384 



Messrs. R. Anschtitz and P. N. Evans. [June 16, 



veniently formed when water acts on chloroform solution of antimony 

 pentachloride, without setting free hydrochloric acid, according to the 

 equation — 



SbCl 5 + H 2 = SbCl 5 H 3 0. 



When one brings together weights equivalent to 1 mol. of antimony 

 pentachloride and 4 mols. of water, the tetrahydrate of antimony 

 pentachloride is formed, as described by R. Weber. We must put 

 aside Daubrawa's contradiction of the facts of R. Weber, and strike 

 Daubrawa's hypothetical antimony oxychloride, SbOCl 3 , from the 

 list of the known antimony compounds. 



The Reaction of Antimony Pentachloride and Oxalic Acid. 



As has already* been remarked, our research on the chlorides of 

 antimony sprung originally from the wish to find out if the reaction 

 of anhydrous oxalic acid and antimony pentachloride was analogous 

 to that of phosphorus pentachloride, forming an antimony oxychloride, 

 SbOCl 3 , corresponding to the oxychloride of phosphorus. The know- 

 ledge of the action of water on antimony pentachloride, forming 

 mono- and tetra-hydrates, increased the interest in the attempt to 

 discover the action of oxalic acid on the same body. 



On mixing equal molecular weights of pure anhydrous oxalic acid 

 and antimony pentachloride, a violent development of hydrochloric 

 acid takes place, the mixture forming a nearly solid white mass. 

 The generation of hydrochloric acid soon ceases. On heating to 

 about 150° decomposition begins again, carbonic dioxide and hydro- 

 chloric acid being given off, the mass becoming gradually liquid. 

 This clearly showed that the reaction ran in two stages. In the case 

 of the monohydrate we had obtained our object so quickly by the use 

 of chloroform, that we did not pursue the direct action of antimony 

 pentachloride on oxalic acid further, but substituted a cooled solu- 

 tion of 35*5 grams of antimony pentachloride in 83*3 grams of chloro- 

 form, with 10*6 grams of anhydrous oxalic acid. The reaction 

 commenced in the cold ; at first hydrochloric acid mixed with a small 

 quantity of carbon dioxide was given off, but soon only hydrochloric 

 acid ; gradually a considerable amount of a white crystalline body 

 fell out of solution. After the development of hydrochloric acid had 

 ceased, we heated the product of the reaction, dissolving the greater 

 part of the crystals. We filtered hot, and beautiful transparent 

 colourless crystals separated from the filtrate, which we had placed 

 in a desiccator over sulphuric acid and paraffin. The residue, in- 

 soluble in the hot chloroform solution, weighed 4"9 grams, and 

 "consisted chiefly of unaltered oxalic acid. The quantity of hydro- 



* < Chem. Soc. Journ.,' vol. 49, p. 708. 



