7215. Phenarsazine Chloride

Nomenclature

CAS number: 578-94-9
10-Chloro-5,10-dihydrophenarsazine; 5-aza-10-arsenaanthracene chloride; 10-chloro-5,10-dihydroarsacridine; diphenylaminechlorarsine; phenazarsine chloride; adamsite; DM.
C12H9AsClN; mol wt 277.58.
C 51.92%, H 3.27%, As 26.99%, Cl 12.77%, N 5.05%.

Description and references

Prepd by heating diphenylamine with arsenic trichloride: DE 281049 (1914 to I. G. Farben.); Wieland, Reinheimer, Ann. 423, 12 (1921); Lewis, Hamilton, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 43, 2222 (1921); Burton, Gibson, J. Chem. Soc. 1926, 450.

Chemical structure

Properties

Canary-yellow crystals from carbon tetrachloride. Poisonous. Dimorphous. The stable form occurs as orthorhombic crystals; d 1.65; mp 195°; bp 410° (decompn). Sublimes readily. Vapor press. at 20° = 2 × 10-13 mm; volatility 0.02 mg/cu m; heat of volatilization 54.8 cal; spec heat 0.268 cal. Practically insol in water. Slightly sol in benzene, xylene, carbon tetrachloride. Corrodes iron, bronze, brass. (The metastable form melts at 186° if monoclinic, and at 182° if triclinic.)

Caution

Irritating to skin and respiratory tract. Causes profuse watery nasal discharge; severe pain in nose, sinuses, chest; sneezing, coughing, nausea, vomiting, marked depression, weakness. Sensory disturbances may occur later.

Use

As war gas, dispersed in air in the form of minute particles. For riots in combination with tear gas (chloroacetophenone). In the formulation of wood-treating solns, against marine borers and similar pests.