584 
EESEAECHES OF DE. HOFMAA’X AXD M. C-AEOUES 
tion. This liquid, which is almost without odour, and has a bitter and phosphoric taste, 
when placed over sulphuric acid, dries up into a ciystalline extremely deliquescent mass, 
the silver separating at the same time in the form of a black powder, or as a brilliant 
metallic mu-ror. The mass, when redissolved in water, furnishes a colourless liquid free 
from silver, but generally containing some carbonic acid. The avidity with which the 
oxide of tetrethylphosphonium attracts both water and carbonic acid, has prevented 
us from analysing this body, but its formation, the composition of the corresponding 
iodide, and the analysis of a platinum- and gold-salt, hereafter to be mentioned, suffi- 
ciently warrant the formula 
C,sH,PO,=E,PO, HO. 
In its deportment with other substances the body in question resembles the oxide of 
tetrethylammonium ; we refer therefore to the detailed description which one of us has 
given of this compound in a former memou’ The solution of the oxide of tetrethyl- 
phosphonium shows in fact all the reactions of a solution of potassa ; the precipitates, 
such as alumina and protoxide of zinc, dissolve, however, less readily in excess of the 
phosphorus-compound. The action of heat upon this body gives rise to a peculiar 
transformation, to which we shall return hereafter. 
Tetrethylphosphonium produces crystallizable salts with hydrochloric, nitric, and sid- 
phuric acids. All these compounds exhibit the deliquescent character of the oxide. 
Like the latter, they are also soluble in alcohol ; in ether they are for the most part 
insoluble. The hydrochloric solution furnishes, with bichloride of platinum and ter- 
chloride of gold, difficultly soluble precipitates, which are well adapted for analysis. 
Chloride of Tetrethylphosphonium and Bichloride of Platinum. 
The pale orange-yellow precipitate which falls on addition of bichloride of platinum 
to a moderately dilute solution of the chloride, dissolves with difficulty, but without 
decomposition, in boiling water ; it is insoluble in alcohol and in ether. It can be dried 
at 100° C. 
I. 0T108 grm. of the platinum-salt, when fused udth carbonate of sodium, gave 
0T35 grm. of chloride of silver and 0'0305 grm. of platinum. 
II. 0'5510grm. of the platinum-salt, treated in a similar way, gave 0-6710 grm. of 
chloride of silver. 
III. 0-5535 grm. of platinum-salt gave 0-1547 grm. of platinum. 
IV. 0-3180 grm. of platinum-salt gave 0-089 grm. of platinum. 
The formula 
I 
C,6 PCI, PtCL= ^ [tCI, PtCl, 
E ! 
* Philosophical Transactions, 1851, p. 357. 
