125 



ORGANOMETALLIC BODIES. 



OKGANOMETALLIC BODIES. 



128 



Binoxlde of Nitrogen. 



BinoxHc of nitrogen. 



Dinitromcthvlate of zinc. 



Dinitroethylate of zinc. 



It will be perceived that this re-action ia the exact analogue of the 

 one already mentioned in connection with organo-sodium and potas- 

 sium compounds, in which carbonic acid, treated with sodium methyl 

 and sodium ethyl forms acetic and propionic acids : in fact, dinitro- 

 methylic and dinitroethylic acids may be regarded as the analogues o) 

 acetic and propionic acids respectively ; the nitrogen, here sustaining 

 biatomic character, replacing an equivalent amount of carbon. 



Sulj'kurous Acid. 



4(SO,) 



Methylodithionatc of zinc. 



Sulphurous 

 acid. 



2(PC1 3 ) + 



Terchlorirle 

 of phosphorus. 



ZincethyU Ethylotrithionate of zinc. 

 Chloride of Photphorui. 



; C.H S 



:.':. 



Zincetbyl. 



There is no apparent obstacle to this reaction being pushed to its 

 extreme limit in the case of pentatomic bodies, such as phosphorus, 

 arsenic, or antimony. Mr. Buckton has recently attempted this in the 

 caw of antimony, but although evidence of the existence of a pent- 

 ethide of antimony was obtained, the body could not be isolated and 

 its composition satisfactorily fixed. The greater stability of tho 

 triatomic compounds of these bodies will probably present considerable 

 difficulty in the way of obtaining pentatomic compounds of an 

 exclusively positive character, such bodies being doubtless easily 

 resolved into the more stable groupings represented in the following 

 equation : 



II 



C.H, 



IcX 



Fentelhidc of antimony. 



c c ;I; 



C.H, 



Trictbylstibine. 



Ethyl. 



Whilst on the one hand organo-zinc compounds are thus capable of 

 effecting the substitution of their positive organic group for negative 

 element*, on the other they can in certain cases replace hydrogen by 

 zinc, forming, with ammonia and its homologues, for instance, a series of 

 zincamides. In this direction the following reactions, amongst others, 

 have been recorded. 



is { H +1 "*; 



I 2 " L I . 



xin^e. Hydride of ethyl. 



C,H 



2S 



Klncethyl. 



Ditthylamine. Diethyklnc. Hydride of ethyl. 



id . 



Zincethyl. 



Ox.imidc. 



Zn ' ^ ' 



ZincoximJde'. Hydride of ethyl. 



The members of the zinc series unite with neutral salts to form 

 compounds which have been but little examined. The following 

 however are known : 



Dir.itrometbylate of zinc and zincmethyl . 2 N i c n >i \o, + Zn. { ^'15' 



( "t*! 



Dinitroctbylate of zinc and zincethyl . . 2 N C . H 5 } o . + Zn. ( H'H' 



* n J I t-*H ft 



Finally, it has been observed that zincmethyl, when generated in con- 

 tact with methylic or vinic ether, combines with these bodies, forming 



Methylate of zincmethyl . 

 Ethylate of zincethyl . 



Cadmium Series. Only one member of this series is known, and 

 that very imperfectly. So far as its properties have been made out, 

 they appear to be perfectly analogous to those of the zinc series. 



Tin Series. A large number of organometallic bodies containing tin 

 have been described. The existence of the following may be con- 

 sidered as clearly established. 



a. Stannous Compounds. 

 Stannous methide or stanmethyl . . .8 



Stannous ethide or stanethvl . S 



6. Sesqui Compounds. 

 Sesquimcthide of tin . . . 



c,n. 



. Sn, j C S H, 



Sesquicthide of tin Sn a { C,H 



Sesqnidimcthiodidc of tin 

 Sesqnldiethiodide of tin . 



c. Stannic Compounds. 

 SUnnle mcthide Sn, ] ^ IT: > 



Stannic ethide Si 



Stannic cthylodimcthide . 



Stannic ethj-lotrimcthide . 



Trimethiodide of tin 



Triethiodide of tin g n . 



'IS 



MS: 



C.H 5 



c,u, 



I 



Dimcthiodidc of tin or iodide of stanmethyl 



Diethiodide of tin or iodide of stanetbyl 



It is scarcely necessary to observe that the iodine in the above 

 compounds admits of replacement by any salt-forming radical, and 

 also by oxygen or sulphur. 



Ktannoui Compounda are oily liqxiids, possessing a pungent odour, 

 soluble in alcohol and ether, but insoluble in water. They cannot be' 

 distilled without decomposition, being resolved into stannic compounds 

 and metallic tin. Stannous compounds are in a state of partial 

 chemical saturation only, they therefore perform the part of radicals, 

 combining directly with chlorine, oxygen, &c. and forming well marked 

 bodies of great stability. 



The Stannous compounds represented by the above formula; are 

 biatomic, and unite directly with free oxygen, chlorine, 4c. to produce 

 bodies of the stannic form. Thus, stannous ethide forms with oxygen 

 stannic diethoxide : 



Stannous ethide. 



Stannic diethoxide. 



Stannom compounds have never yet been observed to play a 

 uniatomic part. No sesquicompound has been directly formed from 

 a stannous body, the latter under the influence of iodine, oxygen, &c. 

 seems to pass at once into the stannic form. It must be remarked, 



