Ethyl iodoacetate is a chemical compound that is a derivative of
ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate ( systematically ethyl ethanoate, commonly abbreviated EtOAc, ETAC or EA) is the organic compound with the formula , simplified to . This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell (similar to pear drops) and is used in glues ...
.
Under normal conditions, the compound is a clear, light yellow to orange liquid.
Applications
Used by the British during World War I, it was codenamed SK gas, for the initials of
South Kensington
South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
, where it was developed.
Like many
alkyl iodide
Organoiodine compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more carbon–iodine bonds. They occur widely in organic chemistry, but are relatively rare in nature. The thyroxine hormones are organoiodine compounds that are required for he ...
s, ethyl iodoacetate is an
alkylating agent
Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effecting al ...
, which makes it useful in organic synthesis, yet toxic. Ethyl iodoacetate is also a
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 ...
.
References
{{Chemical warfare
Lachrymatory agents
Organoiodides
Ethyl esters
Iodoacetates