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XXIII. On the Compounds of Ethylene-sodium and of its Homo- 

 logues. By J. Alfred Wanklyn, Professor of Chemistry 

 in the London Institution*. 



THE reaction described at the end of my former paper t in- 

 dicates very distinctly that the absolute ethylate of so- 

 dium got by heating the well-known crystals is in reality hydrated 

 oxide of ethylene-sodium, the substances arising from the action 

 of the ethers on this compound being the different salts of the 

 new organo-metal ethylene-sodium. 



( (C 2 H 4 )" Na'") ' = Ethylene-sodium (radical) . 



^ Jx > = Hydrated oxide of ethylene-sodium. 



(C 2 H 4 Na)'\ n *♦,,*., v 



Q2TJ3Q rvJ = Acetate or ethylene-sodium. 



C 5 H 9 O fO = Valerianate of ethylene-sodium. 



(C 2 H 4 Na)H 



C 7 H 6 O I = Benzoate °f ethylene-sodium. 



((C 6 H 10 )"Na" , )' = Amylene-sodium (radical). 



^ tt f = Hydrated oxide of amylene-sodium. 



(C 5 H 10 Na)n o . . ' - ,. 



C 2 H 3 C) f U = Acetate or amylene-sodium. 



C 5 H 10 Nal 

 T 5 H 9 O I ^ = vraiei 'i ana ^ e °f amylene-sodium. 



The foregoing is a list of the formulae of such compounds of 

 ethylene-sodium and of amylene-sodium as have been already 

 produced; to which are added the formulae of the radicals them- 

 selves. 



Ethylene-sodium and Amylene-sodium [radicals). 



It will of course be understood that should these radicals be 

 capable of existing in an isolated state, their formulae in that 

 state must be double of that which represents them in a state of 

 combination. Thus we should have : — 



(C 2 H 4 Na)'l - ,, , r 



(P 2 H 4 N V i ~* ree ethylene-sodium. 



Very great difficulties will have to be overcome before the 

 free radicals can. be actually prepared. Passing in review the 

 history of the isolation of the organo-metallic radicals, it will be 



* Communicated by the Author, 

 t Phil. Mag. vol. xxxvii. p. 117. 



