I. Note on the electrolytic conduction of some organic bodies

Abstract

During our early researches* on the copper-zinc couple it naturally occurred to us that we were employing a special means of electrolysis acting at insensible distances; but the first organic substances which we succeeded in decomposing by means of this agent were such as are usually considered non-electrolytic—for instance, iodide of ethyl; and we obtained the remarkable result that when some of these were mixed with alcohol they were much more readily decomposed, although pure alcohol itself is not attacked by the couple of dissimilar metals. From time to time we experimented with external batteries of 10 or 50 cells of Grove, in order to obtain some direct evidence of the electrolyzability of these compounds in the ordinary way, but with only negative results. On the 26th of April, 1875, however, we made a series of experiments, employing 100 Grove’s cells, and obtained results which we did not pursue further at the time, but which we think interesting, especially in -connexion with the experiments on other but similar bodies which Dr. Bleekrode has lately communicated to the Eoyal Society, and a short notice of which appears in the last Number of its ‘ Proceedings.’ We used for the experiments a glass tube, about 5 millims. diameter, closed at one end, into which were fused two platinum wires, about 1 millim. apart. The liquids were placed in this tube, and the wires connected with the terminal wires of the battery, an ordinary astatic galvanometer being placed in the circuit. The results obtained are as follows:— Ethyl Iodide .—Nil