CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS

Nerve Gases

This is the article from Chemical & Engineering News, referred to in class, concerning the analysis of Sudanese soil which might have contained the chemical precursor to VX nerve gas.

 This is my one-page condensation of the article, including structures.

Other links relating to this article:

VX was a "Molecule of the Month" at two sites, one of which includes a review of the movie "The Rock":

http://www.ncl.ox.ac.uk/mom/vx/VX.htm and http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/vx/

Here are structures of many chemical warfare agents, with a lot of detailed linked information. The hydrolysis and the decontamination mechanisms for VX are shown, so you could use this page as a "Suggested Problem".

http://www.noblis.org/MissionAreas/nsi/ChemistryofLethalChemicalWarfareAgents/Pages/ChemistryVX.aspx

A comprehensive article on the history, descriptive chemistry, and physiological reactions of organo-phosphorous nerve agents which inhibit cholinesterase:

http://web.archive.org/web/19990427032655/http://www.geofjoan.demon.co.uk/op/nervagt.html

[NOTE: This page was originally constructed in Spring 1999. As of June, 1999 the interesting, informative link below is no longer available .]

A personal web page (with music):

http://maxpages.com/nukesandvxgas/V_X_G_A_S