A New Synthesis of Dibasic Carbon Acids

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
• Main Author: Brown, Crum
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1891
• Subjects: General Engineering; Carbonic acid
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0370164600006684; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0370164600006684

(Abstract) The electrolysis of potassium salts of the form in strong aqueous solution has been shown by Kolbe to lead to the formation at the anode of R 2 decomposing into the ions K and the former giving at the cathode caustic potash and hydrogen, and the latter giving at the anode carbonic acid gas and R 2 . It occurred to me that if in dibasic acids, containing two carboxyls, one carboxyl could be temporarily shut off from taking part in the electrolysis, an interesting synthesis might be effected. Guthrie's observation † that when subjected to electrolysis with an anode of amalgamated zinc, gives caustic potash and hydrogen at the cathode, and zinc ethyl sulphate at the anode, gave a hint how such temporary eclipse of one carboxyl might be effected. I therefore determined to try the electrolysis of such a salt as in the hope that it would give at the cathode caustic potash and hydro-gen, and at the anode carbonic acid and , that is