Nerve Agents

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Tabun, GA

GA, or tabun, was the first of the G series nerve agents discovered by a German chemist Dr. Gerhard Schrader, in the mid 1930's while experimenting with new types of pesticides. Germany soon realized that tabun had military implications and that it could be used as a chemical weapon. GA was the only chemical nerve agent produced in mass quantities and from by the end of WWII Germany had produced 12,000 tonnes of tabun. Nerve agents, as they were called, had the effect of hindering the nerve impulses making the victim between mus Soon after the discovery of GA other more potent nerve agents were discovered, like sarin and soman.

Data for GA

Chemical Name
 Ethyl dimethyl amidophosphorylcyanide
Molecular Formulae
C5H 11O2P
Formulae
(CH3)2 N_ P (= O)(_CN)(_ OC2H5)
US Designation
GA
Molecular Weight
140.09
Density
1.073 gms/cm3
Melting Point
-50o C
Boiling Point
220 to 246o C
Vapor Pressure
at 20o C
0.057 torr

Sarin, GB

GB, sarin, is the second is a series of nerve agents discovered by Dr. Schrader. The name sarin came from the the researchers involved in the project, Schrader, Ambros, Ritter, and Linde. GB is slightly more toxic than GA and has a much higher vapor pressure then any other nerve agent. The higher vapor pressure means that it is is lethal by inhalation, as well as absorption through the skin. All the other nerve agents, by comparison, have a much smaller vapor pressure and are lethal by skin contact.

Data for GB

Chemical Name
 Isopropyl Methylphosphonofluoridic acid
Molecular Formulae
C4H 10FO2P
Formulae
CH3 _ P (= O)(_F)(_ OCH(CH3)2)
US Designation
GB
Molecular Weight
140.1
Density
1.089 gms/cm3
Melting Point
-57o C
Boiling Point
158o C
Vapor Pressure
at 20o C
2.10 torr

Soman, GD
GD was the third of the nerve agents, first produced in 1944. In the coding of the nerve agents by the allies the symbol "GC" was not used since "GC" was the symbol used for gonorrhea in the medical references. Both sarin and soman were never produced in large quantities during WWII due to the large quantities of feedstock material required in the production of these agents.

Data for GD

Chemical Name
 Pinacolyl methyl phosphonefluoridate
Molecular Formulae
C7H 16FO2P
Formulae
CH3 _ P (= O)(_F)(_ CH(CH3)C(CH3) 2
US Designation
GD
Molecular Weight
182.2
Density
1.022 gms/cm3
Melting Point
-42o C
Boiling Point
167 to 200o C
Vapor Pressure
at 20o C
0.4 torr

Cyclohexyl sarin, GF

Data for GF

Chemical Name
 Cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate
Molecular Formulae
C4H 10FO2P
Formulae
CH3 _ P (= O)(_F)(_ O (cyclo-C6H11)
US Designation
GF
Molecular Weight
180.2
Density
1.120 gms/cm3
Melting Point
<-30o C
Boiling Point
92o C
Vapor Pressure
at 20o C
0.06 torr

VX

Data for VX

Chemical Name
 ethyl-S-2-(diosopropylaminoethyl)
methylphosphonothioate
Molecular Formulae
C11H 26SO2PN
Formulae
CH3_ P (= O)(_S C2H 4 (N(CH(CH3)2)2))
(_ OC2H5)
US Designation
VX
Molecular Weight
267.4
Density
1.008 gms/cm3
Melting Point
-51o C
Boiling Point
298o C
Vapor Pressure
at 20o C
0.0007 torr