In 1943, German Army recruited Nobel Prize winner (1938) Austrian-German biochemist Richard Kuhn to determine the nerve agent damage cause mechanism.
He and his research team discovered the nerve agent blocking enzyme – cholinesterase and its operation process. As part of their research, in 1944, Kuhn and colleagues synthesised a new nerve agent, soman, which was twice as good as sarin at inhibiting cholinesterase.
Tag Archives: CBRN
Sarin (GB) 1938
Sarin was the second nerve gas classified as toxic poison, and it was discovered in 1938, by a group of German scientists, while they were attempting to create a pesticide stronger than Triton83. The new agent was named in honour of its discoverers: Schrader, Ambros, Gerhard Ritter, and von der Linde.
Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Strange things happen in nowadays strange times. Surprisingly, all these events seem to accumulate… Currently new words are used in news headlines across the globe – cholinesterase inhibitors – but what is the story behind this new (old) term?
Tabun (GA) 1936
Tabun was the first nerve gas classified as toxic poison, and it was discovered accidentally by the German chemist Gerhard Schrader, in January 1936, while developing new organophorous based insecticides, to fight against world famine.
Nitrogen Mustard (HNs) 1930’s
Nitrogen mustards were first synthesised in the 1930s as potential chemical warfare weapons, to have greater systemic toxicity than sulphur mustard. American and German defence organisations started military production in 1941 and 1943.
What is Ammonium Nitrate?
Let’s look a bit further into ammonium nitrate that is, allegedly and so far, the cause of the unfortunate event in Beirut (Lebanon), that has claimed over 100 lives.
ChemProX, Simply the Best!
Where were you in 1987?
Either you were shaking your hip to Tina Turner’s music, rocking your voluptuous (and regretful) hairstyle, or you still had the flexibility to use your toes as a pacifier – like me – Environics was already being settled.
Lewisite (L) 1917
Julius Arhur Nieuwland, a Belgian-born Holy Cross priest and professor of chemistry and botany, made the first known synthesis of acetylene and arsenic trichloride in 1904, during his PhD studies, while conducting a research on acetylene, looking for a solution to synthetic rubber.
Cyanogen Chloride (CK) 1916
Cyanogen chlorine was synthesized for the first time in 1802 by the French chemist Claude Louis Berthollet, although the correct chemical format was established by his compatriot Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac in 1815. Cyanides have been used for their toxic potential since ancient Roman times.
Environics and The Finnish Defence Forces
Environics has been publicly assuming the Finnish Defence Forces as one of their strongest references, but do you know how this bonding started?
