CHEMICAL DETECTION REACTIONS.

The reactions of amines with phenyl-, allyl-, and propargylchloroformates have been studied. The phenylchloroformate undergoes reaction with tertiary amines having a methyl group on the nitrogen to give methyl chloride in equamolar amounts to the amine used. A tertiary amine will cause decomposition of many moles of allyl- or propargylchloroformate to give allyl- or propargylchlorides, carbon dioxide, and the original amine. Only if reaction occurs between the amine and the allyl chloride is the catalytic effect of the amine destroyed. Solutions of 0.1 M amine cause the decomposition of 13 or more moles of chloroformate while more dilute solutions of amines give less. The amine boranes have been shown to form easily and to withstand hydrolytic conditions which destroy the excess borane. The rapid, quantitative decomposition of the amine borane has provided more difficulty. The use of the substituted borane, phenylborane, gave amine boranes which were more readily hydrolyzed. These Lewis salts were decomposed rapidly with sulfuric-acetic acid mixtures in dioxane. The hydrolysis is quantitative and can be used for quantitative estimation of amines. Author