302 M. Vogt on Benzylic Mercaptan. 



tosuccinic ether, € 9 H 18 6 , a mixed ether obtained by treating 

 chlorolactic ether with ethylosuccinate of potash. It has the 



€ 3 H 4 0" "I 

 formula G 4 H 4 2 " \-Q\ There is, further, a trilactie ether, 



(C 2 H 5 ) 2 J 

 formed by the direct union of lactide with lactic ether. 



By the action of sodium -alcohol on iodoform, Boutlerow 

 obtained, among other products, an acid which he believed 

 was valerolactic acid. He has since found* that this acid is 

 ethylactic acid ; for when treated with hydriodic acid it is de- 

 composed into lactic acid and iodide of ethyle, 



G 5 H 10 O 3 + H I = G 3 II 6 ' 3 + G 9 H 5 1. 



New acid. Lactic acid. Iodide of 



ethyle. 



He has also proved by direct experiments that this acid is iden- 

 tical in properties with Wurtz's ethylactic acid, obtained by the 

 decomposition of lactic ether by potash. 



Vogt has given a fuller account t of the preparation and pro- 

 perties of the new benzylic mercaptan which he discovered, and 

 of which a preliminary notice has already appeared J ; he has 

 also described a series of its compounds. The sodium-benzylic 

 mercaptan, C 12 H 5 Na S 2 , is obtained as a white saline mass by 

 the addition of sodium to benzyle-mercaptan and subsequent 

 evaporation to dryness. The lead compound, C 12 H 5 Pb S 2 , a 

 yellow crystallized body, is obtained by adding an alcoholic solu- 

 tion of acetate of lead to an alcoholic solution of the mercaptan. 

 The mercury compound, C l2 H 5 HgS 2 , crystallizes in very fine 

 white needles, and is obtained by the action of oxide of mercury 

 on the mercaptan. 



Nitric acid acts with considerable energy on benzyle-mercap- 

 tan. The result of this action is a body crystallizing in white 

 lustrous needles, which has the formula C 12 II 5 S 8 , and is 

 accordingly bisulphide of benzyle; its formation may be thus 

 expressed : — 



C 12 H 6 S 2 + N0 5 HO = C l2 H 5 S 2 + N0 4 + 2IIO. 



Benzylic Bisulphide 



mercaptan. of benzyle. 



It has a faint but not unpleasant smell, and melts at 60° to a 

 yellowish oil, which can be distilled at a high temperature with- 

 out decomposition. 



* Liebig's Annalen, June 1861. 



t Ibid. August 1861. 



X Phil. Mag. vol. xx. p. 522. 



