether, r4 ¥?3 ~ 2 l O 2 . By treat- 

 ing this body with potash, acetate of potash was formed, and 

 cenanthylic alcohol, C 14 H 16 O 2 . This body is a colourless liquid, 

 insoluble in water, with an odour like that of caprylic alcohol. 

 It boils at 165°. 



defiant gas and its homologues have the property of uniting 

 directly with hydriodic, hydrochloric, or hydrobromic acids. 

 Amylene forms with hydriodic acid a hydriodate, G 5 H 10 HI, 

 which has the same composition as iodide of amyle prepared 

 from amylic alcohol. Wurtz*, who has recently examined this 

 subject, finds, however, that these substances are not identical. 

 The iodide of amyle boils at 146°, and hydriodate of amylene at 

 130°; and the latter is by no means so stable a substance as the 

 former. Iodide of amyle is acted upon by moist oxide of silver 

 with difficulty, while the hydriodate of amylene is immediately 

 decomposed. Besides iodide of silver, the principal product of 

 this reaction is an organic hydrate, G 5 H 12 0, which Wurtz con- 

 siders as isomeric with amylic alcohol. It distils between 105° 

 and 108°, and has an odour quite different from that of amylic 

 alcohol. Treated by sulphuric acid it does not give sulphamy- 

 late of baryta, as does amylic alcohol under these circumstances. 

 Hydriodate of amylene is acted upon by acetate of silver even at 

 0°, while iodide of amyle requires the application of heat. The 

 product formed from the hydriodate has the same composition 

 as the acetate of amyle, but is not identical with it ; its odour is 

 entirely different. Similar relations are perceived in the case of 

 the hydrobromate of amylene. 



The hydriodic acid is evidently very loosely combined with 

 the amylene ; and it might be supposed that in the hydriodate 

 and in the corresponding hydrate, which might be called hydrate 

 of amylene, the radical amylene retains its diatomic character. 

 This is the case with the bromide of amylene; and the hydro- 

 bromate has an analogous composition, for HBr is the equivalent 

 of Br Br. These isomerical relations might be interpreted by 

 the aid of rational formula? thus, 



* Comptes RenduS) August 25, 1862. 



