OF AROMATIC COMPOUNDS. 83 



trode material when alternating currents were em- 

 ployed. The reactions are supposed to be either 



H 2 O, 



II. NH 2 .CO.ONH,+ 2H =r NH 3 .CO.NH, + H a O, 

 or 



I. NH 2 .COONH 4 + 2H = NH a .CONH 4 + H 2 O, 



II. NH a .CO.NH 4 + O = NH a .CO.NH a + H.O. 



The fact that the platinum electrodes were strongly 

 attacked, with the formation of platinum salts, caused 

 Gerdes ' to investigate the platinum bases. As the 

 principal product he found a compound to which he 

 gave the following formula: 



/ONHJ p /NH 3 NH,0\ 

 J \ONH 3 } 1 t XNH 3 NH 3 0/ L 



and the chloride of which is said to have the composi- 

 tion 



CINHXp/NH, NH 3 C1 Q 



NH,CI >J: L1 *^ Ha * 



Gerdes also examined the nitrate and sulphate of 

 this base. 



In the course of further researches 2 Drechsel found 

 that when alkaline solutions were used platinum was 

 present in the electrolyzed fluid. Copper when used 

 as electrode showed a similar behavior; lead was less 



1 Journ. prakt. Chem., 26, 257. 

 * Ibid., 29, 229. 



