Notes from the Chemical Laboratory of the Presidency 

 College. Note No. 2.— Nitro-ethane as a Solvent of 

 Iodoform. 



By Panchaxan Neogi, M.A. 



W 



on the alkaline salts of ethjl sulphuric acid (Kaj and T^eogi, 

 in Trans. Cheni. Soc, Decern., 1906) the distillate obtained consisted 

 of a mixture of alcohol and nitro-ethane. It was then found that 

 the iodoform test of alcohol failed with the liquid obtained, though 

 alcohol was distilled off at its usual boiling point. Known mix- 



tures of pure 



odoform test of alcohol. Two explanations 



seemed to account for this singular behaviour: — first, that a com- 

 pound was formed by the interaction of iodoform with nitro-ethane ; 

 and second, that iodoform was soluble in nitro-ethane. In order 

 to decide between the two, pure iodoform was repeatedly shaken up 

 in excess with pure nitro-ethane in a test-tube, and the tube was 

 immersed in water in the dark room in order to keep the tempera- 

 ture constant. After several hours the supernatant, clear liquid 

 was drawn up by means of a pipette and weighed. It was then 

 kept in a vacuum desiccator over caustic potash and soda lime, 

 when nitro-ethane evaporated and yellow crystals remained which 

 were weighed. The melting point of the substance as well as its 

 peculiar odour proved it to be iodoform. 



Exp, I- — 203l6g. of a saturated solution of iodoform in nitro- 

 ethane at 23*^ gave •1002g. of iodoform on evapoxution, whence 

 100 vols, of nitro-ethane dissolve 5*4g. of iodoform at 23' 



Exp. II. — 2'4452g. of a saturated solution at 23° gave, on 

 evaporation, •12I7g, of iodoform ; hence 100 vols, of nitro-ethane 

 dissolve 5*5g. of iodoform at 2.T 



