GLUTARIC

ACID, or NORMAL PYROTARTARIC ACID  , H02C•CH2•CH2•CH2•CO2H, an organic acid prepared by the reduction of a-oxyglutaric acid with hydriodic acid, by reducing glutaconic acid, HO2C• CH2• CH:CH • CO2H, with sodium amalgam, by conversion of trimethylene bromide into the cyanide and hydrolysis of this compound, or from acetoacetic ester, which, in the form of its sodium derivative, condenses with /3=iodopropionic ester to form acetoglutaric ester, CH3•CO•CH(CO2C2H5)•CH2•CH2•CO2C2H5, from which glutaric acid is obtained by hydrolysis . It is also obtained when sebacic, stearic and oleic acids are oxidized with nitric acid . It crystallizes in large monoclinic prisms which melt at 97' 5° C., and distils between 3020 and 3040 C., practically without decomposition . It is soluble in water, alcohol and ether . By long heating the acid is converted into its anhydride, which, however, is obtained more readily by heating the silver salt of the acid with acetyl chloride . By distillation of the ammonium salt glutarimide, CH2(CH2•CP)2NH, is obtained; it forms small crystals melting at 151° to 152° C. and sublimes unchanged . On the alkyl glutaric acids, see C . Hell (Ber., 1889, 22, pp . 48, 6o), C . A . Bischoff (Ber., 1891, 24, p . 1041), K .

Auwers (Ber., 1891, 24, p . 1923) and W . H .

Perkin, junr . Grown . Chem . Soc., x896, 69, p .