; 
SE 
_ to 
- — lar manner; all my experiments in this directio yi : 
s esky thus far been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, since this redue- 
0. Loew: Action of Sunlight on Bisulphid of Carbon. 363 
Ant, XXXVI.—On the action of Sunlight on Bisulphid of 
Carbon ; by O. Lorw, Chemical assistant in the College of 
the City of New York. 
Pore bisulphid of carbon, when exposed to the sunlight for 
aconsiderable time becomes somewhat yellow. To study the 
changes thus produced, a large quantity of the bisulphid was 
enclosed in sealed tubes and exposed to the action of the sun, 
Decomposition took place gradually, and a brown insoluble sub- 
stance was formed, which adhered so closely to the inner surface 
of the tubes that it could not be detached by vigorous shaking. 
This substance prevented the farther action of the sun’s rays, 
and consequently the decomposition ceased. 
water be present in the tubes, this adherence is prevented 
and a larger quantity of the brown substance is obtain 
After an exposure of two or three months the tubes were opened. 
The water was slightly acid in its reaction, and, after being neu- 
tralized and concentrated, it showed a distinct reducing power 
on salts of silver and mercury. Evidently therefore a trace 
{formic acid was produced, according to the following equation : 
Formic Acid. 
CS,+2H,0—CH,0,+H,8+5.* 
On filtration, the newly formed brown compound remained on 
the filter, while the filtrate contained free sulphur dissolved in 
the bisulphid of carbon. On examination, this compound cor- 
responded in every particular to. the sesquisulphid of carbon, the 
substance discovered by me two yearsago. It was insoluble in 
Water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, bisulphid of carbon, and oils, 
but soluble vith decomposition in a_ boiling solution of caustic 
putas On heating it in a glass tube, it was directly separa 
vias ne ; the sulphur volatilized and the carbon re- 
in 
2 to the sunlight, the decomposition is so slight as hardly 
n 
88m, however, a reduction to lower sulphids takes place. 
takes place very readily in 
: influence of sunlight, I am not without hope that this process 
__ Will yet be imitated in the laboratory. 
“ew York, Sept. 20, 1868. . 
* C=12; O=16; S=32, ete. 
