121 



ORGAXOMETALLIC BODIES. 



ORGANOMETALLIC BODIES. 



123 



For the production of the methyl compound bright sunlight may be 

 employed, but the re-action for the ethyl body must be conducted in 

 diffused daylight only, otherwise no organometallic body will be pro- 

 duced, the ethyl being eliminated chiefly as such, but partly also as 

 hydride of ethyl and ethylene. 



In addition to these organometallic bodies, compounds containing 

 arsenic and antimony can also be produced by this general mode of 

 formation, but they are obtained with greater facility by the second 

 method, which will now be described. 



2. Formation of organometallic bodies by the action of the respective 

 metali alloyed with potassium or sodium upon the iodides of the alcohol 

 radicali. The principles involved in this general mode of production 

 are essentially similar to those in the first method, but there is here 

 less tendency to form compounds containing negative as well as positive 

 radicals. This method, although not capable of such general appli- 

 cation, is more especially adapted for the formation of the organic com- 

 pounds of the polyatomic metals. The simultaneous production of an 

 organo-potassium or -sodium compound is not here to be feared, so long 

 as the iodide of the alcohol radical is present in excess, because such 

 compounds cannot exist in the presence of the iodides of the alcohol 

 radicala. 



This mode of formation will be sufficiently illustrated by the 

 following re-actions : 



N.,A 



Arsenic Compounds. 



{$: + 



= As 



2 Sal 



^ 



Iodide of methyl. Cacodyl. 



-V S ' 1 !'} = A'jJJj'] + 3NaI 



Iodide of methyl. Tr |^^ inc 



= A 



1 y ' 



Iodide of methyl. 



C,H, 

 C.H, 

 C.H, + 3NaI 



Iodide of 

 tctramethyUrsonium. 



Na.Sb 



Antimony Compounds. 



+ 3 C ''M = Sblcjllj + J.Val 



. / '. ( C 3 H, 



J'j'lidf of mctbtl. 



,c,n, 



\C,Uj 



crv * o it 



Iodide of methyl. 



SXal 



Iodide of 

 tctramethyUtibonium. 



Tin Compounds. 



Iodide of methyl. Methide of tin 



or tannou metbide. 



2NaI 



Xa.,Sn, + 



= 8n, ( C.IIj + 3XaI 



'c.n, 



Iodide of methyl. g,,,,,,,,^,^ of lin . 

 C.H,, 



^_ C,H, 



Bimethide of tin, 

 or stannic methide. 



Lead Compounds. 



Iodide of ethyl. 



4X..I 



3NaT 



8equiethldc of lead. 

 lilsmuth Compounds. 



Na,Bi + SC.H.I = Bi } cjll + JNal 



* ( C.H, 



Iodide of ethyl. < -y > 



BUtrietbyl. 



Tellurium Compounds. 



Organo-tellurium compounds are formed by a modification of this 

 method, which consists in distilling telluride of potassium with sulpho- 

 vinate of potash and its homologues. 



2(C 8 H 3 OS0 3 , KOS0 3 ) + 2KTe = Tc 2 j = + 4KO S0 3 



Suliihomethylatcof potash. 

 2(C,H 5 SO,, KO S0 3 ) 



,, 

 Tellurium-methyl. 



2KTe = Te 2 



4KO SO 3 



Sulpbamylate of potash. 



Tcllurium-amyl. 



3. Formation of organometallic bodies by the action of the zinc com- 

 pounds of the organic radicals upon the haloid compounds, either of the. 

 metals tkemselces or of their oryano-derivatires. For the production of 

 organometallic bodies containing less positive metals than zinc, this 

 method is perhaps not only the most convenient but also of the most 

 general application. Organo-compounds containing mercury, tin, lead, 

 antimony, and arsenic, have in this way been produced, but it haa 

 failed when applied to the haloid compounds of copper, silver, and 

 platinum, for although these bodies are violently acted upon, the 

 organic radical does not unite with the metals. 



The following leading reactions represent the present state of our 

 knowledge with regard to this method of formation : 



Tin Compounds. 



2SnC1 * = 



Zincethyl. 



i 



Zincethyl. 



C.H, 



4ZnC1 



Zincmcthyl. 



Etbiodide of tin. Stannic cthide. 

 C,H 3 



c' t al 



Etbiodidc of tin. stannic: cthylo- 

 methidc. 



Mercury Compounds. 



2ZnC1 



Mercuric ethide. 



Zincmethyl. 



Mercuric ethochloride. 



2ZnC1 



Mercuric nicthochloi ide. 



Mercunas ethide (HgC 4 H s ) and mercarous methide (HgC^H.,) have not 

 yet been obtained, either by this or any other process. The instability 

 of mercurous compounds, as seen in the inorganic oxide and iodide, is 

 brought to a climax in organic mercurous compounds, they are 

 instantly transformed into metallic mercury and the more stable 

 organo-uiercuric compounds. Thus when zincethyl acts upon mer- 

 curous chloride the following change results : 



Zn, 



* 



2ZnC1 



Lead Compounds. 



In this series, the following is the only reaction which has hitherto 

 been effected by the method which we are now considering : 



2PbCl 



Zincctbyl. 



Pb 



Plumbic cthide. 



2ZnCl 



4. Formation of orr/anomctallii; ladies by the duplacement of a metal In 

 organic combination by another and more positive metal. This mode of 

 producing organometallic bodies has hitherto been applied only to the 

 formation of sodium and potassium compounds, or rather doublu 



