48 



IV. "On some new Colouring Matters." By ARTHUR, H. 

 CHURCH and WILLIAM H. PERKIN. Communicated by 

 A. W. HOFMANN, Ph.D., F.R.S. Received February 5, 

 1856. 



Nascent hydrogen, acting upon an alcoholic solution of dinitro- 

 benzole or of nitraniline, produces a crimson coloration, due to the 

 formation of a .new substance, to which we have given the name 

 nitrosophenyline. 



This new body presents some remarkable properties. It fuses 

 below 100C. ; is uncrystallizable, and not volatile without decom- 

 position; it dissolves in alcohol with an orange-red tint, and an 

 alcoholic solution containing only -2 per cent., although perfectly 

 transparent to transmitted light, presents a flame-coloured luminous 

 opacity in reflected light. Nitrosophenyline dissolves in hydro- 

 chloric acid, producing an intense crimson colour, which is changed 

 to a yellowish-brown by alkalies and is restored by acids. 



The analysis of nitrosophenyliue has led us to the formula 



TT 



which may be written thus : C 12 -^ N, and so may be viewed as 



aniline, in which 1 equiv. of hydrogen is replaced by 1 equiv. of 

 binoxide of nitrogen : the following equation sufficiently explains the 

 formation of nitrosophenyline : 



C 12 H 4 2N0 4 +8H=C 12 H 6 N 2 O 2 + GHO. 



We have produced from all the dinitro-compounds we have yet 

 experimented upon, colouring matters similar to nitrosophenyline : 

 the following is a list of such dinitro-compounds : 



1 . Dinitrobeuzole . . . . C 12 H 4 2NO 4 . 



2. Dinitrotoluole C 14 H 6 2NO 4 . 



3. Dinitroxylole C 16 H 8 2NO 4 - 



4. Dinitroxylole C 18 H 10 2NO 4 . 



\Ve have examined minutely the colouring substance produced in 



