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Description

Hofmann describes how, in the process of attempting to purify cuminic acid by boiling it with chromic acid, he observed that the acid experienced a progressive alteration. He states that after 24 hours, the cuminic acid is completely converted into an acid insoluble in alcohol and ether. For this substance he proposes the provisional name of insolinic acid. He presents an analysis of the acid.

Subject: Analytical chemistry

Received 20 December 1855.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 8 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On insolinic acid'.

Reference number
AP/38/2
Earliest possible date
1855
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
16 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

August Wilhelm von Hofmann

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Citation

August Wilhelm von Hofmann, Unpublished paper, 'On insolinic acid' by A W [August Wilhelm von] Hofmann, 1855, AP/38/2, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_38_2/unpublished-paper-on-insolinic-acid-by-a-w-august-wilhelm-von-hofmann, accessed on 05 November 2024

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    Dates: 1768-1989

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

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