58 DERIVATIVES OF ETHYL ALCOHOL. 



product of the reaction is then brought into an ap- 



Catus filled with hydrogen, and water, which has 

 n boiled and allowed to cool, slowly added. The ethyl- 

 phosphine is by this means set free and then condensed 

 in a spiral tube surrounded by ice. The distillate 

 dried by means of caustic potassa is pure ethylphos- 

 phine. Mobile, colorless, transparent liquid, insoluble 

 in water ; refracts light strongly ; lighter than water ; 

 boils at 25 ; entirely without action upon vegetable 

 colors ; exceedingly disagreeable odor. Takes fire when 

 brought together with bromine, chlorine, and fuming 

 nitric acid. Combines with sulphur and carbon bisul- 

 phide, forming liquid compounds. 



It combines with hydrochloric, -bromic, and -iodic 

 acids, forming salts. Ethylphosphine hydriodate 

 (C 2 H 5 )H 2 P.HI forms white, four-sided plates, which 

 can be sublimed in an atmosphere of hydrogen at the 

 temperature of boiling water. Is soluble in water, 

 undergoing complete decomposition ; soluble in alcohol 

 with partial decomposition ; insoluble in ether ; slightly 

 soluble but without decomposition in concentrated 

 hydriodic acid. The addition of ether to this solution 

 causes the salt to separate in crystalline form. Oxid- 

 ized by means of nitric acid it yields ethylphosphinic 

 acid (C 2 H 5 ).PO.(OH)\ This is a solid body, that fuses 

 at 44. It is a bibasic acid. 



Diethylphosjhine, C 4 HP==(C 2 H 5 ) 2 .PH. Is pro- 

 duced together with ethylphosphine in the preparation 

 of the latter. To obtain it from the mixture, after 

 having treated the product of the reaction with water 

 in order to set the ethylphosphine free, a strong solu- 

 tion of caustic soda is added to the mixture in the 

 flask, which still must be kept filled with hydrogen. 

 The diethylphosphine is thus set free and condensed 

 by means of an ordinary apparatus. The liquid dried 

 with caustic potassa is diethylphosphine in a chemi- 

 cally pure condition. Colorless, transparent, perfectly 

 neutral liquid, insoluble in water, lighter than it, 

 refracts light strongly. Boils at 85. Penetrating 

 odor, not at all similar to that of ethylphosphine. 



