256 
Grooker—Aluminum Alcoholates. 
Briefly told, this reaction consists in bringing aluminium, and 
iodine together in the presence of absolute alcohol. Gladstone 
and Tribe worked with various alcohols, purified their products 
by distillation and made analyses of them which usually agreed 
within one or two per cent, of the theoretical proportions. In 
only one or two cases did they make melting or boiling point 
determinations. 
While working with aluminium amalgam for the purpose of 
reducing organic compounds in neutral aqueous or alcoholic 
solutions, results were obtained which led to an investigation of 
the aluminium alcoholates which we found could be prepared by 
means of this amalgam. When metallic aluminium is treated 
with an aqueus solution of mercuric choloride it becomes amal¬ 
gamated, and this amalgam possesses the property of decom¬ 
posing water, thus liberating hydrogen, which, in its nascent 
state, forms a suitable means for carrying on reduction. 1 This 
amalgam can be used then as a means of dehydrating alcohol or 
of carrying on a reduction in an alcoholic solution if water is 
present or is added. If, however, we dissolve the mercuric 
choloride in the alcohol itself and place the aluminium in the 
solution, the metal not only becomes amalgamated but the alcohol 
itself is attacked in a way quite similar to that of the water — 
hydrogen being given off and the alcoholate being formed. Dur¬ 
ing the reaction, which starts at once on bringing the aluminium 
into the solution, there is a considerable rise in temperature, 
sometimes to the boiling point of the alcohol; and in the case 
of some alcohols, the contents of our flask became quite gelatin¬ 
ous in the course of half an hour and finally solid. This is then 
distilled under diminished pressure and the product redistilled 
.and fractionated, after which it is analysed. 
During the whole process of the experiment the greatest care 
has to be taken to keep the substance out of contact with the 
air, as the slightest moisture will cause it to decompose with 
remarkable rapidity. Although mercuric chloride was used in 
our first experiments, it was found to be unsatisfactory because, 
on distillation, our product was certain to become contaminated 
by a small amount of mercury being carried over into the re 
Ber. d. chem. Ges. 28,1895. 
