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AMYL NITRITE (isoamyl nitrite), C5H11

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 900 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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AMYL NITRITE (isoamyl nitrite), C5H11 .ONO, a liquid prepared by passing nitrous fumes (from See also:

starch and concentrated nitric See also:acid) into warm isoamyl See also:alcohol; or by distilling a mixture of 26 parts of See also:potassium nitrite in 15 parts of See also:water with 30 parts of isoamyl alcohol in 30 parts of sulphuric: acid (See also:Renard, Jahresb., 1874, p. 352). It is a yellow-coloured liquid of specific gravity o•877, boiling at about 95°—96° C. It has a characteristic penetrating odour, and produces marked effects on the See also:system when its vapour is inhaled. It is insoluble in water, but dissolves readily in alcohol, See also:ether, glacial acetic acid, See also:chloroform and See also:benzene. On See also:heating with methyl alcohol it is converted into isoamyl alcohol, methyl nitrite being produced at the same See also:time; a similar reaction takes See also:place with See also:ethyl alcohol, but the See also:change is less See also:complete. It is readily decomposed by nascent See also:hydrogen, with the formation of See also:ammonia and isoamyl alcohol; and on See also:hydrolysis with See also:caustic potash it forms potassium nitrite and isoamyl alcohol. When the liquid is dropped on to fused caustic potash, it forms potassium valerate. Amyl nitrite finds application in See also:medicine, and in the preparation of anhydrous diazonium salts (E. Knoevenagel, Berichie, 1890, 23, p. 2094).

End of Article: AMYL NITRITE (isoamyl nitrite), C5H11

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