| Names | |
|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name 2-Methyl-3,5-dinitrophenol | |
Other names
| |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChemSpider | |
PubChem CID | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| |
| |
| Properties | |
| C7H6N2O5 | |
| Molar mass | 198.134 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | Yellow solid [1] |
| Odor | Odorless [1] |
| Density | 1.58 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 86.5 °C (187.7 °F; 359.6 K) |
| Boiling point | 312 °C (594 °F; 585 K) |
| 0.01% (20°C) [1] | |
| Vapor pressure | 0.00005 mmHg (20°C) [1] |
| Hazards | |
| Flash point | noncombustible [1] |
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose) | 7 mg/kg (oral, rat) 50 mg/kg (oral, cat) 21 mg/kg (oral, mouse) 24.6 mg/kg (oral, rabbit) 24.6 mg/kg (oral, guinea pig) 31 mg/kg (oral, rat) [2] |
| NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
PEL (Permissible) | TWA 0.2 mg/m3 [skin] [1] |
REL (Recommended) | TWA 0.2 mg/m3 [skin] [1] |
IDLH (Immediate danger) | 5 mg/m3 [1] |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Dinitro-ortho-cresol (DNOC) is an organic compound with the structural formula CH3C6H2(NO2)2OH. It is a yellow solid that is only slightly soluble in water. It is extremely toxic to humans and was previously used as a herbicide and insecticide.
This compound is prepared by disulfonation of o-cresol. The resulting disulfonate is then treated with nitric acid to give DNOC. A variety of related derivatives are known including those where the methyl group is replaced by sec-butyl (dinoseb), tert-butyl (dinoterb), and 1-methylheptyl (dinocap). These are prepared by the direct nitration of the alkyphenols. [3]
DNOC is an uncoupler, which means that it interferes with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, [4] [5] making it extremely toxic to humans. [6]
DNOC was one of the earliest pesticides developed, being used as an insecticide since the 1890s and a herbicide since the 1930s. [7] It was banned for use as a pesticide in the United States in 1991. [6]
Symptoms of dinitro-ortho-cresol poisoning, due to ingestion or other forms of exposure, include confusion, fever, headache, shortness of breath, and sweating. [8]