Dimethylamidophosphoric dichloride


Dimethylamidophosphoric dichloride is an important chemical for few industrial purposes. It is an important chemical for synthesizing phosphoramidates as well as Nerve agent GA which is used as a chemical weapon.

Safety

This chemical is also corrosive, flammable and will cause mild nerve agent symptoms if ingested or absorbed through skin due to its nature. It will react with water giving off hydrogen chloride vapors and dimethylamidophosphoric acid.

History

First synthesis of the substance dates back to turn of the 19th century, when a student of German chemistry professor August Michaelis Ernst Ratzlaff made dimethylamidophosphoric dichloride as well as its diethyl analog for experiments of another PhD student of Michaelis Adolph Schall. He obtained a PhD at University of Rostock with a thesis titled Über die Einwirkung primärer und sekundärer Amine auf Phosphoroxychlorid und Äthoxylphosphoroxychlorid later in 1901. The high toxicity of the substance wasn't noticed at time, most likely due to the low yield of synthethic reactions used.