The reaction between trans-crotonic acid as well as 2 : 2-dimethyl acrylic acid and bromine has been studied in carbon tetrachloride solution in the dark. The reaction is found to be quite a complex one involving both homogeneous and heterogeneous phases. The course of the reaction is governed by the nature of the olefine and the nature of the catalysing surface.

Iodine bromide and chloride as well as pyridine have been used as catalysts for the reaction between bromine and crotonic and dimethyl acrylic acids. The reaction is quite complex and does not seem to conform to any simple rate equation. Even with the addition of the catalyst, the heterogeneous part of the reaction does not seem to be eliminated.

The thermal addition of bromine to allyl compounds has been studied in acetic acid-carbon tetrachloride solvent mixtures at various temperatures. The influence of solvents and substituents on the reaction mechanism has been discussed.

The thermal addition of bromine to cyclohexene and phenyl ethylenes has been studied in acetic acid-carbon tetrachloride mixtures and the order of reactivity is found to be cyclohexene > styrene > triphenyl ethylene > stilbene. Polarising force of the substituent can explain to a certain extent, the difference in the reactivity between the cis and the trans-compounds.

The reaction between bromine and theα-β olefine acids has been studied in acetic acid carbon tetrachloride mixtures and the influence of the solvent on the reaction has been discussed. The induction period and autocatalysis depend on the nature of the olefine, its concentration and the solvent composition. The change to a more polar medium speeds up the rate, when the charge is generated in the transition state. With an increase in the nonpolar component the frequency factor is found to decrease. A linear relationship between logk₃ and (D−1)/(2D+1) is also noted.

A complete analysis of the work on the addition of bromine ethylene derivatives under varying conditions of structure, solvent and temperature brings out the composite nature of the reaction. With the Roberts-Kimball postulate as the starting-point, it is found that the variations in reaction order can be readily understood from the variations in the importance of the rate determining step. A mechanism incorporating all the details is presented.

Kinetic data are reported for the decarboxylation of malonic acid in esters at different temperatures. The activation parameters are calculated and shown to favour the polar mechanism for the decarboxylation. Inductive and steric effects of the various solvents on the rate are discussed.

Kinetic studies on the oxidation of phenol and 4-nitro and 4-methyl phenols by phenyl iodoso acetate are reported here. The reaction rate depends on the dielectric constant of the medium. A probable mechanism for the oxidation is also suggested. The free energies of activation for the oxidation of the three substrates studied are in accordance with the mechanism proposed.