Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)
Lewisite
Sign in to saveAlso known as L, (2-chlorovinyl)dichloro-arsine, dichloro(2-chlorovinyl)-arsine, (2-chloroethenyl)-arsenous dichloride, (2-chloroethenyl)-arsonous dichloride, (2-chloroethenyl)arsonous dichloride, (2-chlorovinyl) dichloroarsine, (e)-lewisite 1
Lewisite (L) (A-243) is an organoarsenic compound. It was once manufactured in the United States, Japan, Germany and the Soviet Union for use as a chemical weapon, acting as a vesicant (blister agent) and lung irritant. Although colorless and odorless in its pure form, impure samples of lewisite are a yellow, brown, violet-black, green, or amber oily liquid with a distinctive odor that has been described as similar to geraniums.
Chemical data
- Formula
- C2H2AsCl3
- Molecular weight
- 207.31 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- dichloro-[(E)-2-chloroethenyl]arsane
- SMILES
- C(=C/[As](Cl)Cl)\Cl
- InChIKey
- GIKLTQKNOXNBNY-OWOJBTEDSA-N
- Polar surface area
- 0 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 0
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Wikidata facts
- Mass
- 205.844
Show 8 more facts
- chemical formula
- C₂H₂AsCl₃
- boiling point
- 190
- melting point
- 0.1
- density
- 1.89
- canonical SMILES
- C(=C[As](Cl)Cl)Cl
- isomeric SMILES
- C(=C/[As](Cl)Cl)\Cl
- refractive index
- 1.6076
- Commons category
- Lewisite
via Wikidata · CC0
~12 min read
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Chemical reactions
- Applications
- Mechanism of action
- Treatment
- Long-term effects
- Chemical composition
- History
- Controversy over Japanese deposits of lewisite in China
- See also
- References
Lewisite (L) (A-243) is an organoarsenic compound. It was once manufactured in the United States, Japan, Germany and the Soviet Union for use as a chemical weapon, acting as a vesicant (blister agent) and lung irritant. Although colorless and odorless in its pure form, impure samples of lewisite are a yellow, brown, violet-black, green, or amber oily liquid with a distinctive odor that has been described as similar to geraniums.
Lewisite is named after the US chemist and soldier Winford Lee Lewis (1878–1943). Lewisite has no applications other than use as a chemical weapon, with a chemist from the United States Army's chemical warfare laboratories stating that "no one has ever found any use for the compound".