The isolation and identificatioii of hydrolysis products from an intermediate formed iu the decomposition of 2, 2'-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile is described. Evidence is given that the intermediate is dimethylketenecyanisopropylimine. 2, 2'-.~ zo-bis-isobutyronitrile was first prepared by Thiele and Heuse? who found that the main product of thermal decomposition was tetramethylsuccinodinitrile. more exhaustive study by Bickel and Waters3 showed the ...