Pyrolysis and Gas Chromatography of Benzene Clathrate

Abstract

IN 1897, Hofmann and Küspert¹published a paper in which they described that when benzene is added to a solution of nickel cyanide in aqueous ammonia and containing acetic acid, a precipitate of the composition [Ni(CN)₂.NH₃.C₆H₆] is formed. This compound, now known as benzene clathrate, was obtained with a slight change, using no glacial acetic acid, in the method described in ref. 2. The clathrate (referred to here as VM) on analysis gave: C= 45.86 per cent, H = 4.50 per cent, N = 20.86 per cent, and Hofmann and Küspert found: C = 45.07 per cent, H = 4.20 per cent, N = 20.37 per cent. The calculated analysis is: C = 46.60 per cent, H = 4.37 per cent, N = 20.39 per cent.