276 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



Preparation of the Tri Sodic Amylate Addition Product of 



Trinitrobenzol. 



To a benzol solution of one gram of trinitrobenzol 1.5 grams of sodic 

 amylate were added gradually, care being taken to keep the mixture 

 cool. The pro^jortions are three molecules of the amylate to each mole- 

 cule of trinitrobenzol- A heavy scarlet precipitate was formed as soon 

 as the substances came together; this was filtered quickly, thoroughly 

 washed with benzol, and dried on a porous plate, after which it was 

 analyzed, with the following results : — 



I. 0.2596 gram of the substance gave 0.1070 gram of sodic sulphate. 



II. 0.1700 gram of the substance gave 0.0680 gram of sodic sulphate. 



III. 0.3190 gram of the substance gave 0.1288 gram of sodic sulphate. 



Calculated for Found. 



C6H3(N02)3(05UuONa)3 I. II. HI. 



Sodium 12.71 13.36 12.96 13.07 



Properties of the Tri Sodic Amylate Addition Compound of Trinitro- 

 benzol, C6H3(N02)3(C5HnONa)3. 



The dry substance is a dark crimson amorphous powder. It is re- 

 markably stable for bodies of this class, since it did not change in color, 

 or show any tendency to become moist, even after standing for two weeks 

 in contact with the air. It is soluble in ethyl or methyl alcohol or ace- 

 tone; very soluble in water; insoluble in benzol, chloroform, carbonic 

 disulphide, or ligroin. The strong acids decompose it at once, giving 

 trinitrobenzol as one of the decomposition products. 



Upon treating trinitrobenzol with sodic methylate or sodic ethylate 

 under the same conditions, products were obtained with the following 

 formulas, if we may judge from the sodium determinations : 



C6H3(N02)3(CH30Na)3Cri30H and CcH3(N02)3(aH50Na)3C2H50H, 



but as these seem an insufficient foundation for such formulas, we shall 

 postpone the description of these substances until we have collected suffi- 

 cient analytical data to establish tlieir composition. They are both red, 

 but decompose more rapidly than the amylate, becoming moist and dis- 

 colored after exposure to the air for a few hours. Heating also decom- 

 posed the methylate body, so that the presence of methyl alcohol of 

 crystallization could not be established in this way. The discussion of 

 the conditions under which these tri bodies are formed instead of the 

 mono compounds will also be postponed until it has been thoroughly 

 settled by further experiments. 



