When heated at or above its melting point, 8-ethylcaffeine sublimes, forming fine interwoven needles. Like 8-methylcaffeine, it is quite stable toward acids but is easily decomposed in alkalies. Solubility in 100 cc. of water is 0.6 g. at 25°and 2.0 g. at 100°. It is moderately soluble in cold alcohol and quite soluble in boiling alcohol. The crystals came down from either a water or alcohol solution as bundles of very small colorless needles.Attempts to prepare 8-ro-propylcaffeine and 8-re-butylcaffeine by this method were unsuccessful. When heated in a closed tube at temperatures ranging from 260 to 360°, the materials recovered were unchanged caffeine ether and hydroxycaffeine. Higher temperatures gave decomposition products. Summary 1. 8-Methylcaffeine has been prepared by heating the 8-alkyl ethers of caffeine with acetic anhydride.2. 8-Ethylcaffeine has been prepared by heating the 8-alkyl ethers of caffeine (except methoxycaffeine) or hydroxycaffeine with repropionic anhydride.3. Attempts to prepare 8-re-propyl-and 8-wbutylcaffeine by the same general procedure have been unsuccessful. East Lansing, Mich.
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