[ 405 ] 

 LI. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON SOME NEW DERIVATIVES OF CHLOROFORM. 

 BY PROF. WILLIAMSON. 



ACCORDING to the results of recent researches in the constitution 

 of salts and the methods thence introduced of explaining chemical 

 reactions, it is equally correct to represent such a reaction as that of 

 hydrochloric acid on hydrate of potash, as consisting in an exchange 

 of hydrogen of the one for potassium of the other, or of chlorine in 

 one for peroxide of hydrogen in the other. In Mr. Kay's researches 

 as described in the following brief outline, this notion has obtained 

 very striking illustration; for he has obtained a peculiar body in 

 which the chlorine of chloroform is replaced by peroxide of sethyle 

 by the action of chloroform on three atoms of sethylate of sodium, 

 which product may be equally well conceived to be a body in which 

 the hydrogen of three atoms of alcohol is replaced by the tribasic 

 radical of chloroform. 



According to the older theories of the capacity of saturation of 

 salts, this compound would contain a tribasic modification of formic 

 acid, for it has the same relation to formic aether as a so-called tri- 

 basic phosphate has to a monobasic one. 



To one equivalent of chloroform were added, by degrees, three 

 equivalents of dry and powdered sethylate of soda, a violent action 

 taking place with the evolution of much heat ; the liquid was entirely 

 distilled from the residue (chloride of sodium) by means of an oil- 

 bath, and then subjected to a series of fractional distillations, which 

 yielded a small distillate between 50° and 60° C, smelling strongly 

 of vinous aether, a large distillate (about three-fourths of the whole) 

 between 77° and 78° C., which was chiefly alcohol, and another small 

 distillate (about one-sixth) between 145° and 145°' 3 C. 



The distillates obtained by the above process, except that of alcohol, 

 being small, the following modification was adopted. 



Sodium was dissolved in absolute alcohol until the action became 

 feeble, chloroform was then added, care being taken to keep the 

 liquid alkaline ; more sodium was then added, and the process re- 

 peated several times, until the chloride of sodium precipitated be- 

 came very bulky. The liquid was then distilled off and chloroform 

 added to the residue, and also distilled off. To this first distillate 

 sodiuni was again added, and treated with the last distillate instead 

 of pure chloroform, the same precautions being used as before. This 

 method gave similar distillates, and in about the same proportion as 

 that first used ; the highest distillate however boiled constantly at 

 146° instead of at 145°-3 C. 



This compound which boils at 145° to 146° C. is a colourless 

 limpid liquid, only slightly soluble in water, having a strongly aro- 

 matic odour, readily inflammable and burning without much smoke ; 

 its specific gravity is '8964 ; it remained liquid at 0° F. 



Several analyses made of this ])ody agree in giving to it the for- 

 mula O H16 03, which would also be the empirical formula of a 

 tribasic formic- aether ; the density of its vapour also corresponds very 

 closely with the same formula. 



