2 HYPONITRITE FROM NITRITE THROUGH 



scribes the resolution of benzenesnlphonic hydroxylamide by 

 potassium hydroxide into liyponitrite and benzenesulphinate, with 

 a yield also of half the calculated quantity of the former salt. 



As we have, each of us, very many times practised the 

 oxyamidosulphonate method of getting liyponitrite and have not 

 published the details of work which must be attended to in 

 order to get high yields, it seems to us that we shall be doing 

 a service by describing how to work the process.* After so 

 much experience, we ourselves can count on getting a yield of 

 sixty per cent, of the theoretical quantity (occasionally getting 

 much more but without discovering how we had been so suc- 

 cessful). The full quantity of silver liyponitrite would be just 

 twice the weio-ht of the sodium nitrite, while we oet one-and- 

 a-fifth times its weight. In what follows we assume that the 

 convenient quantity of 2 decigram-molecules of sodium nitrite 

 is taken, from which about 17 grams of silver liyponitrite may 

 be obtained. 



In order to limit the quantity of potassium hydroxide re- 

 quired, which is very large in any case, no more water than 

 is necessary must be used. Except for the particular attention 

 to be given to this point, the process begins exactly like that of 

 making hydroxylamine sulphate from nitrite (This Journal, 1896, 

 9, 291). In a tared, wide-mouthed, round-bottomed flask of 

 200-250cc. capacity, 14.4 grams of 96 per cent, sodium nitrite,** 

 together with sodium carbonate containing 10.6 grams of an- 

 hydrous carbonate, are dissolved by heat iu enough water to 



* Kirschner's method is an excellent form of onr procesi^, but I prefer tliat de'^crihed in 

 this paper. — E.D. 



** But, preferably, 13.8 gr. pure sodium nitrite, this being now very easy to prepare 

 (this vol. p. 15). 



