Mr. Buckton on Mercuric, Stannic, and Plumbic Ethyles. 383 



the question whether sodium is capable of displacing ethj'le from mer- 

 curic ethyle. Au answer to this question would give us some means 

 of judging the position of ethyle, as regards its electro-negative func- 

 tion towards the true metals. 



At ordinary temperatures, sodium has only a slow action on mer- 

 curic ethyle, but after the lapse of a few hours a voluminous grey 

 sponge is formed, whilst the liquid entirely disappears. This sponge- 

 like body has the property of spontaneous combustibility in a marked 

 degree, and is liable to explosion from apparently very sMght causes. 

 By the application of a gentle heat, a strong rush of gaseous matter 

 is evolved which eudiometric experiments proved to be a mixture 

 of ethylene and hydride of ethyle, obviously proceeding from the dis- 

 integration of a double molecule of ethyle. 



From this experiment we should conclude that ethyle, methyle, &c. 

 in these radicals are still negative to mercury, and therefore, that mer- 

 cury, copper, &c. would not, as Mr. Wanklyn supposes, displace 

 ethyle in sodiumethyle*. More probably, perhaps, sodiumethyle is 

 first formed in the reaction, 



Hg C, H, + Na= Na C, H, + Hg, 

 and then decomposed by heat, 



2 (Na C, Hj) + 2 Hg=2 Na Ilg-f C, H, + C, H, H. 



The mercury is supposed here to be inert, and in no way to deter- 

 mine the decomposition. 



Stannic diethyle. 



Much of the uncertainty which has attached to some of the for- 

 mulae of the salts of stanethyle, has originated, without doubt, from 

 the mode adopted by Lowig in their elimination. Strecker has 

 lately shown that many of these compounds may, with probability, 

 be referred to the types of the inorganic oxyiodides and oxychlorides 

 of tin. 



The following experiments were undertaken with the impression 

 that the pure salts of stanethyle might be more advantageously pro- 

 cured by acting directly on the radical itself. 



Stannic diethyle, Sn (C, II,).^, like mercuric ethyle, loses one of its 

 equivalents of ethyle when digested with concentrated acids. The 

 action, however, is very slow with hydrochloric acid, an oily body 

 being first formed, possessed of an exceedingly pungent odour ; but 

 finally a chloride is obtained having the formula 



Sn C, H, CI. 

 This salt produces fine, hard crystals, which are soluble in water, 

 and, when pure, almost inodorous. A more ready method of ob- 

 taining this chloride consists in adding the radical, drop by drop, to 

 a layer of bromine covered with water, until the bromine is decolor- 

 ized ; the aqueous solution is then decomposed by potash, which pre- 

 cipitates oxide of stanethyle in the form of a white powder, from 

 which the pure salts of stanethyle may be readily procured. 



* Phil. Mag. vol. xvii. p. 228. 



