It has been shown that a number of the coloured complexes which sodium forms with unsaturated organic compounds reacts at conveniently measurable speeds with organic halides. The reactions were studied in dioxan solution under rigorously dry conditions. Several of the reactions have been examined in some detail and found to show bimolecular kinetics. The reactions were followed by measuring the change in optical density of the coloured complexes with time, the organic halide being in excess. An approximate sequence of reactivities for six complexes has been obtained from the velocity constant data. A number of trends in the velocity constants have been discussed. A review of the relevant literature has been made with regard to the question of the nature of the compIexes in solution. It has been concluded that in dilute solution, with the complexing organic compound in excess of the dissolved sodium, the complexes, with one exception, are probably monomeric mono-sodium derivatives, existing as ion pairs. * Throughout this paper we shall refer to these compounds as complexes in order to distinguish them from a similar class of compound which is derived frora hydrocarbons by replacement of a hydrogen atom by an alkali metal atom, e.g. sodium alkyls.
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