1-(4-Chlorophenyl)silatrane is an extremely toxic

organosilicon Organosilicon compounds are organometallic compounds containing carbon–silicon bonds. Organosilicon chemistry is the corresponding science of their preparation and properties. Most organosilicon compounds are similar to the ordinary organic co ...

compound which was developed by M&T Chemicals as a single-dose

rodenticide Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents. While commonly referred to as "rat poison", rodenticides are also used to kill mice, squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunks, porcupines, nutria, beavers, and voles. Despi ...

. It was never registered as rodenticide, except for experimental use. 1-(4-Chlorophenyl)silatrane was one of the chemicals studied in the

Project Coast Project Coast was a 1980s top-secret chemical and biological weapons (CBW) program instituted by the apartheid-era government of South Africa. Project Coast was the successor to a limited postwar CBW program, which mainly produced the lethal age ...

Toxicity

1-(4-Chlorophenyl)silatrane is a

GABA receptor antagonist GABA receptor antagonists are drugs that inhibit the action of GABA. In general these drugs produce stimulant and convulsant effects, and are mainly used for counteracting overdoses of sedative drugs. Examples include bicuculline, securinine an ...

and it destroys nervous functions in the central nervous system of vertebrates, primarily in the brain and possibly in the brain stem. It's a rapid acting

convulsant A convulsant is a drug which induces convulsions and/or epileptic seizures, the opposite of an anticonvulsant. These drugs generally act as stimulants at low doses, but are not used for this purpose due to the risk of convulsions and consequent exc ...

, causing convulsions within 1 minute in mice and rats. Death occurred within 5 minutes. It is therefore likely to induce poison shyness. In field trials, it was less effective than

zinc phosphide Zinc phosphide ( Zn3 P2) is an inorganic chemical compound. It is a grey solid, although commercial samples are often dark or even black. It is used as a rodenticide. Zn3P2 is a II-V semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.5 eV and may have a ...

against wild rats.

References

{{GABA receptor modulators Convulsants Organosilicon compounds Nitrogen heterocycles Oxygen heterocycles Neurotoxins Rodenticides Chemical weapons GABAA receptor negative allosteric modulators Poisons Chloroarenes Atranes Silicon heterocycles

Toxicity

See also

References