99 



tliat tlie nitramine. when dissolved in acetone, reacts veiy rapidly 

 with water even at the ordinary temperature, so that t lie preparation 

 of the phenol in this manner is a very simple one. 



Now it did not seem devoid of importance to know something 

 more as to the role played here by the acetone and, therefore, 1 

 liave studied this reaction more closely. It appeared, iiowe\er. that 

 great difficulties are expeiienced in the separation and identification 

 of the products generated in addition to hydrocyanic acid, which 

 forms abundantly, so that 1 thought it desirable to try whether 

 satisfactory results can be obtained more readily by using anotlier 

 ketone, which then perhaps may serve to also elucidate the reaction 

 with acetone. 



It now appeared that methylethylketone lends itself very well for 

 that purpose. 



If, at the ordinary temperature, we dissolve the nitramine in .so 

 much moist ketone that a concentrated solution is obtained, we notice 

 that the original pale yellow colour of the solution rapidly begins 

 to darken and soon after, a yellow product crystallizes, which proved 

 to be the 2.4.6. triiiitromelhylnitroaminophenol. In my experiments 

 I generally used 11 grams of nitramine, which I dissolved in Itic.c. 

 of ketone to wliich 0.8 c.c. of water was added. At first, I took 

 more nitramine (33 grams ^'/lu g'am mol.) but then towards the 

 end of the operations explosions frecjuently took place. 



If we decant tlie ketone solution from tiie crystals and subject 

 the same to a distillation (in the water-bath) an intensively yellow 

 coloured lifpiid with a peculiar odour passes over. It contains 

 hydrogen cyanide which was ideulilied by the Prussian blue test. 

 The yellow colour, also the odour |)ointed to the presence of diacetyl. 



If to the liquid we add a solution of silver nitrate to precipitate 

 the hydrogen cyanide and subse(piently to the filtrate an excess of 

 ammonia a white voluminous precipitate is obtained which according 

 to F'lTTiG, D.MMi.KR, and Kki.i.er') is characteristic of diacetyl. The 

 detection of the diacetyl by means of iiydroxylamine presented, 

 owing to the excess of methyleth^ Ikelone, a little difficulty. 



Still, by using a liberal (puxntity of Iiydroxylamine I succeeded 

 in obtaining crystals of diinethyglyoxime, which gave with a nickel 

 salt and ammonia the characteristic red nickel compound. 



In order to detect any volatile products eventually formed, the 

 tiask which had been heated in the waterbatli at 100° was evacuated 

 and |)laced in an oilbath heated at 120°. A substance began to 



') Ann. 249, 205 (1888). 



7* 



