Chinese VX

Last updated
Chinese VX [1]
Chinese VX.svg
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
O-Butyl S-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate
Other names
CVX
EA-6043
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
PubChem CID
  • InChI=1S/C11H26NO2PS/c1-5-8-10-14-15(4,13)16-11-9-12(6-2)7-3/h5-11H2,1-4H3
    Key: BTVFLPKWKJBKNN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • CCCCOP(=O)(C)SCCN(CC)CC
Properties
C11H26NO2PS
Molar mass 267.37 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Chinese VX (CVX), also known as EA-6043, is an organophosphate nerve agent of the V-series. It is a structural isomer of both VX and Russian VX. [2] [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Nerve agents, sometimes also called nerve gases, are a class of organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Nerve agents are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors used as poison.

Soman Chemical compound (nerve agent)

Soman is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a nerve agent, interfering with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system by inhibiting the enzyme cholinesterase. It is an inhibitor of both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations according to UN Resolution 687. Its production is strictly controlled, and stockpiling is outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 where it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance. Soman was the third of the so-called G-series nerve agents to be discovered along with GA (tabun), GB (sarin), and GF (cyclosarin).

VX (nerve agent) Chemical compound and chemical warfare nerve agent

VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. In its pure form, VX is an oily, relatively non-volatile, liquid that is amber-like in colour. Because of its low volatility, VX persists in environments where it is dispersed.

Cholinesterase Esterase that lyses choline-based esters

In biochemistry, a cholinesterase or choline esterase is a family of esterases that lyses choline-based esters, several of which serve as neurotransmitters. Thus, it is either of two enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of these cholinergic neurotransmitters, such as breaking acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid. These reactions are necessary to allow a cholinergic neuron to return to its resting state after activation. For example, in muscle contraction, acetylcholine at a neuromuscular junction triggers a contraction; but for the muscle to relax afterward, rather than remaining locked in a tense state, the acetylcholine must be broken down by a choline esterase. The main type for that purpose is acetylcholinesterase ; it is found mainly in chemical synapses and red blood cell membranes. The other type is butyrylcholinesterase ; it is found mainly in the blood plasma.

Organophosphate Class of organophosphorus compounds

Organophosphates are a class of organophosphorus compounds with the general structure O=P(OR)3, a central phosphate molecule with alkyl or aromatic substituents. They can be considered as esters of phosphoric acid. Like most functional groups organophosphates occur in a diverse range of forms, with important examples including key biomolecules such as DNA, RNA and ATP, as well as many insecticides, herbicides, nerve agents and flame retardants. OPEs have been widely used in various products as flame retardants, plasticizers, and performance additives to engine oil. The popularity of OPEs as flame retardants came as a substitution for the highly regulated brominated flame retardants. The low cost of production and compatibility to diverse polymers made OPEs to be widely used in industry including textile, furniture, electronics as plasticizers and flame retardants. These compounds are added to the final product physically rather than by chemical bond. Due to this, OPEs leak into the environment more readily through volatilization, leaching, and abrasion. OPEs have been detected in diverse environmental compartments such as air, dust, water, sediment, soil and biota samples at higher frequency and concentration.

VG (nerve agent) Chemical compound

VG is a "V-series" nerve agent chemically similar to the better-known VX nerve agent. Tetram is the common Russian name for the substance. Amiton was the trade name for the substance when it was marketed as an insecticide by ICI in the mid-1950s.

Diisopropyl fluorophosphate Chemical compound

Diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) or Isoflurophate is an oily, colorless liquid with the chemical formula C6H14FO3P. It is used in medicine and as an organophosphorus insecticide. It is stable, but undergoes hydrolysis when subjected to moisture.

Butyrylcholinesterase Mammalian protein found in humans

Butyrylcholinesterase, also known as BChE, BuChE, BuChase, pseudocholinesterase, or plasma (cholin)esterase, is a nonspecific cholinesterase enzyme that hydrolyses many different choline-based esters. In humans, it is made in the liver, found mainly in blood plasma, and encoded by the BCHE gene.

Organophosphate poisoning Medical condition

Organophosphate poisoning is poisoning due to organophosphates (OPs). Organophosphates are used as insecticides, medications, and nerve agents. Symptoms include increased saliva and tear production, diarrhea, vomiting, small pupils, sweating, muscle tremors, and confusion. While onset of symptoms is often within minutes to hours, some symptoms can take weeks to appear. Symptoms can last for days to weeks.

PON1

Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase 1 (PON1) also known as A esterase , homocysteine thiolactonase or serum aryldialkylphosphatase 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PON1 gene. Paraoxonase 1 has esterase and more specifically paraoxonase activity. PON1 is the first discovered member of a multigene family also containing PON2 and PON3, the genes for which are located adjacent to each other on chromosome 7.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor Drugs that inhibit acetylcholinesterase

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) also often called cholinesterase inhibitors, inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into choline and acetate, thereby increasing both the level and duration of action of acetylcholine in the central nervous system, autonomic ganglia and neuromuscular junctions, which are rich in acetylcholine receptors. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are one of two types of cholinesterase inhibitors; the other being butyryl-cholinesterase inhibitors. Acetylcholinesterase is the primary member of the cholinesterase enzyme family.

Cholinesterase inhibitor Chemicals which prevent breakdown of acetylcholine and butyrylcholine

Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), also known as anti-cholinesterase, are chemicals that prevent the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine or butyrylcholine. This increases the amount of the acetylcholine or butyrylcholine in the synaptic cleft that can bind to muscarinic receptors, nicotinic receptors and others. This group of inhibitors is divided into two subgroups, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors (BChEIs).

EA-3148 Chemical compound

EA-3148 is a "V-series" nerve agent related to the better-known compounds VX and VR. It was studied by both the US and Soviet chemical weapons programmes during the Cold War, and is notable as the only V-series organophosphate nerve agent specifically identified in public domain sources as having a higher absolute potency as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor than VX. However, both the US and Soviet investigations of the compound concluded that despite its high potency, the physicochemical properties of the substance made it unsuitable for weaponisation, and further research was not conducted.

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate Chemical compound

Tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl)phosphate (TDCPP) is a chlorinated organophosphate. Organophosphate chemicals have a wide variety of applications and are used as flame retardants, pesticides, plasticizers, and nerve gases. TDCPP is structurally similar to several other organophosphate flame retardants, such as tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris(chloropropyl)phosphate (TCPP). TDCPP and these other chlorinated organophosphate flame retardants are all sometimes referred to as "chlorinated tris".

IDFP is an organophosphorus compound related to the nerve agent sarin.

A-232 Chemical compound

A-232 is an organophosphate nerve agent. It was developed in the Soviet Union under the FOLIANT program and is one of the group of compounds referred to as Novichok agents that were revealed by Vil Mirzayanov. A-232 is reportedly slightly less potent as a nerve agent compared to some of the other compounds in the series such as A-230 and A-234, having similar potency to the older nerve agent VR. However it proved to be the most versatile agent as it was chemically stable and remained a volatile liquid over a wide temperature range, making it able to be used in standard chemical munitions without requiring special delivery mechanisms to be developed.

A-234 (nerve agent) Chemical compound

A-234 is an organophosphate nerve agent. It was developed in the Soviet Union under the FOLIANT program and is one of the group of compounds referred to as Novichok agents that were revealed by Vil Mirzayanov. In March 2018 the Russian ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, claimed to have been informed by British authorities that A-234 had been identified as the agent used in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Vladimir Uglev, one of the inventors of the Novichok series of compounds, said he was "99 percent sure that it was A-234" in relation to the 2018 Amesbury poisonings, noting its unusually high persistence in the environment.

EA-2192 Chemical compound

EA-2192 is an extremely toxic degradation product of the VX nerve agent. It is a white solid that is very soluble and stable in water.

V-sub x, also known as GD-7, is an organophosphate nerve agent of the V-series, the phosphonate analog of the organophosphate insecticide demeton. EA-5478 is the pinacolyl analogue.

A-230 Chemical compound

A-230 is an organophosphate nerve agent. It was developed in the Soviet Union under the FOLIANT program and is one of the group of compounds referred to as Novichok agents that were revealed by Vil Mirzayanov. A-230 is possibly the most potent nerve agent for which specific toxicity figures have been published, with a human lethal dose estimated to be less than 0.1mg. However it was felt to be less suitable for weaponisation than other agents such as A-232 and A-234, due to issues with the liquid agent exhibiting low volatility and solidifying at low temperatures, as well as poor stability in the presence of water.

References

  1. Antonijevic, B.; Stojiljkovic, M. P. (1 March 2007). "Unequal Efficacy of Pyridinium Oximes in Acute Organophosphate Poisoning". Clinical Medicine & Research. 5 (1): 71–82. doi:10.3121/cmr.2007.701. PMC   1855336 . PMID   17456837.
  2. Wandhammer, Marielle; Carletti, Eugénie; Van der Schans, Marcel; Gillon, Emilie; Nicolet, Yvain; Masson, Patrick; Goeldner, Maurice; Noort, Daan; Nachon, Florian (13 May 2011). "Structural Study of the Complex Stereoselectivity of Human Butyrylcholinesterase for the Neurotoxic V-agents". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286 (19): 16783–16789. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.209569 . PMC   3089521 . PMID   21454498.
  3. Patrice L. Abercrombie-Thomas, Ann Brozena, James H. Buchanan, Michael W. Ellzy, Frederic J. Berg, Kenneth B. Sumpter, Phillip G. Wilcox, David E. Tevault, Leonard C. Buettner, Ian J. Pardoe, Barry R. Williams, Melissa S. Hulet, Erik D. Emmons, Thermophysical Properties and Spectral Characterization of EA 6043 (PDF), Belcamp/Gunpowder: Department of the Army, Edgewood Arsenal Research Laboratories, archived (PDF) from the original on October 23, 2019, retrieved 2020-02-07{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)