A Manual of the Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds

84 THM CHEMISTRY OF
CH8
CH8t
CH,
CO.OH CO.OH
If we act upon the compound ether of a fatty acid with sodium,
hydrogen is replaced by the metal; thus ethyl acetate yields aa the
first product of the reaction sodacetic ether |
CO.OC?H5.
By treating this compound with ethyl iodide the ethyl and sodium
change places, and the ethyl ether of ethyl-acetic acid or butyric add
is formed.
It will be easily understood how, by employing other alcoholic
iodides, the whole series of the fatty acids may be built up synthetically.
By the further action of sodium upon sodacetic ether the compounds
CHNaa CNaj
| and | are formed, which are acted upon by the
CO.OCjH6 CO.OCjHg
iodides of the alcohol radicals in the same manner as sodacetic ether.
Thus by treating them with methyl iodide disodacetic ether yields
the ethyl ether of dimetkyl-acetic or isobutyric acid, and trisodacetic
ether gives the ethyl compound of trimthyl-acetic or tertiary valeriauic
acid:—
Igobutyric Acid. Tertiary Valerianic Acid.
CH3CHa
CH3
,-C-CH,
CO2H '«"• COaH
All fatty acids can he again reduced to the alcohols from which
they are derived by oxidation.
(1) By distilling an intimate mixture of dry calcium formate with
the calcium salt of a fatty acid, the aldehyde of the latter is produced
:—
H CHa
I + I =| + CO2 + H2O
CO.OH CO.OH COH
The aldehydes combine readily with nascent hydrogen, as we have
already seen, and ace converted into alcohols.
(2) On acting on a mixture of an acid and its chloride wifh sodium
amalgam the chlorine is replaced by hydrogen, and the aldehyde thus
formed combines with a molecule of hydrogen:—