Abstract
This work was undertaken in order to determine the influence of the triphenylmethyl group on the course of the hydrolysis of the esters of secondary alcohols containing this group. The resolution of the hydrogen phthalic ester of triphenylmethyl phenyl carbinol is described. The hydrolysis of this ester in both acid and alkaline media gives rise to decomposition products of the carbinol; these reactions are discussed and compared with reactions of carbinols having similar constitutions. An unusual reaction of the hydrogen phthalic ester with Grignard reagents is described, together with the preparation of the optically active forms of triphenylmethyl phenyl carbinol by reduction of the optically active forms of the hydrogen phthalic ester with lithium aluminium hydride. A further section consists of a description, and discussion on their nature, of a series of crystalline molecular compounds formed by optically active triphenyl-methyl phenyl carbinyl hydrogen phthalate with a large number of solvents.