NBF. — NITROPARAPFINE SALTS. 141 



which, as is known^, exists ouly under great tension, must be a strong 

 oxidizing agent which can easily, by intra-molecular oxidation, go 

 over into O : C : NONa and CH2 "• NONa,* which products in turn 

 are readily split into carbonic acid, hydroxylamine nitrous acid, and 

 other compounds. This explains therefore most clearly the intensely 

 violent decomposition of this salt on addition of a small quantity of 

 water, as well as its decomposition, in dilute aqueous solutions, into 

 sodic carbonate, sodic nitrite, and other products. 



On adding sodic nitromethane to dilute acids, the product 



U,C = N-OH 



II 

 O 



is in all probability first formed, which must readily go over, by 

 intra-molecular oxidation, into 0:C;NOH and CH2 : NOH, or into 

 their decomposition products. A slight decomposition, however, into 

 2 CH^O and N2O also takes place, — which in the case of the other 

 primary and the secondary nitroparaifine salts is the chief reaction 

 (see above) . 



The formation of the above mentioned remarkable decomposition 

 products of nitroparaffiue salts, which, as is clearly seen, is due solely 

 to intra-molecular oxidation, find further on their complete analogy in 

 the decomposition products of esters of the formula, 



RCH : NOC2H5 and R-CH : NOCH3 . 



II II 



o o 



These substances also decompose (some spontaneously) by intra-mo- 

 lecular oxidation mto RCH : NOH and CH3CH : O or CH2O. 



* The fulminate of soda, C : NONa, which is first formed as an intermediate 

 product, 



H2C • NONa = C NONa + H2O, 

 II 

 O 



must naturally be converted immediately by the excess of sodic nitromethane 

 present into O : C : NONa, and thus it in turn be reduced to CHo : NONa. It 

 was not possible at any rate, under any condition, to convert sodic nitrome- 

 thane by loss of water into sodium fulminate, — a fact which in view of the 

 enormous tendency of this salt to take up oxygen is almost self-evident. 



