The crystals of both dextro and lævo tartaric acids prove to be
pyro-electric, that is, develop electric excitation when slightly
heated. The end which exhibits the development of the clinodome develops
positive electricity in each case, when the crystal is allowed to cool
after warming, so that the two varieties are oppositely pyro-electric,
just as they are oppositely optically active. The most convenient method
of demonstrating the fact is to dust a little of Kundt’s powder, a
mixture of finely powdered red lead and sulphur, through a fine muslin
sieve on to the crystal as it cools. The sulphur becomes negatively
electrified and the red lead positively by mutual friction of the
particles in the sifting, and the sulphur thus attaches itself to the
positively electrified part of the crystal and the red lead to the
negatively electrified end. This phenomenon of the development by the
two varieties of an optically active substance of opposite electrical
polarity has since been shown to be a general one.
Finally, on mixing concentrated solutions containing equivalent weights
of dextro and lævo tartaric acid Pasteur observed that heat was evolved,
a sign of chemical combination, and the solution afterwards deposited on
cooling crystals of racemic acid. Hence, the only conclusion possible is
that racemic acid must be a molecular compound of the two oppositely
optically active tartaric acids. It thus partakes of the character of a
double salt, analogous to potassium magnesium sulphate for instance.
Consequently the crystal structure is one in which alternating molecules
of the two acids are uniformly distributed, and the case is actually
presented of two oppositely enantiomorphous sets of molecules producing
a homogeneous structure.
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