450 M. Lossen on Hydroxylamine. 



halogens, they are precipitated with a silver-salt, the dried preci- 

 pitate mixed with double its weight of oxide of copper, and in- 

 vestigated as above stated. In this manner less than ■£$ per 

 cent, chlorine, ^ bromine, and -J iodine can be found in the pre- 

 cipitate produced by silver. The spectra appear in the order of 

 their respective volatilities — first that of the chloride of copper, 

 then that of the bromide, and finally that of the iodide. 



If small quantities of bromine or iodine are to be detected in 

 the presence of large quantities of chlorine, a small quantity only 

 of nitrate of silver is added; the bromide and iodide are in that case 

 precipitated first. Thus in one case 5 milligrammes of bromide 

 of sodium were mixed with a pound of common salt, and to the 

 solution a decigramme of nitrate of silver added and the precipi- 

 tate obtained treated in the above manner. After the spectrum 

 of chloride of copper was observed for some time, the spectrum 

 of bromide of copper could be easily seen for five minutes. Cor- 

 responding experiments made with iodine gave similarly sharp 

 results. 



It has usually been considered that nascent hydrogen acted 

 on nitric acid in two ways : either there was a partial removal 

 of oxygen with production of lower oxides of nitrogen, or there 

 was a total removal of the oxygen, while at the same time hydro- 

 gen was taken up, producing therefore ammonia. Lossen, how- 

 ever, has shown* that under certain circumstances a body is 

 obtained which stands between the oxygen compounds of nitro- 

 gen and its hydrogen compound ammonia — a product of the 

 reduction of nitric acid which has parted with some of its oxygen 

 and has taken up hydrogen. This body, whose composition is 

 represented by the formula NH s O, Lossen calls hydroxylamine. 



It is produced by the action of tin and hydrochloric acid on 

 nitric ether. The mixture soon becomes heated, but without 

 any considerable disengagement of hydrogen. When the action 

 is complete, the tin is removed by sulphuretted hydrogen, and 

 after concentration, at first large quantities of sal-ammoniac 

 crystallize out, and afterwards the hydrochloric compound of 

 the new body. This is separated from the sal-ammoniac by 

 treatment with absolute alcohol, and then precipitating the sal- 

 ammoniac with bichloride of platinum, which does not precipi- 

 tate the hydrochlorate of hydroxylamine. 



Leaving out of view the ethyle of the nitric ether, which is 

 simply exchanged for hydrogen, the formation of hydroxylamine 

 is thus expressed, 



NHO 3 + 6H = NH 3 O + 2H 2 0. 



Nitric acid. Hydroxyl- 



amine. 



* Berichte der Berliner Academic, July 1865. 



