ln contrast to aqueous preparative procedures, the liquid ammonia preparations of cobalt(II) cyanide conform to an exact CN/Co stoichiometry of 2:1. The ammonium analogue of Adamson's salt, (NH4)6[C02(CN)1O]' which is readily prepared in this medium also yields Co(CN)2 upon thermal decom­position. The preparation and properties of the complexes K [(Co(CN)3] and K2 [(Co(CN)4] are described and their structures discussed.


D M S MOSHA ,