Several investigators have noted during recent years that the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is accelerated by the presence of certain inorganic salts. The results of earlier investigations have been sutmmarized by Bohnson (1921) who studied the mechanism of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by ferric salts, and noted that ethyl alcohol was oxidized to acetic acid by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a ferric salt, a reaction which was quantitatively studied by Walton and Christensen (1926). Walton and Graham (1928) in a study of the oxidation of certain dicarboxylic acids showed that ferric or cupric salts increased the oxidizing power of hydrogen peroxide. Promoter action' in the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide has been extensively studied by Professor J. H. Walton and his students. Bohnson and Robertson (1923) and Robertson (1925) studied the promotor effect of cupric salts on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by ferric salts. Robertson (1926Robertson ( , 1927 showed that the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by potassium dichromate was promoted by cobaltous or manganous salts. Walton and Graham (unpublished data) found that the oxidation of hydrazine by hydrogen peroxide was accelerated by both cupric and ferric ions, and that the cupric ions promoted the oxidation catalyzed by the ferric ions.The germicidal activity of hydrogen peroxide is apparently 1 A promoter in the broadest sense is a substance whose presence in relatively small amount increases the activity of a catalyst. 203 on July 16, 2020 by guest
Although Dobereinerl showed that carbon monoxide resulted from the decomposition of malic acid by concentrated sulfuric acid, it remained for v. Pechmann2 to demonstrate that the reaction was quantitative and that a-pyrone-P'-carboxylic acid was also formed in accordance with the equations then HOOCCHZCHOHCOOH CHO I 2 CHz + Dittmar, J. Phys. Chem., 33, 533 (1929).
Triphenylacetic acid was observed by Bistrzycki and Reintke* 1 to decompose quantitatively into carbon monoxide and triphenyl-carbinol when dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid. The sulphuric acid after the decomposition was orange-yellow in color, due to the triphenylcarbinol which remained dissolved and which was precipitated as a white solid upon diluting the acid with water. The reaction can be represented by the following equation:A study of this reaction was undertaken in order to compare this decomposition with others involving the action of sulphuric acid which had been investigated and explained by considering the sulphuric acid as a dehydrating agent only. Bredig and Lichty2•3 quantitatively studied the decomposition of oxalic acid by sulphuric acid, and concluded that the reaction was essentially one of dehydration. Schierz4, after investigating the action of sulphuric acid on formic acid, reached the same conclusion in regard to the mechanism of the reaction. The action of sulphuric acid on malic acid was studied by Whitford5 who concluded from his observations that the sulphuric acid did not function by merely extracting water from the malic acid and suggested a more complex reaction mechanism based upon the formation of a hypothetical intermediate compound between the two reactants.The decomposition of triphenylacetic acid by sulphuric acid although similar to the decomposition of oxalic, malic, and formic acids, could not possibly be connected with the dehydrating property of sulphuric acid because water is not a product of the reaction. A study of this reaction was undertaken with the object of discovering the mechanism of the decomposition, and from a comparison with the action of sulphuric acid on oxalic, formic, and malic acids, to show whether these latter reactions were dependent upon the dehydrating property of sulphuric acid or whether the sulphuric acid functioned in a different capacity. * This communication is an. abstract of the thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin by Harry R. Dittmar in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This investigation was conducted under the supervision of Professor J. H. Walton.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.