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NITRO DERIVATIVES OF ANILINE 559

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Like most polynitro-aromatics, picramide forms addition compounds with

condensed ring aromatic hydrocarbons. Compounds containing their constituents

in 1:1 molecular proportion include those with:

melting point, °C

naphthalene, orange crystals 168-169

anthracene, red crystals 165-170

aniline, dark red crystals 123-125

dimethylaniline, dark blue crystals 139-141

By thermoanalysis Jefremov [16] found that similar compounds, also in the

molecular proportions of 1:1, were formed by picramide with:

acenaphthene

phenanthrene

retene

fluorene

melting point, °C

195.4

160.2

125.1

(non-uniformly melting)

According to Jefremov, picramide forms eutectics with:

11.5% of picric acid

15.9% of tetryl

76.5% of trinitroxylene

melting point, °C

113.5

110.8

110.8

Picramide may be used for the preparation of tetranitrobenzene (p. 257). Boil-

ing picramide with a sodium hydroxide solution results in its hydrolysis, picric

acid and ammonia being formed. This is due to an action of nitro groups on the

amino group.

Picramide reacts with sodium methoxide in the same manner as trinitrobenzene,

forming coloured solutions. Some solid salts have been prepared by Busch and

Kögel [17]. Recently Farmer [18] found that the coloured compound I can be ob-

tained by two methods:

(a) by the action of methoxides on trinitroaniline;

(b) by the action of ammonia on trinitroanisole:

Ia