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Literature Abstracts

 1636.    JONES, N. C.  Activation of Halogen and Carbon Monoxide.  Jour. Phys. Chem., vol. 33, 1929, pp. 1415-1427; Chem. Abs., vol. 24, 1930, p. 275.

       Charcoal activates Cl and Br does not activate CO, H₂, or O₂ to any appreciable extent.  HBr was made rapidly by passing a current of H₂ containing Br over charcoal (99.3% conversion at 200°).  In the COCl₂ synthesis over charcoal Cl is activated, but CO is not, since neither H₂CO nor MeOH could be synthesized from CO and H₂ over charcoal, nor could CO₂ be made from CO and O₂ over charcoal.  Hopcalite activates O₂ not activate either CO or H₂.  No reaction between CO and H₂ could be observed but CO, H₂, and benzene are easily burned with air over hopcalite.  Although benzene seldom burns until the temperature attains 490°, over hopcalite benzene vapor burns completely to CO₂ and H₂O at 78°.  Evidence is presented that CO is a better reducing agent that H₂ by a margin of 30°-50°.  Neither Fe nor Ni activates CO at a point where it reacts with molecular H₂.  CO must be essentially electropositive in character, since it reacts much more readily with O₂ and Cl than it does with H₂, even when all 3 of the latter gases are activated.  CO reacts only with activated monatomic H and not with molecular H₂.  CO does not react with electronegative H₂ at a temperature lower than 500°.  With CaH₂ at this temperature CO gives the same reaction that is produced by CO₂.  This work supports the theory of Fischer and Tropsch (abs. 1018 and abs. 1021) for the mechanism of the hydrogenation of CO at ordinary pressure.

        JONNARD, A.  See abs. 619a.