Electrical Resistivity and Magnetic Susceptibility Measurements on Copper Arsenides

Electrical resistivity (4.2–800°K) and magnetic susceptibility (4.2–500°K) measurements are carried out on Cu_3–xAs, Cu_5–xAs₂ and the recently obtained, tetragonal Cu₂As. All three compounds appear to be metallic conductors, but have high residual resistances because of the large defect concentrations (resulting from non-stoichiometry and preparation method). Cu_3–xAs is diamagnetic; Cu_5–xAs₂ is Pauli-paramagnetic; Cu₂As has a very small, constant, positive susceptibility above room temperature and a more pronounced Curie-Weiss behaviour at lower temperatures. The Pauli-paramagnetic contributions have been estimated. A slight anomaly in the electric and magnetic behaviour of Cu_3–xAs is observed at 220°K. To clarify the high-temperature phenomena, a series of D.T.A. and X-ray experiments has also been carried out.     

Hydrogenation of furfural with alkali-metal amalgams

The possibility of reducing furfural to furyl alcohol with potassium and sodium amalgams under the conditions of neutralizing the alkali formed with carbon dioxide has been investigated. The reduction of furfural can be directed to the predominant formation of furyl alcohol by regulating the rate of feed of furfural into the reaction vessel.     

Indolo[3,3a,4-gh]chinoline und 10a, 6a-Iminopropano-indolo-[3,3a,4-gh]chinoline. Stereospezifische Synthesen und Umlagerungen. Teil II. 9. Mitteilung über synthetische Indolverbindungen

Alkaline hydrolysis of 1-benzyl-4, 4-dicyanoethyl-5-oxo-1,3,4,5-tetrahydro-benzo-[cd]indole under controlled conditions leads to 4-benzyl-4,6,7,8-tetrahydro-10a, 6a-iminopropanoindolo[3,3a,4-gh]quinoline-9(10H),12-dione ( 2a ), the first representative of such a ring system. Alkylation of this di-lactam affords the N-monoalkyl ( 2b ), the N, N'-dialkyl ( 3 ), and the N, O-dialkyl ( 4 ) derivatives according to the conditions employed. Treatment of compounds such as 2 with sodium in liquid ammonia results in the opening of one of the lactam rings by a stereoelectronically controlled reductive cleavage of the benzylamine bond; subsequent protonation proceeds stereospecifically to give trans-octahydroindolo[3,3a, 4-gh]quinolines (viz. 5 ). The NMR. spectra and the mechanism of the reductive ring opening are discussed.