VX (a thiophosphonate ester) and sulfur mustard [bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide] are chemical warfare agents. VX, first patented in 1974, is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that is more potent than sarin. Sulfur mustard, also known as mustard gas, is a vesicant whose effects include skin blisters, edema, and conjunctivitis; it was prepared as early as 1822. Chemists are currently developing methods to detect trace amounts of these and other chemical weapons.
MOTW Update:
March 13, 2017
The thiophosphonate ester VX was one of the Molecules of the Week for July 16, 2012. It is a chemical warfare agent that is more powerful than sarin. VX made international news recently because it was used to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
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