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174 CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY OF EXPLOSIVES

42, and those for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in Fig. 43. The observation is in agreement

with Hantzsch’s old view (p. 218), that assumed nitrotoluene to possess a basic

character, which appears when it is dissolved in sulphuric acid. Later studies have

FIG. 42. Absorption spectra of 2.4-dinitrotoluene in sulphuric acid of various con-

centrations: I -99.0, II - 102.74, III - 105.46, IV - 107.30, V - 114.5% H 2 SO 4

(Brand [17]).

shown that as the number of the nitro groups increases, the basic properties

weaken.

(On the addition of a proton to nitro compounds see also the chapter on the

reactivity of aromatic nitro compounds, p. 218.)

FIG. 43. Absorption spectra of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in sulphuric acid of various

concentrations: I -99.0, II - 102.1, III - 105.5, IV- 108.3, V- 114.5% H 2 SO 4

(Brand [17]).

Mention should also be made of recent work of Tanaka [18], who has applied

wave mechanics to calculate the σ− electron orbitals (two orbitals) and π− electron

orbitals (one orbital with two electrons and two with one electron) of the nitro

I

group. From these figures the author inferred that the absorption of the nitro