1881.] 



On the Action of Sodium upon Chinoline. 



537 



hydrochlorate, is probably a unique reaction. To obtain this product 

 •of the utmost beauty, it appears to be necessary that the chinoline 

 should be perfectly free from any impurity, except, perhaps, its next 

 homologue. The most successful preparations were made from chino- 

 line obtained from fine crystals of the chromate.* 



Chinoline prepared from the chromate is almost colourless, and 

 becomes yellow, on keeping, with extreme slowness as compared with 

 the base prepared without that precaution. In the following experi- 

 ments it is to be understood that all the chinoline was obtained from 

 the crystallised chromate. 



Chinoline was boiled with sodium, the fluid, which became purplish 

 crimson, was treated with water, which at once converted the crimson 

 colour into a dirty yellow. Hydrochloric acid was then added, and 

 the solution became of an intense orange colour. The solution was 

 boiled, filtered, and allowed to stand two days, the crystals of hydro- 

 chlorate of dichinoline were filtered off, and the mother-liquid was 

 precipitated fractionally by solution of platinic chloride. The first 

 precipitate was of a light orange colour, the second a deep orange, 

 the third Naples yellow, the fourth was in the form of a brown crystal- 

 line powder. The platinum was determined in each with the follow- 

 ing results :— 



~No. of precipitate. Percentage of platinum. 



I 22-59 



II 2383 



III 28-30 



IV 28-59 



The first result agrees with the numbers required for the formula — 



2(C 18 H 14 N2)HCl.PtCl 4 , 



which requires 22*18 per cent, of platinum. The second is probably 

 a mixture of the substance having the formula of the first precipitate 

 with some of that having the formula of the third, which latter agrees 

 fairly with a salt having the formula — 



C 18 H 14 N2.3HCl.PtCl 4 , 

 which requires 28'00 per cent, of platinum. The formula — 



C 18 H^N 2 .2HCl.PtCP, 

 requires 29'51 per cent. There are other formula? which agree with 



* It is much to be desired that those chemists who believe in the identity of 

 chinoline and leucoline, and who possess the latter in a pure state, would study the 

 action of sodium upon it; as, if it yields the crystalline scarlet hydrochlorate, the 

 .question might be considered as settled. 



