PROFESSOR LETTS ON PHOSPHORUS-BETAINES. 309 
Action of Oxide of Silver on the Ethyl-Chlorate—YIorMann states (Joc. cit.) 
that the ethyl-chlorate is decomposed by oxide of silver into the base (triethyl- 
phosphorus-betaine) and alcohol, a reaction exactly similar to that which the 
author has observed with the ethyl-bromate of dimethyl-thetine. Thus— 
Br OH 
(CH),SC 4 AcHO+H,0 = (CH,).SC +C,H,O+AgBr 
CH,CO0C,H, CH,COOH 
Cl OH 
(CH,)PC + AcHO+H,0 = (CyH) PC +C,H,OH+AgCl. 
CH,COOC,H, CH,COOH 
The author deemed it of interest to repeat HormANn’s experiment. 
On mixing a solution (in water) of the ethyl-chlorate with recently precipi- 
tated oxide of silver, chloride of silver was formed, and a strong smell of acetic 
ether became manifest. The filtered solution was distilled, and the distillate 
was proved to contain alcohol, but it also had a strong odour of acetic ether. 
The residue of the distillation was mixed with chloride of platinum, and 
yielded the characteristic blunt needles of the chloroplatinate of triethyl- 
phosphorus-betaine. These were dried at 110° C. and analysed. 
0°562 gave 01461 Pt—25-9 per cent. Pt. 
0562 ,, 01556 Cl=27’7 per cent. Cl. 
, Cl 
Obtained. Calculated for 2{ (CH)P<Cir coon \, PtCl,. 
Chlorine, Zt ae : ; s j E : 27°7 
Platinum, 2 Gir ; : ; ; ; ; 2557. 
The smell, however, of acetic ether was so pronounced that the author felt 
assured that it had indeed been produced in the reacticn. Its formation is 
readily intelligible on the assumption that part of the ethyl-hydrate produced in 
the first phase of the reaction does not break up into alcohol and the phos- 
phorus-betaine, but suffers a totally different, but no less simple decomposition. 
The two reactions may be represented thus— 
OH 0 
(1) (CHP pace ms (CH )EC abe. CEL OF, 
CH,—C0‘00,H, CH,—Co 
O'H 
(2) (CH) PC = (C,H,),PO + HCH,—COOC,H,. 
'CH,—CO 0C,H, 
The author has not proceeded further with the investigation of this reaction, 
as the experiments to be described presently on the behaviour of the compounds 
of triethyl-phosphorus-betaine with caustic potash fully confirm the above 
interpretation of it. _ 
VOL, XXX. PART I. 3B 
