504 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [November, 1910. 



ensuing gas to catch fire. The reaction was vigorous and after 

 some time the evolution of nitrous fumes ceased. The con- 

 tents of the flask were next stirred and heated gently in an 

 open flame. The resulting Phenyl-Nitro-Methane with excess 

 of unchanged Benzyl Chloride was distilled in vacuo. The 

 liquid thus obtained was then fractionally re-distilled under 

 reduced pressure. The results of one typical operation with 

 the substances taken in the proportions noted above are given 

 below. The fraction (120° — 160°) gives very readily the charac- 

 teristic test of Nitro-Compounds of solidifying en masse on the 

 addition of alcoholic caustic soda on account of the formation 

 of the sodium compound. 



Pressure 20 m.m. liquid boiling 



>j 



* J 15 



below 100° . . 11-3 grams, 



between 100°— 120° . . 5-9 grams. 



120°— 155° . . 3-2 grams. 



The liquid boiling between 120° to 155° is practically pure 

 Phenyl-Nitro-Methane, which was found by Gabriel to boil at 

 160° at 35 m.m. and at 216° at atmospheric pressure with 

 decomposition, that boiling between 100° — 120° also gives the 

 test of Nitro-Compounds but to a less extent. The fraction 

 below 100° consists mainly of unchanged Benzyl Chloride. 1 



Interaction between Mercurous Nitrite and Benzyl 



Chloride. 



Mercuro 



toRay'smethod(Annalen,IL649, 1898; Annalen,II. 452,1901), 



usm 



We 



that the same acid may be used two or three times for the 

 preparation of two or three crops of the yellow crystals of the 

 compound. When used for the fourth time, the acid being very 



crystals 

 mixed \ 



mi 



f dry Mercurous 



the apparatus described above and 36 grams of Benzyl 

 Chloride added. No heat was at first developed, which was 

 also the case with Silver Nitrite, When, however, the flask was 

 heated on a water-bath, very violent reaction took place with 

 a copious evolution of nitrous fumes. The contents of the 

 flask were next submitted to vacuum distillation and the 

 liquid thus obtained was fractionally redistilled as described 



1 It was found that pure Benzyl Chloride boils at about 100° at 20 

 m.m. and that Nitro-Benzene which resembles Phenyl-Nitro-Methane in 

 odour but does not give the sodium salt test boils at about 110° C. under 

 the same pressure. 



