PROFESSOR LETTS ON PHOSPHORUS-BETAINES, 315 
A good many experiments were made; the results being similar in each 
case. The ethyl-chlorate fused below 100° C., and began to give off gas at 
about 120°-130°. As the temperature increased, the evolution of gas became 
more rapid, and eventually the substance solidified, after which no more gas 
was produced. The solid product was brownish in colour, apparently due to 
the presence of charred substances. It ought also to be noticed that a very 
small quantity of liquid distilled during the experiment. 
The quantity of gaseous products amounted to about 14-16 cc. for the 
- molecular weight of the ethyl-chlorate in milligrammes, 7.¢. 0°241 grms. The 
addition of potash caused an absorption of about one-half this amount. The 
gas which remained burned with a smoky flame, and was absorbed in great 
measure by bromine,* thus showing that ethylene had been formed. 
The solid product was converted into chloroplatinate. This was re- 
crystallised from boiling water, and the crystals had the characteristic form 
of chloroplatinate of triethyl-methyl-phosphonium. Their identity with that 
substance was proved by their analysis. 
0:4325 erm. gave . . . . 0°1285 Pt = 29°7 per cent. 
0:4325 gave 0°5452 AgCl = 01348 Cl = 309 __s,, 
Obtained. Calculated for 2 {(C,H,),(CH,)PCl} ,PtCl,. 
Platinum, . si 29"F A F ‘ é 29°71 
Chlorine, . Pee!) a p : ‘ ‘ 31°5 
The preceding experiments show that the ethyl-chlorate decomposes in the 
manner represented by the equation, 
CH,—COOC,H, 
CH, 
(CHP 7 (CH)PC + CO,+C,H,. 
Cl 
But this equation can only explain the decomposition of part of the ethyl- 
chlorate ; for if the whole of the latter decomposed as it indicates, a mole- 
cular weight of the substance in milligrames ought to yield at least 44 cc. of 
a mixture of ethylene and carbonic anhydride, whereas, roughly speaking, only 
one-third of that amount of gases were evolved. The author has not, however, 
ascertained the nature of the other reactions or reaction which occur. 
That the ethyl-chlorate should decompose in the manner shown by the 
above equation, the author considers to be somewhat remarkable. When he 
first noticed that the ethyl-chlorate yielded carbonic anhydride on heating, he 
expected that the decomposition had occurred thus— 
CH,—C00C,H, CH, —C,H, 
(CHP = (CoH) +CO,, 
Cl Cl 
but such is not the case. 
* This was ascertained by transferring some of the gas to an inverted burette full of water. A little 
bromine was then added, and the mixture shaken. 
