The research confirmed the fact that chlorine dioxide and sodiu~n chlorite were not equivalent i11 their oxidizing properties. At 22' C. or less, the oxidation of pyrogallol by aqueous s o c l i~~~n chlorite a t pH 6 was very slow, but became very rapid on the acid side of pH 3.5. The amorphous, colored products probably did not include purpurogallin. Under similar circumsta~lces p-h~~drosybenzaldehyde was unaffected a t pH 6 ; 22% was oxidized t o p-benzoquino~le (Dalcin's reaction) a t pH 5, and this amount increased to 39y0 a t pH 1. The yield of benzoquinone was about 24% regardless of pH within the above range when aqueous chlorine dioxide was the oxidant. Sodiunl chlorite a t pH 0.9 produced a 91% yield of rnethoxy-p-quinone from 1nethoxy-p-hydroq~1i11011e; a t pH 4 this product was nixed with 56% of 4,4'-dirnethoxydiq~~inone, but near pH 6 a slower oxidation did not proceed beyo~ld 4,4'-dimethoxyquinhpdrone. Aqueous chlorine dioxide yielded a t least 02y0 of monomeric methoxyquinone a t all pH values between 1 and 6, probably in accord with the equation, 3 hydroquinonef3 C102+ 3 quinonef2 HCIfHCIO3 ( f 3 O f 3 H).The simultaneous formation of hydrogen peroxide mas suspected, but not proved.In sharp distinction to the behavior of free phenols, veratraldehyde was not oxidized by aqueous chlorine dioxide between pH 6 and pH 3, but a t pH 1 a slov reaction yielded up to 15% of veratric acid. Sodium chlorite produced about 02% of the same acid a t pH 1 and pH 4, but its action was negligible a t pH 5.Since by-product chlorine dioxide was ineffective a t pH 4, it was possible t o confirm the validity of the Jcanes-Isbell equation for the reduction of chlorous acid: CGH~(OCH~)UCI-IOfS HCIO2-> C~I-la(OCH~)~COOH+2 ClO~+HCI+H?O. The oxidation of acetyl;~ted vanillin was complicated by the occurrence of deacetylation. Red, chlorinated oils with quinoidal properties were also formed in most of the above oxiclatio~ls.Although aqueous solutions of sodium chlorite and of chlorine dioxide have often been coilsidered to be equivalent in their bleaching action, a recent research (11) sho.vvecl that they oxidized vanillin in somewhat different ways. Oxidations with chlorine dioxide a t 20' C. seemed to be independent oi the hydrogen ion concentration between pI-I 1 and pH G and did not alter the aldehyde group in vanillin. Sodium chloi-ite, however, had no effect a t pI-I 6 , produced about 18y0 of 5-chlorovanillin a t pH 5 , appeared to duplicate the behavior of chlorine dioxide a t pH 4, and produced derivatives of vanillic acid a t pI-I 3 or less. In order to determine the characteristics ot the two oxidants more fully, their action on several other phenolic substances has now been studied. Schmidt, and Sperliil (27) observed that an excess of chlorine clioxide in presence of a vanadium chloride catalyst produced about yields of 1