190 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



used, Sodic picrate, therefore, does not act on tribromdinitiobenzol 

 at 100'. 



In the hope that tribromtrinitrobenzol would prove more reactive 

 than the diuitro compound in this case, as it has in many others, the 

 experiment was repeated with this substance, 5 gr. of tribromtri- 

 nitrobenzol to 8.3 gr. of sodic picrate mixed with alcohol and benzol 

 being used, but after twelve hours' boiling the 5 gr. of the trinitro 

 compound were recovered unaltered. 



The sodium salt of nitromethane was also tried with tribromdi- 

 nitrobenzol. 10 gr. of the latter substance dissolved in alcohol and 

 benzol were mixed with 4.5 gr. of nitromethane previously treated 

 with the sodic ethylate from 1.8 gr. of sodium. The mixture after 

 standing for some time in the cold became brownish red, and the 

 sodium salt suspended in the solution gradually disappeared, but 

 upon working up the product 9.5 gr. of the tribromdinitrobenzol 

 w^ere recovered, unaltered, showing that there had been no action 

 worth considering. In a previous experiment another compound was 

 obtained in small quantity, but we are inclined to ascribe its forma- 

 tion to sodic ethylate, or the products of the decomposition of the 

 sodium salt of nitromethane rather than to that substance itself. 

 We hope to return to this subject next year. ^ ^ 



We had intended to include in this research the action of sodic 

 hydrate in alcoholic solution upon tribromdinitrobenzol ; but since 

 we obtained from a preliminary experiment bromdinitroresorcine 

 diethylether, recognized by its mdting point (182° instead of 184° 

 after one crystallization) as the principal product, we thought the 

 subject did not promise to be of sufficient interest to repay future 

 work. 



Some preliminary experiments with mononitrotiibronibenzol and 

 sodic ethylate seemed to promise interesting results, but this part 

 of the work must be postponed until next year. 



Action of Malonic Ester on Trihromdinitrohenzol. 



In previous papers * of this series it has been proved that in the 

 formation of bromdinitrophenylmalonic ester from sodium malonic 

 ester and tribromdinitrobenzol the bromine atom replaced by hy- 

 drogen stands between two nitro groups. In view of this fact, it 

 seemed desirable to determine whether the ease with which this atom 



* These Proceedings, xxiv. 248, 250 (1889). 



