and Electrolysis of Chemical Compounds. 



387 



chemical properties seem to be lessened. It appears from 

 Gore's observations * that this liquid possesses a tolerable sol- 

 vent power for certain inorganic salts, as well as for potassium 

 and sodium, but without being decomposed by them ; Weyl 

 found no alteration after it had been for twenty-four hours in 

 contact with mercury and zinc; and yet ammonia exhibits a 

 better conduction than phenylamine. The phenomena of 

 elective affinity are of little importance here, since these 

 bodies mostly act as bases without being themselves decom- 

 posed. For the double decompositions very high tempera- 

 tures are often necessary, — for example, in the action of am- 

 monia upon acetate of ethyl, forming acetamide at 130° — or 

 upon chloracetyl, forming acetamide and hydrochloric acid, 

 at not less than 120°. On the other hand, the action of phe- 

 nylamine upon chloracetyl is very energetic at ordinary tem- 

 peratures, with formation of acetanilide. 





Table IV.- 



-Electrolysis of the Amides. 



Compound. 



Battery 

 20 B. el. 



Induction- 

 coil. 

 Spark-length 

 = 15 mm. 



Eemarks. 



Benzamide, 



Acetamide, 



Formamide, 



Butylamide, 



CH k O }N 

 2 H b O| N 



h} n 



D = 90 



D=90 

 D=90 



D = 70 



D=30 



D = 15 



D=80 



Fusible ; no spark-dis- 

 charge, but rapid decom- 

 position. 



Fusible. 



Liquid ; brisk effervescence 



at the electrodes. 

 Fusible ; electrodes 4 mm. 



apart ; much gas evolved 



at both electrodes. 



These bodies are excellent conductors ; hence only feeble 

 electromotive forces were employed for testing their electro- 

 lysis. In all of them there was very decided decomposition 

 with evolution of gas. Moreover their chemical properties 

 favour the above-mentioned hypotheses, as they readily ex- 

 change an atom of hydrogen for a metal ; their decomposition 

 by elective affinity, however, is mostly effected only with the 

 aid of heat. 



6. Electrolysis of Organo-metallic Compounds. 



These are among the worst conductors of electricity ; even 

 a high tension is not always sufficient to overcome their 

 resistance. Yet a current seems to pass through mercury- 



* Proceedings of the Royal Society, vol. xx. p. 441, 1872. 



2C2 



