How the Nazis invented nerve agents like sarin (video)

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2017 — Nerve agents are arguably the most brutal chemical weapons. These infamous compounds, which include sarin gas and VX, originated in Nazi Germany when a chemist was trying to develop a more effective insecticide. Marrying the element phosphorus with cyanide derivatives resulted in a poison so deadly it was named “Tabun,” derived from the German word for “taboo.” Learn more about the history of nerve agents in the latest Speaking of Chemistry: https://youtu.be/3te1o6dYmLI.

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