( 439 ) 
is not capable of taking up a fourth nitro-group. The only exception 
as yet known is tetranitrophenylmethylnitramine discovered by VAN 
RoMBURGH in 1889 and obtained by the action of fuming nitric 
acid on two different trinitrophenyldimethylanilines. !) 
n NO: 
N(CHs)s ‘aise N(CH), 
re 
mR 
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, 
| — _ 
xe ¥ NO, NOs NO, 
x Pe | al 
NO, NO, 
Van RoMBURGH has proved that the nitro-group placed between 
two other nitro-groups is very mobile and readily liable to substi- 
tution (by OH, OCHa, etc.) 
_ Of late years, Nrerzkr has prepared a tetranitrophenol and a 
tetranitrobenzene, partly in an indirect way, by oxidation of oximes ; 
the first one by oxidation of a trioxime (in this case a NO,- 
group also enters), the second one by oxidation of a dinitro- 
dinitrosobenzene. *) 
Dr. BLANKSMA now subjected m. nitro- and m.m. dinitromethyl- 
aniline to the action of concentrated nitric acid and proved that 
the first one yielded vaN RomBuURGH’s tetranitrophenylmethylnitramine 
but that the second one gave the corresponding pentanitroderivative : 
H NO, 
N ou, N CH, 
Aes 
DN NO, NO, 
—s 
| NOs NO, 
NO, 
1) Recueil 8. 973. It will be seen that the formation of the tetranitroproduct is 
accompanied by a substitution of one of the CH,-groups by NO. 
2) B, 30. 181, 34. 55. 
On 
