A Manual of the Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds

80 THE CHEMISTRY OF
ethylamine and carbon dioxide, which proves that the alcohol radical
is combined with nitrogen:—
C0 2
The same kinds of isomerism occur amongst the ethers of aulpbocyanic
acid :~-
The first of these compounds yields, on treating it with caustic
potash, potassium sulphocyanate and ethyl alcohol, whilst the second
when heated with water forms ethylamine, carbon dioxide, and
hydrogen sulphide:—
N { of 6 + 2 H *° * N
The alcohols and their derivatives fvro divided into three very
distinct groups.
(1) PKtMARY ALCOHOLS AND FATTY ACIDS.
All paraffins contain tho group CHS twice ov more. By replacing
one atom of hydrogen in one of these methyl groups by hydroxyl we
obtain a primary alcohol :—
Ethyl Alcohol. Prnpyl Alcohol. Isobutyl Alcohol.
CH, CH. OH. CH3
| ' | S ^
0Ha.0H CH2 CH
ClIOH O
The most characteristic property of the primary alcohols is that by
the moderate action of oxidizing agents, they first lose two atoni3 of*
hydrogen, a componnd being termed called an aldehyde (alcohol
dehydrogenatum). Ethyl alcohol yields acetnldehyde :—
C8HOO + 0 = CaH4O + H,0
The aldehydes combine again with nascent hydrogen, being reconverted
into alcohols, bnt they much more readily take up one atom
of oxygen and form monobasic acids, which are compounds of
monad oxygenated radicals, containing one atom of oxygen in place
of two atoms of hydrogen in the alcohol radical:—
Ethyl Alcohol. Acotic Adi
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