A Manual of the Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds

THE CARBON COMPOUNDS. 87
Dimethyl Cnfbinol. Dimethyl Ketono.
CH8
CH8
CH.OH - H, . CO
CH8
CH8
The ketones contain two alcohol radicals combined with carbonyl;
they may be obtained by different other reactions besides the oxidation
of secondary alcohols.
(1) By the action of the zinc compounds of the alcohol radicals
upon the chlorides of the fatty acids. Thus zinc methide and acetyl
chloride yield dimethyl carbinol, and by acting upon the same chloride
with zinc ethide, methyl-ethyl ketoue is produced :—
ZnCl2
(2) Ketones are also formed by the destructive distillation of the
calcium- and other salts of fatty acids, or by passing the vapours of
these acids through a red-hot tube:—
CH8
CO.OH |
= CO + CO, + H2O
CO.OH
CH4
The ketones are capable of combining with nascent hydrogen like
the aldehydes, a secondary alcohol being again formed; but on
further oxidation they do not yield like the aldehydes an acid
containing the same number of onrbon atoms, bnt the molecule is
broken up into two fragments according to tho following law. The
most simple alcohol radical remains combined with the carboxyl and
forms a fatty acid, whilst tho other alcohol radical is oxidked exactly
in the same way as the alcohol corresponding to it would be. Tims
dimethyl Jcelone Q5 S [ CO yields acetic acid and formic acid (or carbon
CII 1
dioxide); methyl-ethyl ketone X, | [CO yields only acetic acid, and
iiethjl ketonc ^ 2 S 6 \ CO acetic and propionic acids, and the same
CH >
two acids are obtained from mdhyl-propyl ketone ^ j£> S-CO, whilst
CII } .
mthyl-i&opropiil MOM ,nr( s ^rf \ CO is first resolved into acetic
^ • r " (uncoil,)