Messrs Jones and Matthews, Reduction of Nitrosyl Chloride. 529 



Note on the Reduction of Nitrosyl Chloride. By H. 0. Jones, 

 M.A., Clare College, and J. K. Matthews, B.A., Downing College. 



[Read 23 May 1910.] 



While examining the interaction of nitrosyl chloride and 

 ethyl mercaptan in ethereal solution at — 80° C. the formation 

 of small quantities of hydroxylamine hydrochloride was observed. 

 This was produced by the reducing action of the mercaptan on 

 nitrosyl chloride with the simultaneous formation of diethyl 

 disulphide. 



The action of other reducing agents on nitrosyl chloride was 

 therefore studied. 



Hydrogen sulphide and nitrosyl chloride, in the presence of an 

 inert solvent such as ether or petroleum ether, interact to produce 

 ammonium chloride and sulphur even at low temperatures. Some 

 sulphur chloride is also produced, but this was found to be due to 

 the action of nitrosyl chloride on the sulphur formed by the first 

 action. 



The main reaction may be represented by the equation 



NOCl + .SH^S = NH.Cl 4- H^O + 3S, 



though attempts to establish this by quantitative experiments 

 were not successful owing to the secondary reactions which take 

 place. 



In the gaseous state nitrosyl chloride and hydrogen sulphide 

 interact to produce sulphur, together with some sulphur chloride, 

 hydrochloric acid, nitric oxide, nitrogen and ammonium chloride. 



Under no conditions was the formation of hydroxylamine 

 hydrochloride observed. 



The action of hydrogen on nitrosyl chloride in the presence 

 of palladium, of finely divided platinum and of nickel was next 

 examined. 



At the ordinary temperature palladium charged with hydrogen 

 was attacked by nitrosyl chloride with the formation of palladium 

 chloride, nitric oxide and nitrogen. 



When hydrogen and nitrosyl chloride were passed over palla- 

 dium at temperatures between 100° C. and 230° C. the 'palladium 

 was not appreciably attacked and considerable quantities of ammo- 

 nium chloride were produced, but no hydroxylamine hydrochloride 

 could be detected in the product. 



A mixture of nitrosyl chloride and hydrogen was then passed 

 over finely divided platinum, prepared by the reduction of platinum 



