ANNUAL REPORTS O N THE PROGRESS OF CHEMISTRY i ł ' ?. ¡ G j k 3 ANNUAL REPORTS O N THE PROGRESS OF CHEMISTRY FOR 1943. ISSUED BY THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY Committee of Publication: Chairman : T. S. M o o r e , M.A., B.Sc. N. K. A d a m , M.A., Sc.D., F.R.S. I. M. H e i l b r o n , D.S.O., D.Sc., LL.D., A. J. A l l m a n d , M.C., D.Sc., F.R.S. F.R.S. R. P. B e l l , M.A., B.Sc. T. A. H e n r y , D.Sc. G. M. B e n n e t t , M.A., Sc.D. D. H. H e y , Ph.D., D.Sc., F.I.C. E. J. B o w e n , M.A., F.R.S. E. L. H i r s t , M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S. H. V. A. B r i s c o e , D.Sc., F.I.C. E. D. H u g h e s , D.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C. J. E. C o a t e s , O.B.E., D.Sc., F.I.C. J . K e n y o n , D.Sc., F.R.S. J. W. C o o k , D.Sc., F.R.S. F. G . M a n n , D.Sc., F.I.C. C. W. D a v i e s , D.Sc., F.I.C. H. W . M e l v i l l e , Ph.D., D.Sc., F.R.S. F. P. D unn, B.Sc., F.I.C. W. H. M i l l s , M.A., Sc.D., F.R.S. H. J. E m e l £ u s , D.Sc., A.R.C.S. A. R o b e r t s o n , M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. W . E. G a r n e r , D.Sc., F.R.S. J. L. S i m o n s e n , D.Sc., F.I.C., F.R.S. J. M. G u l l a n d , M.A., D.Sc., Ph.D. J. C. S m i t h , M.A., M.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc. C. R. H a r i n g t o n , M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. S. S u g d e n , D.Sc., F.R.S. G. S. H a r t l e y , D.Sc. A. R. T o d d , D.Sc., D.Phil., F.R.S. R. D. H a w o r t h , D.Sc., Ph.D. W. W a r d l a w , D.Sc., F.I.C. Editor : Assistant Editor: C l a r e n c e S m i t h , D.Sc. A. D. M i t c h e l l , D.Sc. Indexer: M a r g a r e t L e P l a , B.Sc. Contributors: D. H. B a n g h a m , M.C., M.A., D.Sc. J. G . N. G a s k i n , B.Sc., F.I.C. E. J. B o w e n , M.A., F.R.S. L. J. H a r r i s , Sc.D., D.Sc., F.I.C. H. T. S. B r i t t o n , D.Sc., D.I.C., F.I.C. E. R. H. J o n e s , D.Sc., F.R.I.C. E. C h a i n , Ph.D. R. M a r k h a m , M.A. H. J. E m e l £ u s , D.Sc. H. T. O p e n s h a w , M.A., D.Phil. J. W. J. F ay, Ph.D., D.I.C. L. N. O w e n , B.Sc., Ph.D. H. W. F l o r e y , M.A., Ph.D., M.B., J. M. R o b e r t s o n , M.A., D.Sc., Ph.D. F.R.S. F. S. S p r i n g , D.Sc., Ph.D. 0 . R. F r i s c h , D.Sc. A. J. E. W e l c h , Ph.D., D.I.C. Vol. XL. LONDON: THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1944. CONTENTS PAGE RADIOACTIVITY AND SUB-ATOMIC PHENOMENA : By 0 . R. F r i s c h .....................................................................................................................................5 GENERAL AND PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY : 1. T h e A b s o r p t io n S p e c t r a o f O r g a n i c S u b s t a n c e s , a n d W a v e - m e c h a n i c s . By E. J. B o w e n ....... 12 2. P h y s i c a l C h e m i s t r y o f C o a l a n d C arbonaceous M a t e r i a l s . B y D. H. B a n g h a m .................................................................................................................... 29 3. T h e A p p l i c a t i o n o f E lectrometric M e t h o d s t o t h e S t u d y o f S o m e I o n ic R e a c t i o n s . B y H. T. S. B r it t o n .... 43 INORGANIC CHEMISTRY: 1. G e n e r a l . B y H. J. E m e l Au s ....... 60 2. T h e P r e p a r a t i o n o f t h e S o l i d E l e m e n t s i n a S t a t e o f P u r i t y . By A. J. E. W e l c h .................................................................................................................... 68 CRYSTALLOGRAPHY : By J. M. R o b e r t s o n . 1. I ntroduction a n d G e n e r a l ........ 84 2 . I n o r g a n ic S t r u c t u r e s ......... 86 3. O r g a n ic S t r u c t u r e s . 9 1 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: 1. I ntroduction .......... 98 2. G e n e r a l M e t h o d s . B y F. S. S p r i n g ...... 101 3. C arbohydrates . By L. N. O w e n . 109 4 . S t e r o i d S y n t h e s e s . B y E. R. H. J o n e s ..... 122 5. H o r m o n e s o f A d r e n a l C o r t e x . B y F. S. S p r i n g .... 1 47 6. H eterocyclic C o m p o u n d s . B y H. T. O p e n s h a w . .160 BIOCHEMISTRY : 1. N u t r i t i o n . B y L. J. H a r r is . .177 2. A ntibacterial S u b s t a n c e s p r o d u c e d b y B a c t e r i a a n d F u n g i . By E . C h a i n a n d H. W . F l o r e y ...... 1 8 0 3. V i r u s e s . B y R . M a r k h a m ........ 1 9 7 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY: 1. A n a l y s i s o f S t e e l s . B y J. G. N. G a s k i n .............................................................2 0 4 2. F r a c t i o n a l D istillation . B y J. W . J. F a y ..... 216 P r i n t e d i n G r e a t B r i t a i n b y R i c h a r d C l a y a n d C o m p a n y , L t d . B u n g a y , S u f f o l k . ANNUAL REPORTS ON THE PROGRESS OF CHEMISTRY. RADIOACTIVITY AND SUB-ATOMIC PHENOMENA. T h e study of subatomic phenomena has been made possible through the development of a number of special research tools. Some of them have been known for several years, but others have" been invented quite recently. On the whole, the methods of nuclear physics have been fairly stationary for some time, and it is felt that a survey might be welcome to chemists. Only few subatomic phenomena occur spontaneously in Nature, viz., those connected with natural radioactivity and with cosmic radiation. All others have to be produced by artificial means, and because of the great stability of all nuclear structures it is necessary to concentrate large energy on a single particle. The only known way of doing this is to place an electrically charged particle in a strong electrical field in which it gets accelerated. The ultimate kinetic energy achieved is equal to the potential difference through which the particle moved in the process of acceleration, multiplied by its charge.