A comprehensive study of the existing empirical solvent parameters has been made covering spectroscopic, rate, and equilibrium data. Various multiparameter equations have been tested by use of linear combinations of existing empirical solvent parameters. The most generally successful treatment combines Dimroth's E values with dielectric and index of refraction functions. The results of these correlations are discussed with respect to the various solventsolute interaction mechanisms.

A general method has been developed for the overall transformation of a-bromo ketones to a-alkyl or a-aryl ketones, with benzotriazole being used as a synthetic auxiliary. a-Benzotriazolyl ketones, when converted into their phenylhydrazones, reacted smoothly with alkyl and aryl Grignard reagents, which displaced benzotriazolate, to give the corresponding a-alkyl or a-aryl hydrazones. In some cases, these hydrolysed directly to the a-alkyl or a-aryl ketones. In each case, the product was treated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine to isolate the target ketones as the corresponding 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones.

No abstract

The authors consider, in the absence of the usual terminology or symbols, the possible modes of electric disturbance that can be thought of as contributing to the overall electron distribution.

Studies inMycological Chemistry. Part X .* Synthesis of Flaviolin (2,5,7-Trihydroxy-I ,4-naphthaquinone). By B. W. BYCROFT and JOHN C. ROBERTS. FLAVIOLIN (IVb), a metabolite of Aspergillus citvicus (Wehmer) Mosseray,l has not been synthesized hitherto.and established by synthesis2s3 of its tri-0-methyl ether. We now describe a novel and efficient synthesis of the 5,7-di-O-methyl ether (IVa) and its demethylation, in poor yield, to flaviolin.2-Hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxy-l,4-naphthaquinone was synthesized in the following way. 3,5-Dimethoxybenzoyl chloride (Ia) was converted, by a modification * of the Arndt-Eistert method, into methyl 3,5-dimethoxyphenylacetate (Ib). Acetylation of this compound yielded the ester-ketone (11) which readily cyclised,6 under the action of base, Its structure has been derived from degradative evidence M M Me0 \ CH2.CO2Me * Part IX, preceding paper, 92%).