[ 239 ] 



XL. On a New Series of Organic Bodies containing Metals, 

 By Dr. E. Frankland^ F.C.S., Professor of Chemistry, Owen's 

 College, Manchester. 



[Continued from p. 170.] 

 Action of Zinc upon Iodide of Methyle. 



WHEN iodide of methyle and zinc are exposed to a tem- 

 perature of about 150° C. in a sealed tube, the zinc 

 gradually dissolves with the evolution of gas, whilst a mass of 

 white crystals and a colourless mobile liquid, refracting hght 

 strongly, occupy, after a few hours, the place of the original 

 materials. The gas evolved on breaking off the capillary extre- 

 mity of the previously exhausted decomposition tube, was col- 

 lected and preserved over sulphuretted water in the manner 

 already described : I will refer to this gas again under the name 

 of a. On cutting off the upper portion of the decomposition 

 tube and pouring cold distilled water upon the mobile liquid and 

 white mass of crystals just mentioned, a very violent action 

 ensued, and a column of flame several feet high shot up momen- 

 tarily from the mouth of the tube ; but the action soon became 

 more moderate, and a cork and gas- delivering tube being fitted 

 into the decomposition tube, the gas, after all atmospheric air 

 had been expelled, was collected and preserved in an apparatus 

 similar to that used for the gas a. I will call this second gas /S. 

 Zincmethylium. — From a preliminary experiment, it was ascer- 

 tained that the gas evolved on opening the decomposition tube 

 possessed, before contact with water, a most insupportable and 

 very peculiar odour, and that, when ignited or brought in con- 

 tact with pure oxygen gas, it burnt with a greenish-blue flame, 

 producing dense white fumes : when a porcelain plate was held 

 in this flame, it immediately became coated with a jet black 

 deposit, surrounded by a white ring ; this black deposit dissolved 

 in dilute hydrochloric acid with evolution of hydrogen gas, and 

 the solution was found to contain chloride of zinc. Hence it was 

 evident that a volatile or gaseous compound of zinc was present 

 amongst the products of decomposition, and this was soon found 

 to reside in the mobile liquid above mentioned ; for on inverting 

 the tube and allowing a few drops of the liquid to escape, it 

 inflamed spontaneously the instant it came in contact with the 

 air, and produced, by its combustion, large quantities of oxide 

 of zinc. In order to obtain this liquid in a state of purity, 

 another tube was charged with iodide of methyle and excess of 

 zinc, and subjected to a heat of 150° or 160° C. until every 

 trace of iodide of methyle was decomposed. The drawn out 

 extremity of the tube being broken off, the included gas was 

 allowed to escape, and the liquid contents were then separated 



