Sodium Arsenide, Na₃As

Sodium Arsenide, Na₃As, has been obtained in an impure state by heating together sodium and arsenic, or sodium and arsenious oxide; by the action of arsine on dry sodium or on a solution of sodium in liquid ammonia; and by heating the product obtained by the action of liquid ammonia on a mixture of the two elements. Lebeau heated a mixture of sodium and arsenic to redness, digested the product with liquid ammonia to remove excess of sodium, and finally removed the ammonia by heating in nitrogen. Hugot treated the mixture of elements with liquid ammonia and obtained a reddish-brown compound of approximate composition Na₃As.NH₃. This, after heating in a vacuum at 300° C., left the impure arsenide, some sodamide remaining in the product.