Die hochmolekularen organischen Verbindungen—KautschuTc und Cellulose

Abstract

PROF. STAUDINGER'S book on “Large Organic Molecules” is based upon a series of sixty-nine papers on “Highly-polymerised Compounds” and thirty-nine papers on “Isoprene and Caoutchouc” which have been issued during the period 1920–26 from Zurich, and during the period 1926–32 from Freiburg, as a record of researches carried out under the inspiration and control of the author. No attempt has been made to cover the whole field, and in particular the large molecules of the proteins have not been considered. Nevertheless a very clear general idea emerges from the detailed experiments of which a summary is now given. The author is in fact a real organic chemist, who believes in real bonds, and is prepared to extend indefinitely the conception of homopolar molecules, in which all the atoms are held together by normal covalences. This idea follows logically from his observations on the progressive polymerisation of compounds such as:

(i) Polyoxymethylene, CH₂C-CH₂-0-(CH₂-0)X-CH₂-0-(ii) Polystyrol, C₆H₅-CH=CH₂-C₆H₅-C-CH-CH₂-(CH-CH₂)_X-CH-CH2- (iii) Polyvinylalcohol, OH OH OH OH I-I-I CH=CH₂-CH-CH₂-(CH-CH₂)X-CH-CH₂- (iv) Sodium polyacrylate, COO-Na-COO-Na-COO-Na-COO-Na- CH-CH₂-CH-CH₂-(CH-CH₂)X-CH-CH₂. In all these cases the early stages of polymerisation obviously depend on the formation of covalent molecules, and it would be illogical to set any limit on the length to which the chains of carbon atoms may be extended when the conditions are favourable.

Die hochmolekularen organischen Verbindungen KautschuTc und Cellulose.

Von Prof. Dr. Hermann Staudinger. Pp. xv + 540. (Berlin: Julius Springer, 1932.) 52 gold marks.