in regard to the amino-group the ortho- or meta-position, the structure: 
N(C 2 H & ) s 
should be assigned 
this compound. 
The structure of both these compounds is therefore quite in agree¬ 
ment with those of the nitro-products which I obtained previously 
from dimethylaniline. 
Utrecht. Org. Chem. Lab. University. 
Chemistry. — “On sodium alkyl carbonates” By Prof. A. P. N, 
Franchimont. 
(Communicated in the meeting of September 25, 1909). 
Of alkyl carbonates but very little is known. After Dumas and 
Peligot had prepared in 1840 barium-methyl carbonate and potassium- 
ethyl carbonate, and noticed their property of being decomposed by 
water into alcohol and a hydrocarbonate, Beilstein gave in 1859 a 
good method for the preparation of sodium-ethyl carbonate. He 
passed dry carbon dioxide through a solution of sodium ethoxide in 
absolute alcohol. The sodium salt was obtained in 1868 by Geuther 
from diethyl carbonate and sodium ethoxide, the potassium salt by 
Habermann in 1886 in the electrolysis of anhydrous potassium acetate 
in absolute alcohol, the barium salt by Destrem in 1882 by passing 
dry carbon dioxide into a solution of barium ethoxide in absolute 
alcohol. Attention was always called to the decomposition of these 
salts by water. This property is generally believed to be common 
to all the alkyl carbonates. 
Sodium-phenyl carbonate is also decomposed by water into phenol 
-and sodium hydrogen carbonate. Of this, however, it is also known, 
that it evolves carbon dioxide on warming, and this is not mentioned 
of the alkyl carbonates. Although, as a rule phenol and primary 
aliphatic alcohols have but little in common, I thought it would be 
advisable to make a comparative study of the alkyl carbonates and 
sodium-phenyl carbonate, particularly since Dr. Moll van Charante 
had found that the latter salt is decomposed at the ordinary tempe¬ 
rature by dry acetone, with evolution of carbon dioxide and formation 
of phenol. 
I, therefore, prepared sodium ethyl carbonate by Beilstein’s method, 
and observed that it is decomposed by water into sodium hydrogen 
carbonate and alcohol, it is, however, not decomposed by acetone 
nor when heated to about 180 3 . 
21* 
