304 Royal Society. 



of which is also indicated by other considerations. It is premature 

 to dwell upon this point ; but in this direction also I have made 

 some experiments. 



"Notice of Researches on the Sulphocyanide and Cyanate of 

 Naphtyle, conducted by A'^incent Hall, Esq." By A. W. Hofmann, 

 Ph.D., F.R.S. &c. 



The transformation of phenylcarbamide and phenylsulphocarba- 

 mide under the influence of anhydrous phosphoric acid, respectively 

 into cyanate and suli)hocyanide of phenyle, an account of which I 

 submitted to the Society several months ago, suggested the proba- 

 bility that the hitherto unknown cyanates and sulphocyanides of 

 radicals similar to phenyle might be obtained by analogous processes. 



To establish this point experimentally, Mr. Vincent Hall has 

 examined, in my laboratory, the deportment of some of the deriva- 

 tives of naphtylatnine under the influence of agents capable of 

 fixing ammonia and its analogues. 



Mr. Hall has found that the crude naphtaline, such as it is ob- 

 tained from the gas-works, submitted at once, without sublimation, 

 to the action, first of fuming nitric acid, and subsecpiently of acetic 

 acid and metallic iron, furnishes the naphtylamine sulficiently pure 

 for these experiments. The crude product thus obtained was 

 digested with bisulphide of carbon in order to convert it into naph- 

 tyhidphocarbamide, 



]3y distilling naphtylsulphocarbamide with anhydrous phosphoric 

 acid, Mr. Hall has obtained a beautiful crystalline compound of a 

 faint but peculiar odour, readily fusible, easily soluble in alcohol 

 and ether, insoluble in water. 



The analysis of this compound has led to the formula 

 C,,H,NS,= a„H„C,NS„ 

 showing that it is in fact sulphocyanide of naphtyle, formed accord- 

 ing to the equation : — 



Boiled with an alcoholic solution of naphtylamine, this compound 

 readily reproduces naphtylsulphocarbamide, which by its insolubihty 

 is easily distinguished and separated from the sulphocyanide. 



Gently heated with phenylamine, the new sulphocyanide gives 

 rise to the formation of a crystalline compound, of properties very 

 similar to those of the naphtylsulj)hocarbamide. This new body is 

 phenyl-naphtyl-sulphocarbamide *, containing — 



C3,H,,N,S,=C,,H„C,oH, J.N, 

 H2 



* By the action of sulphocyanide of phenyle upon naphtylamine, I have oh- 

 tained a crystalline compound very similar in its general characters to the body 

 which Mr. Hall procures by the action of sulphocyanide of naphtyle on phenyla- 



