82 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



MENKE'S METHOD OF PREPARING HYPONITRITES. 



BY ALFRED N. COOK. 



Hyponitrites were first prepared in 1871 by Edward 

 Divers* by reducing an allvaline nitrate in water solution 

 by means of sodium amalgam. About seven years later 

 A. E. Menkef, of Kings College, London, obtained a com- 

 pound by heating cast iron filings with sodium nitrate 

 which Professor Bloxam suggested to be the com- 

 pound discovered by Dr. Divers. An analysis of the 

 sodium determined as sodium sulphate and an analysis of 

 the nitrogen determined as ammonia yielded the theoret- 

 ical amounts of these elements, all within tlie limits of 

 experimental error. On drying at 100*"' C. it lost in weight 

 corresponding to three molecules of water of crystalliza- 

 tion. He also prepared the silver salt and analyzed it, and 

 the results corresponded to theory. 



Some time since, while engaged in the study of "hyponi- 

 trites ", I endeavored to prepare sodium hypouitrite by 

 Menke's method. It appealed to me as being the cheapest 

 and most convenient, and as one that would give a large 

 yield. I obtained a crystalline, fluorescent salt which, 

 when dried at 100*^ C. lost in weight corresponding to four 

 molecules of w^ater of crystallization. It yielded on analy- 

 sis the theoretical amount of sodium in sodium hypoui- 

 trite. When a water solution was treated with a solution 

 of silver nitrate, it yielded a precipitate which had the 

 appearance of the silver salt of hyponitrous acid described 

 by Dr. Divers. On analysis it yielded the theoretical 

 amount of silver in silver hypouitrite. On treating the 



•Journal of the London Chemical Society, 1871, 48J. 



tJonrnal of the London Chemical Society, 1878, Transactions, 401. 



