( 104 ) 
As soon as the investigation as to the relation between the 
progressive change of the melting point line of the zinc amalgams 
and their electromotive force which is being carried out by Mr. 
P. J. H. van Ginneken, is completely drawn to a close we will 
revert to the question in regard to the CLARK-eells. 
Utrecht, May 1909. van ’t Hoff Laboratory. 
Chemistry. — “On the action of active copper on linalool .” By 
Dr. C. J. Enklaar. (Communicated by Prof. P. van Romburgh.) 
(Communicated in the Meeting of May 29, 1909). 
In a previous investigation 1 ) I have shown, that the tertiary aliphatic 
terpene alcohol linanool may be converted by means of active nickel 
and hydrogen into a saturated tertiary alcohol and a decane; I 
have prepared this alcohol synthetically and thus demonstrated the 
position of the (OH)-group in the formula of linalool. As in conse¬ 
quence, the existing differences of opinion as to this structural formula 
have been removed, I now accept with Tiemann and Semmler the 
following formula for linalool: 
CH 
OH 
OH — CH, — CH, — d _ CH = CH, 
CH, 
The usual methods to eliminate the elements of water from 
tertiary alcohols, and so to prepare hydrocarbons, are often incom¬ 
plete when the products of the reaction are variable. For instance 
by the action of acids on linalool the terpenes dipentene and 
terpinene s ) occur amongst the products formed, whose structures 
bear no relation to the structural formula of the starting product. 
We may, therefore safely assume that the formation of dipentene 
and terpinene is accompanied by a radical shifting of bonds either 
in the linalool molecule or in that of a primarily formed hydrocarbon. 
In my opinion, the real dehydration product of linalool has, there¬ 
fore, escaped notice and final products of an “inversion” have been 
obtained, which nearly every other terpene would have yielded. 
J ) Rec. Trav. Chim. 27, 411 (1908). 
*) Bertram and Wahlbadm, J. pr . Ch. [2], 45, 601 (1892). 
