478 P. C. Ray — Mercurous Nitrite and its Derivatives. [No. 4, 



time. Treated in this way about 18 p.c. of the nitrite undergoes dis- 

 sociation as already pointed out ; thus : 



Hg 2 (N0 2 ) 2 = Hg + Hg (X0 2 ) 2 . 



While by far the larger proportion of it dissolves as such ; the saturated 

 solution while still hot is rapidly passed through a " ribbed " filter paper, 

 and the filtrate briskly stirred with a rod. In this way a fine, mealy, 

 crystalline deposit is obtained, which is dried on a porous tile and 

 preserved inside a dessicator. The presence of even a trace of atmos- 

 pheric moisture brings about slow decomposition evolving nitrous fumes. 

 As a test case it may be mentioned that 0" 54 g. of the pure salt was 

 placed on the scale pan for three hours, and it lost 5 mgs. during that 

 time. 



(3) 



Interaction op Mercurous Nitrite and Ethyl Iodide. 

 Preliminary. 



About four years ago while describing mercurous nitrite and its 

 general properties, which were found to bear a remarkable analogy to 

 those of silver nitrite, the author expressed a hope that this new com- 

 pound would yield nitro ethane by interaction with ethyl iodide. 



Since then it has been qualitatively shown that the reaction gives 

 simultaneously both nitro ethane and its isomer, ethyl nitrite.* The 

 present investigation embodies a fuller and more systematic study of 

 this reaction. 



Experimental. 



The general method first described by V. Meyer and O. Stiiber has 

 been in the main followed.f I shall therefore confine myself to such 

 details only as have a direct bearing on the subject in hand. 



Exp. I. 120 g. of mercurous nitrite and 69 g. of ethyl iodide were 

 digested together over a water bath in a round-bottomed flask to which 

 was attached a tubulated funnel and a reflex condenser. The digestion 

 was continued so long as ethyl nitrite was evolved, It is necessary to note 

 here that as soon as ethyl iodide is poured on silver nitrite, an energetic 

 action at once sets in, but when mercurous nitrite is added to the alkyl 

 iodide there is scarcely any' perceptible evolution of heat, and the re- 

 action only begins after digestion has proceeded for some time. The open 



* Proc. Chem. Soc. 1896, p. 218. 



f Ber. Deut. Chem. Ges., V, pp. 399, 514. 



