The recent work of Knox (1946) and of nhox & Grossman (1946, 1947) has shown that N-methylnicotinamide chloride can be oxidised by an enzyme present in rabbit liver to the amide of N-methyl-2pyridone-5-carboxylic acid. These workers have also reported the isolation of the amide of N-methyl-2pyridone-5-carboxylic acid from human urine after the ingestion of 0-6-0-9 g. of nicotinamide per day. It is already well known that nicotinamide is methylated in the human body and that N-methylnicotinamide is normally excreted in human urine. The results of-Knox & Grossmnan (1946, 1947) therefore, indicate that part of the N-methylnicotinamide formed from nicotinamide in the human body may be oxidized by liver enzymes to N-methyl-2pyridone-5-carboxylic acid amide. The amide of N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxylic acid has not previously been described, b~ut the acid itself was prepared and described by von Pechmann & Welsh (1884), who synthesized it by two methods, viz. by the action of methylamine on the methyl * Unless otherwise stated, the melting points given in this paper ?ire uncorrected. .423

Vol. 68 containing 25 ml. of N-ethylmorpholine (total volume was 250 ml.) and 5 g. of a palladium charcoal catalyst containing 5% palladium were treated as aboye under an initial hydrogen pressure of 2500 pounds. Reduction was carried out at 175°, and the absorption of one mole of hydrogen required between ten and fifteeen hours. After removing the catalyst by filtration, ether was added to the solution which was then extracted with dilute hydrochloric acid to remove the N-ethylmorpholine. If this were not done, the solution turned dark because of the effect of the base on /J-tetralone. The clear, orange-yellow solution was washed with water, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and distilled under reduced pressure. Fifty grams of a fraction b. p. 116-135°at 5 mm. was obtained, and on shaking with a saturated sodium bisulfite solution gave 50 g. (40%) of the bisulfite addition compound of fl-tetralone. The ßtetralone recovered from several experiments was identified as its seinicarbazone m. p. 193-194°( reported m. p. 193°).8 SummaryThe preparation of /3-tetralone by the high pressure catalytic hydrogenation of /3-naphthol with a palladium catalyst is described.The mechanism of this reaction is briefly considered.

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Lithium hexafluoroarsenate recently became of interest as an electrolyte in high-energy density batteries but was commercially unavailable. LiAsF6 was first synthesized by Cox2 and later by Kemmitt, Russell, and Sharp3 using the reaction4 of the metal fluoride and As203 with liquid BrF3. Atkinson and Halladas apparently prepared LiAsFe of good purity from KAsF6 by a batch cation-exchange technique. Solutions of LiAsF6 and solid LiAsF6 have been prepared, respectively, by metathetical reactions in methyl formate6#? and liquid ammonia.6 Structural2! a and electrochemical5-* data for LiAsF6 have been reported. We have investigated four potential methods for the preparation of highpurity LiAsF6: (1) neutralization of the known9 HAsF6 with LiOH, (2) ion exchange5 with KAsF6; (3) reaction of LiF and AsF5,' O and (4) fluorination of LiHzAsOd with H F via the AsFhOH-i0n.~~11 We report here an improved method for the synthesis of LiAsF6, some of its properties, and some observations on commerical hexafluoroarsenic acid.