Things I Won’t Work With, What Actual Scientists Deem As Dangerous

I am sure that everyone has heard of an instance where a person has said a certain chemical was dangerous only on the basis of it having a “scary” sounding name or that they heard in an email that it can cause cancer. Most scientifically inclined people know that these opinions are usually the result of chemophobia, take for example the anti-vaccine movement that is currently taking place. But if most of the chemicals that cause concern among the public are usually non-harmful, then what do actual scientist deem as dangerous? Well to answer this question all you need to do is take a trip over to the “Things I Won’t Work With” section of the In the Pipeline blog. Here you can find hundreds of first hand experiences that seasoned scientists have had with some of the most dangerous, toxic, and downright foul compounds ever synthesized. From graduate student terrors to post-doc nightmares, the stories do a really good job of outlining all the volatile compounds that you need to be outside of a 1 mile radius at all times. One of the most “interesting” (I like explosions as long as I am not on the other side of the blast shield) compounds that always make for a good story are azides, which involve directly linking nitrogen atoms. Take for example the compound known as C₂N₁₄, when in the process of characterizing this molecule:

 

“The sensitivity of C2N14 is beyond our capabilities of measurement. The smallest possible loadings in shock and friction tests led to explosive decomposition…”

After plastering a few spectrometers against the wall, the group was finally able to get a Raman spectra. But what is the use of studying a compound that literally explodes on sight? Unless you are in the business of selling lab equipment then I don’t really see the use of further research. For more stories like this, visit the hyperlink I posted above.