[CONTRIBUTION FROM
THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY,
INDIANA UNIVERSITY]
REARRANGEMENT I N T H E BENZOIN SERIES* FLOYD L. JAMES
ROBERT E. LYONS
WITH
Received April 23, 1938
The rearrangement of benzoin to diphenylacetic acid was discovered by Lachman.l By long heating in sealed tubes in the presence of aqueous solutions of phosphoric or sulfuric acids a t temperatures up to 230” he was able to convert as high as 9 per cent. of the benzoin to diphenylacetic acid. Considerable decomposition to diphenylmethane and carbon dioxide occurred, however. (CBH~)~CHCOOH C6H6CHOHCOC&& (CsHs)zCHz -k c02
