528 



PROF. LETTS AND MR R. F. BLAKE ON 



PART I.— BENZYL PHOSPHINES. 



Introduction. 



The pliosphines which have been obtained as yet are not very numerous, and 

 with one or two exceptions their properties have not been exhaustively studied, a fact 

 which is no doubt largely due to the difficulties encountered in preparing them in 

 any quantity. 



There are consequently a great many points in their history which require ex- 

 amination, and the object we had in view in the present investigation was chiefly to 

 extend our knowledge of this interesting group of substances. 



It may not be inadvisable, before describing the results of our experiments, to give a 

 brief summary of the work done already by others. 



We discuss the methods for obtaining pliosphines in another part of this paper 

 (p. 589), so that for the present we shall content ourselves with their properties and 

 reactions. 



General Properties of the Primary Pliosphines. 

 The following primary bases have been obtained : — 



Name. 



Condition. 



Boiling Point. 



Methyl phosphine ( 1 ), . 

 Ethyl „ O, 

 Iso-propyl „ ( 3 ), 

 Iso-butyl „ ( 4 ), 

 Iso-amyl „ ( 5 ), 

 Octyl (normal) ( 6 ), 

 Phenyl „ (*), 

 Benzyl „ (*), 

 P- Tolyl „ O, 











Gas. 

 Liquid. 



» 

 >> 



» 



Solid at + 4. 



- 14 

 + 25 

 + 41 

 + 62 

 + 106 

 + 184-187 

 + 160-161 

 + 180 

 + 178 



(!) Hofmann, Berichtc, iv. (1871) p. 209. 



( 3 ) Ibid. Ibid. vi. (1873) p. 292. 



( 5 ) Ibid. Ibid. vi. (1873) p. 297. 



(?) Michaelis, Ibid. vii. (1874) p. 6 and p. 1688. 



( u ) Michaelis and Panek, Annalen, 212, p. 233. 



( 2 ) Hofmann, Berichtc, iv. (1871) p. 432. 

 ( 4 ) Ibid. Ibid. vi. (1873) p. 296. 



( 6 ) Moslinger, Ibid. ix. (1876) p. 1005. 

 ( 8 ) Hofmann, Ibid. v. (1872) p. 100. 



With the exception of methyl phosphine, which is a gas, and p. tolyl phosphine, 

 which is a solid, the primary bases are liquids at ordinary temperatures, insoluble in 

 water, but soluble in ether, &c. Exposed to the air they fume powerfully and grow 

 very hot, their vapour igniting spontaneously at times. The products of this oxidation 

 appear to have been investigated only in a few cases, and chiefly in the aromatic series. 



