The 5 Most Dangerous Chemicals on Earth

SciShow2 minutes read

Nazi agents developed the extremely dangerous chemical "Substance N" intended for flamethrowers but halted experiments due to its extreme danger, while other hazardous chemicals like Azidoazide azide, Dimethylcadmium, Thioacetone, and Fluoroantimonic acid are known for their extreme toxicity and dangerous properties. These chemicals include the most explosive compound ever made, the most toxic chemical gram-for-gram, the world's smelliest chemical, and the most dangerous acid ever created by humanity, requiring extreme caution in handling and study.

Insights

  • Chlorine trifluoride, developed as "Substance N" by Nazi agents, was an incredibly dangerous chemical intended for flamethrowers, capable of extreme reactions and producing lethal hydrofluoric acid, leading to experiments being stopped due to its hazardous nature.
  • Fluoroantimonic acid, known as the strongest corrosive agent, poses an unparalleled danger as the most potent acid ever created, requiring storage in Teflon containers, capable of burning through tissues and glass, making it challenging to study safely even from a significant distance.

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Recent questions

  • What is the most explosive compound ever made?

    Azidoazide azide

  • What is the world's smelliest chemical?

    Thioacetone

  • What is the most toxic chemical gram-for-gram?

    Dimethylcadmium

  • What is the strongest corrosive agent ever created?

    Fluoroantimonic acid

  • What is chlorine trifluoride used for?

    Rocket fuel

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Summary

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"Deadly Chemicals: Extreme Dangers Unleashed"

  • In 1939, Nazi agents developed a chemical called "Substance N" in a secret bunker on the German-Polish border, which was highly dangerous, boiling when exposed to air, exploding in water, lethal when inhaled, and producing deadly hydrofluoric acid when decomposed.
  • "Substance N" was intended to be loaded into flamethrowers to burn at temperatures exceeding 2400°C, with the plan to melt allied bunkers into hot porridge, but experiments were halted due to its extreme danger.
  • The chemical produced in the bunker was chlorine trifluoride, a highly reactive fluorinating agent capable of causing violent exothermic reactions, surpassing even fluorine gas in danger, and being a potent oxidizer used in rocket fuel.
  • Azidoazide azide, created in 2010, is considered the most explosive compound ever made, with extreme sensitivity causing it to explode from minimal stimuli like movement, light exposure, or even doing nothing.
  • Dimethylcadmium, synthesized in 1917, is an organometallic compound known for its extreme toxicity, being the most toxic chemical gram-for-gram, causing acute and chronic effects, and being highly carcinogenic.
  • Thioacetone, labeled the world's smelliest chemical, is a thiol compound with an unbearable odor detectable from half a kilometer away, causing vomiting and evacuations in a city when a vial broke in a research lab.
  • Fluoroantimonic acid, the strongest corrosive agent, is considered the most dangerous acid ever created by humanity, being ten quadrillion times stronger than sulfuric acid, capable of burning through organic tissues, muscles, and bones, and requiring storage in Teflon containers due to its extreme reactivity.
  • Fluoroantimonic acid is so potent that it can eat through glass, fume hoods, and is challenging to study due to its destructive nature, necessitating observation from a significant distance to avoid harm.
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