70 Report of Schimmel 8j Co. 1921. 



are covered with extensive forests of that tree Liquidambar styracifluum, L, which has 

 been exploited by the natives for centuries. 



The centre of the storax-balsam districts is now in the environs df the town of 

 Santa Barbara. From there the storax is exported under the name of Liquidambar or 

 simply as balsam via the port of Puerto Cortes. 



A consignment of storax balsam from Honduras which we recently received gave the 

 following constants after drying and filtration: — di 5 o 1.0977; a D + ll°;n D20O 1.59485; 

 acid v. 33.6; ester v. 139. At ordinary temperature it forms a clear, amber-yellow, 

 somewhat viscid mass. When the balsam was boiled with aqueous caustic potash, an 

 oil of pleasant oapur, dark colour and the following constants passed over: — di BO 1.002; 

 « D + 1° 10'; n D20O 1.54429; acid v. 1.8; ester v. 8.4; ester v. after acetyl. 243.6. The oil 

 distilled in a vacuum at 4 mm. between 23 and 111°. 



The acetylation shows that the oil consists essentially of alcoholic constituents. 

 We were, however, able to isolate styrene of a b. p. of 144 to 146° from the lower-boiling 

 fractions which, brominated in ethereal solution, gave the dibromide melting at 74°. 



In the fraction of the oil boiling between 118 and 121° (5 mm.) solidified a compound 

 which consisted of cinnamic alcohol melting at 33°. 



This alcohol was also found in large quantities in the fractions boiling between 

 95 and 118° at 5 mm., in addition to phenylpropyl alcohol. 



In order to prepare the latter alcohol in the pure state, these fractions were boiled 

 with formic acid for one quarter of an hour, and the phenylpropyl formate thus obtained 

 was separated by distillation from the resinified cinnamic alcohol. From the formate, 

 pure phenylpropyl alcohol of di 5 o 1.0027 could be isolated by saponification; by oxidation 

 with chromic acid in glacial acetic acid hydrocinnamic acid melting between 48 and 

 49° was isolated. By heating the ammonia salt up to 230° in a sealed tube the amide 

 of hydrocinnamic acid, melting at 104°, was produced. Treatment of the phenyl- 

 propyl alcohol with phenylisocyanate yielded a phenylurethane, melting point 47°, from 

 ligroin. The saponification-lye of the storax balsam contained cinnamic acid, m. p. 133°; 

 benzoic acid could not be found in determinable quantities. 



The result of the investigation was, therefore, that the essential from Honduras balsam 

 contains the constituents, which were already known in the oil of American storax, 

 including styrene; the latter had not yet been proved to be present in Honduras balsam 1 ). 



By working up a larger bulk of Honduras balsam it may be possible to demonstrate 

 also the presence of the aldehyde (vanillin) which occurs in American balsam in small 

 proportions. 



Since now the essential oils of American balsam and of Honduras balsam show 

 substantially the same composition, there is no cause to maintain a distinction between 

 the two species. We may on the contrary assume that all the American storax balsams, 

 so far studied, represent one and the same product of Liquidambar styracifluum, L, on 

 the formation of which we have already reported 2 ). 



Thymol. — In our Report of last year we mentioned on page 76 that, according 

 to an American patent, thymol may be prepared from 2-aminocymene. The thymol 

 synthesis from cymene, which M. Phillips and H. D. Gibbs 8 ) describe, is based on a 

 similar method. In general the phenols are prepared from the corresponding hydro- 

 carbons by decomposing the diazo-compound, especially the sulphonate, with boiling 

 water, and by fusing the sulphonic acid produced with potassium hydroxide. This 





l ) A. Hellstrom, Arch. derPhtirm. 243 (1905), 237. — «) Report 1919, 72. — 3 ) Juttrn. ind. eng. Chem. 12 (1920), 733. 



