G. R. Jones, M. Israel
Dec 26, 1970
Citations
0
Influential Citations
35
Citations
Journal
Nature
Abstract
IN 1928 Corson and Stoughton1 prepared a number of benzylidene malononitriles, including 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS). Although these authors were primarily concerned with the isolation and chemistry of the condensation products of malononitrile and various aldehydes, sternutatory and irritant properties on the part of some of the compounds were reported. CS is now the active material in a wide range of devices used against civil disturbances and in war (see, for example, refs. 2–6). Benzylidene malononitriles are reactive substances, and have been shown to form adducts with amines7–10, n-butanethiol10–12, Grignard reagents13,14, hydrazoic acid15, hydrogen cyanide1,15–17, salts of certain transition elements18,19, and trialkylphosphines20–22. Reactions also occur with hypochlorite23–24, water1,9,17,25,26, oxidizing1 and reducing7,27,28 agents. Certain aspects of the physiological effects2,7,8,29–32 and toxic properties23,33–38 of CS have also been studied. We here describe a brief investigation into the mechanism of toxicity of CS. Because elevated levels of thiocyanate have been found in the blood of human patients treated with 4-nitrobenzylidene malononitrile39, and because malononitrile is one of the products when CS is hydrolysed in aqueous ethanol9, the toxicities of cyanide and malononitrile have also received attention.