674 



stannic ethide, a reaction calling to mind the behaviour of stannous 

 oxide when boiled with a caustic alkali. Stannic ethide is inflam- 

 mable, burning with a lurid flame fringed with deep blue and evol- 

 ving white fumes of stannic oxide. In oxygen it burns much more 

 brilliantly, with a white light fringed with blue. 



It was important to ascertain the deportment of stannic ethide 

 with negative elements, since, if it were found to be capable of direct 

 combination, its analogy to inorganic stannic compounds would be, 

 to a great extent, disproved. Like zincethyl, however, stannic ethide 

 is incapable of combining with any other element without the expul- 

 sion of at least an equivalent amount of its ethyl. Treated with 

 iodine, the latter dissolves with a deep brown colour, which, how- 

 ever, gradually disappears ; and if the addition of iodine be con- 

 tinued until decolorization be no longer effected, the resulting 

 liquid, on being submitted to distillation, is found to consist of iodide 

 of ethyl, which distils over, and an iodine salt, possessing the un- 

 bearably pungent odour of one of the products of the action of tin 

 upon iodide of ethyl at 160C., and described by MM. Cahonrs 

 and Riche as iodide of distannous ethyl, Sn 2 (C 4 H 5 ) 2 I. The iodine 

 salt appears, in fact, to be either identical with this body or to consist 

 of stannic iodotriethide (Sn 2 (C 4 H 5 ) 3 1)*. 



Stannic ethide does not decompose water, and is not acted upon 

 by strong aqueous hydrochloric acid in the cold. When, however, 

 heat is applied to the mixture of the two liquids, bubbles of gas are 

 slowly evolved ; but it requires from twelve to eighteen hours to 

 complete the reaction. The gas was found to be pure hydride of 

 ethyl, and the quantity evolved was such as to show that exactly 

 one equivalent of ethyl was expelled in the form of hydride from two 

 equivalents of stannic ethide, indicating the following reaction : 



2Sn(C 4 H 5 ) 2 l fC 4 H 5 H 



HC1 /-\Sn 2 (C 4 H 5 ) 3 Cl. 



II. Action of Zincmethyl upon Iodide of Stanethyl. 

 About three ounces of crystallized iodide of stanethyl were gra- 



* Whilst I was engaged with these experiments, Mr. Buckton announced the 

 formation of stannic ethide (Proceedings of the Royal Society, vol.ix. p. 315), and 

 mentioned his intention to study the salts formed by the action of iodine, bro- 

 mine, &c., upon that bod> ; 4 have not, therefore, prosecuted the inquiry further 

 in this direction. 



