(Benzothiazol-2-ylthio)methyl thiocyanate (TCMTB) is a

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

classified as a

benzothiazole Benzothiazole is an aromatic heterocyclic compound with the chemical formula . It is colorless, slightly viscous liquid. Although the parent compound, benzothiazole is not widely used, many of its derivatives are found in commercial products or ...

Properties

TCMTB is an oily, flammable, red to brown liquid with a pungent odor that is very slightly soluble in water. It decomposes on heating producing

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 ...

, sulfur oxides, and

nitrogen oxide Nitrogen oxide may refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds: Charge-neutral *Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen(II) oxide, or nitrogen monoxide *Nitrogen dioxide (), nitrogen(IV) oxide * Nitrogen trioxide (), or n ...

s. The degradation products are

2-mercaptobenzothiazole 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole is an organosulfur compound with the formula . It is used in the sulfur vulcanization of rubber. Structure The molecule is planar with a C=S double bond, so the name ''mercapto''benzothiazole is a misnomer. It is not a th ...

(2-MBT) and 2-benzothiazolesulfonic acid.

Uses

TCMTB is used as wideband microbicide, paint fungicide, and paint gallicide. The active substance approved in 1980 in the United States.EPA
Reregistration Eligibility Decision for 2- (thiocyanomethylthio) benzothiazoles (TCMTB)
(PDF; 2.7 MB), August 2006. It is used, for example, in leather preservation, for the protection of paper products, in wood preservatives, and against germs in industrial water. In the US, TCMTB is used as a fungicide for

seed dressing In agriculture and horticulture, a seed treatment is any additional material added to the seed. By the amount of material added, it can be divided into: * A seed dressing, typically containing a "protectant" ( pesticide) applied to the seed and po ...

in cereals, safflower, cotton and sugar beet. It is also used when dealing with fungal problems when extracting hydrocarbons via fracking.

Approval

TCMTB is not an authorized plant protection product in the European Union. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, no plant protection products containing this active substance are authorized.PSM-del, EU- 2- (dithiocyanomethylthio) -benzothiazole , CH = DB , A = DB , D = DB , 8 March 2016 TCMTB contributes to health problems in tannery workers as it is a potential

carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substan ...

, and is a

hepatotoxin A hepatotoxin (''Greek language, Gr., hepato = liver'') is a toxic chemical substance that damages the liver. It can be a adverse effect, side-effect, but hepatotoxins are also found naturally, such as microcystins and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, or ...

. It is also a skin sensitizer, and may cause contact dermatitis in those exposed to the poisonous compound. Hence, it is mainly used in developing countries.

References

{{Reflist Benzothiazoles Thioethers Thiocyanates Biocides Fungicides