Cacodyl cyanide is a highly

poisonous Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

organoarsenic Organoarsenic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds containing a chemical bond between arsenic and carbon. A few organoarsenic compounds, also called "organoarsenicals," are produced industrially with uses as insecticides, herbicides, and fu ...

compound discovered by

Robert Bunsen Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen (; 30 March 1811 – 16 August 1899) was a German chemist. He investigated emission spectra of heated elements, and discovered caesium (in 1860) and rubidium (in 1861) with the physicist Gustav Kirchhoff. The Bu ...

in the 1840s. It is very volatile and flammable, as it shares the chemical properties of both

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but ...

and

cyanide Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of ...

Synthesis

Cacodyl cyanide can be prepared by reaction of

cacodyl oxide Cacodyl oxide is a chemical compound of the formula CH3)2Assub>2O. This organoarsenic compound is primarily of historical significance since it is sometimes considered to be the first organometallic compound synthesized in relatively pure form. ...

with

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

mercuric cyanide Mercury(II) cyanide, also known as mercuric cyanide, is a compound of mercury. It is an odorless, toxic white powder. It is highly soluble in polar solvents such as water, alcohol, and ammonia; slightly soluble in ether; and insoluble in benzene ...

Properties

Cacodyl cyanide is a white solid that is only slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in alcohol and ether. Cacodyl cyanide is highly toxic, producing symptoms of both

and

poisoning. Bunsen described it in the following terms; It is also explosive, and Bunsen himself was severely injured in the course of his experiments with cacodyl cyanide. The Russian military tested cacodyl cyanide on cats as a potential

chemical weapon A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as a ...

for filling shells in late 1850s, but while it was found to be a potent

lachrymatory agent Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...

, all cats survived and it was ultimately considered unsuitable for military use.https://www.supotnitskiy.ru/stat/stat72.htm Any experiment or contact with cacodyl cyanide requires extreme care and caution as it is highly dangerous.

References

{{Cyanides Cacodyl compounds Nitriles Lachrymatory agents Blood agents Vomiting agents Pulmonary agents

Synthesis

Properties

See also

References