120 



ORGANOMETALLIC BODIES. 



ORGANOMETALLIC BODIES. 



, 130 



From the bismuthous diehlorethide, the biniodide and binoxide are 

 prepared by double decomposition ; whilst the simultaneous action of 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, water, bismuthous triethide and atmospheric 

 oxygen is said to produce the double compound of bismuthous sulphide 

 and bismuthic disulphethide. 



Lead teria. The following bodies are known, the ethyl group alone 

 having been explored. 



Diplumbotriethyl Pb a 



Oxide of diylumbotriethyl 



CUoride of diplnmbotriethyl . 



Sulphate of diplumbotricthyl 



Plumbic ethide 



Pb s 



Pb a 



Pb, 



C.H 5 ! 



C,H 5 

 Of"' 



SO. 

 C.H 5 



C.H S 

 C.H, 



The existence of the first of these bodies cannot be said to be clearly 

 established, but by the action of an alloy of sodium and lead upon 

 iodide of ethyl, a colourless mobile volatile liquid is obtained, which, 

 when dissolved in alcohol or ether, and exposed to the air, forms the 

 oxide of diplumbotriethyl, a body which, however, is more readily 

 obtained by the decomposition of the chloride with oxide of silver. 



CH 



Cl 



Chloride of 

 diplumbotriethyl. 



= Pb a 



C.H S 

 C.Hj 

 C,H S 

 O 



+ AgCl 



Oxide of 

 diplumbotriethyl. 



Plumbic ethide is a colourless limpid fluid with a faint odour, 

 soluble in ether, but insoluble in water. It is not acted upon by 

 oxygen at ordinary temperatures, but chlorine, bromine, and iodine act 

 violently upon it. Plumbic ethide belongs to the class of saturated 

 bodies, and is consequently incapable of forming compounds. Treated 

 with hydrochloric acid, hydride of ethyl separates, and chloride of 

 plumbotriethide is formed. 



+ IIC1 



n 



.1M 

 H ) 



Plumbic ethide. 



Chloride of 

 diplumbotriethyl. 



Hydride of ethyl. 



From the plumbotriethide the sulphate and other salts can be pre- 

 pared by double decomposition. These salts may also be obtained 

 still more readily from the oxide, which ia a crystalline volatile 

 pungent body, possessing a powerful alkaline reaction, and attracting 

 carbonic acid from the air. 



Mercury uric*. This series is confined to bodies of the mercuric 

 type, no organo mercurous compound having been yet produced. It 

 comprises the following members : 



Mci curie methiodide 



Hydrate of mercnric methoxide . 

 Nitrate of mercnric methoxide 

 Mercuric methide ... 

 Mercuric ethiodide . 

 Hydrate of mercnric ctboxide 

 Nitrate of mercuric ethoxide . 

 Mercuric ethide, or hydrargethyl . 

 Mercuric cthylometUdc . 

 Mercury allyl .... 



HO, 



llJ '"' 



'"'Ic.H, 



Mercuric methide and meramc-ethide are colourless ethereal voktile 



lieg, insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol and ether, and 



posseting great stability. They are in a state of maximum saturation 



nd cannot thnrefore unite with any other body without the expulsion 



ARTS AND set. DIV. VOL. VI, 



of an equivalent of positive radical : thus with bromine, mercuric 

 ethide gives bromide of ethyl and mercuric ethylobromide : 



4. 



Mercuric ethyl. 



Mercuric 

 ethylobromide. 



Bromide of ethyl. 



Mercuric methide possesses the highest specific gravity of any known 

 non-metallic liquid (3'069). Glass consequently floats upon its surface. 

 Brought into contact with mercuric iodide, mercuric methide and 

 mercuric ethide are converted respectively into mercuric methiodide 

 and mercuric ethiodide. Thus mercuric methide gives 



Mercuric methide. 



Mercuric methiodide. 



The reaction with bichloride of mercury is exactly analogous. 



The hydrates of mercuric methoxide and mercuric ethoxide are 

 caustic alkaline bases capable of expelling ammonia from its salts, and 

 behaving in a manner similar to the corresponding uniatomic com- 

 pounds of tin and lead. The remaining mercury compounds which 

 may be considered as derivatives of these two bodies, are represented 

 in the abore list by the iodides and nitrates ; they generally crystallise 

 very readily, and, with the exception of the haloid compounds, are 

 soluble in water. When their aqueous solutions are treated with zinc 

 they are decomposed, the zinc becomes amalgamated, and gaseous 

 hydrides of the positive radicals are evolved. It is highly probable 

 that there are two stages in this reaction, organozinc compounds being 

 first formed and then decomposed by contact with water, thus with 

 mercuric methiodide 



+ Zn, = Zn, 



-f 2ZnI 



Mercuric methiodide. 

 and then : 



Zincmethyl. 



Zincmcthyl. 



2/nO 



Water. Hydride of methyl. 



This view of the reaction is confirmed by the fact that when zinc 

 acts upon mercuric methiodide at 150 C., zincmethyl is produced. 



When one of the above iodides, or the corresponding chloride or 

 bromide, is treated with an organozinc compound, the negative element 

 becomes replaced by the alcohol radical of the zinc compound ; thus 

 when mercuric methiodide is treated with zincmethyl, mercuric 

 methide is produced, and it is believed that by acting upon mercuric 

 ethochloride with zincmethyl, mercuric ethylomethide is produced. 



SZnCl 



Zincmethyl. 



but this body has not yet been obtained in a state of purity. Dis- 

 tillation gradually resolves it into mercuric methide and mercuric 

 ethide : 



Antimony tcritx. This series of organometallic bodies contains a 

 greater number and variety of compounds than any other with the 

 exception of arsenic. The remarkable polyatomic character of anti- 

 mony and arsenic not only renders the possible number of their 

 organo-compounds very large, but the variation in the proportions of 

 the positive and negative molecules gives an extremely wide range to 

 their chemical character, extending as it does from highly caustic bases 

 on the one hand to powerful bibasic acids on the other. The following 

 are the principal compounds belonging to this series : 



Trimcthylstibine . . 

 Antimonic trimctlyloxide . 



Anlimonic triuirtliylehlorldc 

 Iodide of tctramctliyMibonium 



