Tartars

CsHsO. Colourless, crystalline solid m.p. 115 C. Prepared by the dry distillation of tartaric acid or by reduction of itaconic or cilra-conic acids. Forms an anhydride when heated to 200"C. 

CHjCOCOOH. A colourless liquid with an odour resembling that of ethanoic acid, m.p. 13 C, b.p. 65 C/lOmm. It is an intermediate in the breakdown of sugars to alcohol by yeast. Prepared by distilling tartaric acid with potassium hydrogen sulphate. Tends 10 polymerize to a solid (m.p. 92 C). Oxidized to oxalic acid or ethanoic acid. Reduced to ( + )-Iactic acid. 

Racemic acid, ( )-tartaric acid, is a compound of the two active forms. M.p. 273 C (with IHjO), m.p. 205°C (anhydrous). Less soluble in water than (-t-)-tartaric acid. Formed, together with mesotartaric acid, by boiling (4-)-tartaric acid with 30% NaOH solution, or by oxidation of fumaric acid. Potassium hydrogen racemate is very insoluble. 

Potassium Antimonyl Tartrate (Tartar Emetic). C4H40 KSb0,... 

Tartaric acid is noteworthy for a) the excellent way in which the majority of its salts Crystallise, and h) the frequent occurrence of salts having mixed cations. Examples of the latter are sodium potassium tartrate (or Rochelle salt), C4H40 NaK, used for the preparation of Fehling s solution (p. 525), sodium ammonium tartrate, C4H OaNaNH4, used by Pasteur for his early optical resolution experiments, and potassium antimonyl tartrate (or Tartar Emetic), C4H404K(Sb0). The latter is prepared by boiling a solution of potassium hydrogen tartrate (or cream of tartar ) with antimony trioxide,... 

Tartar emetic, as its name indicates, can be used medicinally to cause vomiting. For the preparation of tartar emetic intended for medicinal use, pure antimony trioxide, free (in particular) from traces of arsenic, must of course be employed. 

This is a simplified formula for tartar emetic, for X-ray crystal analysis and infrared studies indicate that the. Sb is a part of the antimonate anion [Sb(OH)4] and forms part of a cyclic system. 

Acetophenone similarly gives an oxime, CHjCCgHjlCtNOH, of m.p. 59° owing to its lower m.p. and its greater solubility in most liquids, it is not as suitable as the phenylhydrazone for characterising the ketone. Its chief use is for the preparation of 1-phenyl-ethylamine, CHjCCgHslCHNHj, which can be readily obtained by the reduction of the oxime or by the Leuckart reaction (p. 223), and which can then be resolved by d-tartaric acid and /-malic acid into optically active forms. The optically active amine is frequently used in turn for the resolution of racemic acids. 

Tartaric acid and tartrates also swell up, blacken and give an odour resembling burnt sugar. Citrates and lactates also char, and give off odours resembling burnt sugar. 

Take two test-tubes A and B in A place about 5 ml. of neutralised tartaric acid solution and in B place 5 ml. of distilled water. To each solution add 3-4 drops of ferric chloride solution. Place a piece of white paper under the tubes, look down their length and note that A is definitely yellow compared with the control tube B. This yellow colour is given by a-hydroxy-carboxylic-acids, lactic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid. 

Sulphuric add test. Warm 0 5 g. of tartaric acid or a tartrate with i ml. of cone. H2SO4. Heavy charring takes place, CO and SOj being evolved. 

Fenton s reagent. To a solution of tartaric acid or a tartrate add 1 drop of freshly prepared ferrous sulphate solution, i drop of hydrogen peroxide solution and then excess of NaOH solution an intense violet coloration is produced, due to the ferric salt of dihydroxyfumaric acid, HOOC C(OH) C(OH)COOH. 

Does not reduce ammoniacal AgNO, solution cf. tartaric acid)... 

Methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-hutyl, benzyl, cyclohexyl esters of formic, acetic, oxalic, succinic, tartaric, citric, benzoic, salicylic (and other substituted benzoic acids), phthalic and cinnamic acids phenyl esters of acetic, benzoic and salicylic acids. 

As a general guide, however, it may be noted that the following have fairly easily recognisable odours methyl and ethyl formate methyl and ethyl acetate (apples) methyl and ethyl benzoate methyl salicylate (oil of winter-green) and ethyl salicylate methyl and ethyl cinnamate. (It is however usually impracticable to distinguish by odour alone between the methyl and ethyl esters of a particular acid.) Methyl and ethyl o. alate, and methyl and ethyl phthalate are almost odourless. Succinic and tartaric esters have faint odours. 

If a phenol is not indicated, the solution may contain an aliphatic acid. Transfer to a distilling-flask, make definitely acid with dih H2SO4, and distil the volatile formic and acetic acids if present will distil over. If the distillation gives negative reactions, test the residual solution in the flask for oxalic, succinic, lactic, tartaric and citric acids and glycine, remembering that the solution is strongly acid. 

TEST Formic Acetic OxaJic Succinic Lactic Tartaric Citric Benzoic Salicylic Phthalic Cinnamic... 

Oxalic (Hibdrate) Malonio Sttooinio Qluiaric Adipic Pimclic Suberic Aiclaic Scbacic Malic Mocic Fumaric Maleic Meaaoonic Citraconic Itaoonio Camphoric roC Tartaric mcco Tartaric d.Tartahc. Citric (hydrated) Aconitic... 

The purified commercial di-n-butyl d-tartrate, m.p. 22°, may be used. It may be prepared by using the procedure described under i o-propyl lactate (Section 111,102). Place a mixture of 75 g. of d-tartaric acid, 10 g. of Zeo-Karb 225/H, 110 g. (136 ml.) of redistilled n-butyl alcohol and 150 ml. of sodium-dried benzene in a 1-litre three-necked flask equipped with a mercury-sealed stirrer, a double surface condenser and an automatic water separator (see Fig. Ill, 126,1). Reflux the mixture with stirring for 10 hours about 21 ml. of water collect in the water separator. FUter off the ion-exchange resin at the pump and wash it with two 30-40 ml. portions of hot benzene. Wash the combined filtrate and washings with two 75 ml. portions of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by lOu ml. of water, and dry over anhydrous magnesium sulphate. Remove the benzene by distillation under reduced pressure (water pump) and finally distil the residue. Collect the di-n-butyl d-tartrate at 150°/1 5 mm. The yield is 90 g. 

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