M. Natanson on Acetylamine. 195 



through perchloride of antimony. It was conducted along with 

 ammonia^ both gases being quite dry, into a capacious vessel. 

 The mass obtained was treated with absolute alcohol, the alco- 

 holic solution evaporated to dryness, and the residue dissolved in 

 a small quantity of cold water. On the addition of nitric acid, 

 the characteristic nitrate of urea is obtained. The presence of 

 urea was confirmed by other reagents. 



Natanson* found that by the action of chloride of elayle on 

 ammonia, a base, the oxide of acetylammonium, was produced. 

 The investigation of this he has resumed, and communicates now 

 his results. He finds that oxide of acetylammonium splits up at 

 a higher temperature into acetylamine and water, — 



g ^NO, H0= H ^N+2H0. 



hJ hj 



An alcoholic solution of pure hydrated oxide of acetylammo- 

 nium is heated in a retort until all the alcohol has distilled ofi"; 

 if the temperature be then raised, drops of water containing 

 acetylamine dissolved pass over. This water results from the 

 decomposition ; and after it has almost ceased to come over, the 

 temperature is raised to 220° C, at which point yellowish oily 

 drops come over, which consist almost entirely of pure acetyl- 

 amine. Above that point other products of decomposition are 

 formed, and the acetylamine passes over in very small quantity. 

 On rectification, the acetylamine was found to boil at 218° C. 

 Pure acetylamine is an almost colourless, oily liquid, of peculiar 

 adherent odour. Its specific gravity is 0*975. At ordinary tem- 

 peratures it smells like aldehyde-ammonia ; the vapours of boil- 

 ing acetylamine smell like pure aniline. Acetylamine is miscible 

 with alcohol and water, but not with aether. On dry litmus it has 

 no action, but on the addition of water the paper becomes blue. 

 It has a caustic taste. Sodium has no action on it. Acids form 

 with it salts which have all the characters of the salts of acetyl- 

 ammonium. On the addition of potash to a solution of the 

 sulphate, the characteristic odour of acetylamine is not perceived. 

 Acetylamine is eliminated therefore in the form of the inodorous 

 oxide of acetylammonium. In the air, acetylamine attracts 

 moisture and carbonic acid; in contact with hydrochloric acid 

 gas, white vapours are formed. With solutions of the metals, 

 many characteristic reactions are observed. 



When acetylamine is heated with iodide of sethyle, an iodide 

 of the sethylated base is obtained. By treatment with potash 

 * Liebig's Annalen, June, p. 291. 

 02 



