( 616 ) 
Chemistry. — Dr. P. vaN RoMmBureH: „On the action of nitric 
acid on alkylated amides of p.-toluenesulphonic acid”. (Com- 
municated by Prof. A. P. N. FRANCHIMONT). 
(Communicated in the meeting of February 22, 1902). 
Many years ago!), I communicated the results of an investigation 
of the action of nitric acid on substituted amides of benzenesulphonie 
acid which not only revealed an easy way of preparing dimethyl- 
nitramide but also the peculiar fact that one ot the ethyl groups 
of diethylamide became replaced by NO. FRANCHIMONT and KLOBBIE 
have afterwards demonstrated that the substituted amides of ethyl- 
sulphonic acid behave in quite an analogous manner. During the 
action of nitric acid on the amides of benzenesulphonic acid the 
benzene group remains intact. I now wanted to ascertain in how 
far the reaction would be affected by the introduction of a methyl 
group into the nucleus, ‘just as I had done before in the case of 
substituted anilines, and I studied the reaction first of all with the 
amides of p.-toluenesulphonie acid. 
These amides,’ like those of benzenesulphonie acid, are readily 
prepared by acting on the chloride with an aqueous solution of 
the amines. 
Monomethyl- and ethylamides of p.-toluenesulphonie acid have 
already been described by Remsen and Pater, the first compound 
melting at 75° and the other at 58°. I found the respective melting 
points to be 76—77° and 64°. 
I obtained dimethylamide as a beautifully crystallised substance 
melting at 76° while diethylamide melts at 59—60°. 
If monomethylamide is dissolved in fuming nitric acid of sp. gr. 1.48 
two products are formed which may be separated, although with 
difficulty, by reerystallisation from alcohol. The one melting at 
116° proved to be a nitro p.-toluenesulphomethylnitramide, while 
the other melting at 60° was p.-toluenesulphomethylnitramide. When 
using a very concentrated acid of sp. gr. 1.52 we get exclusively 
nitramide nitrated in the nucleus; with an acid of a sp. gr. below 
1.48 more of the readily melting substance is formed but the for- 
mation of the substance with the higher melting point is not entirely 
prevented. Nitric acid of sp. gr. 1.4 seems to be inert. 
Monoethyl-p-toluenesulphamide behaves quite analogous towards 
concentrated nitric acid; with an acid of sp. gr. 1.52 a nitro- 
1) Rec. Trav, Chim. Pays-Bas 3, 7. 
