Diphosgene

Encyclopedia : D : DI : DIP : Diphosgene

Diphosgene (ClCO₂CCl₃)

Diphosgene (trichloromethyl chloroformate, ClCO₂CCl₃) is a chemical originally developed for chemical warfare, a few months after the first use of phosgene. Diphosgene is a combination of phosgene and chloroform. Diphosgene starts to break down into both of these components soon after being exposed to air.

At room temperature it is a stable colorless liquid with a vapor pressure of 10 mmHg (1.3 kPa) @ 20 °C. It decomposes to phosgene around 300 °C. Diphosgene is prepared by radical chlorination of methyl formate (or more advantageously, of methyl chloroformate) under UV light. [link]

The vapor is a lung irritant and has a lethal concentration LC₁₀₀ for rabbits at a concentration of 0.9 mg/l of air. Following exposure to diphosgene, subjects suffer the same effects as those of phosgene inhalation i.e. massive pulmonary edema and/or asphyxiation. These effects occur within 12 to 24 hours of exposure. They are caused by the reaction of phosgene with moisture in the respiratory tract, creating carbon dioxide and hydrochloric acid as byproducts.

Diphosgene was used as a poison gas in artillery shells by Germany during World War I. The first recorded battlefield use was in May of 1916. Diphosgene was developed because the vapors could destroy the filters in gas masks in use at the time.

Diphosgene may replace by phosgene in some large scale industrial reactions such as the production of (di-)isocyanates from of amines because it is safer to handle than phosgene.

External links

[medical care guide].
[NATO guide], includes treatment advice
[material safety data sheet] (PDF, for phosgene and diphosgene treated as one).

This article forms part of the series Chemical warfare
Blood agents:	Cyanogen chloride (CK) – Hydrogen cyanide (AC)
Blister agents:	Lewisite (L) – Sulfur mustard gas (HD, H, HT, HL, HQ) – Nitrogen mustard gas (HN1, HN2, HN3)
Nerve agents:	*G-Agents:* Tabun (GA) – Sarin (GB) – Soman (GD) – Cyclosarin (GF) \| *V-Agents:* VE – VG – VM – VX
Pulmonary agents:	Chlorine – Chloropicrin (PS) – Phosgene (CG) – Diphosgene (DP)
Incapacitating agents:	Agent 15 (BZ) – KOLOKOL-1
Riot control agents:	Pepper spray (OC) – CS gas – CN gas – CR gas

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Diphosgene

See also

External links