Intermediate Volatility Agent

After disclosure of the German nerve agent programme, chemists from several nations pursued further structure-activity studies over the next 20 years. One avenue explored was analogues of sarin and soman with intermediate volatility, ie. between that of soman and tabun. Such agents (IVAs) could penetrate semi-permeable protective clothing, and present both an inhalation... 

J. Matousek and I. Masek, On the new potential supertoxic lethal organo-phosphorus chemical warfare agents with intermediate volatility, ASA Newsletter, 1994,94-5,1. 

Diesters. Many of the diester derivatives are commercially important. The diesters are important plasticizers, polymer intermediates, and synthetic lubricants. The diesters of azelaic and sebacic acids are useflil as monomeric plasticizing agents these perform weU at low temperatures and are less water-soluble and less volatile than are diesters of adipic acid. Azelate diesters, eg, di- -hexyl, di(2-ethylhexyl), and dibutyl, are useflil plasticizing agents for poly(vinyl chloride), synthetic mbbers, nitroceUulose, and other derivatized ceUuloses (104). The di-hexyl azelates and dibutyl sebacate are sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Dmg Administration for use in poly(vinyl chloride) films and in other plastics with direct contact to food. The di(2-ethylhexyl) and dibenzyl sebacates are also valuable plasticizers. Monomeric plasticizers have also been prepared from other diacids, notably dodecanedioic, brassyflc, and 8-eth5lhexadecanedioic (88), but these have not enjoyed the commercialization of the sebacic and azelaic diesters. 

Uses/Sources. Intermediate in organic synthesis, especially production of toluene diisocyanate and polymethylene poly-phenylisocyanate in metallurgy to separate ores by chlorination of the oxides and volatilization occurs as a product of combustion whenever a volatile chlorine compound comes in contact with a flame or very hot metal originally manufactured as an agent for chemical warfare during World War I... 

Toxicity. Dichlorohydrin has a narcotic 8c depressant action on the heart, circulation respiration. It is harmful when taken internally or when absorbed thru the skin Uses. According to Daniel (Ref 3), Dichlorohydrin was proposed at the end of the 19th century as a solv for NC used in commercial expls, since it is less volatile than some other solvs (such as ether-ale, acetone, ethyl or amyl acetate). Dichlorohydrin is used in the production of epichlorohydrin, as intermediates in the manuf of glycerol derivs, sulfqr-contg polymers textile finishing agents (Ref 5)... 

IPP and DMAPP are reactive hemiterpene intermediates in the pathways leading to more complex terpenoid structures. They are also used as alkylating agents in the formation of meroterpenoids as indicated above, but examples of these structures are discussed under the section appropriate to the major substructure, e.g. alkaloids, shiki-mate, acetate. Relatively few true hemiterpenes are produced in nature, with isoprene, a volatile compound which is released by many species of plants, especially trees, being the notable example. Isoprene is formed by loss of a proton from the allylic cation (Figure 5.7). 

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