8 9 t Royal Society : — 



duced by the action of nitrous acid upon the alcoholic solution 

 respectively of aniline and nitraniline. Both substances*, 



Aniline derivative .... C 12 H n N 3 , 

 Nitraniline derivative . . . C 12 H 9 (N0 2 ) 2 N 3 , 



are generated by the substitution of one equivalent of nitrogen for 

 three equivalents of hydrogen in the original compounds. 



In continuing my experiments on the replacement of hydrogen 

 by nitrogen in organic bodies generally, I have not only succeeded 

 in producing similar compounds from nearly all the basic derivatives 

 of aniline, but have also obtained corresponding products from 

 toluidine and anisidine. The following equation represents the 

 formation of these compounds in the aniline-series : — 



2 (C n H (n+1) N) + HN0 2 =C 2n H^.! N 3 + 2H 2 O. 



•v ' 



Two equivalents New compound, 



of aniline. 



I do not at present venture to express an opinion regarding the 

 constitution of these bodies ; nevertheless their formation, their 

 mutual relations, and their decompositions may in a measure be 

 represented by the following formulae : — 



Type : two equivalents of aniline p 6 tt 7 [ N 2 . 



C H N fn 1 

 Azophenyldiamine r° TT* f ^»' 



Azonitrophenyldiaminet . . . £ 6 g 3 ^?A N '" } N 2 . 



C H Br N'" 1 

 Azobromphenyldiamine . . . p 6 TT 3 j, [ N 2 . 



Nearly all these bodies are beautifully crystallized, and some 

 possess very characteristic properties ; the greater number are ex- 

 tremely weak bases, which it is scarcely possible to combine with 

 acids. On the other hand, they readily produce double compounds 

 with dichloride of platinum and trichloride of gold, the composition 

 of which proves that these new bodies belong to the class of diatomic 

 bases, as expressed by the following formulae :— 



Double compound of hydrochlo- 1 p tt far/// \ 



rate of azophenyldiamine and V p 6 tt 4 j- N 2 , H 2 Cl 2 , (PtCl 2 ) 2 . 



dichloride of platinum . . J 6 7 * 

 Double compound of hydrochlo- ] p tt t> ^hi •» 



rate of azobromphenyldiamine L 6 tj 3 [ N 2 , H 2 C1 2 , (PtCl 2 ) 2 . 



and dichloride of platinum . J 6 7 * 



When exposed in alcoholic solution to the action of nitrous acid for 



* H = l; = 16; C = 12, &c. 



f This compound was obtained from the nitraniline discovered by Hofmann 

 and Muspratt. I have already pointed out that a second body of the same com- 

 position exists, which is produced by a similar process from Arppe's nitraniline. 

 Observations since made lead me to the conclusion that there is an isomeric 

 representative corresponding to every compound of the phenyle-group. 



