Structure of Simpler Organic Compounds. I 27 



In this way amines can be synthesized from substances 

 containing a smaller number of carbon atoms, for the 

 nitrile can be prepared from an alkyl halogen derivative. 



Primary amines can also be prepared by reduction of 

 oximes (R = NOH, see p. 82), and nitro paraffins (see 

 p. 96). 



The primary amines, of which methylamine and ethyl- 

 amine are types, behave generally very much like ammonia. 

 They form salts, platinichlorides and aurichlorides, and the 

 analogy of these compounds to the ammonia compounds is 

 indicated in the following formulae 



NH 4 C1 Ammonium chloride. 



C 2 H 5 NH 3 -C1 Ethylamine hydrochloride. 



(NH 3 ) 2 H 2 PtCl 4 Ammonium platinichloride. 



(N(C 2 H 5 )H 2 ) 2 H 2 PtCl 6 . . . Ethylamine platinichloride. 



(NH 3 )HAuCl 4 Ammonium aurichloride. 



(N(C 2 H 5 )H 2 )HAuCl 4 . . . Ethylamine aurichloride. 



Similar compounds are yielded by secondary and 

 tertiary bases. 



The hydrochloride forms white crystals, the platini- 

 chloride orange, and the aurichloride yellow crystals, the 

 general character of the compounds being similar to the 

 corresponding ammonium compounds. 



Primary amines, in addition to acting as bases and 

 forming salts analogous to ammonium salts, have certain 

 other characteristic reactions. On treatment with chloro- 

 form and alcoholic potassium hydroxide they yield certain 

 substances known as carbylamines^ which are characterized 

 by their pungent disagreeable odour. The reaction is 

 illustrated by the following equation 



C 2 H 5 NH 2 + CHC1 3 + 3KOH = C 2 H 5 N ': C + 3KC1 + 3H 2 



Ethylcarbylamine is to be distinguished from the 

 isomeric cyanide, as in the former compound the nitrogen 



