104 



III. " Notes of Researches on the Poly-Ammonias." No. VI. 

 New Derivatives of Phenylamine and Ethylamine. By 

 A. W. HOFMANN. Received June 9th, 1859. 



Some time ago* I communicated to the Royal Society some re- 

 sults obtained in studying the action of dibromide of ethylene upon 

 phenylamine. The principal product of this reaction was found to 

 be a well-defined crystalline compound with basic characters. By 

 the analysis of the base itself, and of several of its combinations, it 

 had been proved that the formula 



p TT AT (C 4 H 4 ) I jjf 



^is "9 w r; TI f W 



V/ 12 n 5 ) 



is the simplest atomic expression for the new substance ; but the 

 action of iodide of methyl and of ethyl upon this body having given 

 rise to compounds 



and 



r 



I was induced to assume the formula 



/n TJ 



a 



'32 



as representing the true constitution of the basic body, which thus 

 appears as a diammonia, in which 2 equivs. of hydrogen are replaced 

 by 2 equivs. of phenyl, and 4 equivs. of hydrogen by 2 molecules of 

 diatomic ethylene. 



This view involves the existence of a basic compound, 



C 28 H 16 N 2 =(C 12 H 5 )JN 2 , 



H 2 



i.e. of a diphenyl-diamine in which only one molecule of diatomic 

 ethylene has been substituted for hydrogen. 



Experiment has not failed to realize the body pointed out by 

 theory. A mixture of dibromide of ethylene with a large excess of 

 phenylamine (1 vol. of dibromide of ethylene and 4 vols. of phenyl- 

 amine) rapidly solidifies to a crystalline mass. Treatment with 



* Proceedings of the Royal Society, vol. ix. p. 277. 



