stokes] TRI- AND TETRAPHOSPHONITRILIC CHLORIDES. 83 
mixture of equal parts is liquid below 90°. The corrected boiling 
point is 256.5° at 760 millimeters pressure. Besides the solvents else 
where mentioned (for some of which quantitative data are given below), 
warm glacial acetic acid dissolves it readily. On boiling this solution 
with zinc dust some phosphuretted hydrogen is evolved. Hot concen- 
trated sulphuric acid dissolves it easily. On boiling, some is decom- 
posed, but the greater part distills off unaltered. The rather pleasant 
aromatic odor of its vapor has long been known. Although this is by 
no means irritating, inhaling it in any considerable amount is likely to 
be followed in two or three hours by alarming difficulty in breathing, 
succeeded by persistent irritation of the air passages. This insidious 
property renders care necessary in working with it in large quantities 
or for extended periods, all the more as the nose is the best instrument 
for detecting it. 
A vapor- density determination by Victor Meyer's method at 360° in 
dry hydrogen gave 12.35 (calculated 12.01). The volatilization is com- 
plete, but on long boiling in air a little solid substance is deposited. 
Ethyl bromide and sodium are without action on the ethereal solution. 
Broinbenzene and sodium acts slowly on the ether or benzene solution, 
forming a mixture of brownish amorphous organic substances, in part 
soluble, in part insoluble in ether, in which only a portion of the 
chlorine is replaced. No smooth reaction could be obtained. 
Zinc ethyl, as observed by Oouldridge, 1 is without action at ordinary 
temperature. On heating together in a sealed tube a violent reaction 
occurs, accompanied by liberation of gas and carbonization. If the 
zinc ethyl be diluted with 2 volumes benzene, a mixture of complex 
addition products is formed on heating, which are left on evaporating 
as a no louger soluble white vitreous mass, containing zinc, phosphorus, 
nitrogen, chlorine, and ethyl. This is decomposed by caustic potash, 
which liberates a mixture of oily bases of a disagreeable, sweetish odor, 
which are for the greater part decomposed on distillation, and which 
dissolve in cold water, and are thrown out on warming. These are 
slowly decomposed, on heating with hydrochloric acid, into ammonia 
and what appear to be highly complex phosphinic acids, containing 
nitrogen. At 170° considerable quantities of combustible gases, and 
of mono-, di-, and triethyl phosphine are formed by the action of zinc 
ethyl, in addition to a small amount of a crystalline basic substance 
containing nitrogen, and showing much the same properties as the oily 
substances alluded to. The yield was very minute. 
Action oftvater on triphosphonitrilic chloride. — By decomposing chlo- 
'ophosphuret of nitrogen with aqueous ether, 2 or with alcoholic alkalies, 3 
jladstone obtained a substance which he named deutazophosphoric 
1 Jour. Chem. Soc. London, Vol. LITE, p. 398. 
2 Quart. Jour. Chem. Soc. London, Vol. Ill, pp. 135, 354; Ann. Chem. (Liebig), Vol. LXXVI, p. 78; 
r ol.LXXVII,p.315. 
s Jour. Chem. Soc. London, [2], Vol. II, p. 231. 
