ORO VNoMl , U 1C 



ORQAXOMKTALLIC BODIES. 



ISO 



scarcely necouary to remark that thU article will be confined to the 

 consideration of organometallic bodies in the usual and more restricted 

 MOM of the term. 



FORMATION or OKHASOMETALLIC BODIES. 



Organometallic bodies admit of being formed by a great variety of 

 processes, which, however, with very few exceptions, admit of being 

 grouped under four heads. 



1. Formation by Ike union of an organic ratliral in ilalu naicrati with 

 Ike metal. Organic compounds containing xinc, cadmium, magne- 

 sium, aluminium, glucinum, tin, and mercury, are produced by thin 

 method. 



Zixftlkyl, which may be regarded as the type of organo-zinc com- 

 pound*, in obtained by digesting a mixture of equal volumes of iodide 

 of ethyl and ether with granulated zinc in a strong glass or copper 

 vessel, at a temperature of about 260 Fahr., for several hours. Sub- 

 sequent distillation gives a mixture of zinc-ethyl and ether, from 

 which the former U obtained pure by rectification. The re-action may 

 be thus expressed 



ZC.H.I + Zn t 

 Iodide of ethyl. 



Zinccthyl. 



Zincmethyl and aneamyl are produced by analogous processes. 

 The same method of formation yields cadmium-ethyl, when iodide 

 of ethyl is digested with cadmium -at a temperature of from 212 



2CdI 



2jC.II 5 Cd) 

 Cadmium-ethyl. 



Iodide of ethyl. 



Treated with iodide of ethyl, magnesium gives mayneti urn-ethyl, the 

 reaction commencing briskly at ordinary temperatures, but requiring 

 a heat of 248 to 266 for its completion. 



4Mg + 2 C >j Mg,{; + S M J} 



The homologous re-action with iodide of methyl appears also to yield 

 BI agn etium-methyl. 



Similarly treated, aluminium yields, at temperatures from 212 Fahr. 

 to 266 F., Aluminium-ethyl and Aluminium-methyl. 



+ Al. 

 } + A', 



(AI. 



C.H S 

 c.n. 



C.H, 



+ AI. 



i!) 



!i) 



Double compounds of aluminium-ethyl and aluminium-methyl, with 

 the iodide of aluminium, are here formed, and the former bodies have 

 not yet been obtained with certainty free from iodide of aluminium. 



Glucinium-ethyl appears also to be formed under similar circum- 

 stances, although its existence has not yet been confirmed by analysis. 



Compoundt of tin tcith alcohol radicals. Although these organo- 

 metallic bodies can be obtained by other processes, the general method 

 we are now considering is doubtless the most convenient mode of 

 producing the most important of them, as well as their iodine 

 compounds. 



Tin is capable of forming three distinct classes of binary inorganic 

 compounds, which may be represented by the following general 

 formula; : 



H 



j 



In these and the following formula; n represents any radical positive 

 or negative, n -t- a positive organic radical, and R a negative inorganic 

 radical. 



This threefold atomic character of the metal tin renders the results 

 of its action upon the iodide* of the alcohol radicals considerably KKS 

 simple than those which we have hitherto considered. Without 

 taking into account compounds to which a still more complex consti- 

 tution has been assigned, the existence of the following scries of 

 organometallic bodies containing tin has been established : 



(1) 



K + 

 fj) Sn, 11 + 



(3) 



K+ 



> 



R+ 



SJ 



+ 



R + 



i[+ 

 n 



K4- 



The second and fourth of these series have not yet been produced 

 by the method we are now considering. 



FIRST SERIES. 



Mannoii* ethide, or Stanethyl (Sn,(C 4 HJ,), is formed in small quantity 

 by the action of heat upon a mixture of iodide of ethyl and tin 



Iodide of ethyl. Etannotu ethidc. 



Stmnoiu methide, or Stau methyl (Sn,(C t HJ t ), is doubtless formed 

 under similar conditions. 



THIRD SEUIKS. 



The third series of stann-organic compounds are formed by the 

 following re actions : 



( c.ir, 



f 8n s = Sa.lc.ll, 



Dimcthiodidc of tin. 



Iodide of ethyl. Diethiodideoftin. 



FIFTH SERIES. 



The following chemical changes express the mode of formation of 

 compounds belonging to this series : 



Jc.n, 

 cji'l + :snl 



Iodide of methyl. 



Trimothiodidc of tin. 



Iodide of ethyl. 



Triethiodidc of tin. 



SIXTH SERIES. 



The most abundant products of the action of tin upon the iodides 

 of the alcohol radicals belong to this series. Indeed, if the action bo 

 produced by light instead of heat, this series of bodies is formed 

 almost to the complete exclusion of the others. It is necessary, how- 

 ever, to remark, that the materials exposed to light should be com- 

 pletely excluded from atmospheric oxygen, otherwise the liquid assumes 

 an orange colour, and the action is so effectually arrested tli 

 exposure for several months to sunlight, concentrated by a parabolic 

 mirror, will scarcely produce any appreciable change. The following 

 re-actions explain the formation of bodies belonging to this series : 



a c a 



I'} + Sn, = ^ 



V 



sumac dimethiodidc. 



Iodide of methyl. 



Sn, 



= Sn 



Iodide of ethyl. 



Stannic dicthiodidc of tin. 



M< renry compound!. The re-action of mercury upon the iodides of 

 the alcohol radicals gives rise to two classes of organic compounds, the 

 general formula; of which may be thus written : 



The first series only of these bodies can be produced by the general 

 mode of formation now being considered, but the members of the 

 second series are readily obtained by the action of an organo-ziuc com- 

 pound upon those of the first. For the production of the first series 

 of these bodies the action of light is essential, no elevation of tempera- 

 ture being capable of producing the chemical change. The following 

 equations sufficiently exhibit the nature of the re-action : 



Iodide of milhyl. Methiodidc of mercury. 



c ''{>} +* - iiff - 1 !' 



Iodide of ethyl. 



Ethiodidc of mercury. 



